Open Letter to The Mac

[AbbiJoy78]

I really liked what HejiraNYC said. See for me...I was not around for the "heyday". I was born in 1978, and all I recall is the songs I heard in the 80s on the radio. In 1997, I was aware of The Dance because of my best friend. I was a little curious about it, but did not get to go to those concerts because I wasn't really a "FAN fan" yet, if you know what I mean.

In 1998, I started to "get it." Stevie Nicks toured in June 1998 in NJ, and I got to see that and was SO excited to see a legend. I thought this might be her last time! I had NO idea that in the 2000s she would tour almost EVERY YEAR!

When 2003 came, and "Say You Will" came out, I was in love. I couldn't believe I got to hear new music from a band who was legendary and before my time in a way. I considered myself SO lucky. It was 18 songs of sheer bliss for me. I usually do NOT like an "older legendary" band's new output when compared to their older stuff, but in this case I really got INTO this album. When they toured with it, and had THREE legs in my hometown area, I jumped aboard for a great ride, never knowing if this would be the end or not.

2009 Unleashed came. I was excited, but longed for more new stuff.

I've had almost every year since of solo Stevie and Lindsey tours to satisfy me. But when they are together and Fleetwood Mac is on that stage, well it IS true -- it's about CHEMISTRY and hearing those great songs, because one day there will be fans who come here, who right now are only 10 years old, but in ten years they will be 20 and coming here for the first time, and guess what...they will be envious of us, and they'll be wanting to hear the stories of when they toured, because FM probably won't be touring in 2023! You know? So, it's not that I am drinking the Kool-Aid, or falling for some scheme of theirs to tour for the wrong reasons, and I'm not against ever hearing criticism for my favorite band. What I AM....is grateful no matter what, because even though I am a latecomer fan in Fleetwood Mac's career, I STILL got to see them LIVE in my lifetime. We are lucky we have that because not everyone will. Even if I didn't see the rockin' bangin' kick-ass FM of 1979, and even though I missed Sisters Of The Moon in 1982 etc....I got to SEE them, in some form, perform this great music. I was a part of something. In my lifetime. In THEIR lifetime.

Youtube videos and cell phone clips and even any recording I may have captured WON'T show all of that magic to you skeptics. To someone who wasn't there, maybe it would sound stale to your ears, maybe it looks lacklustre to your eyes. But if you were THERE....you know why it was so important and you appreciate the magnitude of what you witnessed.

I'm grateful for the esacapism I got last weekend. Fleetwood Mac gave that to me. Moments of my life where all I felt was a tingle in my gut from the electric anxiety of seeing them live. Where all I felt was happiness. That's what they gave to me.