Cleveland 02/18/2015

[jbrownsjr]

Christine McVie killed "You Make Loving Fun and took 14,000 Cleveland fans on a trip to "Everywhere"
Christine McVie's return lifts Fleetwood Mac back on its Hall of Fame pedestal

by Chuck Yarborough
The Plain Dealer

View 25 Photos by Gus Chan at The Plain Dealer
http://photos.cleveland.com/4501/gal.../index.html#/0

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Mick Fleetwood said it best Wednesday night.

Rising his full 6-foot-5 frame from behind his massive DW drum set, he pointed to keyboardist-vocalist-songwriter Christine McVie, on tour with her Fleetwood Mac bandmates for the first time in 16 years.

"Making all this complete,'' the wild-eyed Fleetwood thundered to a sold-out Quicken Loans Arena as the spotlight shone on McVie. "Yes, indeed, our songbird has returned!''

It's so, so true.

Two years ago, Fleetwood Mac sans McVie cut a wide swath through the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame band's expansive catalog, relying on vocals from Stevie Nicks, who never had much range to begin with and has lost much of that over time, and a valiant effort by guitarist-vocalist Lindsey Buckingham. It wasn't a marathon sonic waterboarding, but those limitations did make for some torturous moments over the course of more than 21/2 hours.

Wednesday night was a completely different experience.

With McVie back on keys, and her still-strong mezzo-soprano offering lead and harmony vocals, the night became a 160-minute prayer that the inevitable end would not happen.

Perhaps oddly, the greatest benefactors of McVie's presence - aside from those of us in the listening audience - were Nicks and Buckingham.

Gone was the pressure on Nicks to carry an entire night of songs, many of which are out of her throaty wheelhouse.

Gone was the need for Buckingham to fill gaps with guitar solos in a valiant but futile attempt to fool us into thinking something wasn't missing.

Instead, the two were able to focus on their strengths and the songs for which they are known.

For Nicks, that would be the ethereal "Rhiannon,'' the cosmic (although pitchy) "Sisters of the Moon,'' the wrenching "Landslide,'' the autobiographical "Gypsy'' and the even more autobiographical "Gold Dust Woman.''

Buckingham, a more than capable vocalist himself, could tackle "I Know I'm Not Wrong'' "Big Love,'' "Never Going Back Again'' and "I'm So Afraid'' (albeit with a bit too much FX on the last for my taste) and deliver the goods on the iconic "Tusk.''

But more than that, McVie's presence seemed to free him to be what he really is: one of the best - and most unique - guitarists in rock 'n' roll.

His Rick Turner Model 1 guitar alternately screamed, wailed, cried, crooned and wooed throughout the night, as he furiously attacked the strings with his finger-picking style.

To be fair, he did that last time, too, and just about as well. But in 2013, it seemed like he was trying to fill those voids created by McVie's absence. It ended up like rowing with only one oar, and all you do is go in circles.

McVie's presence was felt from the opening strains the show-starting with "The Chain,'' and just got stronger with every lead and harmony vocal she did.

She killed "You Make Loving Fun'' and took 14,000 of us with her on a trip to "Everywhere.'' "Say You Love Me'' turned into a tour de force of her voice and Buckingham's guitar work that would've made the night complete had it ended just there.

But it didn't. "Over My Head'' and "Little Lies'' were spectacular with her in the lead role, and her harmony vocals on other songs helped recreate the lush sound for which Fleetwood Mac is known.

And yet, as important as McVie's vocals were Wednesday night, there seemed to be a bigger thing at work. Every member of Fleetwood Mac, including bassist John McVie, her ex-husband, seemed content to have her back in the fold.

Fleetwood was right: The band is complete now. Life is good. For them, and for us.

[vivfox]

This might be the first review I have read that sliced, diced and insulted Stevie and Lindsey while putting Christine on an untouchable pedestal. This HAD to be written by one of our very own Ledgies. It sounds so like many of you guys.

[laurarox]

It was a perfect show. I thought everyone sounded great and it was very seamless. Even though I've seen them many times it just blows my mind how they have an infinate number of hits and they just plow through them so beautifully. And I just thought all is right with the world again.

[nicepace]

This might be the first review I have read that sliced, diced and insulted Stevie and Lindsey while putting Christine on an untouchable pedestal.

Every word true! I love this review. Its essential point is that having Chris back makes Lindsey and Stevie better.

[jbrownsjr]

Originally Posted by vivfox

This might be the first review I have read that sliced, diced and insulted Stevie and Lindsey while putting Christine on an untouchable pedestal. This HAD to be written by one of our very own Ledgies. It sounds so like many of you guys.

I wrote it.

[michelej1]

Fleetwood Mac Delivers Arena Rock Thrills Without the Frills

Cleve Scene

http://www.clevescene.com/scene-and-...out-the-frills

Concert Review Posted By Jeff Niesel on Thu, Feb 19, 2015 at 10:32

When Fleetwood Mac reunited back in 2013 and launched what would become a very successful (and very long) world tour, the band sounded a bit rusty as it played its first show in three years in Columbus. But the group eventually warmed up and delivered a solid performance. Last night at Quicken Loans Arena, where the band played a two-plus hour show before a capacity crowd, it didn’t need any time to warm up. You can see a slideshow from the concert here.

Right from the set’s start, which began with the moody “The Chain,” the band hummed on all cylinders. Singer Stevie Nicks said the band had played fiftysomething shows on the current leg, so that must’ve had something to do with it. But it’s also the band’s method of operation. Each player in the group is a phenomenal musician in his or her own right. While many of today's arena rock tours rely on theatrics, Fleetwood Mac deserves credit for putting the emphasis on the music. Other than using the occasional video treatment, the band didn't rely on any gimmicks.

The early part of the set featured some of the band’s biggest hits. Songs such as “You Make Loving Fun,” a tune the band has started playing again now that singer-keyboardist Christine McVie is back with the group, “Dreams,” “Second Hand News” and “Rhiannon,” which concluded with a vigorous jam, all sounded sharp. While McVie tunes such as “You Make Loving Fun” and “Everywhere” lack intense lyrics for which Fleetwood Mac songs are known, McVie delivered them perfectly and her voice even sounded a bit more soulful usual on “You Make Loving Fun.”

Heavy percussion made the introduction to “Tusk” more ominous than usual and the band seamlessly included footage of the marching band that played on the studio verison of the song. Acoustic renditions of “Landslide” and “Never Going Back Again” allowed singer-guitarist Lindsey Buckingham and Nicks to show how well they could harmonize and Nicks, who wore a loose fitting black lace dress, gave “Gold Dust Woman” her all, hovering over the microphone at song’s end to sing the song’s final lines “pale shadow of a woman” over and over again.

The first of two encores featured “World Turning” and “Don’t Stop” before the band delivered the somber ballad “Silver Springs,” perhaps one of the greatest break-up songs of all time. In the middle of the set, Buckingham admitted that the band had been through its “ups and downs” throughout the years. “But that’s what makes us who we are,” he said matter-of-factly. He might have added that the band is currently experiencing a definite “up.”

[michelej1]

Originally Posted by vivfox

This might be the first review I have read that sliced, diced and insulted Stevie and Lindsey while putting Christine on an untouchable pedestal. This HAD to be written by one of our very own Ledgies. It sounds so like many of you guys.

Oh, she's not untouchable. We killed that hair clip, didn't we?

Michele

[jbrownsjr]

Originally Posted by michelej1

Oh, she's not untouchable. We killed that hair clip, didn't we?

Michele

We sure did!! And I think you killed those hats she used to wear way back when...

[jbrownsjr]

35 years ago.. (give or take)

Fleetwood Mac sold out Cleveland (Richfield Coliseum) for two shows

May 20 and May 21. A Tuesday and Wednesday night!

[Macfan4life]

Originally Posted by jbrownsjr

35 years ago.. (give or take)

Fleetwood Mac sold out Cleveland (Richfield Coliseum) for two shows

May 20 and May 21. A Tuesday and Wednesday night!

And Go Your Own Way on the LIVE album was recorded at one of these shows.

[vivfox]

Originally Posted by michelej1

Oh, she's not untouchable. We killed that hair clip, didn't we?

You always know how to make me smile.

[WayOfTheDragon]

Originally Posted by Macfan4life

And Go Your Own Way on the LIVE album was recorded at one of these shows.

Not That Funny and I'm So Afraid, too. That Cleveland show was one of the best of the Tusk tour.

[michelej1]

By Chuck Yarborough, The Plain Dealer on December 21, 2015 at 8:00 AM,


http://www.cleveland.com/entertainme...stones_to.html

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Concerts are like desserts: They're all good, it's just that some are better than others.

This year, I've probably been to 50 or more shows. Some, I went to because I had to – it's my job. Some, I went to because I wanted to – I am, first and foremost, a music fan. And I found my share of delicious crème brulee, musically speaking.

Given that there are multiple concerts just about every night of the year in Cleveland, Akron, Cuyahoga Falls, Cleveland Heights and so on, there's no way I could attend all of them. So maybe I missed a gem, and you didn't. If that's the case, I'd love to hear from you.

But for me, here, in order, are the best 15 concerts I saw in Northeast Ohio in 2015, and a word or two about why:

1. Garth Brooks, Oct. 9, Quicken Loans Arena. This wasn't just the best concert of 2015; this was one of the best concerts I've seen in 10 years. Brooks has every bit of energy and charisma today that he had two decades ago, when he last played The Q.

2. Rolling Stones, May 31, Ohio Stadium. Apparently, old guys rule. Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Charlie Watts and Ronnie Wood haven't lost a step since headlining that Mayflower cruise back in 1620.

3. Green Day, April 16, House of Blues. It was supposed to be a way for new inductees Green Day to say thanks to fans for a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame career. Instead, it became a vehicle to showcase just why Billie Joe Armstrong, Tre Cool and Mike Dirnt have HAD a Hall of Fame career.

4. Sam Smith, July 27, CSU Wolstein Center. I confess I had issues with the similarities between his Grammy-winning "Stay With Me'' and Tom Petty's "Won't Back Down.'' But after hearing 16 soulful songs by one of the purest voices in music, I figured it'd be wise if I DID back down.

5. Fleetwood Mac, Feb. 18, The Q. An amazing thing happens when the whole team is on the field. This was Christine McVie's return to the fold, and it was magnificent. I'm not sure how, but her presence even bolstered Stevie Nicks' vocals.

[jbrownsjr]

Originally Posted by michelej1

By Chuck Yarborough, The Plain Dealer on December 21, 2015 at 8:00 AM,


http://www.cleveland.com/entertainme...stones_to.html

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Concerts are like desserts: They're all good, it's just that some are better than others.

This year, I've probably been to 50 or more shows. Some, I went to because I had to – it's my job. Some, I went to because I wanted to – I am, first and foremost, a music fan. And I found my share of delicious crème brulee, musically speaking.

Given that there are multiple concerts just about every night of the year in Cleveland, Akron, Cuyahoga Falls, Cleveland Heights and so on, there's no way I could attend all of them. So maybe I missed a gem, and you didn't. If that's the case, I'd love to hear from you.

But for me, here, in order, are the best 15 concerts I saw in Northeast Ohio in 2015, and a word or two about why:

1. Garth Brooks, Oct. 9, Quicken Loans Arena. This wasn't just the best concert of 2015; this was one of the best concerts I've seen in 10 years. Brooks has every bit of energy and charisma today that he had two decades ago, when he last played The Q.

2. Rolling Stones, May 31, Ohio Stadium. Apparently, old guys rule. Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Charlie Watts and Ronnie Wood haven't lost a step since headlining that Mayflower cruise back in 1620.

3. Green Day, April 16, House of Blues. It was supposed to be a way for new inductees Green Day to say thanks to fans for a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame career. Instead, it became a vehicle to showcase just why Billie Joe Armstrong, Tre Cool and Mike Dirnt have HAD a Hall of Fame career.

4. Sam Smith, July 27, CSU Wolstein Center. I confess I had issues with the similarities between his Grammy-winning "Stay With Me'' and Tom Petty's "Won't Back Down.'' But after hearing 16 soulful songs by one of the purest voices in music, I figured it'd be wise if I DID back down.

5. Fleetwood Mac, Feb. 18, The Q. An amazing thing happens when the whole team is on the field. This was Christine McVie's return to the fold, and it was magnificent. I'm not sure how, but her presence even bolstered Stevie Nicks' vocals.

ummmm duh!