Pittsburgh baby!!! LB was on FIRE!!

[Nico]

Ok, I realize I took some time to post this but I seriously suck at reviews. I can't remember stuff chronologically and my words never seem to match the exact emotion, but let me just say that Lindsey's show in Pittsburgh was amazing in every way. This was my 9th time seeing Lindsey live and, honestly, he never fails to blow me away ever, but he just seems to get better and better each time. It's like, how do you improve on perfection as it is?

So, my seats were in Row B on the right side, which was the first row at the very right. And they were cool-ass seats for me because I felt like DANCING and I don't necessarily like to get in people's way. But I love to dance. Especially to kick ass music, so yeah...the seats were very cool. I was sitting in front of two sisters: one is a casual Ledgie named Destiny Rules.

So LB came out promptly at 8:00 in his blue Levis, black shirt, black leather jacket combo and his lovely high hair. He looked fantastic. The whole audience went crazy when he came out. Like, really loud cheering and totally into it. And he did his shocked expression and began with Shut Us Down, which was absolutely gorgeous. I fell in love with the song all over again, and his voice at the end was just so passionate. Then he went into the guitar part of Go Insane and the audience erupted, which was so beautiful to experience. It was astonishingly, magnificently PERFECT. I can't even...it's one of those songs that, in the live setting, brings me to tears. Just the playing, the words, his voice...

So the rest of the acoustic set was pretty much the staple that he's been doing: Trouble, NGBA, and Big Love. "Trouble" was great. He seemed to play it a *tad* faster than the acoustic live version I am used to hearing, and I quite liked it. Um, there were TONS of people screaming at the start just from the beginning notes of it so it was very well received. As far as NGBA, I love the instrumental intro he is doing now, but I sort of agree that his voice tends to get uncomfortably whispery/crackly towards the end. It's not bad by any means, but I kind of enjoy when he doesn't dddrrrrraaaaawwwww out every single word. My only complaint of ANY SONG of the night, so it's really nothing huge. "Big Love" was INCREDIBLE. And there were some young boys in the audience who were really getting into that one. This man behind me must have been a The Dance stan because he started going crazy during this song, "Go Insane," and ISA...It's all good!!

Ok, I am not going to be able to sustain myself going through each song so let me just say Under The Skin sounded great. Not a personal favorite of mine, but the lyrics have always touched me. And All My Sorrows was pretty as well.

Now, my personal favorite moment was when LB started talking about his songs on his new album (my musical love of the moment) and I screamed "LOVE IT!!!", which no one really paid attention to except the people sitting near me but I don't care 'cause it's the TRUTH baby. And when he started playing the sublime/stunning/incredible live version of In Our Own Time I freaking got up and danced...and I didn't really care that no one else aside from another lady wanted to dance to it. It was AMAZING and I just had to...

So, yes, the entire band part of the show was an excuse for me to dance like a crazy woman but it was all so great-especially Illumination, Second Hand News, Tusk, and The Way Love Goes. OMG, the last song just KILLS live. I get that people aren't familiar with his new album as much, but seriously? There were way too many people sitting...jmo.

It was during I'm So Afraid and Go Your Own Way that people started to come up to the stage and let loose- and beautifully so. Lindsey was in his element: brilliant, untouchable and showing everyone why he is one of the greatest guitar players alive (imo the greatest). He came over to my side during GYOW and the women were rubbing their hands up and down his legs and you should have seen his face. He was both enjoying it and looking rather shocked at the same time.

Anyway, the security there were a bunch of jerks. They really were! Like, LB was going crazy and feeding off the crowd and delivering the soaring epicness and this jerk security started yelling at people to sit down. He was mean to me and I just sort of ignored him because I know Lindsey loves people up there, so as I slowly started backing away (because he was going down the line and yelling and pulling people away) the roadie guy of LB's ran to the end of the stage and told him to stop. Damn straight. That guy was so rude. In the very beginning of the show, a nicer security guy said I was allowed to take pics with my NIKON as long as I didn't use flash (or not much flash and waited to the end of the show if I wanted t use flash). Well, I had my little camera out and was about to grab the bigger one but that nasty guy started yelling at me and said I couldn't use the camera. So, my pics turning out sort of mediocre are all thanks to him.

But back to the show...by the end, everyone was at the stage and going wild. I know I said I'd bring a sign, but I decided against it because I guess I just wanted to be in the element of the concert and didn't want to be too rude to the people behind me. However, there were a LOT of requests and a LOT of Buckingham Nicks albums people were holding to have signed. Right before the encore, Lindsey either signed some or told people to wait until after the song...can't remember. He closed with Treason (stunning) and Seeds We Sow (quieter ending, would have liked something maybe more mid-tempo but still...very beautiful).

At some point he introduced the band and it was SO CUTE. He has a very great camaraderie with those men, and the whole band is so tight. Brett gave his "Lindsey speech" but it was so sincere. And true.

I guess I wasn't surprised that I was blown away. I recall many times during the show where I was just staring at him and the way he plays that guitar. There just aren't words...

And when I was dancing, there were so many times Lindsey looked at me and started smiling. Like, I had my "connection," which I am sure every person there had at some point during the night. He plays for his audience and he gives a damn about putting on an amazing show. My aunt, who is from Venezuela and speaks NO ENGLISH WHATSOEVER, was there and she told me he was "incredible. I want to take him home with me and have him play guitar every night." Awwwww.....love it!

He just rocks on. After the show, lot's of people were waiting for Lindsey at the side of the Library, where artists leave out of a side door. Well, he did come out and acknowledged everyone but had to leave immediately. Some were disappointed, but most people I assume know that he gave us all more than we could ask for. Beautiful show, and did I mention I love being a Lindsey fan?