Showing posts with label 5-25-13: Fleetwood Mac - Hollywood. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 5-25-13: Fleetwood Mac - Hollywood. Show all posts

Saturday, June 01, 2013

Fleetwood Mac Hollywood Bowl: Anglo-American quartet transcends nostalgia with fresh, powerful performances

Fleetwood Mac at the Hollywood Bowl
The Anglo-American quartet transcends nostalgia with fresh, powerful performances
By Melinda Newman
MSN.com

HOLLYWOOD – “It smells like you guys are having a good time,” guitarist Lindsey Buckingham yelled into the sold-out crowd of nearly 20,000 at the May 25th Fleetwood Mac concert at the Hollywood Bowl. Indeed, it was clear that many boomers decided to relive their high school and college days as the smell of pot wafted through the amphitheater onto the stage.

Opening with the one-two “Rumours” punch of “Second Hand News” and “The Chain,” the band wasted no time diving into essential hits that the audience had come to hear, while still trotting out enough deep cuts, such as “Sisters of the Moon,” and “Eyes of the World,” to satisfy the most ardent of longtime Fleetwood Mac fans.







Thursday, May 30, 2013

Evening with Fleetwood Mac was all about looking back… and sometimes forward ★★★☆☆

Concert Review: Fleetwood Mac
MGM Grand Garden Arena, May 26
By Cindi Reed
Vegasseven.com
★★★☆☆
Photo by Tom Donoghue

When it comes to shawls, the line between gypsy and grandma is a thin one. Performing on her 65th birthday, former ’70s-era ethereal goddess Stevie Nicks straddled that line with heavy feet. Suffering from a knee ailment, Nicks kept her famous twirling to a minimum and moved on and off stage with a slight limp. When the audience spontaneously sang “Happy Birthday” after “Landslide,” Nicks shooed them silent, saying that you could only wish her a happy un-birthday because she wasn’t celebrating her birthday.

Despite Nicks’ desire to ignore the passage of time, the evening was all about looking back … and sometimes forward. Sure, there were the classic hits, including “Second Hand News,” “Dreams,” “Rhiannon,” “Go Your Own Way” and “Don’t Stop.” But old issues were also brought up anew: Guitarist Lindsey Buckingham defended the artistic merits of 1979’s commercial flop Tusk as if he were justifying it to a studio executive; Nicks thanked drummer Mick Fleetwood for letting her join the band as if she were a new arrival; and Nicks and Buckingham harkened back to their long-dead romance by dancing together. The future came in the form of two songs (“Sad Angel” and “Without You”) from Extended Play, their new EP.

Unfortunately, Nicks’ voice hasn’t weathered the years unscathed. Her distinctive sound has become yet even more distinctive by way of an increased muted nasal quality. At some points she seemed to miss notes. The songs no longer perfectly matched those old albums, but that’s OK, because it was real.

Buckingham, on the other hand, still soared on vocals and astounded on guitar, often allowing his voice to overpower Nicks’ on harmonies. Fleetwood charmed as an impish renaissance Santa Claus with a mighty drum solo on “World Turning.”

After two encores and a two-and-a-half-hour show, these musicians already couldn’t let go of the (very near) past. When the music had stopped and while the audience was fleeing, Nicks gave a New Age-y speech about how the fans were her “dream catchers.” When she was done, Fleetwood replaced her with a speech of his own, entreating all to remember that the “Mac is back.” As if we could ever forget.

Fleetwood Mac Reunites at Hollywood Bowl
Rejuvenated and finally unencumbered by their past, Fleetwood Mac played a formidable show
Los Angeles Magazine
by Sonya Singh
Photo by Sonya Singh

Nothing ever turns out as expected for Fleetwood Mac. Whether their collapsing relationships were translating into their best albums or their tour announcements were coming on the heels of an interview saying they’d never tour again, the British-American quartet found themselves hugging it out on stage following an explosive hometown show at the Hollywood Bowl on Saturday night. 

They’ve overcome plenty to look so at peace with one another, but that’s where the tranquility ended. The band came out swinging with “Secondhand News,” summoning so much gusto that it’s a wonder they didn’t run ahead of the song’s tempo. “L.A., let’s get ready to party!” cried Stevie Nicks to a blast of cheers before launching into her breakup hit “Dreams.” The fretwork of Lindsey Buckingham, particularly on “I’m So Afraid,” proved that he is still one of the most underrated guitarists in rock. A wide-eyed Mick Fleetwood breathed new life into straightforward drum parts while slick bassist John McVie calmly maintained his place as the band’s rock. It’s no great revelation, though, that Nicks — “Our lady, our poet,” as Fleetwood introduced her — stole the scene, twirling around the stage and ad libbing new lines into “Gold Dust Woman,” likely inspired by the night’s full moon.

Fleetwood Mac has always been the sum of its unique parts, and for all the band’s hits, the absence of any member is keenly felt. Keyboardist Christine McVie, whose compositions arguably rank among Fleetwood Mac’s finest, retired from touring in the ’90s. While skillful, their longtime backup singers tucked at stage left failed to compensate for her warm vocal harmonies. The reports that she may take the stage with her former bandmates when they play in London has set L.A. fans abuzz. If she’ll play one of the band’s two hometowns, why not the other? 

Even without hits like “Everywhere,” “You Make Lovin’ Fun” and former show-closer “Songbird,” the two-and-a-half-hour set did not disappoint. Greatest hits were celebrated alongside new releases like “Sad Angel” and “Without You,” a holdover from 1970s Buckingham/Nicks songwriting. They also played “Landslide,” “Go Your Own Way,” and “The Chain,” as well as a Stevie Nicks solo track and a few deeper cuts including “Not That Funny” and “Sisters of the Moon," the latter of which they haven’t played since 1982’s Mirage Tour. Both songs come from Tusk, the unusual Rumours followup album.

No one would have blamed Fleetwood Mac if their show felt like a forced TV reunion with plastered smiles and rose-tinted nostalgia. It was far more genuine. “It smells like you’re having a good time out there,” joked Buckingham, but so was the band. They told stories of their early years in L.A. — the only way Buckingham would agree to Fleetwood’s request join the band, as we also learned in Dave Grohl’s Sound City documentary, was if he could bring Nicks. Now the most famous member of the bunch, she thanked Fleetwood and John McVie “for telling Lindsey he could bring the girl along.” The warmth between Nicks and Buckingham never ebbed even as he growled “Damn your love/Damn your lies” during “The Chain.” Their closing duet of “Say Goodbye” left a few people dabbing their eyes with the corners of their sleeves. Rejuvenated and finally unencumbered by their past, Fleetwood Mac proved themselves as formidable and as together as ever.

Fleetwood Mac’s Live 2013 tour will circled back around to the Staples Center on July 3. Tickets are still available. 

Monday, May 27, 2013

Videos: Interesting | Intense | Up Close - Fleetwood Mac Las Vegas, Hollywood Bowl, San Jose, Tacoma, Vancouver

Some interesting videos from the last few shows... Vancouver, Tacoma, San Jose, Hollywood and Las Vegas.


HAPPY UN-BIRTHDAY - LAS VEGAS, NV 5/26/13 (Stevie says she's not celebrating her 65th birthday, so your only allowed to wish her a very Happy Un-Birthday)
LANDSLIDE - LAS VEGAS, NV 5/26/13
GYPSY - Las Vegas, NV 5/26/13 (Back to the full twirl at the end of the song... She was avoiding this during this song and Stand Back for awhile during the period her knee was healing).
SISTERS OF THE MOON - LAS VEGAS, NV 5/26/13
RHIANNON (CLIP) - LAS VEGAS, NV 5/26/13 (Black shawl is back after being absent for awhile... except it's not the same one she started out the tour with)

"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:

Sunday, May 26, 2013

Review | Video | Photos: Fleetwood Mac Live at the Hollywood Bowl 5/25

FLEETWOOD MAC LIVE
MAY 25, 2013 - HOLLYWOOD BOWL
HOLLYWOOD, CA

Videos, reviews and photos from the show below.. Some really cool shots of the stage - they really transformed the arc projecting the background visuals right onto the bowl...Looks beautiful!

Review: Fleetwood Mac lights a fire at Hollywood Bowl
By Mikael Wood
Lawrence K. Ho
Only a band as famously twisted as Fleetwood Mac would follow an exhortation to “get this party started”
LA Times May 27, 2013
with a song as bleakly imagined as “Dreams.” That’s the indelible 1977 smash in which Stevie Nicks warns a capricious lover about hearing “the sound of your loneliness like a heartbeat,” and Saturday night at the Hollywood Bowl, Fleetwood Mac performed it near the beginning of a sold-out concert that Nicks said represented the group’s happy homecoming after several weeks spent on the road.

The long-running pop-rock outfit, which formed as a London blues band in 1967 but didn’t attain superstardom until it later relocated to L.A. and hired Nicks and singer-guitarist Lindsey Buckingham, is halfway through a three-month North American tour; it’s to play Anaheim’s Honda Center on Tuesday, then circle back to Staples Center on July 3.

Yet if Saturday’s show was intended to start a party, as Nicks declared, Fleetwood Mac hardly had good times on its mind. Rounded out by drummer Mick Fleetwood and bassist John McVie (along with five auxiliary musicians), the group sounded sharper and more aggressive -- simply louder too -- than it had in years as it tore through old songs such as “Gold Dust Woman” and “The Chain,” in which Buckingham growled, “Damn your love / Damn your lies,” over grinding electric guitar.

As with “Dreams,” both tunes came from the band’s blockbuster album “Rumours,” which famously caught the romantic turmoil then raging among various members of the group (including McVie’s ex-wife Christine, who quit in 1998). At the Bowl, though, Fleetwood Mac stripped the songs of the soft-rock sheen that helped drive “Rumours” to sales of nearly 20 million copies; it was exposing the desperation that simmers beneath the catchy choruses.