Fleetwood Mac Cleveland 2009

This show was fabulous! They sound great and look great. I have been a fan for many years. This year my 10 year old daughter found the magic of Fleetwood Mac. She is a huge fan of the band. I took her to this concert expecting to enjoy the music and be able to see the enjoyment on her face. This was her first concert. She was thrilled and so was I to be able to see the legend that is Fleetwood Mac. It was electric when they started the show. We started to leave after the first encore. As we were walking I heard Stevie's voice singing Silver springs. At this point my daughter and I ducted into a curtained area and to our surprise we were at the side of the stage , a section where where no people were sitting, with a perfect up close view of the band. We were about 6 feet from the stage. This was the highlight of the night for us. To be able to see the band up close. We got an up close view of Lindsey and the back up singers coming down the steps exiting the stage. When Stevie and Mick were saying goodbye to the Q we got a really good look at Stevie and Mick. Then Mick turned to where we were standing and made a little girls night by waving to her. She was so excited. This was the best concert experience that I have had and I am glad my daughter was able to experience such a magical band for her first concert. We are both looking forward to any new material they record and the chance to see them again someday.

2009 Fleetwood Mac Concert- AWESOME

It was Friday April 17,2009 in Cleveland Ohio. A 70 degree day and everyone is happy.
I have long awaited this coming event. The legendary Fleetwood Mac was going to play the Q. As the house lights dimmed and the music started the fans went wild. The hair on the back of my neck stood up, It was electric.
Monday Morning is the opener. Burnt orange background lights the stage. Stevie in front, where she belongs, Lindsey to her left, John to her right and Mick behind. To the left of the stage were Stevie's 3 back up singers and to the right on keyboards and guitar were 2 guys from Lindseys band. The was no lack of musical talent on that stage even minus Chtistine.
Stevie in her Chiffon and long blonde flowing hair and Lindsey wearing a red T under his usual Black leather jacket. All the members looking a bit older but still no mistaking they have aged well. On the 2 jumbo trons to the side of the stage you could see well from any seat.
Their voices more mature but never once did you say its not the same. It was better. This band rocked the house just like they did in the 70's. You could feel the emotion and connection between all of them. Mostly Stevie and Lindsey. There is no mistaking those 2 love each other, even with all the years of termoil and the relationship that played out before the entire world, must admit it made for some awesome true emotional music.
The set list was
"Monday Morning"
“The Chain”
“Dreams”
“I Know I’m Not Wrong”
“Gypsy”
“Go Insane”
“Rhiannon”
“Second Hand News”
“Tusk”
“Sara”
“Big Love” (Lindsey Buckingham solo acoustic)
“Landslide” (Stevie Nicks and Buckingham acoustic)
“Never Going Back Again” (Nicks and Buckingham acoustic
"Storms”
“Say That You Love Me”
“Gold Dust Woman”
“Oh Well”
“I’m So Afraid”
“Stand Back”
“Go Your Own Way”
First Encore“World Turning”“Don’t Stop”
Second Encore“Silver Springs”

Stevies angelic voice singing Landslide was chilling and brought tears to many.
The hug of Stevie and Lindsey on stage made the crowd go insane with applause.
Lindsey said while we have no new material "YET" I hope you enjoy what we have ready for you here, the crowd roared.
A song as Stevie described that has not been played since 1975 was my favorite-STORMS
I have waited for the song to be sung live for many many years and never once did I think I was going to see it. She nailed it to the T. I lost it and cried. You could see the emotion in her face as she sang it, Amazing. If you have not heard this song , you must listen to it and you will understand why she wrote it. Its deep.
Lindsays guitar work is , well I cant describe it enough, that man is the best guitar player in my world. He plays with magical fingers and with his heart. He gives his all and then some. That man is a rock God. His solos brought the crowd to thier feet.
Mick's drum solo was insane. For a man pushing 70 he was amazing and the facial expressions he made, the crowd loved it.
On the jumbo trons they kept showing Stevie and Lindsey and perfect timing with the words of the songs the 2 wrote about each other. A hair raising emotional experience.
Stevie wailed on Silver Springs with all she had just like in the ealry years, singing like she just wrote it with raw emotion at Lindsey.
Kudos to the band for pulling off the best show I have ever seen and taking my daughter to witness this legendary group was the best.
Mick closed with only he and Stevie on the stage saying "The Mac is Back" leaving us to believe that there will be more from this legendary band.
It's a concert that I will never forget.

Rocked the House

You had to be there to believe it.

I've waited 15 years to see this show and my day finally came. I haven't felt so comfortable watching a show as I have watching this one. Fleetwood Mac in Cleveland was an experience only a fanatical fan can understand. The show was not soft, not rehearsed, not unorganic, not fat, not old, not lazy it was just genuine, Fleetwood Mac as we know and love. Believe me you will forget all about the crazy complaints on the "Ledge" when the music starts to play.

For a band that seems on the surface to be very mainstream, you have to take note of just how fresh and different they are from anyone else. I am so glad that many reviews lured me into thinking that this show was going to be average with the same dialogue and a shoddy sound system.

Absolutely the opposite!! This band came to play. It must have something to do with coming into a cold weathered city and pumping out the heat as Mick did the entire evening. Mick Fleetwood gave the fans what they wanted, solid pinpoint, drumming. He had that crazy grin of "we're going to have some serious fun along with some powerful magic." He drummed his ass off all night long. Not that Funny is something to see. It covers some drumming on regular drums and then he puts together a drum solo with the body pads. What you need to watch for is how fast he is hitting the drums creating a door for LB to come in and start a great riff. The two of them stole the stage for a very entertaining 10 minutes. They really had the crowd at seat's edge. You could hear laughing and cheers for every face Mick and LB made.

As for Lindsey, was absolutely wild, structured, and entertaining. Not just in voice and guitar but the way he carries himself on stage. His body language while performing was entertaining and skilled. I really forgot how good these guys are. I knew how good he was but it felt good to be reminded. I typically have to mention I'm So Afraid. First it was different than the Dance. With that in mind it's a must see. He put so many extra little licks in and tones that it had me screaming while watching him. I think he might have been playing to Lauren because he was absolutely "ON".

Then there is Christine. She pretty much runs the band, I love watching her look over to the rhythm section and give that look of "that's not the right chord" and set them straight. This woman's voice is honey and gold. She sang Oh Daddy and I had a lump in my throat. This was a true highlight for me because I think it is musically so spooky and yet sad. She really knows how to convey the emotion of the song with her voice. You can't rehearse that cause it's like magic. If you want to know what Christine looked like, pick up "The Dance" and she looked and dressed just like the cover. What an icon she is on stage to the left. When she announced Say You Love Me THE CROWD WENT CRAZY. You have to respect Christine McVie, we as fans might not realize how talented this woman is. Her voice was as good as the Bermuda Triangle Album. I just want that fountain of youth she has hidden somewhere. She jammed on Don't Stop which they rocked the entire house with. WOW!

Stevie Nicks was in great voice too. She did Gold Dust Woman like nobody's business. Her heart and soul were really into the show and fans as were all the band members. Gypsy is where I made my pit stop. Rhiannon was where she truly shined. The band played this song so tight that you forgot is was the short version. I not really into what she wears, however, the crowd loved when she started to twirl. I have to admit, I was so happy to be there that I might have cheered her too. Stevie's vocals on Second Hand News were perfect, not to mention how great that song was to hear live. She should have saved Stand Back for FM because LB CM JM AND MF can play this song better that Waddy Prince or anyone else that tries it. LB was hitting those guitar notes for Stand Back like he taught Waddy how to do it.

Then last but not least, our buddy John McVie. Who says this guy doesn't move around. He was dancin and groovin bass that had the whole arena tapping their feet. He made it all the way to LB's side and jammed there for a while. During "Not That Funny" he was groovin with Mick right before Mick's drum solo. It's hard to miss John because he plays so well. If you like You Make Lovin Fun, watch the McVies, the song is 75% keyboards and bass. I sincerely appreciate what John's bass does for their sound. You Make Lovin Fun was a gem and they continued to rock the house.

This show was everything that I wanted from Fleetwood Mac. I enjoyed the songlist, the band, the sound system, the speeches, in fact the performance will generally make you forget about any of that. I mean c'mon, you're watching a Fleetwood Mac concert with Lindsey Buckingham. Just ask Lauren, you instantly become sixteen years old again. Oh Yeah, bet that there will be a studio album!

Never Break the Chain

Well, after waiting and waiting to see the Mac live in concert, it finally happened tonight. I don't think I've ever seen so many people at a concert in Cleveland in my life, and the Gund Arena was PACKED!

Living about an hour from Cleveland (in Kent, Ohio) I left early, but it didn't matter. The show was supposed to start at 7:30, but every street downtown was infested with traffic. My girlfriend and I didn't get into the arena until 7:45, which had me in an unpleasant mood, to say the least....(I'm always paranoid that the *one* time I'm late, they'll start the show on time.....)

After getting settled down, the show began at about 8:15 (I think). The band hit the stage, and for the next few hours I was hypnotized and dazzled by the spectacle of their performance. I cannot ever remember ever being so fascinated by a live show in my life.

From the first few beats of "The Chain" to "The Farmer's Daughter" the band performed better than I had ever expected.

"The Chain": They gave this one their all, and it was a perfect song to start the evening. Mick's drums sounded like thunder and John's bass was so heavy and pounding, it sent chills down me.

"Dreams": Stevie took over and gave this song some serious heart and soul. I particularly thought the backing musicians were fabulous during this tune.

"Everywhere": This song started out sounding a little weak, but built up momentum and ended very nicely.

"Gold Dust Woman": I have always preferred the studio version as opposed to the newer live version on The Dance video, but seeing it live totally changed my perspective. Stevie gave this song such energy and power that by the song's end, she truly gave all her voice had to give. I also particularly loved John's bass on this song.

"I'm So Afraid": I now know why I like Lindsey Buckingham so much. Seeing him perform this song felt and sounded like he was making love to his guitar. Hearing this track on The Dance just is NOWHERE like hearing it live. During the entire guitar solo, it seemed like everyone in the arena was just in a trance watching him work his magic on his guitar. Stevie's backing vocals on this song were also very fabulous.

"Temporary One": I love this song, and one of my favourite aspects of the version on The Dance is Mick's drumming. Maybe it was just me, but he didn't really give this tune the strength that I had expected. Maybe I'm just conditioned to hearing the album version, but this one just didn't do as much for me as I had hoped.

"Bleed To Love Her: I only had 2 complaints about the whole show: 1- I wish John wouldn't hide in the background so much. I'd love to see him up front, and he's one of my faves. and 2- I wish Lindsey could use intros to the songs that aren't exactly like the ones he uses in The Dance. So many people have seen it on MTV, or heard it on the CD that it just seems so staged and unoriginal to always say the same thing at every show, over and over. The people next to me were a bit scared that I knew what he was gonna say before he said it.......... But this song rocked. It was around this time that a lot of people in my section sat down and/or left to go to the bathrooms or refill on beverages, but Lindsey *wailed* on this tune. His voice started to go a bit, so he brought the energy down a bit, but the whole song was perfectly flawless.

"Gypsy": I had almost forgotten why I loved this song so much back in the 80's. When Stevie took to her classic spinning, and drew the audience under her spell, she delivered the best performance of "Gypsy" I have ever heard. It seemed to me that up until this song, the band was just warming up. From this song on, I just felt such strong solidarity from them. After hearing all the talk about the fights and feuds in the old days, it was so heartwarming to see them all doing what they do best TOGETHER.

"Big Love" and "Go Insane": As the others left the stage and Lindsey began his solo bit, the crowd settled down and were ready for a breather. After 30 seconds of "Big Love" he had us all on our feet again till the end of "Go Insane" where I began to feel my throat go raw from all of my screaming. (By this point, my hands were already numb from clapping.) I really think that Lindsey is an under-rated guitarist. I saw the the show with my girlfriend who is a guitarist, and although she's not as big a fan as myself, this was the highlight of the show for her.

"Landslide": Such a good song, and the entire house was singing along. I love the end ot this song on the video, where Lindsey and Stevie hug, but tonight, as the song ended, Lindsey walked over to Stevie, and for some reason, it just seemed like the hug was staged. In any case, halfway through the song, she went over to LB and leaned up against him. Yes, I'm one of the romantics that would like to see them back together, but whatever happens, I honestly believe that the two of them are at their best (from a musical point-of-view) when they're together. Stevie also dedicated this one to the audience.

"Say You Love Me": Due to radio overkill, I had gotten tired of this song, but I really love this new take on it. John was up there in front of a mike and through my binoculars it appeared that he was just humming the bass parts, but I could not hear this. Lindsey's banjo picking was another opportunity for him to show off his magic.

"Sweet Girl": Not one of my favourites, but the audience really soaked this one up, to my surprise. Stevie wailed this one out, ending with asking the audience something like, "Wouldn't you all like to be that sweet girl?"

"You Make Loving Fun": Christine brought up the tone with this tune. Everyone sang along and I think John and Mick both were fantastic during this one.

"My Little Demon": Same intro to this one, but Lindsey commented "Some people think this is about Mick's demons" and he turned to Mick who retorted with that funny little drum roll. This song set me on fire. The whole band was burning with energy. Stevie was all over the stage, Christine and John were rocking in thewier corner, Mick's drumming was just magic, and Lindsey was performing with such raw intensity that it seemed as if he were fighting a real demon up there. Truly one of the best tunes of the whole show.

"Stand Back": The house came down on this number. Raw, hard, loud, to-the-heart rock and roll. Everyone in the arena was dancing and stomping along, and I'm glad that this solo track was put into the set. The whole crowd really loved this song, and it was another highlight of the evening.

"Oh Daddy": When this one started off, I didn't even know what it was. Christine missed the first few lines of the song, or maybe she had mike trouble. This song didn't do too much for me. Stevie's backing vocals and Lindsey's guitar were very good, but I just felt that this song was a real low point of the evening. A bit surprising, because I really love the tune....

"Not That Funny": This is where I became hypnotized.....Mick's drum solo could have gone on for hours, I was taken in by the man, and didn't take my eyes off him till the song came to an end. The backing percussionist was also really wonderful. I screamed all I had left to scream during this bit, and just rocked on as Mick tore the place to shreds. I also got a kick out of Lindsey during this one. He had a lot of fun with it, wriggling around very silly-like and falling over midway through the song, staying there for a while. Seeing the band have a good time up there allows *me* to have a good time as well.

"Rhiannon": This song in concert is a beast. Stevie blew the original studio track to pieces tonight. The whole band just rocked, and John's bass thundered away, more than I've ever noticed before.

"Second Hand News": This sounded quite different and went by so fast that it was hard to get into it. I know it's a short song, but just as the audience got into the groove, the song was over.

"Silver Springs": The moment I was awaiting! This has always been a fave of mine, long before the new version on The Dance began to get airplay. I don't know why this song means so much to me, but I just coudn't wait to see it LIVE. Seeing this song on The Dance is so heartwarming, I had hoped to see Stevie singing at Lindsey like in the video, but she really didn't look his way at all, (Although he was facing her the whole time.) This didn't spoil the performance though. Stevie brought me to tears as she finished the song. If the show would have ended at that point, I wouldn't have minded. By this time, I asked myself: "Can this show get any better??" Yes, it sure could.

"Tusk": I was afraid that this song wouldn't have the energy without the marching band, but did it ever! I always wonder why this song didn't do as well on the charts here when it came out. The audience tore the place apart jamming to this one!!!

"Go Your Own Way": Before this song, Lindsey said something like they had to finish the show because of something about the time. (As if they hadn't given us enough!!) He then went on to lead the group in the rockingest GYOW I have ever heard. I don't think one person was seated for this one. The whole arena erupted with pure rock and roll. Then they said goodbye and left.

I began to think that they wouldn't return for the encore, but alas, after about 5-10 minutes they came out and shot into "Don't Stop."

They left again and I was afraid they were leaving without "Songbird"!!! But after a few minutes, Christine came out and delivered. This wasn't the best "Songbird" I've heard, she seemed to speed through it a bit. But when I think of how many times she has done it, it has probably grown weary for her to come out and do it for every show. But it was still lovely. Like Mick says in his bio, Christine has a talent for singing love songs like on one else. There's just something in her voice that brings out the romantic in me everytime I hear it.

Christine then wished everyone a happy Thanksgiving and Merry Christmas, and the band came out to close with "The Farmer's Daughter." This song was much more entertaining and beautiful than the version on 'Fleetwood Mac Live'. I never thought I would enjoy an old Beach Boys song so much!

Then they left, and the evening was over. I went out and blew almost an entire paycheck on shirts and stuff. But I am so glad that I was able to see this show. It will last with me forever. I was happy enough to see them reunite for The Dance, and I never thought I'd actually get to see them live. My prayers were answered and it was more than worth it. Now that this show is over, I'm eagerly hoping that this will not be the end.

I can only hope that they all still have another album or two left in them as a group. But whatever will be, I'll be happy with the fact that I got to be a part of it all tonight.

"NEVER BREAK THE CHAIN!!!!!"