May 23 Fleetwood mac Anaheim Honda Center

[Regina]

Great review, Michelle.
I can't say I've been all that enthused about seeing them again (although I was when my two shows were done). But, the feeling is bubbling and boiling and should be in full gear by the time AC (and possibly MSG) arrive.

I'm glad Stevie seems to be feeling so much better.

[ShangriLaTroubl]

Am I the only one that STILL hates the fact that it's called the "Honda Center" now??? I much preferred Arrowhead Pond Arena..but I guess most of the arenas have corporate names now..

[SNLB]

Originally Posted by ShangriLaTroubl

Am I the only one that STILL hates the fact that it's called the "Honda Center" now??? I much preferred Arrowhead Pond Arena..but I guess most of the arenas have corporate names now..

I agree. I'd much prefer Arrowhead Pond. At least it's not as bad as Jobing.com Arena. I think I saw that on Ticketmaster for the Arizona show. I saw it somewhere. I just remember thinking....tacky, tacky, tacky! "I'm going to the Jobing.com Arena tonight!!". Blah! Who could even remember it's called that? Oh, I guess I remembered it, but not in a good way.

I noticed Mick's stuffed mice too. Is that Fievel? Anyone know why he has them?

[michelej1]

Maybe one of the twins gave Mick his little mouse. I haven't noticed it at other shows.

When they gathered for a group bow, I saw Mick waving his wooden balls at John and John made the sign of the cross.

Michele

[michelej1]

Originally Posted by Edgeof27

Ouch,

10th row, (left, right, or, centre ???)

guess this was due to the demand at this venue, &, first come first served,

Center. You make a good point about it perhaps being "first come first served." I hope that's the case. That would be the most fair.

Michele

[SNLB]

Here's a review from the O C Register:

http://www.ocregister.com/articles/f...sey#slComments

And, here is a link to a slew of photos from the show from the O C Register!:

http://www.ocregister.com/photos/fle...-nicks-lindsey

Sunday, May 24, 2009

Fleetwood Mac's chatty journey through the past

The band revels in revealing stories behind the songs for first tour in five years.

By BEN WENER
The Orange County Register

They're calling it Unleashed: Hits Tour 2009, this latest Fleetwood Mac outing, which stopped Saturday night at a packed Honda Center in Anaheim and returns next week to play Staples Center, the MGM Grand in Las Vegas and San Diego Sports Arena. But that billing is a misnomer two ways.

Unleashed? Well, yes and no. If by "unleashed" you mean "free to do as we please," then sure, there's a touch of the Mac unbound here – especially as the continuing "Rumours" lineup (sadly, still without Christine McVie) is touring for the first time with no new album to promote, theoretically opening the door for them to Jack FM this thing and play what they like.

Of course, when I hear "unleashed" I think of fearless, mercurial, untamed, electrifying musicianship – not exactly what anyone has thought of Fleetwood Mac since Peter Green split at the turn of the '70s. But, again, there's a kernel of truth in their advertising. Check the Stones and the Who for proof: Hall of Famers start performing differently once they reach their 60s, as everyone but Lindsey Buckingham has. (He'll hit six-oh come October; Stevie Nicks turns 61 on Tuesday. Mick Fleetwood is 62 come June and John McVie is six months into his 63rd year.)

There's a looseness that sets in when bands cross that threshold. Partly that's a natural result of aging, as stars start to slow down, move more deliberately (even in the sort of platform boots Stevie favors these days) and tweak material to fit vocal registers that don't range as high as they used to. But more so it's a case of returning to the sort of devil-may-care attitude that fuels so many future rock icons when they're younger.

It isn't that Fleetwood Mac has stopped caring how they sound. It's that they've stopped caring so much about how they sound – whether they've slurred this lyric or blurred that riff or botched a harmony. At some point meticulousness became an albatross. Now, instead of failing to be what they were, they've chosen to perform in the moment and not worry about living up to a rusting ideal. "Let's just go out and have fun," Lindsey put it with uncharacteristic succinctness.

Consequently, as with peers and forebears still making a hearty racket, the result is a new kind of ramshackle fierceness. Not to suggest that a group as relatively mellow as Mac is suddenly roaring like Page and Plant reunited, but Saturday night there was noticeable punch and kick to just about everything – which was anticipated on behemoths like "Tusk" and "I'm So Afraid" (bolstered by another scorching solo from Lindsey) yet proved surprising on swampier fare like "The Chain" and "Gold Dust Woman" and sleeker stuff like "Rhiannon" and "Gypsy."

But getting back to the tour title … "Hits," they say? Again, yes and no. And whose hits, for that matter? As with the Eagles, the Mac has taken to including solo fare: Stevie's chugging "Stand Back" late in the game, Lindsey's "Go Insane" early on, accompanied by mutating ink-blot visuals.

True, the majority of the band's 23 selections on this tour (the set list never changes) remain indestructible classic-rock staples – in addition to the ones I've already named you can add "Go Your Own Way," "Don't Stop," "Second Hand News," "Big Love," "Landslide," the positively dreamy "Sara." Yet even out of that list not everything was a "hit," per se, while numbers like "I Know I'm Not Wrong" and "Storms" (the latter chosen because it had never been played live before) don't even qualify as old-school FM radio gems the way "World Turning" or the evening-closing "Silver Springs" do. (Click here for a complete set list.)


It's also difficult to stage a best-of show when a tunesmith as formidable and essential as Christine McVie remains retired. Expectedly absent were "Over My Head," "You Make Loving Fun," "Little Lies" and "Hold Me." "Say You Love Me," however, was dusted off in tribute, with Stevie (in unflattering makeup that made her look wasted much of the time) and Lindsey (constantly wearing a post-euphoric expression resembling Bill Murray) capably providing McVie's melody.

Also, late in the evening, as Stevie exited once more for a costume change and potty break, the rest of the band served up a plenty raucous (if never quite ripping) rendition of the pre-mega-Mac standard "Oh Well," a fine homage to the group's roots in heavy blues-rock.

Otherwise this satisfying revue was precisely what it should have been called: "The Stevie & Lindsey Show," with all the hoary melodrama and esoteric between-song ramblings that you'd expect from such a program. Kicked off with "Monday Morning," the first track on the first album (1975's "Fleetwood Mac") Buckingham-Nicks appeared on, the performance often felt like a "Storytellers" session, and though it played well to a full house, it arguably would have come off better across several nights at a venue half the size – say, the Greek.

Some tales were illuminating and insightful, particularly Stevie's reminiscences of those heady San Francisco days in the '60s that led her to pen "Gypsy." Other comments, especially from increasingly self-satisfied Lindsey, tended to bog things down. Revealing the roots of a song is one thing, but to drone on and on in pseudo-profound fashion ("Los Angeles has a way of drawing you in on your own terms," good grief) ultimately saps strength and kills momentum. It's a bad habit of his, developed from small-theater solo touring where more ardent fans are willing to indulge his rambling yet haltingly paced thoughts. In an arena, however, it's often best to let the music do the talking.

Personally, I appreciated the telling little moments. The way old flames Stevie and Lindsey entered hand-in-hand, for instance – that was obviously sentimental, OK, but it also established the night's theme with sweetness. Likewise, the acoustic pairing of "Landslide" and a considerably slower, almost theatrical "Never Going Back Again" spoke volumes about the "complex and convoluted emotional history" Lindsey referred to earlier in the set.

An even more compelling (if utterly fleeting) glimpse of the real Mac, however, came nearly at the end – when Mick Fleetwood, looking more and more like Tolkein's Gandalf, strode gallantly across the stage, eyeing the crowd the whole time … and, as he approached John McVie, extended his arm for a job-well-done handshake without so much as looking at the bassist.

That's the Fleetwood Mac bond in a nutshell. They just know now – it's all instinctual. "Every time we get together it's different," Lindsey mentioned. True enough. But the core never changes.

Contact the writer: 714-796-2248 or [email protected]

[michelej1]

These are pictures from the Honda show that were on the BBC News website. You can see the little silver strings dangling from Stevie's sleeves.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/h...308/html/1.stm

[michelej1]

There is a slide show of pictures here:

http://www.zimbio.com/pictures/cyiEb...t+Honda+Center

[SNLB]

A couple of interesting observations by Ben Wener:

"Say You Love Me," however, was dusted off in tribute, with Stevie (in unflattering makeup that made her look wasted much of the time)

I thought I was the only one to notice. I'd look up at the screen many times and she had a streak of brown eye shadow across her eyelid that made her look pretty bad, especially when she had her eyes partly closed.

Other comments, especially from increasingly self-satisfied Lindsey, tended to bog things down. Revealing the roots of a song is one thing, but to drone on and on in pseudo-profound fashion ("Los Angeles has a way of drawing you in on your own terms," good grief) ultimately saps strength and kills momentum. It's a bad habit of his, developed from small-theater solo touring where more ardent fans are willing to indulge his rambling yet haltingly paced thoughts. In an arena, however, it's often best to let the music do the talking.

Love ya, Linds!

An even more compelling (if utterly fleeting) glimpse of the real Mac, however, came nearly at the end – when Mick Fleetwood, looking more and more like Tolkein's Gandalf, strode gallantly across the stage, eyeing the crowd the whole time … and, as he approached John McVie, extended his arm for a job-well-done handshake without so much as looking at the bassist.

Wow, I think he is referring to this moment:

Not my best photo (guess I should have taken along an extra battery!), but I didn't even really pay that much attention to the fact that Mick isn't looking at John. Maybe Ben Wener is reading too much into it, but an interesting observation anyway. And now, the more I look at the picture, the more I see Mick shaking John's hand in passing in a hurry on his way to get to the side of the stage. Hahahaa! Maybe I'm reading too much into it!

[SNLB]

Originally Posted by michelej1

There is a slide show of pictures here:

http://www.zimbio.com/pictures/cyiEb...t+Honda+Center

Those are fabulous (better than what the O C Register has to offer)! Thanks Michele.

[camchristo]

Originally Posted by michelej1

Just picked up my ILAA ticket and it's 10th row. I'd been warned, but I got
1st row in Long Island and I was thinking that it would work out. I'm disappointed to say the least, especially because I've got ILAA for 2 more shows and I don't plan on watching the rest of this stupid tour from the 10th row. Checked the box office and the best they had was section 104.

Ugh.

Michele

If you are spending that much on tickets - just for the ticket and not the ILAA "experience", why don't you just buy a platinum ticket off TM or a broker ticket? You can get a better seat, knowing where you're sitting, for less money.

[michelej1]

Originally Posted by camchristo

If you are spending that much on tickets - just for the ticket and not the ILAA "experience", why don't you just buy a platinum ticket off TM or a broker ticket? You can get a better seat, knowing where you're sitting, for less money.

There's a 2 ticket minimum though, so it's not less money. I couldn't have purchased 2 platinum tickets for $700. ILAA lets you buy a single.

I did buy platinum for the opening night show and I sold the 2nd ticket for almost what I paid for it. But ticket exchange isn't letting you sell for these west coast shows. I could try to sell on Ebay or something, but it's too late now. I've got all my tickets, except for New Orleans.

Michele

[michelej1]

Originally Posted by SNLB

Wow, I think he is referring to this moment:

How unreal that you captured the exact second he was referencing.

Oh! One of Lindsey's speeches seemed like it was 30 minutes long. I am never one to begrudge him anything. I am just surprised that his commentary is expanding over the length of the tour. I rather thought he'd reduce it. He is also getting more spastic.

This is like the GOS tour. It started off quiet with NTL and, indeed, the first 3 songs were gentle in tone, but by the end of the tour he was screaming the opening song and it just went on from there. It's as if the sedate moments were all an act and, as the weeks pass, he becomes . . . unleashed. Like the Hulk bursting out, although Dr. Banner tried his hardest to keep it in for as long as possible.

Michele

[Lee]

Thanks for the posting the reviews & pics. Very nice.

Lee

[MacMan]

Originally Posted by michelej1

How unreal that you captured the exact second he was referencing.

Oh! One of Lindsey's speeches seemed like it was 30 minutes long. I am never one to begrudge him anything. I am just surprised that his commentary is expanding over the length of the tour. I rather thought he'd reduce it. He is also getting more spastic.

This is like the GOS tour. It started off quiet with NTL and, indeed, the first 3 songs were gentle in tone, but by the end of the tour he was screaming the opening song and it just went on from there. It's as if the sedate moments were all an act and, as the weeks pass, he becomes . . . unleashed. Like the Hulk bursting out, although Dr. Banner tried his hardest to keep it in for as long as possible.

Michele

Yes. In Vancouver, I thought he wasn't going to stop talking... I think it may have been for Big Love.. A little long I thought..