The Nicks Fix - Fleetwood Mac Fan Reviews

Say You Will FAN REVIEWS

8/16/03 Riverbend Music Center Cincinnati, OH

Newest reviews posted at the top.

Shannon
Okay, so it's not one week after the show, it's a week and two days, and I'm still feeling the magic! The Mac put on a spectacular performance in Cincinnati on August 16. I'm 26, and have been enjoying their music for about five years, but never had the chance to see them perform live, until last Saturday. I'm still in awe. It was awesome. I wasn't sure what to expect with Christine gone, but the band managed to put that fact aside and render a wonderful performance. Stevie, of course, looked great, and sent chills down my spine with every song she sang. I heard several fans say "she's still my girl" and "she's still got it." Lindsey rocked on the guitar, and Mick Fleetwood's solo performance on the bongo drums built into his vest still has me floating on Cloud 9. Timothy McVie's ability to blend in, and make the music whole, was as clear as ever. With the crowd ranging from teenagers to baby boomers, we all seemed to blend well, have fun, and sing along with the band. The range of old and new music made for a perfect performance. The magic of Fleetwood Mac remains.

Franklin David Coup
The Mac is back and in full force !!! We had lawn tickets to we arrived early so we could get good seats. lucky for us because the first 1500 people got upgraded tickets. I guess it didn't sell out. anyway we went from lawn to 12th row in pavilion. they didn't have the special screens behind them because riverbend stage its small. Lindsey was super on guitar playing like he was on fire. over his head behind his back with both hands like a man processed. stevie sounds super as usual. beautiful child was probably the highlight, Lindsey and her chased each other around the stage playfully. they kissed each other couple times. stevie was tapping on Lindsey's shoulders from behind during landslide in perfect rhyme to the song. the show was super. anyone that can go see them do it its well worth it. and no tourbooks again. also the shirts they selling end with Portland orgen shows they don have the newer shows listed on the shirts over all a great show Mick did hi super drum solo with the pad things he wears. they sang a got mix of old and new songs. loved it we had so much fun!!!

Micki R. Grant
Fleetwood Mac proved itself to be as tight a rock band as ever in Cincinnati, Ohio Saturday night. The set list was polished and one might be inclined to think, that even after the soap opera nightmare these peopled endured over the years, they have come to like each other and enjoy performing together. I saw Stevie for the first time live on the Enchanted Tour in Cincinnati and even though I have always loved her music I was absolutely blown away by her live solo performance and was a little apprehensive about how the Mac egos would play themselves out together. As it turned out they were astonishingly powerful as a rock act. McVie seems to be satisfied to stay in the background but it was evident that he is an extremely talented musician. However, Fleetwood's charisma and energy was unexpected and absolutely delightful. Buckingham's guitar licks were on the edge of heavy metal at times and the crowd loved it. It was easy to see that he loved being on stage with his old bandmates and he played his heart out to an appreciative crowd. But when it comes to performing live nobody can outshine Ms. Stevie Nicks. It is easy to recognize a star when you see one and Stevie Nicks is the stuff that rock star legends are made of. Her sultry voice, alluring wardrobe and unadulterated joy as she sang made her all the more a superstar in Cincinnati. I was amazed at how many young girls in the audience sang every word to her songs and imitated her movements. Her years of hard work and relentless schedules have earned her a place not only in rock history but in the hearts of millions of adoring fans. She had to do nothing more than wave her arms or make her hemline sway for the entire crowd leave its seat and beg for more with thundering applause. Taking nothing away from the other Fleetwood Mac members on this tour, who obviously are legends in their own right, Stevie is the spotlight of the show. Her star power is timeless and anyone that enjoys rock music should make it a point to see her perform live.

Michael Delmonte
"Did you feel like it was the second time with you...?" Stevie asked in my head lyrically regarding my second time seeing Fleetwood Mac in concert this tour. The answer to her question was NO as it was so much more magical than seeing them in June in Detroit, MI, for which I am a native resident; and again I will never, ever forget this experience. A freind of mine and I who are both die-hard Stevie and Fleetwood Mac fans decided to make a road trip to Cinci to see them again as we were both so captivated and mesmerized by FM's performance at the Palace of Auburn Hills, MI on June 12th. It was a hot and sticky night in Cincinnati, and the sweat poured from both the audience and the band all night but it was so worth it. Especially from the 2nd row pit where my buddy and I sang and danced all night long. We all know the set list by now so I won't rehash the list. However, again the best performance highlights included "Big Love", "Gold Dust Woman", "Rhiannon", "Stand Back", "I'm So Afraid", "Goodbye Baby", and "World Turning". Again, unbelievable. Stevie had much more energy this show and showed much more animation. She looked as radiant as ever! Of course I also had 2nd row dead center seats so maybe I'm being a little bias. She sounded better vocally then in Detroit and was much more emotional throughout, tearing up during " Silver Springs", "Gypsy", "Goodbye Baby", "Beautiful Child" and "Landslide", where in the latter song she whispered gently to Lindsey onstage "...from the heart" after it ended, as she rubbed his shoulders from behind. "Stand Back" and "Gold Dust Woman" were again incredible, with magical twirls and shadow-running. Stevie even managed a couple of slower twirls during "Rhiannon" and "Gypsy" and seemed more comfortable and "got down" a little more during this show. The only minor complaints: Stevie did not perform "Running Through The Garden" from SYW nor did she wear her signature platform boots during the performance. But I barely noticed I was so exhilarated!! Lindsey was of course incredible as usual. His showmanship and high-energy performance again stole the show! He let fans play his guitar, broke a guitar string during "Big Love" and sweated so much he probably lost 10 lbs on stage alone! And the chemistry between the two was much more relaxed; Stevie and Lindsey did a spinning dance during "Tusk" and looks could kill during "Silver Springs"; you could tell they were really hamming it up and it was all in fun. Mick was again the leader of the pack and demonstrated so during the anticipated drum solo of "World Turning". The audience loved it! And John again was the calm voice of reason, his bass lines driving the signature rhythm section of the band. The audience also seemed to really dig the new songs, especially the title track "Say You Will" where the crowd was mimicking Stevie's hand gestures during the chorus. By the end of the concert, I had made eye contact with Stevie, Lindsey, and the backup singers Sharon (Sharona) Celani and Mindy Stein several times, the latter who is obviously very pregnant at this point. I screamed "Congratulations!" to Mindy and pointed to my tummy when Mindy was introduced and she nodded in my direction. Incredible again. The security was understandably tight at the Riverbend. We were one row away from the stage and stayed there the whole night until the very end, after Stevie performed "Goodbye Baby", the closing tear-jerker. My buddy and two others who were sitting next to me encouraged me to try to shake either Stevie or Lindsey's hand by approaching the stage. Within a split second, my buddy moved the chair in front of us and I was at the edge of the stage. I was really hoping the security guard who was by us the whole time would just "look the other way" as Stevie made a B-line on the stage to shake my hand; as God and my best friend as my witnesses! Just as she was heading over to me I felt two hands on my shoulders from behind. At first I thought it was my buddy joining me and he got to approach the edge of the stage but then I saw Stevie's eyes look from me to the guard who was apparently standing behind me just as she was approaching me. I turned my head and he said "I'm sorry -you have to go back to your seat"!!!! So when Stevie saw this she just smiled, waived to me, mouthed the words "Thank you" and walked off the stage with the rest of the band. I was truly both exhilarated and heartbroken at the same time. I truly think both Stevie and Lindsey eventually noticed this, as we sang every word to every song. A few of the people in the pit even noticed and approached us after the concert and told us so! Also, my friend and I had both brought lighters so during all of the slow Stevie songs, we lit them and were practically the only two in the whole arena that did. I think by the end of the show both Stevie and Lindsey wanted to show their appreciation to us. But I understood the security people had to do their job...unfortunately for us at the very end. This was both the happiest and saddest moment of the concert and will never be forgotten. They will be back next month in the Detroit area to perform again; I will try my hardest to make sure I attempt to touch at least one of the band members this time around! The trip to Cincinnati was worth every penny spent and this concert will be remembered forever.

George Dick
I just want to say this was the best mac show ever. Lots of heavy guitar from Lindsey. My chest was pounding from mick`s drums. Stevie`s voice was killer and when needed harmonized with buckingham beautifully. I loved beautiful child i`m so glad it didn`t get droped from the set. during tusk lindsey acted like a wild animal and chased after stevie. they seemed more playful and interacted with the fans alot more. lindsey even let the fans play his guitar. I was really impressed that Stevie personally thanked the fans for still supporting the band. But thats the way it is we support them and love them.

Jamie
The most incredible band in anyone's lifetime. No other can top them. Long live Fleetwood Mac! The show was extrodinary and unbelievable. They upgraded my tickets from lawn to pavillion 12th row. Lindsey was unworldly. Stevie was a Goddess. John was quiet but kept the beat steady and powerful. Mick was quite a character, love them all to death. Very special in their own ways. Each has talent that is very hard to find. True rock'n'rollers! A great inspriation in such a time of darkness to live well and be happy. The Mac is back, as Mick says.

Kyle Sanders
"And remember: THE MAAAAAAAC ISSS BAAAAAAAAACK!" proclaimed Mick Fleetwood just before he left the stage after the third and final encore, meaning the end of the concert. This statement proves true, and it left the crowd screaming and begging for more. This was my first Fleetwood Mac concert that I have ever been too, and I must say, I do indeed believe the Mac IS back. Im only 17 years old too! I guess since the Dance comeback tour I've been extremely fanatic about FM. In fact, I am basically the only one in my class that thinks they're still cool, besides one of my friends, Laura, whom traveled with me to buy their new album 2 days after it was released. Before I can start, I have to say that before this concert, I was scheduled to see them in Indianapolis in June, but unfortunately, I had other plans in Dallas TX--an FBLA (Future Business Leaders of America) Natl's convention I had to go to due to winning 1st at state (Kentucky) in the Parliamentary Procedure team event. That week while sitting in a meeting, my sister (who went to the concert) called me up via cell and let me listen in on some tunes. I was so upset that I wasnt there to join in on the fun with the other Mac fans, but I would soon get my chance. After winning 2nd in the nation at FBLA, I checked the concert dates and Cincy had been added! Im only an hour away from there and I jumped on the chance! It would be about a week after my birthday, so I begged my parents to buy tix. At first, my dad wanted great seats, after we saw Bob Dylan from only ten feet away in a previous concert, but they were too expensive for his taste, yet he didnt want field seats either, since they werent as close. So I begged and reasoned with him until he accepted. I was thrilled! I didnt care if I were 100 feet away, all I knew was that I would be there and that's all that mattered to me. Well, the day came, and as we waited in line (I could hear the sound checks, when "Dreams" broke in, everyone started cheering, and I knew I was listening to Stevie Nicks' distinct voice) a staff member came out and said that the first 1500 field seat ticket holders would be getting a ticket upgrade, courtesy of FM. Well, I looked at my parents and said, "It's worth a shot, at least we'd be closer" and so we traded in our tix for the upgrades. While my mom waited on my dad to come back from reloading our chairs, I went on to find our seats. I noticed they said "Row E" and when I got to the middle rows and it began with Z, I knew I was in for a treat! 5TH ROW BABY! I couldnt believe it! Even though it was to the right side of the stage, and the AC unit would be in my mom's way, I would be able to see Stevie and Lindsey (and later find out I could see John too) and that's all that mattered. Luckily, when the show started, 2 seats beside us werent taken and everyone stood up and sorta scooted in; now both my parents could see well. OH MY GOD! The show was awesome! I could not get the fact out of my head that I was seeing my favorite band of all time, from starting at 200 feet from field seats to no more than 20 feet in seats that didnt cost us the extra bucks! How lucky can you get? It still hadnt kicked in. And we were directly under the speakers too, and by the end of the night I would be about half deaf! From the opening of the Chain, till the end notes of "Goodbye Baby" it was awesome! There is hardly a time when I didnt enjoy myself. I was finally seeing all the things people talked about in these reviews: Stevie's "Say You Will" dance that was a hoot to see (as if she was in a rodeo or something), STevie and Lindsey kissing at the end of Landslide, or chasing each other around the stage and then playing ring-around-the-rosey during Tusk (a bit of a highlight), Stevie's genuine spin during Stand Back (while she sang, someone threw a beach ball on the stage, at the end of the song, Stevie picked it up and "served" it back to the audience w/a grin! I had to laugh, cuz the ball went so far in the air, yet it only went a few inches over...funny stuff), Lindsey allowing front rowers the chance to strum his guitar, or even the fact that he played his guitar like the bongos, he's such an awe-inspiring guitar player!, Stevie's banging of her tamborine, and her now-trademark platform sneakers, I believe they looked to be about 3 inches thick! (I do wished she had put on her boots, I've never seen her wear them live), Mick's drum solo that was just awesome!, Lindsey head-butting John during Tusk, Stevie's yell during both Gold Dust Woman and Stand Back (I guess basically, I was seeing all of her Stevieisms), and then, the gathering of the four at the end of the last encore. Everything was memorable. Stevie's voice sounded a little helium-like at the beginning, but quickly became what I was used to hearing. Lindsey was to our sideof the stage, and I had to wait till Mick busted out his World Turning solo to finally see him (did anyone see those red slippers he had on? only he could pull that off!). At the end I found myself so hoarse from hootin' and hollerin', and soar from standing up the whole time, which I did, even during while Lindsey did his solos ( I noticed the people leaving, which I thought was rude, but then again, there are people who come to these things just to see Stevie, and I cant blame them...she's just too good for words, I was getting turned on by her presence, even if she's about 38 years's my senior!) It was excrutiating to get over it the next day, I found myself a little bit depressed, now that my dream of seeing them live had now been fulfilled. It'll take some time getting used to the greatness I saw, even though the "glitter has faded" some in my memory, the feeling remains...and it always will.

Jessica
I just got back from the concert in Cincinncti at Riverbend...And all I have to say is that I wish it never ended! I went with some friends from work, Jim and his brother Garry, and my cousins Charlene, Cheryl, Lindsay, and my mom Karen. We had an incredible time. And all the excited overwelming feelings from the concert in Columbus came back as Stevie Nicks sang her enchanting songs, like Rhiannon, Gypsy, Dreams, Goodbye Baby, Beautiful Child, Landslide, Silver Springs, and Stand Back. All day I was anxiously waiting for the most exciting night of my life, as butterflies flitted in my stomach with excitement, or it was the fact that I was showing my papillon (aka butterfly dog) in Indiana. He didn't win, but hey maybe he will do good tomarrow. And He and I will win it for Fleetwood Mac! To the best band in the world! Tonight was a night that I will never forget, and I will treasure it in my heart forever, and Stevie if you read this I want you to know that you are the greatest, and that your music has always been pure joy to me. (I was 6 months old when Rock A Little came out!) And if you ever need a papillon dog, you know who to come to! They will have puppies soon. I even got into a conversation with a security guard, because she shows dogs too. (my purse has papillons on it). The concert was awsome, so...ROCK ON!!!

Terry B.
It was around 8:30 when the first beats of the Chain started to roar and the magic started all over again. I have been very lucky to see my favorite band Fleetwood Mac and my favorite person Stevie perform for the sixth time this year and it just gets better with each show. You would think that it's getting old already and that they would just go thru the motions, but not on your life. They simply are the best at what they do and they prove it every night they take the stage. It was a very hot night and we were right of the stage around 10 rows back. The expressions on their faces are really sincere. They are all having a blast up there. Mick feeds of off Lindsay's crazy stage presence and and last night he was out of control. (In a good way) He plays so hard on his solo's that Im exhausted just watching him. Mick's playing get explosive when Lindsay's in control of the stage. You have to watch his facial expresions while he's banging away on his drums. Taku is the bongo player that is a great complement to Mick and even came out before the show and signed an autograph for us. John is the calm one of the bunch. He just stands back there killing his base day in day out. He really doesn't get enought credit. And of course the one and only Stevie Nicks. She is radiant when she does her ballads, and is very playful when Lindsay's singing his songs by prending to play the air guitar and then looking at Mick and playing the air drums. But you can't deny the chemistry on the stage between Lindsay and Stevie. They will always be soul mates for the rest of their lives no mater what relationships they are in, and you can see that very clearly when they sing together. Stevie smiled all night long, and by the way so did I. Thanks again for a great night and I'll see you again in Atlanta.

Lisa Cramer
We drove from Rochester, New York to attend the Cincinnati show...and it was worth every mile!!! The night was very magical - what a beautiful venue the Riverbend is! Cincinnati, you should feel privileged. I was very impressed (except for the restrooms which were filthy even before the show started - it was disgusting). The Mac came on about a half an hour late. While chatting with Stevie's brother, I noticed several fans with VIP passes going in and out of the side stage door so I think the "meet and greet" held them up. It was so hot outside - very stifling with not much air movement and I kept thinking how brutal it must have been for the band members even though they had the porta-kooler units going. The sweat was just pouring off of Lindsey - his guitars were getting soaked!!! Stevie looked and sounded great, as usual. She kept taking swigs of what I presume was water. I'm surprised she didn't pass out from the heat with all those layers on. I noticed right away that Mindy was pregnant -- she wasn't showing when we saw them in Buffalo back in May!! Mick announced that she was expecting a boy. They all seemed more relaxed and more into having fun on stage than they did earlier in the tour. I especially enjoyed Lindsey and Stevie dancing around together during Tusk. Lindsey definitely tries to steal the show but I suppose if I could kick ass the way he does on guitar, I would probably act the same way. He can certainly back it up, no doubt there. He's like a guitar god. My best friend had a ticket in the 4th row behind me but for some reason, a lot of people didn't show up in my row so he got to move down and sit by me...that made it more fun. It was neat to watch the band members through binoculars even though we were only 14 rows back. I love to watch their facial expressions. I liked Stevie's custom-made black sachet to hold her monitor...it appeared to be sewn right into the bodice of her black outfit and it even had black fringe hanging from it. I think she sounded absolutely perfect - like an angel on earth!!!!!! I swear her voice gets better every time I see her in concert. I am just wondering where this band gets all its energy from???!!! I get worn out just watching them and to think that they keep adding shows and have already been on the road since last May!!!! Being on the road must be very tiring for them. They are like the energizer bunny...they keep going and going and going - and at their age, I really respect them for rockin' on!!!! There is no other band on this earth as cool as the Mac, I swear!!!! Great show, great time. Just sad it's over with (but I might do the Toronto thing). Many thanks to the Mac for taking us away from this crazy world for 2 plus hours!!!! Let's all remember and adhere to Mick's advice..."take care of yourselves and take care of each other".

more reviews coming......

Back to The Nicks Fix Main Page