New York - 1/22
 

Did anyone go last night?

I feel a slight set list change coming soon and I'm wondering if it happened in New York.

I was there last night. It was an incredible show. There were no set list changes but they did seem slightly reenergized. I had never seen them live before so that could be part of it but I think that Lindsey and Stevie were more amped up than usual, not as in towards each other but just more into performing. Stevie's voice sounded a lot better than it has in past years and she did some ad libbing during some songs and even went for a few notes I was expecting her to dodge. The gold dust woman wail was closer to the full thing than she's done in recent shows. As someone noted on Twitter and my dad and I agreed, she was in rare form last night. She dedicated landslide to the supreme witch from American Horror Story and Hoda Kotb from NBC who were both in the audience. Lindsey's guitar playing blew me away, I'm used to studio versions and The Dance so this was a completely different animal. Mick and Christine seemed somewhat subdued, although for Chris this isn't out of the ordinary. Chris's voice also sounded amazing, she seems to be regaining muscle memory and notes like the chorus of you make lovin fun come smoother now. She did seem to be having some issues with the keyboard as she noted after say you love me "this thing can be tricky sometimes" and something strange happened during don't stop. It sounded like she started playing the verse before Mick and Lindsey had done their into parts. There were some fun moments with the band and the audience as we'll... When Lindsey introduced Big Love as coming out in 1987 some girl in the front row matter of factly announced "I was two" and Lindsey had fun with that. Someone released balloons into the crowd, the goal being to get them to the stage and all three singers at various times attempted to throw them back into the crowd with varying levels of success. Overall a great show and the best concert I've ever seen. Never dreamed I'd ever get to see Christine McVie live and it was everything I'd hoped for and more.

Great review! Thanks for sharing.

Fantastic review - thank you for sharing! My husband and I were there last night, too - it was an incredible show. This was my fourth (and final) show to see this tour, and they were on fire. You never would have guessed that Mick was hospitalized days earlier. They all were in great voice and form. At several points Stevie went up to John and whispered something and they laughed, which was fun to see. I also LOVED how Stevie lunged towards the audience as she twirled during Rhiannon.

Stevie's voice was in top form - the best I've heard her on this tour. It may be just me, but it seems that, as compared to the last few tours, she finally has found a way to use her voice powerfully and in a nuanced way without always having to shout - it was truly sheer perfection.

i agree Stevie's voice has sounded so much better.. Christine's return has really energized this band...

I hope some quality recordings of these later, more seasoned shows show up. I wonder if there are plans for a show to be professionally recorded for future release.

I truly hope so. We grabbed a drink at the Delta Sky Club before the show, and they were playing what sounded like soundboard quality recordings from the tour - if only they would release them!

Thanks for the awesome review and I'm glad you and everyone else had a great time!I'm so jealous - I saw them in Philly and I SO want to see them again - that will happen "in my dreams":(

Ha! She is still having trouble with that keyboard during Say You Love Me. I think it is programmed to play the melody (I could be wrong). Early in the tour they had to start Say You Love Me again because of the keyboard glitch.

I saw them in Pittsburgh and Chris said something similar to what you stated in NYC. She said "Sometimes this thing works....and sometimes it doesn't"

Thanks for the review!

I am disappointed that they are still using pre-recorded keyboard parts. Christine is a great keyboard player and there is another great keyboard player a few feet behind her in the shadows. They really ought to be playing all the music, live. Isn't that what the concert goers are paying for?

Brooklyn Vegan January 23, 2015 Andrew Sacher & friends.

http://www.brooklynvegan.com/archive...d_mac_b_1.html

Fleetwood Mac began NYC-area run at Madison Square Garden (pics, review, video & setlist)

Fleetwood Mac's classic lineup brought their ongoing tour to Madison Square Garden last night (1/22), their first of four NYC-area shows on this tour. From the opening harmonies of show starter "The Chain," it was clear that having Christine McVie back in the fold makes a huge difference. They were great at Jones Beach in 2013 with just Stevie and Lindsey singing, but their three voices together is such a vital part of Fleetwood Mac. Having Christine back (MSG was Chrstine's 44th show since rejoining, according to Stevie during her monologue before "Dreams") also of course meant getting a handful of songs the band couldn't play without her, which included "You Make Loving Fun," "Everywhere," "Say You Love," "Over My Head," "Little Lies," and her show-closing, solo grand piano performance of "Songbird."

Like their other recent tours, they played almost all of the legendary Rumours and otherwise stuck to the other four '70s and '80s albums this lineup made together. As a band still playing arenas 40 years after their first album together can do, they peppered their set (and ended it) with a few stories from the band members. Stevie gave multiple shout-outs to Hoda from the Today Show and to the show American Horror Story on which she appeared. Stevie introduced "Gypsy" with a story of being in San Francisco clothing store The Velvet Underground (not to be confused with the band, who were named after the book) "where all the rock and roll women bought their clothes" in the late '60s. It was in that store, over the painted floor where Janis Joplin stood before her that she had a premonition of something big which she realized years later was, of course, Fleetwood Mac. This many years later, Stevie Nicks is still the kind of rock and roll woman her premonition told her she'd be: decked out in signature flowy layers, waving scarves with her tambourine, and doing hippie dances in a gold shawl during "Gold Dust Woman." Without a doubt, she's the most entrancing member of the band, and the one the crowd really freaks out over.

On the other hand, Lindsey Buckingham is the band's rock star and lifeforce, running around the stage like he's half his actual age and shredding away at his truly awesome guitar solos. As Mick noted towards the end of the show, he basically never left the stage. The extended solo at the end of "I'm So Afraid" was particularly epic -- so much so that it seemed like the finale of the pre-encore set, but of course that would be "Go Your Own Way." That one had the whole crowd on their feet, ready for the band to come back for more, and not one but two encores followed. Christine ended the night perfectly, at her piano with Lindsey by her side, but what may have been the night's most powerful moment came during the first encore. It's no secret that she does this at (probably all of) their shows, but at the end of "Silver Springs" when Stevie turns to make eye contact with Lindsey -- who the song is obviously about -- howling "I'll follow you down 'til the sound of my voice will haunt you / you'll never get away from the sound of the woman that loves you," it never fails to fill the room with that kind of tension that fueled the song 38 years ago. Maybe it's just performance at this point, but damn if it doesn't feel real.

Other highlights included monster Mick's drum solo ("Don't be shy. Don't be shy... Are you with me? Are you with me?"), being brought back to the 80's with "Little Lies" and "Everywhere", and hearing Stevie do "Rhiannon" with her band after just hearing her do it with Deer Tick.

Christine, who the band acknowledged being back multiple times throughout the night, was the last to sing, but not the last to talk. Despite the older age of the sometimes-yawning crowd, MSG was still packed with people on their feet as Fleetwood Mac ended their final song after 11pm on a school night. (There were a lot of 30-and-20-somethings too, it should be said.) Very few people left early, but everyone was ready to go home. That didn't stop Stevie from grabbing the mic post-encore and commanding the entire crowd's attention for another few minutes, as she yet again talked about Christine being back in the band, though with somewhat awkward details, like how they sent Christine to a trainer to make sure she had the stamina after being gone 16 years. BUT WAIT, much like this paragraph, the show still wasn't over. Then came Mick who truly had the last word, spending another few minutes, false endings included, telling us in his charming accent how much he loved us, that he hopes he sees us again, and that "The Mac is back!" They definitely did not give the impression that this would be their "last act".

The Mac's tour continues with two more NYC-area shows this weekend, Saturday (1/24) at Atlantic City's Boardwalk Hall and Sunday (1/25) at Nassau Coliseum, and comes back around on February 8 at Prudential Center. Tickets for those are still available.

More pictures, some videos and the setlist from MSG below...

The show was great - the audience not so much. The humans (and I'm being kind here) behind us were miserable and expected us to sit for the duration of the concert. At one point, one of them took to shining his/her phone light in my face to make me sit down during Tusk. If you don't expect to stand at some point during a concert, then STAY HOME OR SPRING FOR FRONT ROW SEATS!

Once they left, the entire section felt different and the music healed and lifted us all up. Surprisingly, Gypsy was the highlight of the night (love the recorded version, but never was keen on it live until now). Little Lies, I Know I'm Not Wrong and Silver Springs were AWESOME. No changes to the set list but they could certainly swap out Dreams, Over My Head, and I'm So Afraid for Angel, Hold Me, and Think About Me...

Most of the time, having front row seats still forces you to stand because of all the people insistent upon standing in front of you. Michele

New York Daily News

BY MARIANNE GARVEY, BRIAN NIEMIETZ AND OLI COLEMAN /

Saturday, January 24, 2015

http://www.nydailynews.com/entertain...icle-1.2089918

A NICKS WIN FOR HODA AT GARDEN

She’s a few years past the edge of 17, but “Today” show co-host and Daily News columnist Hoda Kotb felt like a teenage superfan when Stevie Nicks gave her a shoutout before performing “Landslide” at Fleetwood Mac’s Thursday show at MSG. “I completely freaked out!” Kotb tells ConfidentI@l. “I feel like I can die now. Stevie Nicks said my name and ‘Landslide’ in the same sentence. That’s my favorite ‘cry in my beer song.’ The people next to me at the concert said, ‘She said your name! She said your name!’ I couldn’t believe it. you could hear me screaming all the way through the Garden.”

I think this is very harsh and unnecessary. By standing, you were blocking the view of the people behind you who had paid good money for their tickets, and now they couldn't see. You think that's fair? I don't. I am not tall enough to see over people standing in front of me, and avoid floor tickets for concerts like this, because I know that -- because of people like YOU -- I will not be able to see the stage.

Standing is one of my gripes besides the NO#1 problem is dealing with the DRUNKS and idiots that chat through the entire show.Especially the ones with the asinine comments about the band and its members.

Then maybe the Mac shouldn't play songs that people want to dance to?:shrug:

Glad you all enjoyed the review. Now that i've had the opportunity to see a video of Don't Stop it doesn't look like it was actually Christine's mistake, it looks like something was going on with Lindsey https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qdDu5NO-iQ

You paid $200 (or more) for a ticket and you want to dance, not watch the band? Incredible. If you want to dance, why not go to a cover band and save a bundle of money?

Don't get me wrong, I love the energy of a rock band at a standing venue, but these arenas are not meant to be standing venues. If they were, why do they put seats in on the floor?

I think concert goers that stand for more or less the entire show are being incredibly rude. They are saying it's all about them, and they don't care about the people for whom they are ruining the concert.

Same thing happened at the D.C show in my section. A girl stood up during Gold Dust Woman to dance and the guy behind her screamed at her to sit down. The girl's boyfriend was a second away from punching him out until some others calmed him down.

I have mixed feelings on people standing and dancing in the floor section. I know the band likes seeing people dancing and enjoying the show, it creates good energy. On the other hand, it is not pleasant for people 10 rows back who are forced to stand because everyone else is standing. Protocol regarding standing changes by band and venue. General rule, if most people are sitting and you are one of only a few standing, for goodnees sake sit your rude butt down.

It is NEVER ok to stand and dance when you are NOT in the floor section. Those people who do are rude self centered morons. You are sitting in riser seats and they are designed to be sat in so each ascending row can see above the other. What the heck is wrong with people? Drunk? Inexperienced? Moron?

You make good points. Sitting may not be the preference of many, but it evens the playing field. Even when you stand it's not enough. People will obscure your vision, push, and flail their arms to block your enjoyment of the show. Saying to people who are short, old or disabled, "Just stay home, because I want to dance," is not very helpful, especially when you're talking about a band with 70 year old members. They aren't playing to the Justin Bieber throngs. They have 70 year old fans who have just as much right to attend a concert as everyone else, even if they are no longer limber and sprightly.

You can turn on a CD and dance at home, but you can only SEE the performer at a concert and I think it's best to see them in a manner that doesn't prevent others from doing so.

Michele

Everyone in my section was very respectful. People sat the majority of the show, the only times people stood were to applaud Lindsey after I'm So Afraid to show appreciation for the insane guitar solo we just witnessed and then people kinda lost it and started dancing during Go Your Own Way and Don't Stop but who can blame them.

Clearly we won't all agree on this one. However, our love for the Mac will bring some of us back. Not me. I will stay home and dance - to the Mirage tour VHS, to The Dance DVD, to the Say You Will DVD. I'm so silly to react to LIVE MUSIC like that...

I find this conversation so odd. Its a rock concert not the opera. Its known that if you want to sit you get tickets off the floor. The floor is for standing! I've gone to more concerts than I could ever count and only had to sit a few times but those shows were ruined for me. The band is more into it when everybody stands and acts interested. Boring crowds are the worst!

As much as the band gets paid per show, if the only way they can get into it is if people are dancing and harassing each other they need to be in jail for robbery. There must be another way to motivate themselves -- aside from revisiting cocaine.

Michele

JamBase [click for 35 photos] Images by: Joe Russo


http://www.jambase.com/Articles/1238...-New-York-City

Fleetwood Mac :: 1.22.15 :: Madison Square Garden :: New York, NY


Fleetwood Mac returned to Madison Square Garden in New York City on Thursday night with keyboardist/vocalist Christine McVie in tow as the On With The Show Tour continued. The setlist featured many songs sung by Christine including "Songbird," "Everywhere" and "Little Lies." Thursday's show contained a whopping nine tunes (of 11) off 1977's best-selling Rumours LP. Fleetwood Mac's tour returns to the NYC area on February 8, when the band plays Newark's Prudential Center.

I'm used to standing at concerts as well. However, those were concerts for Beyonce, Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake etc, so it would make sense since the age of the audience is younger. Fleetwood Mac was my first concert where my entire section sat for the majority of the show. That was odd for me at first, but I can't complain. I wasn't totally upset by that since I had a long tiring day beforehand. I danced plenty in my seat though.

I don't mean for people to get in a fight over it I just meant I have been to shows where people sit the entire time and shows where people stand and the bands are way more into it.

Yeah I would have been pissed had I been at that show where everybody sat the entire time. The seats are entirely too close together so I feel like I have more room when standing then sitting. Thank goodness in Pittsburgh people usually stand on the floor when its a rocking band. Now for the Eagles everybody sat but that makes sense given their music but I noticed even for Rod Stewart everybody stood as well as Pat Benatar/Cher and Heart. I think if the music is loud and rocking its just a lot more fun. Now the last time I saw Sarah McLachlan everybody sat for her show but then again her music is pretty chill so I get it. I just find that when people sit they are more mellow and everybody is super quiet and when I look around people just seem so bored. I felt weird for singing along -ha ha!

I was thinking about this last night with regards to sporting events which are often quite raucous. Usually people do stand when the team scores or there's an exciting play, but for the rest of the game they sit.

Michele

So in this analogy, everyone should sit except for after stevie hits an impressive note or does a good wail, or Lindsey finishes a sweet guitar solo or Christine just walks on stage for the first time. And obviously stevie spinning is the equivalent to fleetwood Mac scoring a goal :laugh: