FLEETWOOD MAC LIVE 2013 Opening Night
April 4, 2013 Nationwide Arena
Columbus, Ohio
Concert review | Fleetwood Mac:
First tour stop had it all. Band in fine form as it satisfies crowd in Nationwide
By Curtis Schieber
Fleetwood Mac returned to performing in concert for the first time in three years last night in Nationwide Arena, the core four members putting on their rock ’n’ roll greasepaint as if it had just came off the night before. Columbus was the first show in a 50-gig run.
The band didn’t reserve anything for the next 49, as it delivered mega-hits, out-of-the-way album tracks, solo work and even a couple of new tunes.
The million-sellers brought the house down, especially selections from the group’s mid-1970s albums, with Dreams, The Chain and Rhiannon duplicating enough of the originals to not only welcome the crowd but also loosen it up.
The band hit the ground running, with Second Hand News, a song with all the group’s strengths, from the deep groove plowed by rhythm section and titular original members John McVie and Mick Fleetwood to the candy-like harmony leads of Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham.
It set the scene for a tour through the two singers’ tangled love lives, which inform a good many of their songs.
The band made tunes that dallied with the darker side, more mysterious still. Sisters Of The Moon opened with considerable drama and ended with Nicks emoting almost as if in fits. Gold Dust Woman was at once spooky and dreamy. Still, the rhythm section proved why it is — after nearly 50 years — one of the most powerful and distinctive in the business.
Buckingham delivered leads that nearly burned down the hall, while adding a richness to the mix with consistently sophisticated guitar work.
Nicks sounded terrific, avoiding the annoying and taxing signature tremolo and concentrating on the natural emotion in her voice. Gypsy particularly showcased her maturing instrument with a succulent delivery.
Though she was more energized than during her last visit, she nonetheless was slowed, rarely moving away from the mike and only a couple of times venturing to Buckingham’s side of the stage. Even though her trademark spin was reduced to about 16 RPM during Gypsy, any movement nonetheless elicited raves.
Buckingham not only led the group firmly but was the artistic center. A dissertation about taking musical chances was followed by a few selections from Tusk. The singer’s declaration of the album’s originality hit the mark, even if he neglected to mention that its commercial failure nearly sank the record industry.
The new material boded well for the future, especially Sad Angel, which will be released in an upcoming EP. Interestingly, Without You was an old song the group forgot but rediscovered in a YouTube video.
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| Photo Gallery via The Columbus Dispatch - Click through to view |
Above 4 photos by nationwide arena
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| Photo Credit: Curtis Blessing |
Lindsey Buckingham announced during the show prior to performing the new song "Sad Angel" that a NEW EP of New Fleetwood Mac studio material would be released in the coming days!
Lindsey announces EP of new @fleetwoodmac studio material hitting in next few days; debuting new cut "Sad Angel" tonight @nationwidearena
— Tom Hunter (@tphunter) April 5, 2013
Above two photos by: Ashley Glynn
Above 7 photos by: lilyoaks
Photo Credits: Pattie D. (Lindsey) Michelle Cohn (Stevie)
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| Photo Credit: Adam Flick |
Stevie Nicks... The first pic on the left, Stevie is in pants! There's a first on a Fleetwood Mac tour.
Second pick... An example of the jumbo screen behind the band.. Looks awesome! Stevie in her Top Hat, must be "Go Your Own Way" and, she's wearing her glasses so she can see everyone not because of the bright lights.
Photo Credit: promogirl2 (left) and shenanigansblog (right)
MERCHANDISEMerchandise shots in Columbus... Bottom photo not very clear but there looks like plenty of options, and the images of the band are new, which is great! Plus... Don't look if you don't want to know, but below is the setlist from tonight. Looking great!! 2 NEW songs in the set.
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| One of 3 posters available... New photos! |
@nickslive from my friend at the mac concert right now: “She hasn’t taken her eyes off of him for this entire song” #withoutyouOpening Night Setlist
— The Fetus (@Karlielouise) April 5, 2013
01. Second Hand News
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| Photo by Nation Wide Arena |
03. Dreams
04. Sad Angel (new song)
05. Rhiannon
06. Not That Funny
07. Tusk
08. Sisters Of The Moon
09. Sara
10. Big Love
11. Landslide
12. Never Going Back Again
13. Without you (new/old Buckingham Nicks song)
14. Gypsy
15. Eyes Of The World
16. Gold Dust Woman
17. So Afraid
18. Stand Back
19. Go Your Own Way
Encore:
20. World Turning
21. Don't stop
22. Silver Springs
Encore 2:
23. Say Goodbye
No Seven Wonders?! I wish they'd do it, it's a classic.
ReplyDeleteI love Seven Wonders too, Joseph.
ReplyDeleteI hope she can still become possessed during SOTM. Nervous for her!
ReplyDeleteMore from tango of the night love that album
ReplyDelete<3
ReplyDeleteYawn Yawn - boring. Affairs of the Heart, Destiny Rules, Thrown Down, Paper Doll, No Questions Asked, That's Alright - where are you???
ReplyDeleteLose Stand Back, I mean, really.
ReplyDeleteI agree. No more Stand Back on a Fleetwood Mac tour.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't have thought "Silver Springs" was "encore-worthy"! We get it - it was cut from Rumours - get over it!
ReplyDeleteI guess they're shaking it up ''some''
ReplyDeleteLOSE 'Eyes Of The World'- it's been overdone and was no hit- swap it with 'Tango In The Night' instead, not a hit, but brilliant.
LOSE 'Not That Funny' and swap it for 'Frozen Love'
make 'DREAMS' the final encore (yeah, in my dreams!)
I accept 'Stand Back' because of SN's stubborn will, it's part of her charm*... Which is why:
'Now, here she goes again, for 34 years in ay-row,
"Dreams" comes 2 or 3 at every show'...
can't tell her nothin' about it, either~
She resists change more than the rest of the band- but there's some risk- thank God it's not 'Goodbye Baby' so 'Say Goodbye' - while not a great song, is fine by me- at least it isn't pandering and mawkish as a set closer. *"Miranda'' would be easy, and be killer, live. In the 'Dreams' slot.
I hear Mick Fleetwood reads all comments here, confirm, anyone?
I would love for her to do Storms!!!
ReplyDeleteLose Stand Back-not appropriate for a FM concert
:0)
The only thing exciting here is the 2 new songs and Sisters of the Moon. But it is cool to see 4 songs in a row from Tusk. A shame that they can't get more creative with the set. Love to see I'm So Afraid swapped out for Tango in the Night (a song that has never been played live). Swap out Gypsy for Seven Wonders.
ReplyDeleteThanks for posting everything.
all I have to say is at least they are still touring :)
ReplyDeletewheres "when I see you again" love that song
ReplyDeleteI love a lot of these songs and I've never been to a show before this tour, so it's not that I'm unhappy to be seeing them. But it's still a pretty unadventurous setlist, the only Tusk deep tracks are "Not That Funny" and SOTM. Lots of Rumours, I guess that's to be expected but it's still much of the same. I would've killed to hear "The Ledge" and "Angel" instead of "Eyes of the World" and "Stand Back".
ReplyDeleteDreams is always going to be in the set list, it has to be. Yes, I'm over it too.
ReplyDeleteThat said, I think this set is killer! Say Goodbye is the perfect ending. Silver Springs as an encore, nice, and two NEW songs? Definitely getting my tix now.
And how awesome does Stevie look?
Bitching and complaining...one...gratitude that FM played and threw in some rare tunes and a new song...zero. while many are already complaining about the set list (lose this and why don't they play that instead) - I think there are a few Nickslive posters that should be substituted and dropped. Such negativity - always negatively...always complaining. Fact is - no matter what the set list is - the posts would read the same.
ReplyDeleteNew tour ,they try some songs,they drop some others, its not bitch and moan,its suggestion,posts are opinions,if you dont like them go forth and multiply
ReplyDeletejust wait until you hear the fresh arrangements of some of the old songs! It was so exciting to hear Lindsay talk about recording some new songs and then to hear him say:"and here is one of those new songs!" SAD ANGEL ROCKS! Or the utter joy at hearing "Without You"! And do not miss the merchandise table. I haven't purchased so much as a keychain since TISL and I snatched up two t shirts! Prepare yourselves to enjoy a band that seems to finally be enjoying being a band!
ReplyDeleteThis will be my first live Fleetwood Mac concert ever. I live in a remote part of Canada where artists rarely perform. I have hours of travel ahead of me, because I will not fly. I can't wait for this show, and I don't care if they sing the phone book. I just want to hear this band live!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteI'm generally happy with the set and I've never seen them live before so I CAN'T WAIT!
ReplyDeleteIf it is true Mick reads these comments... Seven Wonders please Mick!
I love FM dearly, and make every Stevie and MAC show, and I am thrilled they are on tour. I have to say, I am a little bummed about this set list too. I love the hits, and new songs, but geez, PLEASE add Seven Wonders for goodness sake!!!! Drop one if you have too!!!
ReplyDeleteAgreed. The feel and vibe of this set is crying out for it!!
ReplyDeleteI don't really agree that Gypsy should be dropped. Second Hand News, Big Love or Stand Back should be replaced with Seven Wonders in my books... But they're ALL good songs, they're ALL amazing! It's too hard to pick one to swap.
But it has to happen.
How bout,thrown down, I don't want to know, seven wonders, bleed to love her, rather have goodbye close it out rather than say good bye. i really like to seen more tracks from say u will. get rid of not that funny. hopefully the set gets a few changes by the boston show in 2 weeks.
ReplyDeleteSeven Wonders, Everywhere and Little Lies in NYC please!
ReplyDeleteThe Mac Is Back! Never break the Chain! Their music is timeless.
ReplyDeleteOnly gripe about the setlist I have is that they lost a major former member and they can't see fit to include ONE of his songs? C'mon, Mick! Bob Welch deserves better. First he gets snubbed on being inducted into the R&RHoF and now you can't see fit to honor his memory by playing even just ONE song of his?
ReplyDeleteAnd, again, not even ONE Peter Green song (specifically "Oh Well")??
Throw "World Turning" & "Don't Stop" back into the regular set and encore with "Oh Well" & "Hypnotized". Without Green & Welch there wouldn't have been a Fleetwood Mac to record "Rumours".
I'm seeing the show in Philly on April 6th. How much are Tshirts? Is there a tourbook?
ReplyDeleteHello from Columbus! T shirts were $40 to $50 . They are worth checking out.
DeleteThere is a wide variety of styles for men amd women. . (Hint; the red and white stripe 77 t runs big.) There is no tour book, but a poster ($10) and a beautiful lithograph with the penguin logo and tour dates for $20. Enjoy!
I agree with the majority of commentators that 'Not that Funny' still isn't-- and should be dropped. I could also live without Standback-- so so overdone. yes- it would be wonderful to put back into the set Seven Wonders or Angel from Tusk. I was totally expecting Soldier's Angel to be in this set--- bet she tried!
ReplyDeleteThe set-looks looks amazing. I'd totally lose Stand Back, Gold Dust Woman, I'm So Afraid and Goodbye Baby and replace with Storms, Seven Wonders, and What Makes You Think You're The One and close with That's All For Everyone.
ReplyDeleteBut I'm so excited to see them in Philly!
Stevie looks fantastic! I'm glad she opted for this look for the Mac tour instead of the usual longer dress. The pants really compliment her.
ReplyDeleteAs for all the comments about the set list ... I agree with some of the comments to an extent. I would absolutely love having "Angel" or a reworked more rock version of "Seven Wonders" "Thrown Down" or heck even "Crystal," which Mick alluded would be done this time. Sadly it did not make the cut. However, getting down about it or criticizing the set list isn't really fair to the band.
We have no clue what other songs they tried out or rehearsed. They very well could have rehearsed "Angel" or "Destiny Rules" or "Thrown Down" or "Seven Wonders." While "Angel" was last played live on the Tusk Tour and would translate amazingly to the stage (because it would really allow Stevie the chance to rock out), "Destiny Rules" was tried at the very begging of the SYW tour in 2003 and was quickly dropped. And while "Seven Wonders" sounded great live in 1987/1988 the song is very keyboard/synth heavy. And we really have no clue what they tried in rehearsal. Maybe they tried "Thrown Down" or "Seven Wonders." Songs don't always translate well from record to stage. Think about Stevie's "I Can't Wait." She performed it a few times sporadically on the Rock a Little Tour and admitted they hated doing it because it just didn't sound good live. Not all songs do. I can't see "No Questions Asked" sounding good live at all.
As for other music off of Tango ... as I said I would enjoy "Seven Wonders" but the song would need to be reworked to fit into the live set (which no longer has a keyboard/piano/synthesizer in foreground. Lindsey's title track would sound great live, but other than "Big Love" I think the album pretty much belongs to Christine.
I saw Stevie live twice during the two years she supported IYD, I saw the Unleashed tour, the Dance tour and I've seen Stevie solo several times in between ... after all those shows I would be perfectly fine without hearing "Stand Back." I don't like to criticize, and it is my favorite solo Stevie song, but I feel like she's performed so much it kind of lost some of its live energy.
I also can't stand the idea of Stevie and Lindsey doing Christine's songs, which is why I really didn't care for the Unleashed tour. I mean, how could they realistically call it a Greatest Hits tour without Chris? She wrote the majority of their big radio singles.
Another comment about the set list ... they do change throughout the tours. The SYW Tour set list changed twice. I think "Sisters of the Moon" will stay. Once they perform it a few more times it's really going to rock (by the way, Stevie was mistaken when she said they hadn't performed it since the late 70s ... it was on the Mirage Tour set list). I do think "Sara" will probably end up on the chopping block, and "Silver Springs" is likely to go as well. So it's very possible a couple of her other songs may make their way in.
Angel was performed by Stevie on her Wild Heart tour-at least in Philadelphia it was. And I agree with last poster because I hear songs they do in Philly but by end of the tour a few of those songs are lost and replaced. I clearly remember Destiny Rules being performed and heard through the online community it had been dropped in later shows. Can't wait for tomorrow night!
ReplyDeleteI'd love to see Angel in the set too. The way Stevie and Lindsey interact with each other on that song is great! I also would like to see Blue Letter added (throw out I'm so afraid). I love watching the Mirage video of Stevie on Blue Letter.
ReplyDeleteThank you Columbus poster! I'm heading there tonight and was wondering what kind of cash to bring for the Tshirts. Thanks for responding! Can't wait for the show!
ReplyDeleteNo sunglasses for the Philadelphia show!! Yay! Loved it. Awesome. Loved the arrangement of Sisters of the Moon with the "sisters" refrain. Great great show!
ReplyDeletewhat time did they go on? was there an opening act?
ReplyDelete