11-1 Pittsburgh

[kak125]

lol last review i promise -ha

Classic rockers address Squirrel Hill tragedy

PITTSBURGH — They sounded good, but it felt different. And there were emotional, touching moments addressing last weekend’s Squirrel Hill synagogue shooting.

There’s much to discuss about the new-look Fleetwood Mac’s concert Thursday at a full-house PPG Paints Arena.

At times, it seemed like every other concert Fleetwood Mac has played the past few decades at Pittsburgh’s current and previous hockey/concert arenas.

The classic-rockers started with the traditional “The Chain,” building the intensity to reach that deep, uncluttered and cool John McVie bass solo.

His ex-wife, Christine McVie, positioned stage right at her keyboards, let loose with her warm voice, singing songs like “Say You Love Me” and “You Make Loving Fun.” Her vocals weren’t quite as soaring and flawless as at the band’s 2014 Pittsburgh show, but still pretty special.

Stevie Nicks, as always, earned the loudest cheers with that potent rasp of hers still going strong, and that bohemian, bewitching persona equally intact to deliver crowd-pleasers “Rhiannon,” “Gypsy,” which featured a patented Stevie twirl, and “Gold Dust Woman,” where she wore a glittery gold shawl.

Also true to form, Mick Fleetwood played a drum solo that took too long to get revved up, amid shouting things like “are you out there?” to crank up the crowd noise. It was a such a lengthy solo, a roadie came out and held a plastic cup of refreshment to Fleetwood’ lips as he continued to bash away. Hey, when you’re the top-billed namesake and founder of a band, you get to solo as long as you want.

Though it was impossible to forget Lindsey Buckingham wasn’t there, booted from the band he’d brought exceptional and underrated guitar to for decades.

He’s been replaced by two stalwarts; Mike Campbell from Tom Petty’s Heartbreakers, and Neil Finn from Crowded House, whom Fleetwood made a public point Thursday of welcoming into the band.


Finn capably handled Buckingham’s vocal leads on “Go Your Own Way,” “World is Turning” and “Second Hand News,” the latter of which had a faster than normal but fun pace led by Fleetwood.

Finn offered the night’s most poignant sequence, starting with him dedicating a song to “the grieving families” of the Squirrel Hill tragedy, and to Pittsburghers in general still immersed in sorrow because of it. Finn then began singing his lovely ’80s Crowded House hit “Don’t Dream It’s Over,” backed only by light guitar and soft hand percussion as most of the band left the stage. For the final verse and chorus, Nicks came back out and sang along. Many spectators lifted and illuminated their phones like candles. It’s a song you’ve heard countless times, to the point you may have forgotten some of lyrics that stood out vividly Thursday; lines about negative forces trying to build walls between us. Finn emotionally emphasized the modified final line sung three times: “You know they won’t win ... you know they won’t win ... you know they won’t win.”

That sentiment perfectly mirrored the “Stronger Than Hate” banner with the Pittsburgh Penguins logo against a Star of David backdrop displayed on the jumbo screen behind Fleetwood Mac after its first song and before the encore.

Once “Don’t Dream It’s Over” ended, Nicks took the mic and talked about the healing properties of music and how the band felt an extra importance to be in Pittsburgh at this time. Nicks’ voice get choked up, as she urged fans to be “spiritual warriors.” The band followed with “Landslide,” emotionally sung by Nicks.

Fleetwood Mac chugged into the encore with “Go Your Own Way,” on which I found myself missing Buckingham’s vocals and guitar.

The encore began with a cover of Tom Petty’s “Free Fallin’,” which gave Campbell a chance to work his magic, having played on the original. The video screen flashed back to the late-Petty, including a number of photos of him with friend and collaborator Nicks.

Christine McVie set up the night’s final selection, “All Over Again,” saying it’s an ideal song under the circumstances, because it deals with hope and looking toward the future.


Overall a good show, though I’d have liked to have heard more of Campbell, who along with Finn spearheaded the night’s most exciting song, the guitar-blazing, way-back Fleetwood Mac track “Oh Well.” (You remember the opening stanza: “Can’t help it ’bout the shape I’m in/I can’t sing, I ain’t pretty and my legs are thin/But don’t ask me what I think of you/I might not give the answer that you want me to.”)

Without Buckingham in the band, the setlist suffered from the lack of his signature song “Tusk”. Nor did we get “Silver Springs,” Nicks’ tour-de-force as a vocalist always made more special in concert because the gut-wrenching lyrics about moving on from a busted relationship were directly inspired by her ex-lover, Buckingham, standing 10 feet from her.

This tour, with its new lineup, has stoked Fleetwood Mac members’ interest in the band’s back catalog, hence the playing of “Black Magic Woman,” a 1968 Fleetwood Mac single written by former guitarist Peter Green. Accustomed to the version they’ve heard on radio, many people mistakenly assume Santana originally wrote and recorded that song. Nicks once thought so, too.

“This was before I was in Fleetwood Mac,” she explained.

The version Fleetwood Mac played Thursday in Pittsburgh emphasized drums and didn’t try to duplicate Carlos Santana’s pyrotechnic guitar sorcery. For a cool twist, Nicks sang the song in the first person with girl power attitude, as in “I’m a black magic woman.”

The band dug even deeper to play “Tell Me All The Things You Do,” a 1970 Fleetwood Mac single written by another former guitarist, Danny Kirwan. The song had a fleet boogie beat that was rather enjoyable, but Pittsburgh fans craved the familiar, and took those several minutes to make a bathroom or beer run.

Kirwan lasted just four years in Fleetwood Mac. We’ll see if that’s a number Campbell and Finn will beat.

http://www.timesonline.com/entertain...-in-pittsburgh

[Macfan4life]

SOLD OUT
I was flamed several months ago for even suggesting such a thing. There are about 5 posters that owe me an apology over a grand slam breakfast at Denny's.
One poster was so upset with me saying the tour would be successful that he swore he would not come back.
On another note, never thought I would ever hear Stevie say Pittsburgh Steelers

[gldstwmn]

The whole show is here:
https://www.pscp.tv/cms1954/1nAKEymXVwZKL

Last night's show looked like a real tearjerker. Fleetwood Mac/Stevie certainly does have a history of showing up in places where there has been recent tragedy. It is much needed.

[kak125]

Originally Posted by gldstwmn

The whole show is here:
https://www.pscp.tv/cms1954/1nAKEymXVwZKL

Last night's show looked like a real tearjerker. Fleetwood Mac/Stevie certainly does have a history of showing up in places where there has been recent tragedy. It is much needed.

Wow thank you for this link. You know they really do I was just telling my husband that last night. Stevie has a way of just calming people and making them feel better even if it's just for a short amount of time.

[kak125]

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[gldstwmn]

Originally Posted by kak125

Wow thank you for this link. You know they really do I was just telling my husband that last night. Stevie has a way of just calming people and making them feel better even if it's just for a short amount of time.

I've never seen her cry so hard on stage.

[kak125]

Originally Posted by gldstwmn

I've never seen her cry so hard on stage.

I really didn't think she was going to keep it together especially when she started talking about her mother. So many tears last night.

[gldstwmn]

Originally Posted by kak125

I really didn't think she was going to keep it together especially when she started talking about her mother. So many tears last night.

God bless to you and your community.

[Keith]

Originally Posted by gldstwmn

The whole show is here:
https://www.pscp.tv/cms1954/1nAKEymXVwZKL

Last night's show looked like a real tearjerker. Fleetwood Mac/Stevie certainly does have a history of showing up in places where there has been recent tragedy. It is much needed.

I know what I am doing on this chilly Friday evening. I can't wait to see and hear the show. Thanks again.

[Hawkeye]

Regardless of how you might feel about Gold Dust Woman going on too long or getting sick of it or just simply not liking the song, I’m happy just to see her on this song just by apparent health in general. She hasn’t moved around that much or fluidly in a very long time. Even her crackhead dance was her shaking in Place. She is really getting around the stage quite well here in Pittsburgh. She looked like she needed a walker at times during the On With the Show Tour. So yea, while as far as quality of the set list,I’d be happier with an additional 3 minute song, but it’s just really impressive for her to be doing that at 70 in her
Heels better then she did 10 years ago in her Frankenboks.

[Keith]

Originally Posted by gldstwmn

The whole show is here:
https://www.pscp.tv/cms1954/1nAKEymXVwZKL

Last night's show looked like a real tearjerker. Fleetwood Mac/Stevie certainly does have a history of showing up in places where there has been recent tragedy. It is much needed.

So this Periscope app is pretty awesome. Of course, I was watching the taped version, but I will have to look for future shows being captured live via 'scope' in the future. I also loved reading the comments of the live audience as the show progressed - and what a great concert. This band is improving as they go - Stevie sounds so good here and I could listen to Mike play all night long. They seem to be having a "time".

Thanks again for sharing. Watching again this morning.

[gldstwmn]

Originally Posted by Keith

So this Periscope app is pretty awesome. Of course, I was watching the taped version, but I will have to look for future shows being captured live via 'scope' in the future. I also loved reading the comments of the live audience as the show progressed - and what a great concert. This band is improving as they go - Stevie sounds so good here and I could listen to Mike play all night long. They seem to be having a "time".

Thanks again for sharing. Watching again this morning.

You're welcome. I'm glad you're enjoying it.

[kak125]

Originally Posted by Macfan4life

SOLD OUT
I was flamed several months ago for even suggesting such a thing. There are about 5 posters that owe me an apology over a grand slam breakfast at Denny's.
One poster was so upset with me saying the tour would be successful that he swore he would not come back.
On another note, never thought I would ever hear Stevie say Pittsburgh Steelers

Yes they do! I get that many people want this tour to fail but in reality they are doing pretty damn well. OMG I know I almost fell over when Stevie said Pittsburgh Steelers -ha! I like that she mentioned filming her DVD here last year so we know she hasn't forgot about it.
Also I saw Stevie's friend Mary (I think that's her name, blonde woman with bangs) sitting next to the stage the entire show on her laptop so I'm assuming she's responsible for the images on the screen?
The guy in the front row knew who she was and talked to her for about 20 minutes before the show. She seemed really nice!

[gldstwmn]

Originally Posted by Macfan4life

SOLD OUT
I was flamed several months ago for even suggesting such a thing. There are about 5 posters that owe me an apology over a grand slam breakfast at Denny's.

You know what? If you ever get to Colorado I'll do you one better and buy you breakfast at Black Bear Diner or Snooze. The pineapple upside down pancakes are to die for. And I rarely come out of my hermit like existence. This thing in Pittsburgh... we have got to find a way to be better to each other.

[kak125]

I have so many more pics but they are all too big to insert here. I even got a good one of John.


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