October 13, 2003 show

Well, I just saw FM at the Staples Center for their third (last?) time. The show was great. To me, the music was pretty much the same as always, so there\'s no new comments I can make there.

I noticed that Lindsey has changed necklaces, if nothing else. He had on a silver necklace tonight, didn\'t have much of a tribal look, no charms, just diamonds at the clasp. I saw him taking no oxygen this time. When he went over to the side of the stage, it was only to get his guitar.

I saw Kristen come out 5-10 minutes before the show started. I think she went to sit in that middle section where the press is. Anyway, she had on this black leather skirt, a white t-shirt and a gray sweater. She didn\'t look pregnant AT ALL. The sweater came down over her waist and was buttoned at the bottom, so it\'s not as if her tummy was exposed or anything, but it didn\'t seem to budge past the thickness of the sweater. Now that the Concord has stopped running, I wonder if she will be up to traveling back and forth overseas while they\'re abroad. She\'s gotten pregnant both tours so far. Dangerous precedent. Lindsey\'s sort of got a record to keep. If they tour again in 2006 . . .

Between one of the opening songs, Stevie went over and whispered to John. He relayed her message to one of the stage hands who came forward to check on the sound level. Stevie can be so businesslike sometimes. Her personna is sometimes thought to be spacey, but she can be crisp, nuts and bolts, and speedily efficient when it comes to reeling out instructions in a short amount of time.

For the beginning of Peacekeeper Lindsey says that he and Stevie were up North trying to do something with their talent when they came to Los Angeles and luckily \"ran into these guys.\" Now, after hearing this so much, I\'m convinced that he can\'t remember Mick and John\'s names. After the World Turning drum solo, I believe Lindsey writes \"Mick Fleetwood\" on his hand and refers to it during the drummer\'s introduction, just to make sure he gets it right.

Stevie introduces SYW by describing it as the single from their new album, SYW, \"but it\'s the song itself, Say You Will.\" She interacts with Lindsey before the song begins, leaning into him and playing air guitar, but not getting as close as they do during the interlude towards the middle of the song, when they are nearly nose to nose and smiling.

He said he liked doing SYW in the program (and she said she never gets tired of doing GYOW, while he also cited her Gypsy as a song that is always fun for him to perform) and I really always believed that he did, just by the way he returns to his mic after they meet center stage and says \"Oh yeah!\" Before beginning the chorus.

I don\'t play any instruments myself (though I took piano lessons for 7 years, I\'d be hard pressed to find Middle C) so I don\'t know the difference between Lindsey\'s guitars. But some of them are so big. He\'d walk away with a hernia if he tried waving his NGBA guitar over his head and swinging it about. As always on \"Come,\" he did everything but play upside down. He flexes his fingers as if they need a rest before \"Big Love,\" but his guitar is surely crying mercy after \"Come.\" Mick stood for him after the end of his song, but not before tying his shoe first. It was a practical, but comical gesture. We can\'t have any tripping hazards on the stage, I suppose. Mick always jumps down to walk Stevie off of the stage after \"Gypsy,\" so he had to tie his shoe sometime between \"Come\" and then, but it just made me smile to see him doing it during the hardest rocking climax of the band\'s set.

For the beginning of Landslide, Stevie said she wanted to thank the audience for all the support we\'d given the band over the years. She said that since this is their 3rd to last show before going to Europe and Australia (is that a promise? They are definitely not going to add any more at the last minute, then?) that she wants to thank their record company Warner Bros. for being so good to them and for working their record so much. Huh? Do they have a record? Honestly, until I walked into the arena that night, I didn\'t know they had a new album out at all. Anyway, she dedicated the song to Warner Bros.

I thought of the Denver Post review when she and Lindsey clasped hands during the middle of Landslide: The way they intertwine fingers, he cannot physically kiss her hand without kissing parts of his own, because they are laced together. Unless he twisted her arm, so his lips met the back of her hand, there\'s no other way he can do it.

When she walked behind him to place her hands on his shoulder, she did not play the piano this time. She just stood there and I think she likes the peeping effect, the fact that only the top of her head can be seen from behind him.

During The Dance, John used to chase Stevie a bit for GDW. He no longer does, but he looks at her and she moves backward swiftly as if he IS chasing her. Then, once away, she turns again and once more, to see if she\'s still \"pursued.\" They smile.

During Stevie\'s solo songs when Lindsey is trying not to call attention from her, it\'s funny how he moves around the stage taking long, tiptoe steps. He eventually ends up by the drum kit, but he took the long way around. I always used to love the very FAST way he got there at the end of \"You Make Loving Fun,\" hopping his way through the song\'s ending with quick staccato steps.

After The Dance Lindsey mentioned not thinking he\'d still be playing Rhiannon at this point in his life. I understand and will Stevie ever be released from ISA? Maybe Gray Davis can grant her a pardon before he leaves office. I mean, she\'s been hearing that thing since Lindsey had mono. As she walks off the stage having completed her vocals, she stops in front of Taku and plays for him, a bit, clanging her tamb to the slow beat of his drum.

When she returns, she walks over to John again, but this time it\'s nothing urgent. They just chat, him putting his hand on her shoulder, around her waist.

As Lindsey is playing guitar after the vocals on Tusk, Stevie is in front of the drum kit, looking at Mick, but glancing briefly at Lindsey just to see how far along he on his way towards her. Then she gets into position for their little number. They should dance the way they did in Gypsy if they really want to make the crowd roar.

Back hunched over at the end, Lindsey hulks his way to his mic and has to actually raise up to moan into it, caveman style.

Stevie starts Stand Back built for speed, with a swirling point at Brett, making the \"stand back\" sign at him, before taking her mic with authority. After the song, she trades her Reeboks for the suede boots and keeps them on for the duration.

People have written about not understanding what Mick says during World Turning. Of course, a lot of it is meaningless (hanky panky, slap and tickle) but when they do the synthesized breathing things get a bit ominous. He says something about breathing hard when you\'re alone in the middle of the night, when there\'s nobody else in the world. Kind of mournful really. Then, he breathes along with the recorded sound. Wonder if he took lamaze classes prior to the birth of the twins which could have inspired that portion of his routine. After he finishes, he does the band intros, again saying that he can\'t imagine his life without those 3. He kisses Lindsey\'s forehead again, this time pulling him forward, with his hand on the nape of Lindsey\'s neck.

He introduces the lady of their band, Miss Stephanie Nicks. Again Lindsey claps for her and they blow kisses at each other. Mick calls John their backbone. John mouths the words, \"oh please.\" Mick says, \"Our backbone, our bass man, John McVie,\" all the band members are already pointing at John, before the introduction is out of Mick\'s mouth.

I do like Stevie and Lindsey\'s routine for the close of \"Don\'t Stop.\" She basically turns her back and leans down so that he can press his face into her hair.

They clown during their group bows, with Stevie spreading her legs wide apart each time and Mick bending to trace imaginary drawings with his wand.

I got a kick out of the last goodbyes. Mick was standing at his mic, bidding the audience farewell. Instead of going around him, Stevie stoops and walks between him and the microphone. As she brushes against him, Mick says \"oooh baby.\" Lindsey and Stevie are in the wings, while Mick is still talking. She has her hand patting his shoulder. They interrupt their conversation briefly. Lindsey points heavenward and she raises a clinched fist when Mick says \"the Mac is Back.\" After that, Lindsey and Stevie continue talking. I imagine she is saying something like, \"I\'m sorry I won\'t be able to make your party tonight,\" as they part headed for different exits, he kisses her hand one last time.

Vegas will be my last U. S. stop with these folks. Well, at least for 2003.

Everything I hoped for and more!

The Mac was extremely fabulous both Friday and Saturday nights. I was lucky enough to have second row tickets (Friday) and sat a few feet away from Lindsey. He was incredibly awesome and stunned us with his showboat guitar-playing. Stevie was sensational, as always, and more beautiful than ever. Mick was wild while John was mellow. I did not miss Christine (sorry!). It was more like the Buckingham-Nicks days, great harmonizing and beautiful, special songs, like "Beautiful Child." The concerts coincided with my birthday and it was my most fabulous birthday ever! I hope the Mac continues to rock on for many more years to come! They ROCK! I am a fan for life!

Age Only Makes Them Better

Saturday nights concert was a fantastic evening, with not ONE disappointment. The band has not lost a beat, even with Christines absence.

Stevie just keeps getting better and her vocals were flawless. Lindsey didn't miss a cord on the acoustic pieces he peformed. The ever so wild Mr. Fleetwood showed that he still had plenty of rock in him, the drums were a driving beat all night. John is John, quietly standing back and laying down a bass line with style.

This was a must see concert, and hopefully The Mac will be back to do it again next year.

Fleetwood Mac knows how to rock!!!

These guys are consumate professionals. Just a solid show, with no holes. Everyone had been saying that lindsey was stealing the show thoughout the tour, but I didn't find that. I thought Stevie's songs were the highlights, although I did really enjoy big love and i'm so afraid. I think gold dust women was one of the highlights. stevie's voice is so incredibly strong, it doesn't show the wear and tear of this tour at all. I would have preferred the piano intro on rhiannon (my favorite FM song), but they played everything flawlessly. It seemed to me that Lindsey's guitar dropped out sometimes, I forget what songs, but where there would normally be a high end guitar sound, I didn't hear it at all even though I could see lindsey playing, don't know if there was a technical problem or what.

I had a major bummer though, the people next to me were extremely rude and were upset with me for standing up for most of the show. in fact, early on I almost got into a fight (and I'm a woman!) when the chick came at me cause she wanted me to sit down. Thankfully she backed off when she saw I wasn't going to be intimidated. I don't understand why people want to go to a great show and sit on their butts the whole time! I wasn't like dancing wildly or anything, just standing up enjoying the hot music!!!

I was hoping for something special, being in LA and all, like the USC marching band, or as rumor had it, sheryl crow. but it was the typical show. maybe Arizona is the place to be.

if you don't have tickets to upcoming shows, check ebay, some shows have a lot of tickets available and you can get tickets for less than face value.

have fun!!!!!!

2.5 hours of heaven

This was the second time I got to see the Mac in concert, the first being in 1997 at Irvine Meadows Amphitheater. I would have to say that this show blew that one out of the water. First off, I was pleasantly surprised by the sound quality at the Staples Center. The volume was just right and the sound even carried well into the halls and the bathrooms. This was good because the show went for 2.5 hours straight with no breaks. Every minute was amazing.

Some highlights: Well, the whole show was amazing for me. I was clapping and mouthing the words along with the band. John's bass playing was solid and had a much better sound quality than "The Dance" tour. Mick's drumming was inspired and intense. Lindsey's guitar playing was almost too good for words. I mean, he was jamming on every song and making it look easy. I still think he is one of the most underappreciated guitar players ever. Stevie was beautiful.

I found myself with tears in my eyes on at least three occasions during the show. The first time was during "Beautiful Child," my favorite Mac song of all time. It was SO amazing to hear this song live and watch Stevie sing it. "I'm So Afraid" also hit a chord with me. I have always felt I can relate to the lyrics and it just seemed so powerful. And finally, "Goodbye Baby" during the second encore had me in tears again. That song is so amazingly beautiful and such a fantastic way to end the show. I sincerely hope that they put out a DVD of this show because I would like to relive it in the future.