Fleetwood Mac sparkles at KFC Yum! Center
by Jeffrey Lee Puckett
The Courier Journal
wave3.com-Louisville News, Weather
LOUISVILLE, KY (WAVE) - While thousands of music lovers braved the cold and slippery conditions to listen to Fleetwood Mac at the KFC Yum! Center, many ticket holders were snowed in.
by Jeffrey Lee Puckett
The Courier Journal
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| Photo: Marty Pearl VIEW MORE PHOTOS AT THE COURIER JOURNAL |
Fleetwood Mac last made new music together in 2003, but the band's heyday ended nearly 30 years ago with "Tango In the Night," its final multi-platinum album. That technically makes Fleetwood Mac a legacy act, largely living on reputation.
You wouldn't have thought so Tuesday night at the KFC Yum! Center, where the band performed with a passion that belied a setlist dating back to 1975. They brought new life to songs that are familiar — overly familiar in some cases — and obliterated any notions that they're simply cashing in on nostalgia.
Mick Fleetwood, John McVie, Lindsey Buckingham, Stevie Nicks and Christine McVie clearly have nothing against nostalgia as the show was top loaded with the band's finest material. It began with a run of "The Chain," "You Make Loving Fun," "Dreams," "Second Hand News" and "Rhiannon" — all major hits that remain staples of rock radio.
That's more classics in less than 20 minutes than many bands can muster in two hours, but Fleetwood Mac didn't coast. They delivered them all with a powerful conviction that made the music seem almost shockingly vital and alive.
It didn't hurt that Buckingham, Nicks and Christine McVie all sang as if time hasn't taken much of a toll. McVie, who came out of retirement for this tour, retains much of the honeyed warmth that gives her songs such tenderness. Nicks was in surprisingly supple form, her reedy vibrato in full effect, and Buckingham didn't hold anything back.
It's hard to overstate how much the return of McVie informed the concert. Fleetwood Mac has had a history of rotating members since forming in 1967, but this is the definitive lineup. It just makes sense in every way.
The dynamic of McVie's delicacy contrasted by Nicks' multicolored daydreaming and Buckingham's almost callous directness is what transformed Fleetwood Mac from a mildly successful band of journeymen into one of history's biggest acts. That combination still makes magic.
Concert ticket holders pay dearly during storm
By Connie Leonard
LOUISVILLE, KY (WAVE) - While thousands of music lovers braved the cold and slippery conditions to listen to Fleetwood Mac at the KFC Yum! Center, many ticket holders were snowed in.
Some were miffed at the band for not rescheduling, others said they were annoyed with the KFC Yum! Center for having a message only answering system when they tried to call the box office for answers.
For determined fans, no snow, sleet or blast of arctic air could keep them away. Afterall, it may have been their last chance to see Mick Fleetwood, Lindsey Buckingham, Stevie Nicks, John McVie and Christine McVie together again.
For fan Phil Stokeley, it was on the bucket list but he said he had never gotten the chance to see them until he bought his tickets for this concert. Snow piled 13 inches high at his home outside of Lexington.
"I have a small driveway and it's taken me eight hours to shovel it out," Stokeley said.
He's stranded and paying dearly. He said he had two front row tickets valued at $1,000.
While not out as much money, everything else is the same for Washington County, Kentucky's Judy Stone. "We have the tickets that are $75.50 each," she said of her three tickets.
Stone said her town got about 14 inches of snow.
"We have waited to go see them," she said of Fleetwood Mac, "We have the tickets, but we don't have any way to get down there."
After seeing a lot of other stranded folks complaining on Facebook, both were a little annoyed with the band not rescheduling.
"You've got to treat your fans a little bit better than that I mean good grief," Stokeley said of the elements. "There are going to be people out literally risking their neck."
Tough luck or get a truck you say?
They get it, but contend the KFC Yum! Center didn't help matters by answering their complaint with a recorded message instead of a human.
"You could not get the Yum Center to even answer the phone," Stokeley complained.
A spokesperson for the KFC Yum! Center said she could not answer our questions, only saying refunds can't be issued. Stokeley said he finally got through to a human Tuesday and was told the complaint would be taken to a supervisor.
We drove from Indianapolis for this concert and we are very grateful they did not reschedule as I took time off for this concert! We were VERY disappointed in all the businesses in Louisville taking a "snow day" as the Louisville streets were generally in good shape. We sat in our car for hours with no option to do anything waiting for the concert to start. It was funny at first but then became ridiculous as we traipsed up and down the streets to printed signs on doors that they were closed.
ReplyDeleteThere were 6 of us with tickets $60 each. Snowed in with 16 inches and snow again concert night, so driving home would be very dangerous. Fleetwood Mac could refund our money. They are responsible and could the right thing. Nickel Back did indeed reschedule the Evansville Indiana concert and refunded money to those who could not attend new date - did the right thing.
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