Chicago, IL 10/2 - On With The Show 2014

[AliceLover]

Originally Posted by michelej1

^ That's my take on SOTM as well, that it strikes a mysterious mood that builds to fever pitch with Stevie yelling at the end. The frantic way she gets reminds me of the old Rhiannon days, actually.

How does everyone know about the iPhone flashlight except me?? It was like everyone else in the room did it automatically by secret agreement. You don't invite me to your meetings.

Michele

I was surprised at how much she kicked up the vocal for the 10/3 show.

[ragrsrocalot]

WOW!!!

[NurseDJackson]

Interesting thread...some nice thoughts about what went on Thursday night. When I saw FM in 2003-04 there were a ton of people on stage with them, including this tour's hidden Steve...don't know why he was hidden this time (and he didn't appear to be playing a trap set at any point---he was often visible in the background of close-up shots), don't know why Sharon and Lori had to be in silhouette most of the night, either (considering that any high note heard over the course of the set was coming from Celani). As per the questions about Christine's playing, it seemed like she was playing the entire night, even if there was that "half" part of SYLM before they stopped and started again. You could see it in the audience...everyone was like, "we know that boogie woogie beat" but not...quite....I didn't see the incident during Silver Springs, but for the most part it appeared as though McVie was playing, and I agree with others that it had her distinctive flair, albeit with parts augmented by the non-hidden (was it) Brett Tuggle.

SOTM was the first non "hit" song of the night and some people used it as an opportunity to take a little break. Thought she sounded great on it and enjoyed the "old lady" version...there was a little bit of Glenn Danzig in her "sistah"!!! Agree that it's definitely better than the versions I've heard from the last tour. Another example of how much Xtine McVie adds...

Maybe IKINW was the first offical non-hit, but the crazy/ridiculous psychopathic hypnosis visuals of that song, the trainwreck-of-it-all, was enough to keep people glued to their seats....

7 Wonders, from where I was sitting, got a great reaction from the crowd. Everyone seemed to love it and she killed it. Great song. The not-exactly-explanatory "American Horror Story: Coven" announcement at the end was funny as ****!

I concur that Little Lies was the hit of the night. One of my companions said that "they finally played McVie's songs like rock songs" and they all sounded great.
And her voice was fantastic. Just a slight drop, maybe a half-step, but more velvety and rich than her young years, if that's possible. Just Really good. She made the night just so fantastic.

BOTH MCVIES ARE TOO THIN, though! The reason for one is obvious, but I hope it's a healthy thin and not a "wrecked by chemo/radiation" thin...no one has ever given that man his dues as a musician. He's been standing there quietly for, what, 46-47 years?

Mick Fleetwood is a wonder to behold. It's the first time I've seen him do a drum solo without the horrid digital vest and MY GOD WAS IT FANTASTIC! However, him and Stevie both needing a moment at the end was a little much. Bringing out your tween daughters (what is this, his like 3rd round of kids)....but perhaps that all stemmed from Buckingham being on stage with McVie during Songbird. They could have all just given her the moment (or come back and did Farmer's Daughter)...but between the "dreamcatchers" speech and the "look, I have kids to support" bit....the impact of Songbird was a little ruined.

GDW was a revelation. Nicks can always find a way to add to that song and take 25,000 people to a trance place. The "the crackhead dance" and the additional lyrics on top of the additional lyrics were awesome! She did this crazy Sheela-Na-Gig squat...everyone went nuts!

Some of the visuals were unnecessary, like the Rhiannon character, but I suppose they figure they need something extra these days. Beyond that, I don't know how much "faking" was going on other than how obvious it was that the sound was hyper-perfect...everything was sent through auto-tune (which still can't save the occasional blown Stevie Nicks note)...not sure if this is autotune but I've noticed over the years that Nicks always sounds higher in concert than she does on recordings, as if her mic is pitched up. More than the half-step McVie's voice has dropped. Digital clarity is just so different than what music used to sound like.

One of my companions noted, as another did on this thread, that the bass was mixed a little high, but it was corrected quickly (or we all just got used to it shaking our guts, which is probably why it was mixed high to begin with/it was THE CHAIN so, you know, loud bass is good for that).

Buckingham was his usual self, but like others have noted, slightly detached. Didn't bother me much as he can be a little overwhelming. Still has to "tell, not show" by babbling too much. And his solos were reigned in this time.

Overall it was an excellent night and I hope everyone who goes has as much fun as everyone seemed to have on Thursday at the United Center. My one friend who's seen them in the 70s said that he was ecstatic to finally see them when they were awesome as his times in the 70s saw Nicks with a blown out voice, Buckingham passing out while playing, and generally bad sound. My other friend, who filled in last minute for someone else, was thrilled with the night and her review really put it out there simply,

"This would have been as impressive 30-40 years ago!"

[michelej1]

Originally Posted by NurseDJackson

I concur that Little Lies was the hit of the night. One of my companions said that "they finally played McVie's songs like rock songs" and they all sounded great.

Thank you for the great review. You know what, I will have to pay close attention to Little Lies the next time I see them because I did not fully appreciate the reaction to it that everyone is describing.

Originally Posted by NurseDJackson

BOTH MCVIES ARE TOO THIN, though!

I don't think John is. I think he was too fat before and carrying that extra weight was taxing. He looked bloated when I see the older pictures. Today, his face is gaunt, but you never lose weight where you want, it leaves your face before it leaves your tummy.

BUT, I agree with you about Christine. I think she is too thin. I mean, she's smaller than she was 30 years ago and she was never overweight. I appreciate that she's probably harder and toner than she was back then, but I'm not sure that she should weigh so much less.

We had been talking about Ted Kennedy and when I saw Christine in Minneapolis, I did think of Kara. Kara Kennedy was a chubby child and young woman and then after she battled cancer, she really slimmed down and she worked out so much. I think she did too much. I think she thought she was making her body strong, but she wasn't taking in enough calories to sustain the tremendous activity she engaged in to stay "fit."

Diet when you're off tour. Now that they're sweating 2 hours every night, I hope Christine is eating some pasta. Mangia, McVie!

Michele

[applebucked]

I think Chris was not as thin as she was during The Dance (THAT was scary) but still thinner than 30 years ago. I hope someone is supplying her with pasta and Chocolate Hobnobs.

Unless she weighs more now bc of the muscle. Check out her left bicep on this.

[PenguinHead]

Originally Posted by BigAl84

Let's not get using a keyboard to play specific sampled parts confused with using a backing track. I don't think they are using a full on backing track for anything. Are certain sound effects and little parts sampled and uploaded to a keyboard, I bet they are.

Thank you for clarifying that. Samples are different from backing tracks. I wouldn't want that misunderstanding perpetuated as fact.

[PenguinHead]

Originally Posted by ragrsrocalot

WOW!!!

Wow indeed! That was an epic performance. Stevie was in her element, demonstrating all the qualities to justify her "legendary" status.

[bethelblues]

That was incredible!! Worth the price of admission, I'd say. If only Sisters of the Moon was this intense...Stevie has it in her and the song/arrangement still needs it. Very interesting that Gold Dust Woman has become her standout song of the night, taking the place once held by Rhiannon and Sisters of the Moon.

[Danielle]

Thank you for the Gold Dust Woman clip. She's ridiculously good.

[kak125]

Thank you for posting gold dust woman this was so damn good! The video is so clear and the audio is just fantastic!!
Can I just say that stevie breaking it down around the 7:00 minute mark was just like the best thing I have seen in a while. She was doing some dirty dancing there. Good stuff!!

[michelej1]

Chicago Tribune October 3, 2014, 5:23 AM by Steve Johnson


Suddenly, Fleetwood Mac seems like it might be thinking about tomorrow again.

After touring since 1998 in various incomplete incarnations and with varying levels of comfort with each other, the onetime supergroup is now back to the full lineup of its late 1970s heyday, minus the bad habits and the romantic entanglements of that era.

And don’t think the crowd at United Center Thursday didn’t know and appreciate it. When prodigal keyboardist Christine McVie sang “sweet, wonderful you,” her first solo notes of the night, on “You Make Loving Fun,” exultant cheers came from the crowd.

McVie, with the help of a therapist, has conquered a fear of flying and given up a life in the English countryside to rejoin the band, making the second stop on its reunion tour in Chicago (where it plays again Friday).

Except for a quick reference to her long-ago marriage to bassist John McVie — part of this band’s charm is its complicated past, often mythologized in song -- she mostly left the talking to her bandmates. But with her songs back in the set and her calm, angular presence back on the stage, there was an undeniable feeling of rejuvenation.

“Making all of us complete,” drummer Mick Fleetwood said of McVie, “our songbird has returned.”

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We’ve heard, in the tour buildup, that Fleetwood Mac is even writing and recording new material, news that holds no small promise considering how many enduring songs they’ve already made.

And now we’ve seen, in Chicago, that they’re playing like a group with an eye on the horizon, one that’s sharing the spotlight and taking every occasion to say kind things about one another. The show ended, not with a song, but with curious little speeches about unity and togetherness from Nicks and Fleetwood. (This is not recommended for groups with a lesser track record.)

So a tour showcasing new material may not be that far off. But what Mac delivered Thursday was 24 tunes from the heart of its catalog, classic rock live.

Christine McVie’s presence took some of the focus off of the Californians, Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks, whose 1974 addition to an existing British blues outfit kicked the band into the album-sales stratosphere, particularly with 1977’s “Rumours."

Fleetwood and John McVie, on bass, reminded concert goers why the band is named for them. They still put a layer of muscle behind everything the band did, even the unapologetic soft rock of Christine’s “Little Lies.” Fleetwood pounded and then barked his way through a four-minute drum solo in “World Turning."

But this band is about its songwriters. Christine McVie was almost regal, taking in more than she gave out, letting her silky love songs speak for her.

She is like a cat in the dark and then she is the darkness she rules her life like a fine skylark and when the sky is starless All your life you've never seen woman taken by the wind

Al Kohollick

Buckingham, though, snarled his lyrics, jumped with the high notes on his guitar solos and generally belied what people might think they know about him from “Saturday Night Live’s” running parody. He may look like Art Garfunkel’s younger brother stuffed into skinny jeans, but this man is a vital musical presence, the soul of the band.

Ditto for the vitality of Nicks, its cauldron-stirring spirit. She didn’t twirl as fast or as often as she used to; a few spins, executed gingerly, were enough to draw fervent applause. The tempo on “Rhiannon,” one of her signature tunes, doesn’t blister as it once did.

But her voice quickly warmed up to put power and depth, if not range, behind her trademark rasp. Her showcase songs, “Landslide,” “Gold Dust Woman” and, especially, “Silver Springs,” were the night’s highlights.

As for stagecraft, give credit to Fleetwood Mac for keeping the microphones pointed in the right direction. The crowd was happily singing along most of the night, but never — never! — as lead vocalists. That is a rare thing in 2014, especially from a band who wouldn’t need to show any of the words on screen.

Less praiseworthy was the video screen behind the stage. It started promisingly, with just color, light, some nature scenes. But the video got more and more aggressive until on one tune it showed us footage of eyes, noses and facial pores. Somebody must have dragged that director away from the controls, because the final bits backed off, simply showing the band.

A couple of musicians backed the core group on guitar and keyboards, but Buckingham was ferocious and tireless as lead guitarist. (His “Big Love” beatdown of an acoustic guitar recalled Richard Thompson.) There were two backup singers, too, also in shadow, ready to fill in on the high notes, but, really, the trio of Buckingham-Nicks-C. McVie had nothing to apologize for as lead vocalists.

That trio is now hovering around 70 years of age. But even as young pups they were writing songs that contemplated the march of time. Now, with McVie’s unexpected return and the potential for new material, those lyrics about yesterday being gone and time making you bolder seemed to hold a special resonance.


“Our dream girl is back,” Stevie Nicks would say later, just after McVie had sat at a grand piano and delivered her simple, soulful “Songbird” to end the almost 2-1/2-hour show.

[jwd]

^^ Got a kick out of the writer when he said Lindsey looked like Art Garfunkel's younger brother stuffed into skinny jeans. That has to be a first.

[michelej1]

How do you get a guitar pick at a concert? Here’s how I did it

September 8, 2015 Aaron Hanania, Illinois News Network

http://www.illinoisnewsnetwork.com/2...-how-i-did-it/

Here’s my experience of how to easily get a guitar pick at a concert. I did it without fighting someone, jumping onto the stage, or having a backstage pass.

On October 2nd,2014 I went to a Fleetwood Mac concert in Chicago at the United Center. We got there a good hour and a half early. So early that they had not opened the doors yet. When we got in, we of course bought a few souvenirs.

The souvenir I later got for free was the best one that they would never sell. When we were sitting waiting, I was thinking back to getting a guitar pick or drum stick, like the few lucky people who get the rarest pick.

I stood down there and watched the pre-concert preparations for a good 20 minutes. There was a security guy standing about ten feet in front of me. The curious me decided to ask him a question I was sure I knew the answer to.

My problem was we were not even facing the stage but on the far right side of it. So I thought that I could not get anything. That was until I wanted to stand down by the stage where the bass player went off the stage and changed guitars. and watch the guy with the really long hair tune the guitars.

I also wanted to look at the band members little portable desk with pictures of their family.

I said, “Excuse me sir.” The man replied, “yes.”

I then asked, “Is there any way I can get a guitar pick from one of the people in the band?”

Remember this was before I really knew Fleetwood Mac, so I did not know who was who. The guy told me,” one second.”

He then turned to the man tuning the guitars and I think he said something like, “That kid over there is asking for a guitar pick.”

The only way I can assume that is because the security guard turned and pointed toward me. The tuner reached into his pocket and gave the security man a guitar pick. It was the bass guitarist, John McVie’s bass pick.

I never thought that it was that easy to get a pick. I never tried before either.

All you need to do this is to be a kid or have a kid with you, because they probably wouldn’t do it for an adult. A “cute” kid on the other hand is likely. Next time you go to a concert with a kid you can try this technique and see what happens. I wish you best of luck when you try.

The worst thing that could happen is that you might not get one. But having a young kid ask increases the chances that you may walk away with a very valuable item.

This proves that not only people with good seats, expensive backstage passes and large baskets to catch a pick, can get one but anyone who thinks creatively can.