My OK-TEX-MAC Experience

[shackin'up]

My OK-Tex-Macs experience.

So I’m back to the velvet underground called the Lowlands. Fighting my jetlag, I’ll try to give you a personal impression of my one week stay in the USA. I will not be complete, and different memories will pop up later, but for now, this is my story……

First of all, I’d like to thank Livia for being my off and on guide during one of the best weeks of my life. I will never forget you.

I flew from Amsterdam to Dallas and immediately jumped into a rental car. (first thrill: I’m drivin’ a Dodge! Although it was just a neon, it’s still a Dodge!)

I drove towards Austin, because I thought that when you’re going to Texas you have to see the cool place to be. And it was! Livia showed me all around in her mustang with very special licence plate, named after a SN-song. We had fantastic Tex-Mex food at Chuy’s, I freaked out in the big and very cool record stores Waterloo Records and Cheapo’s, I felt like I was playing a minor role in the movie High Fidelity. I bought a whole bunch of CD’s (to name a few: Cracker, Thellonious Monster, Austin-band the Silo’s and my favourite, the CarneVaca-suggestion Kids in Philly, by Marah. That one just didn’t leave the car’s CD-player until the end of the week. What a friggin’ fun record!- Thanks Carne!). Livia also took me to The pier, a very cool, hippie-like place right at the waterside with an open air podium, where we drank beers and partially saw a gig by Shelly King, a very good singer who sounded like Janis Joplin and looked like a young Mama Cass, who actually performed quite an impressive cover of World Turning. After that we went to visit Livia’s favourite bar/musicclub Momo’s. There we met some of her cool friends and slowly got so tired that we had to go. I got back at my lovely Austin Hotel ( also called The D*ck because of the shape of their neon sign) around two AM, feeling great about my first day of Texas and meeting a Ledgie that was so cool and sweet. And talking about Fleetwood Mac has never been easier, even in another than your own language, because you just don’t need to be convincing.

The next day was a cool 8-hour-driving day, crazy Texans on trikes with a Stetson on their heads, big shiny Macks dooming up in your rearviewmirror and and Amadillo-roadkill. And Marah and Say You Will as a soundtrack. I checked in in a Best Western Motel in OKC, and almost pissed my pants laughing when I saw the “live”-band perform in the Motel-Bar and all those older people were line dancing on that synthesized, emotionless countrydrizzle. The room smelled after cheap perfume.

I met Brian J. and his wife in Zio’s next day! I first had a terrific lunch there, and then met my second Ledgie: and again, another sweetheart, who took me to the amazingly beautiful and touching memorial for the victims of the tragic McVeigh-bombing. It was so hot that day that I thought my flesh could fall of my bones done, not even medium. We had tex-mex diner together and then I was getting ready for my first Buckingham-Nicks performance ever.

This was my dream since 1977. I was 12 when I fell in love with them through Rumours, and my parents didn’t let me go to Rotterdam that first week of June 1980 when they performed live for the last time in Holland (with Stevie and Lindsey). In the years after Tusk I became a big Lindsey-fan.
So this night it was going to happen. July 1st, 2003, Oklahoma City in the brand new Ford Center, Floor, row 11, Lindsey’s side. I stood up when the first drumkick sounded and didn’t touch my seat again for the whole show.

I won’t be able to write a sensible review for this evening, because when Lindsey touched his Turner for the openinglicks of the Chain I bursted out in tears and that basicly stayed throughout the whole show. It wasn’t even goozebumps, but that characteristic guitar sound and those vocalblends just went right through me. Livia later said she could see me standing there with either both my hands on my head or for my mouth like I was saying Oh my god or I can’t believe this. And I couldn’t. I remember jumping up and down during Eyes Of The World, Second Hand News, Stand Back and What’s The World Coming To, and totally got carried away during Come, I’m So Afraid, Beautiful Child, Gold Dust Woman, Landslide, Say Goodbye, Tusk and Go Your Own Way. I screamed every word with them on very song and had a blast. It can only be described as a sort of audiovisual orgasm. I never experienced something like this.
After the show Livia, Brian “I headbang during I’m So Afraid” J. and I grouphugged and we shared our experiences. Brian J. was so sweet to drop me off at the Hotel, where I relived I’m So Afraid and Come a couple of times. I saw a lot of good guitar players perform during my life, but I never saw such a spastic show with so much fluent noise. The doggypaddle (how am I going to translate this into Dutch?) is something totally new to me also. Impressive.

Next day I immediately drove to Dallas, I wanted to be there early, because Livia told me that Dallas-traffic really sucks, so I checked in at the Radisson on Mockingbird long before rush-hour. Even if this was a crappy dump, I’d still check in there, just to be able to say something swell sounding as “I’m at the Radisson on Mockingbird.” A totally cool black guy, called Kelvin, works there at the check-in-desk and he told some hilarious stories about his family, especially about his grandmother and granddaddy and their chickens. After he had made me laugh out loud for several times he suggested that I could go into the Deep Elm in Dallas, which I did that night. A very nice area to be in, with lots of nice small musicclubs, and live music, available in all kinds. And a very good coffeeshop called Brazil Café, where I had dinner and loads of different coffees. So again, a very nice and relaxed day, prior to the second Mac-show that I was attending.

On the day of the Dallas-show I was very exited again: not only for the FM-show, but also because I was going to meet several other Ledgies. That morning I talked to Livia on the phone to share our experiences since the july 1st- show, she had a big party, so I suppose she’ll fill in on this . We met shortly and then she went over to that big expensive French castle-like hotel where some other ledgies stayed, too. I stayed at the Radisson on Mockingbird. You already know why. We met almost all of the Ledgies at the bar of that fancy hotel. Strandinthewind, who really was fun to meet, because of his unbelievable eloquent French, and the fact that he knew all about the future queen of Holland. It’s nice to meet Ledgies, they immediately make you feel welcome. Darklinensuit, immense humourous, was very nice to have spend time with, and I really enjoyed to meet faces like cliffdweller, golddustwoman, Arlene and Rachel who were so sweet to bring me back to my hotel after the show driving wrong directions and still have fun and fellowlindseyfans Christy and Seteca, who also lived his dream by flying over from Europe to see his favourite band. I would have really liked to have spend more time with them, especially after the show to talk about Lindsey’s incredible performance that night, but I didn’t meet them after the show and too short before….

And then… the show….

I had a perfect seat on 20th row on the floor in the middle: from there I had maximum view on the whole stage and it was a very good point, soundwise. And of course, my seat was next to Livia’s, the reason we got in touch via the Ledge in the first place, because we found out earlier that we were seated next to eachother. Although I had to catch breath again during different performances during this show, I had a more human experience this night and enjoyed every little thing about it. I also looked at John during Come, he really rocks on that one, even if Lindsey steals the show. Lindsey really played the heart out of his guitar and was extremely into it. On both shows he ended the song with a classic rockcacaphonia, but not with the final “think of me sweet darling every time you don’t come…”-lyric. Maybe he thought, “why trying to sing so intense on that last sentence after an incredible intense guitarsolo AND against a screaming public that is going totally nuts on my performance?”. The energy he spared came out in the best I’m So Afraid I’ve ever heard. (the 1980 livealbumversion was always my fave). I really love how he jumps up and down during the high notes of this solo. During Landslide I realised that, even if they are coming to Europe next year or so, I’d never be in an audience that sings this beautiful song as one voice, because this never was a big hit on our side of the ocean. After Don’t Stop I tried to get up front, but security didn’t let me. So what, I loved their performances from the beginning to the end and the band rocked like hell. It’s just amazing how much energy is coming from that stage. I never could have imagined that at this point of their career.
During Goodbye Baby I realized this may have been a definite goodbye for me considering see them live and I felt a little melancholic.
Stevie was very into it tonight, too, and I think her arm movements during Say You Will were so cute! And she laughed out loud when Mick ended the whole show saying “and remember… The Mac is Back!!!

They definitely are…

After a good flight home I just have a wonderful memory of one of the best weeks in my life!

P.S: I just read, Brian J. that you were not feeling well after the Hard Rock, I feel sorry for you. It’s a pity that we didn’t meet at the Dallas show, but I thank you for the great time in OKC!!

Hugs to you all!!

Gerald

[strandinthewind]

I am so glad you had a great time!!!!!!! It was a great concert.

It was so great to meet you as well. Thanks for complimenting my French!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Also, if you ever make it back to the states, let me know!!!!!!!!

[CarneVaca]

Gerald, what a great experience. Not only did you get to see FM, but you drove a Dodge through Texas. Right on.

Glad to read that you like Kids in Philly, one of the best records of the 90s. I was as excited about that one as I was about A3's Exhile on Coldharbour Lane. And nothing had excited me like that since Out of the Cradle.

Which Cracker record did you get? By the way, their new one, Countrysides, will be released in Europe this month. It won't be out stateside until October.

I checked out some sound clips of dEUS. I'm intrigued. Interesting name, nyet? God in Latin. Anyhoo, I want to hear some better-quality samples before I commit.

Glad you had a good time in the USA.

[gldstwmn]

Gerald,
I really enjoyed meeting you. I'm so glad that you finally got to see Fleetwood Mac and that you enjoyed your time here. Hopefully we will all get to do this again some day. It really was incredible.
Chris

[wondergirl9847]

It was SO COOL to meet you and for you to come from Holland and of course seteca coming in from London....SO AWESOME!! The time just flew by and I am sooooooooo wanting a time machine to relive those two days over and over and over again. I am so glad you got to see two shows and meet all the Ledgies and hang out!!

I am serious in saying that July 3-4, 2003 were two of the GREATEST DAYS OF MY LIFE!!!

[estranged4life]

I'm glad ya made it home safely. It was nice to meet & hang out with ya. We'll have to do that again someday in the future.

I'm also glad you enjoyed the Murrah National Memorial. It's the one place I recommend to anyone who comes to "the City" for their first visit. I hope the pictures you took there come out clear because it is a breathtaking place to see & visit.

I wished I could've caught up with all the Ledgies at the Crescent, But I felt crappy after eating at the HRC, Which seemed to have ignored Fleetwood Mac's contribution to the music world...But then again I did get one really good picture from the HRC:

And like Christy, I had the time of my life from July 1st to July 3rd...Can't wait til August 7th to go through it again...

Brian j.

ps-Hey Gerald, Remember ya said I was the only person ya talked to who have heard of "Masters Of Reality" because of your T-shirt...Told ya I'm a musical sponge, I remember all the good music!!! LMAO!!!!

[Livia]

Glad you made it home safely! And I’m so glad that I could be of assistance to you in your travels, especially my kick-ass town of Austin!

Great pic, Brian!

[Tango]

Amsterdam to Oklahoma and Texas??? WOW!!!!! I LOVED your review and that you got to connect with so many Ledgies! You ROCK man. Totally. You are taking no chances on waiting on Fleetwood Mac coming to you, and must I take off my hat to you! Way to go! Thank you for your review, too!

[shackin'up]

Originally posted by Tango
Amsterdam to Oklahoma and Texas??? WOW!!!!! I LOVED your review and that you got to connect with so many Ledgies! You ROCK man. Totally. You are taking no chances on waiting on Fleetwood Mac coming to you, and must I take off my hat to you! Way to go! Thank you for your review, too!

yeah, thanks...and i would do it again in an instant... it was worth every friggin' penny....

gerald