The Ledge - Miami - American Airlines Arena 03/21/15

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Originally Posted by Macfan4life (Post 1163184)

Just back from the Miami show. It was a full house but they did not start letting people into the arena till 7pm. Is this typical of other cities too? Just a few crowd observations before I get to the fun stuff. It was very warm inside the arena. Even Stevie looked hot and sweaty at the end of GDW. I was on the floor on the Christine side about 50 rows back. Lots of pot smoking going on around me too. Many peeves about this crowd. First one, many were not in their seats by 8:15pm. People were still getting into their seats during Dreams...the 3rd song. The people in front of me constantly loading photos to facebook and texting. I am 45 and not in this generation of facebook and constant selfie updates. Then security was asking for tickets in the row in front of me during Everywhere and it was a big distraction. For some reason security thought people were in the wrong seats. It just reminded me how much I missed the classic rock crowd in Pittsburgh. People having respect for others.
Now....on with the show.
The band took the stage around 8:15. I was in my seat before 7:30. They played several Lindsey acoustic songs....Bleed to Love her, Think about me and Oh Daddy. I wish I could get a recording of Lindsey doing Oh Daddy only with guitar. It was a treat but then I wished I could hear these versions live in concert. At the beginning of the tour in Pittsburgh they never played any such songs before the concert started. Or at least I don't remember so.
The setlist is the same except Seven Wonders and Songbird are dropped. I must say that Christine was on fire. I have NEVER seen her have so much fun at any FM concert or solo concert. She sang every song. She mouthed ever word of Dreams, Second Hand News, Rhiannon, Gypsy, etc. She was smiling and having so much fun. She was egging the crowd on more than I saw in Pittsburgh even with her accordion. She gave a big welcome to "Miami, the sunshine state." She commented how much she loved Miami and the sun but yielded she lets Stevie and Lindsey do all the talking. She was funny too. Stevie commented after YMLF that Miami was their 67th show of the tour and she normally would say Welcome Chris and then Christine would say Thank you in the phony British accent that Stevie uses when she imitates Chris. And Chris said it like Stevie would imitate her with. Talk about funny! I hope someone posts this on youtube. At the end of Rhiannon Steive was spinning and her shawl got caught up with all that ribbon hanging from her microphone. She could not escape. So Christine came over and stage people came running on stage. It took a little while to free Stevie. It was funny. Everyone was around Stevie trying to free her from her microphone. Lindsey gave a very good speech at the beginning of Big Love. Usually he talks in code and not specifics. But he was very specific talking about the recording of Tango in the Night at his house and how hard it was and how happy he was with the record. But he said he could not tour with the band because he needed to make major changes in his life. I never heard him talk like this before. Usually he blamed the band for wanting to leave, etc. During the intro to Gypsy Lindsey was holding his head in his hands as to be in disbelief and bored. Stevie was talking about how they opened for Creedance Clearwater Revival and the car broke down and they were stranded in some CA town. Lindsey then made a car horn noise with his guitar. Stevie looked and Lindsey and said "why did you do that, are you bored?" She then acknowledged she was sorry for boring people with the story. Stevie dedicated Landslide to a friend Eve who lives in Key West. Stevie's wild crack head dance at the end of GDW is much tamer than it was early in the tour. Big difference. Christine really sounded good. She is over being nervous and having so much fun. She wore a mini black glove on her right hand and I thought that would be a sign of some hand injury. But she only wore the glove to play the maraccas. She plays wild during Don't Stop. I was watching the other keyboardist and he was not playing much during Don't Stop. Stevie looks exactly the same from when I saw her in Oct 2014. Lindsey looked a bit more tired and Mick looks like he lost weight. Christine looked amazing with much thicker bangs and dressed in black with a big silver star broach on her top. She really was having fun tonight like I have never seen before. Before the Chain started Chris, Stevie and Lindsey came out on Chris's side of the stage and met my Chris's keyboards. They all hugged and kissed each other on the cheek before going to their places. During Landslide Stevie and Lindsey were holding hands well before the song even ended. Stevie commented that since the beginning of the tour in Sept there were snow covered hills everywhere they went except in Miami. Seven Wonders and Songbird were dropped. I was prepared for this otherwise I would have been devastated. Stevie did not speak at the end. I missed her speech. Mick did give a speech at the end.
Good concert. I missed Songbird but loved to see Christine having so much fun. She wanted to sing every song. This tour is so much better than the Dance. Christine looked so bored during the Dance. I still am upset that Stevie and Lindsey do deep cuts and they don't allow Chris to do one too.
Hopefully there are videos on youtube soon. I know I want to see them :)
Oh a couple other thoughts. Lindsey is getting more comfortable doing Chris songs too. He has added very loud guitar licks during YMLF. In Oct there were a few in the song but he has really turned it up. Sort of like the Mirage tour. There were no flowers, stuffed animals or albums to sign in the front row. Gosh I was I could have been in the front row by Christine. I would have been holding her 1984 solo album up for an autograph and I have a feeling she would have signed :) During Second Hand News during the "Do it do it do it do it do it" Christine would point to the crowd with both hands over and over and mouth it. She was on fire!

Great review! Glad you had a good time. I'm 48 and I'm right there with you. When I go to a concert, I watch the concert. The phone stays in my pocket. But I get it's a generational thing. Miami crowds aren't the best in my experience. I'm still in disbelief that Songbird has been dropped. It's baffling but whatever. I'm sure they have their reasons. I wonder why Stevie isn't doing her speech at the end. Interesting.