REVIEW / PHOTOS Lindsey Buckingham Live in Chicago Oct 17, 2018

Lindsey Buckingham
Athenaeum Theatre, Chicago
Wednesday, October 17, 2018

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The first time Lindsey Buckingham left Fleetwood Mac, it was on his own accord, though by all indications including a very public lawsuit, the latest round was a result of being asked to leave. But one band’s loss is another man’s gain, at least as far as the singer/songwriter/guitar slinger’s Solo Anthology Tour through the intimate Athenaeum Theatre was concerned when the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer was able to expand well beyond the commercially-minded limitations of the arena-filling juggernaut into decidedly experimental, eccentric and personal territory.

Even so, Buckingham never lost his knack for an infectious hook, launching the almost two-hour concert with the jangly, jittery “Don’t Look Down” and barely taking a breather before diving unflinchingly into the unshakable eeriness of “Go Insane.” For the entire front half of the full band offering, the 69-year-old who remains at the top of his game stuck entirely to solo contexts (“Not Too Late,” “Trouble,” “Street Of Dreams”), but after unplugging all by himself with the fittingly-named “Shut Us Down,” he cast fresh light on FM’s “Never Going Back Again” and completely deconstructed “Big Love” (much like the version from The Dance).

His four kick butt backers returned for “In Our Own Time,” “Slow Dancing” and “Soul Drifter,” then Buckingham took a rare but entirely welcome trip down the “Holiday Road” from National Lampoon’s Vacation. Granted, that cut may have been a bit of a soundtrack novelty compared to strictly following an artistic compass, but it was a front to back dog-barking blast and opened the door for a trio of other big Macs (who the headliner insists he still loves while reaching a point of acceptance that “everything happens for a reason”).

In other words, none of the “Second Hand News” that’s been floating around the gossip circles stopped him from tearing into the stomping “Tusk” with gritty abandon, keeping the raw emotion building with “I’m So Afraid” and unfurling an onslaught of guitar pyrotechnics during “Go Your Own Way.” The encore of less familiar but no less satisfying tunes such as “Turn It On” could be considered either an epilogue to this specific concert or a hint of what might be coming – which probably won’t reach the masses to the degree of a Fleetwood Mac undertaking, but may prove even more rewarding and fulfilling for a restless creative who seems ready for the challenge.

-Review and photos by Andy Argyrakis

REVIEW and PHOTOS Lindsey Buckingham Live in Chicago Oct 17, 2018

Lindsey Buckingham at Chicago’s Athenaeum Theatre
By William Fanelli
Eponymous Review

Photos by Laurie Fanelli
Photo Gallery

Fans flocked to the Athenaeum Theatre last night for a solo performance by legendary singer-guitarist Lindsey Buckingham. The Oct. 17 show took place less than two weeks after his fellow (and now former) Fleetwood Mac bandmates took the stage at Chicago’s United Center but band differences (and a subsequent lawsuit) couldn’t hold Buckingham back and, in fact, there was a feeling of freedom in the air as the artist explored the boundaries of rock with an expansive, well-rounded setlist packed with inspired tunes, youthful energy and dazzling musicianship.

The setlist, which Buckingham called “cathartic to curate,” spanned the artist’s expansive catalogue, weaving together an eclectic yet cohesive concert experience for listeners. The bulk of the artist’s solo records were represented over the course of the evening, some of which amounted to the night’s most engaging moments. Lynchian lullaby “Street Of Dreams” creeped quietly through the venue while “Shut Us Down” packed a powerful punch with its driving vocals, impressive fingerpicking and a bit of interpretive handiwork from Buckingham.

Buckingham inarguably came to play last night. His guitar work was in top form, as were his vocals… utterly guttural one moment, vulnerably tender the next. High energy renditions of Fleetwood fan favorites like “Tusk” and “Go Your Own Way” — the latter which saw the singer enlist folks in the front row to help strum his guitar — had the crowd dancing and singing along, while softer tracks like the goosebump-inducing “Never Going Back Again” entranced the theater in waves of introspection.

The intense and noisy rendition of “I’m So Afraid,” one of the many highlights of the night, built slowly before peaking with a mind-blowing, deceptively-effortless solo by Buckingham while the playful National Lampoon’s Vacation theme “Holiday Road” offered a lighter juxtaposition to the night’s more serious material. Other notable moments included the ultra-primal performance of “Big Love,” which saw the frontman crafting more distinct sounds with a single strum of the guitar than thought humanly possible.

Last night’s midwest performance — part of a larger solo tour spanning the U.S. from now until late December — was in support of Buckingham’s newly-released Solo Anthology: The Best of Lindsey Buckingham. The singer expressed his unbridled enthusiasm for the new album, noting the exciting opportunity it presented for him and his band to perform some of the songs that previously never really got a chance to shine in a live setting. “Surrender The Rain” and the title track from 1984’s Go Insane, both of which were a big hit with fans, come to mind.

Buckingham continues his U.S. Tour with a show tonight at Carnegie of Homestead Music Hall in Homestead, PA. And while some of us are already mourning Fleetwood Mac as we knew it, “you have to accept,” said Buckingham. “Look at things in a positive light. I still love those people.”

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