[The Nicks Fix]

Fleetwood Mac 2009 - FAN REVIEWS

03/19/09 Madison Square Garden New York, NY




Angelo from Brooklyn, NY
Well all you Fleetwood Mac Fans, the Mac delivered, and the Garden cheered them on with all fury, fervor, sass, tears, laughter, pain, and memories of love. It was a cold, cloudy, and rainy day in NYC today. But that did not bring a damper to the mood in the Garden. The Garden was nearly sold out with fans of young and old. From where we were sitting, nestled in a corner close to the nosebleeds, we were welcomed by the huge screen and a completely clear-as-day view from the side of the stage. Stevie came to visit on our side frequently, often waving to us, and twirling her little heart out.

Fleetwood Mac was pumping electricity throughout the Garden all through their 23 song set. The Mac was on point baby! The entire crowd was on their feet periodically through the show, most especially during Stand Back, Go your Own Way, Don't Stop, and Silver Springs. We were time-warped to the days of old Fleetwood Mac, and then we traveled to the present, here at the Garden to celebrate Fleetwood Mac's remarkable career.

I have loved them since 1976, and I am 40 years old now, and I will love them until the day I leave this world.

Stavo, NYC
Last night was remarkable. It felt like what we used to call 'the Mac Attack' which was that 3 of the premier singer songwriters in the industry were all coming at you full force at once. It was a thrilling effect. Well, now its just 2 of the 3, no longer in their 20s but in their 60s, and to even my own dismay, that effect still registers because the creativity level is so high! They are no longer just performing these old classics but 'painting' outside of the lines of how we expect them to be, often taking the poppy element out to make it much more real and alive (rather than formated-for-radio arrangement), while not losing any of the punch of what pop generally brings to songs, or the grit of rock.

Stevie Nicks has always been the most original writer (and performer, truth be told) in the super-group, but much to Buckingham's credit, he has really matured and caught up with her. He was not over-showmanshiping, as he did on the last couple of tours which came off as trying a bit too hard; his recent solo ventures have obviously given him something he didnt have before: security in himself. And songs like 'Go Insane' became real highlights of the show, as were 'So Afraid' & "Oh Well'...songs that were not always highlights. It was a beautiful thing to see him begin to feel as though he stood equally with Stevie, withOUT trying to (unsucessfully) outshine her -- and ALL fans benefit from this change in the dynamic. Who DOESNT want a full-firing Buckingham & Nicks!! They. Are. Amazing.

Mick was great too, btw - as you could catch his expressions etc on the monitors, and he is funny and very full of vital energy. John McVie, much more quietly and subdued, also deserves a shout out.

But back to the music -- they did some Christine McVie songs, and it was successful and brought levity to the heavier set proposed by the song-writing & energy of Stevie & Lindsey. It was nice to feel the unifying history of Christine's wonderful compositions (and awesome keyboard sounds!) in the mix again -- and made me miss hearing "You Make Lovin Fun" (one of my favs...but they are not doing it) -- but it was truly inspiring to see this band being -- if you could remember them in their 20s -- truly in the 'best case scenerio' of being in their 60s, and being THIS good.

Now I should admit, I read a lot of fan reviews before going, but what tipped the scales for me was a blog a guy did where he wrote about the show THREE DAYS in a row he was so excited about it! So I bit the bullet & got a ticket right up in the front section, payin' the big buck$, and I am so glad I did. I want to reiterate that I am often a skeptic about these big live shows, and I often think Mac fans are so fanatical, they always think the show is 'the best they've ever seen' & 'they keep getting better'! LOL -- but in this case, on this tour, it is absolutely true. I can't say enough about it.

One example -- Stevie started doing "Storms" and for whatever reason, this is the one moment in the 2+ hour show when the whole place seemed to start sitting down, and worse, talking...people began to have conversations all around me, to the point I thought, 'she must be getting a little distracted by everyone not paying attention' but what ACTUALLY happened is she dug in deeper instead. She could not have sung that song any better; totally present, totally commited to every word, engaged in her expressions and movements...she ignored the talking and went right into the center of the song. I have seen Stevie Nicks many many times over the years, and she may well have dug as deep into that song as I've ever seen her do on stage. I was really moved by that. You go girl - she brought the storm to the surface!

She actually picked up the energy pretty early on, at Rhiannon (4th song in), and she was startling in her command of her voice. At the close of Rhiannon, she even shook her head around (in a moderate version of the way she used to back in 75) and kind of began stridently flapping her arms like she was gonna take off (also, ala 75) ...so I got the picture then, that she was feelin' PRETTY GOOD about her capacities at the moment!! I am guessing it was a particularly good night for her voice, because even when she really belted, you felt there was more for her to bring out, at will.

Another great thing was hearing those harmonies again, especially on 'Sara' Lindsey & Stevie's voices blended transcendently. Stevie spun a lot less (pretty much, only 1 full-on swirl) but 'Stand Back' was elevated to an assault when she finally did lay into that helicopter-be-damned spin!!! And Lindsey tore the house down with 'Go Your Own Way' to end the pre-encore portion of the show. I'm finally gonna stop writing, but I am just sayin' .. GO!!! Go see the show, it really is worth every penny.

Pete from Plymouth, Pennsylvania
I spent a wonderful evening with Fleetwood Mac last night at the Garden! The show began at 8:10 pm to a nearly sold out arena. From the opening chords to the last of the 3 song encore The Mac was at the top of their game! Lindsey's talent was at the forefront without being "upstagey". Stevie's appearance and voice were spot on and at the risk of sounding like an overwhelmed fan, I felt through her performances that she was really enjoying her time on this tour. Gold Dust Woman was sang with an enthusiasm I haven't seen in a while! Mick Fleetwood is the coolest dude in Rock past & present. His gift on the drums is awe inspiring! His facial expressions and drum abilities are top notch and set a very high standard. John McVie, undeniably the best bass player in Rock history was his usual subdued, quiet self. Although Christie McVie was missed there were times during the concert that you would swear it was the 1970's all over again! I think anyone who is on the fence about going to a concert on this tour should go! If last night was an indicator, you will not be let down. If being in this age group allows for the performances I saw last night, I am looking forward to getting older!!!!!!

Chuck from Philadelphia, PA
I had the pleasure of going to see Fleetwood Mac at Madison Square Garden in NYC on March 19th, and what a great show it was! Being a diehard Stevie fan, I was particularly excited to hear "Storms" live for the first time, and it was beautifully done. Sharona, Lori and Jana added background vocals to that number that gave it a whole different vibe compared to the album version. I always love "Sara" live in concert, and I wasn't dissappointed. "Silver Springs" was an inspired choice as the final encore, and it was one of the best live versions I've ever heard of that song. Stevie looked beautiful and sounded great, and she even shared the story behind "Gypsy" and how that song came about. Lindsey was sharp (as always) with his masterful guitar work, and he gave us a "Tusk" treat of his own by performing "I know I'm Not Wrong" which I don't think has ever been done live before either. Mick was his usual crazy self (love him) and the crowd really ate up his "World Turning" solo. All in all, it was a great evening to be Mac fan. This was my 21st time seeing the Mac in concert, and I've seen Stevie 27 times solo. I'll be going to see them again on April 15th here in Philadelphia (where I live) and I know it will be just as great. To all visitors to this site: if this tour is coming to a town near you, I highly recommend that you see it. You'll be very pleased.

Ronke
I've seen the Mac attack 4 or 5 times over the years and I have to say this is one of the best shows they've ever done. Lindsey was an amazing, brilliant guitar virtuoso his solos blew everybody away. The crowd reaction was a deafening roar! Set list was fabulous everything from FM to Rumours to Tusk to Mirage was represented!
Plus good solo stuff from Stevie and Lindsey. Mick and John rocked the rhythm section all night, kept the beat and pumped it to the rafters. And the first lady of FM, Ms. Stephanie Nicks, what can I say? She was the Queen! In splendid voice all night, funny, cute, adorable and down to earth. And Stevie looked beautiful in all her wardrobe pieces. Don't walk, run and get tix to see them on the Unleashed tour.
Missed Christine and even hearing stuff from the "Say You Will" album, but FM did the job in this show. Even reinterpreting CM's "Say That You Love Me" as a Stevie/Lindsey duet. This show is not to be missed!



Back to The Nicks Fix Main Page

© Copyright 1995-2008 The Nicks Fix, All Rights Reserved, Unauthorized duplication is forbidden