Monday, May 27, 2013

"It smells like you're having a good time out there!" - Lindsey Buckingham Hollywood Bowl

Photo By thebirdie
Fleetwood Mac
Hollywood Bowl
By Daniel Kohn - LA Weekly

Fleetwood Mac does their best work in dramatic circumstances. They put out their finest album in the midst of personal turmoil and needed Bill Clinton to broker a reunion in 1993. As recently as last year, Mick Fleetwood proclaimed that the band wouldn't tour again because of Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks' commitments to their solo careers. Yet after nearly four years of inactivity, Fleetwood Mac was back playing in the city where its formative lineup came together.

"It smells like you're having a good time out there!" Buckingham joked midway through the band's marathon 23-song, two-and-a-half hour set. And it appeared that he and his bandmates were as well. There were smiles, hugs and handholding, something that seemed hard to imagine back in the day.

In February, Buckingham hinted that the band had completed their first batch of new material since 2003's Say You Will. Late last month, Fleetwood Mac quietly released a four-song EP called Extended Play, and last night performed "Sad Angel" and "Without You." While the songs had their trademark intimate soft rock sound (with a bit of bite), it's hard to call them classics.

They played with intensity; Buckingham's solos were fiery and mystical, reaffirming his status as one of the more overlooked guitar players in rock history. Mick Fleetwood's drum solos were gutbusting, while bassist John McVie's steady proved why he remains their steady foundation.

But in the end, the band's biggest attraction is still the spellbinding Nicks, still a siren at 64. Her wardrobe these days is, of course, boho chic, although it's unlikely that a younger Nicks would have thrown on a warm coat mid-set and complained to the crowd about the chilly weather. Still, despite years of cocaine abuse and going under the knife to remove nodules on her vocal chords, her raspy, vulnerable voice sounded like it did when the band was in peak form. She twisted and twirled around the stage

Photo By sheilahansen44
The group shared personal stories about Los Angeles. Prior to a tender "Landslide," Nicks confessed that she never expected the song to be so beloved when she first penned it in 1973. Buckingham repeated his anecdote from Dave Grohl's Sound City documentary: He'd told Fleetwood if he were to join the band, his then-girlfriend to the mix as well.

Nicks and Buckingham may have initially written the songs of Rumours out of spite and anger, but last night they glanced and shot smiles at one another while trading verses. Having beaten the long odds to survive, it would be understandable if Fleetwood Mac treated these shows as a nostalgia tour. Instead, they're reinvigorated and ready to release more material.

The Crowd: There were some fans under 55. But not many.
Overheard in the Crowd: "Rush sucks," said someone. He was talking about the talk show host, not the band.

Random Notebook Dump: If a band is going to use projected images as a backdrop, they should look better than Windows 95 screensavers.

More Reviews and photos from The Hollywood Bowl HERE

Set list:



Second Hand News
The Chain
Dreams
Sad Angel
Rhiannon
Not That Funny
Tusk
Sisters of the Moon
Sara
Big Love
Landslide
Never Going Back Again
Without You
Gypsy
Eyes of the World
Gold Dust Woman
I'm So Afraid
Stand Back
Go Your Own Way

Encore:
World Turning
Don't Stop

Encore 2:
Silver Springs
Say Goodbye

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

Rush sucks refers to the band Rush getting into the R&R Hall of Fame while Stevie and Lindsey aren't as individuals.

Anonymous said...

Can't wait to see them tomorrow night...and I'm under 45!

Anonymous said...

My 20 year old loves Fleetwood Mac too!

Brian said...

I have a 17 year old and he loves fleetwood mac. Of course dad got him hooked!!!

Anonymous said...

I was at the show at the Bowl. There were plenty of people there under 30. Seems like they've drawn a whole new audience recently.

Anonymous said...

I'll be there in Phx. 5/30.

Joseph Gould said...

I'm 20 and I can't wait to see them in Australia in November!! So far I'm definitely going to two shows - and more if they do more shows in Melbourne. I can't wait!

Anonymous said...

Two thirds of my group were under 25!! There were a lot of young fans in attendance.

Anonymous said...

Followed Them Since The 70`s.....I`am Their Biggest Fan...Met Stevie Lindsey And Mick ..All Individually.....They Are All Nice And Quite Aware Of Their Fans And Take Time With Them....Thanks Lovers...Also Me And Christie Perfect Are Facebook Friends...She Just Turned 70....And Is Going Through Culinary School In England...Single And Quite Loving It....She Sent Me A Photo Of Herself Now....She Looks Great .....Love You All Fleetwood Mac ...From Peter Green To Bob Welch...Danny Kerwin To Billy Burnette To Rick Vito.....Thank You John Mayall Love Lesli Sperling From Oklahoma City

Anonymous said...

If this LA Weekly guy was an actual music journalist he would know that...um...that comment WAS about the band RUSH. CC: R&R HOF.

And if this idiot got out of LA, he'd realize not all Mac fans are libtards. John would be proud! Jajaja.

Anonymous said...

Some people are so full of it groupie crap. Anonymous on the 28th of May 2013 at 00:25 said she is friends with Christie Perfect on Facebook. Such a lie. She isn't friends with her or Stevie or Mic. All of her pics show her getting autographs just like any other groupie and most of her friends are foreigners with no friends. She may be their biggest fan, but she seems very much like Annie Wilkes from Misery. Spooky.

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