Boston Tue & Wed-Observations and Thoughts

[John Run]

I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to see Fleetwood Mac perform Tue and Wed in Boston. I won't go into song by song details as that has been done with great detail and accruacy already.

Tuesday was a really different experience. As you know it was an invite only, fairly low profile and below the radar, taping for PBS and most likely a DVD release. The expensive part is taping the show and all invloved with that. Pressing some discs is easy and profitable. It will be done at some point. This show was set up so quietly, that Steve Morse the long time Boston Globe Music critic and big mac fan was not aware of the show until Tue afternoon.

There were basically 4 different pass lists to get into the show. Fan Club members, employees from Bain Capital which is a venture capital firm in Boston, founded by Massachusetts Govenor Mitt Romney, WGBH which is the Boston PBS affiliate, and the Ritz Carlton, which was basically people on the bands list and employees of the hotel who had been given passes by the band and its crew. Yes, they stayed at the Ritz, since Monday afternoon. It was about a 1000 people. Truth be told I think the director would have liked another 500-1000 people to fill in some more areas. In the end I think the audience was more for the band to not feel like it was not playing to an empty arena. There were 9 cameras used in the production. Very few seats on the floor. About 12 rows. Then larg escafolding was set up on the floor with 3 sationary cameras. Which were obviosuly gone for the Wed.Show. A mobile camera, 2 remote control arm cameras, 3 hand held. It was an elaborate production. Security was non-existent and it very much like getting to see the band in a small club. You could hear them speak to each other between songs. Some odd breaks that made the pacing a little off, but that is to be expected. The sound check was done Dreams, the Chain, and Say You Will 1.5 times. The Chain they were having problems with the vocal mix. Say You Will, Lindsey's first harmony vocals were too overwhelming and the were trying to adjust the mix. The show was at a nice voulme. A loud stereo. Far different from the Wed show which was incredibly loud. As a whole one of the most technically perfect FM shows I have ever seen. Almost perfect mixes/ Lindsey's playing was note perfect. Everyone was in superior voice. Various observations: Stevie went for high notes more than I have heard her do since 1982. Lindsey has added to the I'm So Afraid solo a whole new part. More on that in Wed's discussion. Lindsey's is playing on Stand Back. You could tell in such a intimate setting. A lot of Synth parts are being played by the Keyboard Tech located below the stage. Say Goodbye, a song I really like, but felt has fallen flat live. Tuesday in such a quiet setting....It was incredible. The harmonies exquisite. The emotion real and conveyed. I will write about Wednesday soon. Have to go now.

[shackin'up]

Great details, John Run!

A treat-read. How did Come sound in the tuesdaysetting on low volume? Did he scream his head off again? And please describe as lively and detailed as you can what new part lindsey has put on ISA? I can't wait for those comments!!

gerald

[teedee]

Originally posted by shackin'up
Great details, John Run!

A treat-read. How did Come sound in the tuesdaysetting on low volume? Did he scream his head off again? And please describe as lively and detailed as you can what new part lindsey has put on ISA? I can't wait for those comments!!

gerald

i wouldnt say it was on low volume, to the point that you didnt think you were at a concert. you have to remember this was not a full house show, you dont want echoes or distortion. altho the new fleet center has incredible sound. but yes it was much louder to me to the next night. i thought it was because when i went the first night i didnt remember seeing the hanging speakers that are in the center front of the stage hanging from the ceiling, becuase i was in the front row i didnt notice them. but noticed them the next night. im not saying they werent there, just didnt remember them cause they would of been behind me instead of infront of me. but ithink cause of it not being a full house they didnt want distortion in the sound. i think, oh well.

[John Run]

A couple of things about Tuesday I forogot to mention. Actually there were a couple of other guest lists as well. One from Reebok. Kind of funny considering Stevie wears those custom high top platform reeboks. Reebok is hq'd in a southwestern Boston suburb. Also a list from Boston University. Lots of college age students. Some even younger. It made for a very young Fleetwood Mac crowd. This was done to give the audience a hipper/younger appearance. Happens at most tapings. Here is the thing though. I was surrouned by BU students. Many were very into it and had a great time singing and dancing through the night.

It was not a show on low volume-just not the the ground shaking volume of a normal show.

As for Wednesday. With a few days to relfect on it. I can say it was the best Fleetwood Mac show I have seen. An energy level not seen by me from this band ever. The amazing thing about this is it was not the most technically perfect Fleetwood Mac show I have seen. Lindsey had a 2 small finger picking errors in Big Love. One in Landslide and one on Never Going Back Again. Live music is not always perfect and it just added to the emotion of the night. On the electric Lindsey was at this best. I'm So Afraid surpassed all previous versions, including the one I had previously held as the standard. 1982 Mirage Tour. Stevie's Harmonies were part of it, but the Electric Guitar solo exploded out of the mix with clarity and seperation not ever heard before. About 2 minutes into the solo Lindsey added a new part. Lightning fast fills, played at a speed I had never heard before, with a quick stop, a little reverb, and then he would repeat the fill. An Amazing addition. Come was not I'm So Afraid, but it laid the foundation for what was to come. A night of great electric playing. Vocally the band was as Sharp as they were Tuesday. They seem to have made a decision in the vocal mix of the Chain to move Stevie's vocal up in the mix to the point its the dominant voice in the Listen to Wind Blow verses. Stevie was filled with emotion and she varied off the path set the night before to explain the introduction to Landslide and unleashed a 70's era version of Gold Dust Woman. I did think Rhiannon was more powerful on Tuesday. She let go more Tuesday in the Chorus then she has since 1982. Say Goodbye not as good as Tuesday. For the reason Tuesday it was silent and you got to feel the emotion you were hearing. A great version Wednesday, but the noise of 17,000 people in the arena lessened the impact for me. Beautiful Child was outstanding. Her emotion at the end with the I still love you, I still need you was chilling. Finally the biggest part of this night. The crowd. Huge and Loud. The floor stood almost the entire evening. They sang to everything. including the new tunes. No doubt the band fed off of this. A great, great, night!!

[dissention]

Originally posted by John Run
As for Wednesday. With a few days to relfect on it. I can say it was the best Fleetwood Mac show I have seen. An energy level not seen by me from this band ever. The amazing thing about this is it was not the most technically perfect Fleetwood Mac show I have seen. Lindsey had a 2 small finger picking errors in Big Love. One in Landslide and one on Never Going Back Again. Live music is not always perfect and it just added to the emotion of the night. On the electric Lindsey was at this best. I'm So Afraid surpassed all previous versions, including the one I had previously held as the standard. 1982 Mirage Tour. Stevie's Harmonies were part of it, but the Electric Guitar solo exploded out of the mix with clarity and seperation not ever heard before. About 2 minutes into the solo Lindsey added a new part. Lightning fast fills, played at a speed I had never heard before, with a quick stop, a little reverb, and then he would repeat the fill. An Amazing addition. Come was not I'm So Afraid, but it laid the foundation for what was to come. A night of great electric playing. Vocally the band was as Sharp as they were Tuesday. They seem to have made a decision in the vocal mix of the Chain to move Stevie's vocal up in the mix to the point its the dominant voice in the Listen to Wind Blow verses. Stevie was filled with emotion and she varied off the path set the night before to explain the introduction to Landslide and unleashed a 70's era version of Gold Dust Woman. I did think Rhiannon was more powerful on Tuesday. She let go more Tuesday in the Chorus then she has since 1982. Say Goodbye not as good as Tuesday. For the reason Tuesday it was silent and you got to feel the emotion you were hearing. A great version Wednesday, but the noise of 17,000 people in the arena lessened the impact for me. Beautiful Child was outstanding. Her emotion at the end with the I still love you, I still need you was chilling. Finally the biggest part of this night. The crowd. Huge and Loud. The floor stood almost the entire evening. They sang to everything. including the new tunes. No doubt the band fed off of this. A great, great, night!!

I know, my throat and voice are feeling the effects of singing EVERY song at the top of my lungs. My throat is KILLING me. Of all the shows I've been to, not only was this the BEST, but the crowd was the best, just like you said! Everyone knew every song and sang along. My hands hurt from clapping so hard. Truly one of the best experiences of my life. And I'm glad that you thought Gold Dust Woman was great, too. I thought it was the *best* rendition of it I've ever heard. When she did the outline of the "shadow" with her hands, a bunch of us in the fornt row did it along with her and when the song was over, she smiled at us. Amazing show. Well, it must've been an amazing show if I'm still talking about it two days later!

[wondergirl9847]

I'm So Afraid surpassed all previous versions, including the one I had previously held as the standard. 1982 Mirage Tour. Stevie's Harmonies were part of it, but the Electric Guitar solo exploded out of the mix with clarity and seperation not ever heard before. About 2 minutes into the solo Lindsey added a new part. Lightning fast fills, played at a speed I had never heard before, with a quick stop, a little reverb, and then he would repeat the fill. An Amazing addition.

AAAAHHHH!!!! I WANNA HEAR THIS!!!!!!!!

[Les]

I really enjoyed reading your observations and thoughts, John. Thanks for posting that.