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Say You Will FAN REVIEWS 6/13/04 Blossom Music Center
Cleveland, OH Newest reviews posted at the
top. David Marx Hi everyone, this is David Marx again with your friendly Fleetwood Mac road report. I headed out for the second time this year to see some shows out east on May 25, and it was quite an adventure, let me tell you. First of all, As I was driving through Chicago, I got a call from a friend that the Birstow show on Stevie's birthday had been cancelled. Thank god for friends that have the Internet, cause I had no way of knowing any of this stuff was going on driving of course. So I made my way to philadelphia, and the next show that I had tickets for was Holmdel New Jersey on the 29th of May. That show went off without a hitch, although Stevie at that time was definitely watching her voice very carefully, and who can blame her. Next up on the list after that was Scranton on June 1, and I was on my way to pick up my friend Tiffany near Albany New York when she called me and said that show was postponed. TALK ABOUT A BUMMER!!!!! I had already driven 100+ miles from Philly when she called, but what can you do. So then as we all know when it rains it pours, so she called me back a coupke hours later and said that Camden, scheduled for June 3, had also been postponed. Well, by now I was pretty worried about the tour itself, because of course as is always the ccase with this band Rumours tend to fly. So after a few days of consternation, they rescheduled the Scranton show for June 10, and Hershey for the 12th. I had to go to a friends family renunion in Missouri the weeked of the 5th of June, so when they announced the rescheduled dates, I had off work till the 16th anyway, so I made my way back out east after my friends renunion, and took in the Scranton show on the 10th. And what a night it was. Everyone was so friendly up in the front row where I had seats, and there was this girl Ashley that had no use of her arms that was standing next to me for the show. I found out later that she had met Stevie before the concert and had given Stevie a drawing that she did with her feet!!! Well, anyway, before Landslide, this guy (Who I found out later had never met Ashley before the show) Lifted her on his shoulders and Stevie dedicated the song to her. OMg was that a moment to remember. So I was thinking to myself, how can I help this girl enjoy her night more, and it came to me. She told me that this was her First Fleetwood Mac concert, so I told her and the guy that during Do Your Own Way Lindsey comes down to the front of the stage and lets the fans touch his guitar for the solo. I gave up my spot at the stage and told Ashley and the guy to get in front of me and when I said go, for him to lift her on his shoulders and I would hold her arm and touch his guitar with it. So anyway, he comes down for his solo and the guy lifts Ashley up and I hold her arm. Lindsey was a few feet away, but when he looked over and saw her his eyes lit up and he moved over and I held her arm and touched his guitar with it a few times. The look on Lindsey's face was priceless. After some of the BS that went on the front row at assorted shows, I'm sure it was nice for him and the others in the band to see that kind of camraderie amongst the fans. That totally made my night. Ashley was saying to me later that doing that and Stevie dedicating Landslide to her, she would never forget. I've been to over 30 concerts on this tour, and let me tell you, without question that night was the highlight for me. To be able to be a part of that girls night, I know I will never forget it. Anyway, it was on to Hershey from there, and my friends Pam and her daughter Jessica flew in from St.Louis and we hung out at Hersheypark before the show, and boy was that a blast!!!! The show itself was in a football stadium, and the weather was absolutely fantastic. Mick especially seemed to enjoy himself this night, mentioning several times, "Isn't this fun?" Next it was on to CLeveland on the 13th for a show at the Blossom Music Center, and I met my friend Lori and 2 others at their hotel before the concert and we went together together to the show. That place is absolutely beautiful, with a wodden pavillion covering in a forest setting. The four of us had seats dead center about 25 rows back, and they kicked butt!!!!!!!!!! It was particularly humid that night, and Lindsey was frequently toweling his face off. It also started to pour very hard about the time Gold Dust Woman started, and it rained continously the rest of the show, but it was no big deal, because we were under cover. Also, before the concert, the four of us hung out outside the Hotel and got to talk to John McVie and Mick as they went out into their Limos. We also saw Stevie walk out, but she had her security around her so it was pretty mear impossible to get her to do anything but get into the waiting Limo. But what a thrill it was to see her so close!!!!!!!!!! We had to leave at 415 before we saw Lindsey because we wanted to get to the venue, but that was ok. Well Cleveland Marked the 32nd time I've seen this band on the Say You Will tour, and I have 2 more to go in Iowa in July. When I think back over this last year of concerts, what amazes me more than anything is how the band gives it's all nuight after night. You can tell they are enjoying themselves very much on stage, and as a fan of 27 plus years, I feel a great deal of pride in that. I think if I could say one thing about them it would be that they are not a bunch of 50 something rockers who cant wait to collect a check, but rather 4 incredibly talented musicians at the very top of their game. Mick, John Lindsey, and Stevie, you should be very proud of yourselves. And people, this tour is going to be over pretty soon, so let me say this: IF YOU HAVENT SEEN THEM YET AND THERE'S ANYWAY FOR YOU TO GET OUT AND SEE THEM, DO IT!!!!!!! YOU WILL NOT BE DISSAPOINTED. "Wait a minute baby, stay with me awhile........." Lauren TOTALLY AWESOME! This concert was TERRIFIC! My friend and I arrived about an hour early. At about 8:20 the Mac started playing beginning with, of course, "The Chain." During the song, we got to move from our bench seats up to seats in the pavilion, which was pretty cool because they were significantly closer. My eyes were glued on the Mac the whole time! Stevie was looking and sounding SPECTACULAR as usual! Lindsey was really into it! It was awesome! "Peacekeeper" is one of my favorites and great live! "Sara" was just BEAUTIFUL! I am so glad they added it to the list...it made my night! I wish it was added to the tour earlier! Then came "Landslide" which was so very beautiful as always! I swear everyone in the entire audience sang every word! "I'm So Afraid" was really cool but still a little too long for my liking (lets just say there is a couple of Lindsey's songs I'd pick over "I'm So Afraid")! The "Tusk" dance that Lindsey and Stevie do was very cute! Especially when they ended with a big hug! "Stand Back" was AMAZING! There was so much energy! "Go Your Own Way" was great (one of my very favorites!!!)! Everyone was singing and dancing! They ended with "World Turning" and "Don't Stop" which were rockin' (much improvement since the beginning of the tour!!) but still not the same with out Christine! And finally "Goodbye Baby" which was so incredibly beautiful!!! The only disappointment was no "Silver Springs" (my favorite Mac song!!!)! There was so much energy at this concert! Very, very cool! Well done Fleetwood Mac! The Mac is back and better than ever! Amadna Keeler 11 of us arrived via limo, and as we approached the lawn, we heard Stevie's voice, in the chain. She sounded amazingl better than when i saw her last year. Someone told me she was having problems with her voice, but I would never had guessed it. Half way onto the show, it started storming..im talking rain, wind, hail, thunder and lightning. It was bad. But we stayed and enjoeyed the second half of the show in the rain. My shoes are still soaked, but we danced in the rain as FM performed, and made us all feel like we were in silver springs. John Lucky 13!!! The last time I saw the Mac live was last year, 13 months ago on the 13th. Now, 13 months later and again on the 13th, I couldn\'t imagine them topping themselves. All I can say is WOW!!My seat was in the 3rd row in front of Lindsey which gave me a perfect view of what was going on. (Truth be told, I\'d much rather sit in front of Stevie. This was my 5th show and I haven\'t sat in front of Stevie yet!!)The Mac were in top form and if Stevie has had problems with her throat recently, it certainly wasn\'t evident tonight.The set was tight and flowed well starting off with a strong thumping version of The Chain complete with John\'s awesome bass. This was followed by a smooth sultry version of Dreams. I Know I\'m Not Wrong was a treat to hear live and was well delivered by Lindsey and Stevie.The rest of the set followed in tow with perfect versions of Peacekeeper, Second Hand News, and Never Going Back Again.Rhiannon was sung with all of the wreckless abandon it takes to tell the solemn tale of the mythical Mabinogian goddess. Come was simply blistering and found Lindsey working himself into such a frenzy, he couldn\'t stop himself when the song was through. Sara was the absolute highlight of the evening for this fan. Stevie wrapped herself in a red shawl and had her hair pulled back on one side with a glittery hair clip. Astounding note here is that Stevie sang this 25 year old tune in its original key and was in perfect voice throughout. A perfect touch here was video of Stevie performing Sara live during the Tusk tour from 1980 on a giant video screen that provided the backdrop for the stage setting. Also, when she took Lindsey\'s mike for \"All I ever wanted was to know....\" just like she used to do back then.Big Love found Lindsey onstage alone. Landslide, which Stevie dedicated to the audience came next. Following closely after was Say Goodbye which Stevie and Lindsey sang to each other somehow as to atone for what went wrong in the past with them and finding them able to sing to each other about it now after all of these years. I have to admit that I wasn\'t really all that excited to hear Red Rover live, but the live, sort of acoustic version transfers to the stage quite well and was also a strong point of the set.Stevie introduced Beautiful Child as a song which as a songwriter she never thought would ever be performed live and she thanked the band for letting her do it now. Gold Dust Woman was dark and smoky as always and Stevie did a superb job with it. At the end when she sings, \"Running through the shadows...\", she just kept repeating, \"shadows...shadows...shadows....\"very chilling and made the song still sound fresh after almost 30 years.The guitar solo during I\'m So Afraid has got to be one of Lindsey\'s best performances ever. It just went on and on, pulsating, billowing, screaming and affirmed this fan\'s belief that Lindsey although grossly underrated, is definitely one of the best guitar players in rock and roll history.Tusk went off without a hitch complete with video of the USC Trojan marching band on the giant screen. Stevie and Lindsey were incredibly playful here running around the stage playing a game of \"catch me\".Stevie\'s musicians who lend support every night took over the reins for a rousing, pounding version of Stand Back which was introduced by a marathon percussion intro by Master Percussionist (as Mick called him during band intros), Taku Hirano. Go Your Own Way was next and found Lindsey sitting close to the edge of the stage letting those fans up front play guitar for a quick moment.Mick\'s signature dance accompanied by his drum pad activated vest was next on World Turning. Stevie did a great job on Chrisine\'s vocal part on Don\'t Stop. Finally, after 2 1/2 non stop hours of real \"meat and potatoes\" rock and roll, Stevie closed the set and sang the final of three encores on Goodbye Baby. The band were a little more formally dressed this time around save for Stevie who always dresses up. She didn\'t disappoint this time either wearing an all black outfit similar to what she wore on the 2003 tour except with black gloves and a couple different black sparkly scarves. Guess she\'s not taking any chances with her throat again. Very noticeable was the fac t that Stevie didn\'t wear the usual black and gold \"Stand Back\" cape this time. Instead she opted for a black and silver sparkly one. Not exactly sure what the statement was there. It certainly took this fan by surprise.This was without a doubt the best Fleetwood Mac concert I have ever seen of the 5 I\'ve been to. They are all in fine form and just keep getting better and better.A definite MUST SEE for anyone who even remotely likes them.Then play on old chums, \'til we meet again....... Chris She's still the poem in my heart... what can I say. This is my eighth time to see Stevie Live and it was well worth the drive from Columbus. She was totally awesome and every time I see her, she keeps getting better and better. To hear "Sara" live was a dream come true.. and the shawl changes made me feel like I was watching the very same Stevie from the 70's and 80's that I wished I could have seen! Besides the down pour of rain, the show at Blossom last night was pure magic. The band has gotten so much better since I saw them opening night, and even though some songs have been cut the show still rocks! Rock on Gold Dust Woman... Devan It was an amazing show. I was so happy to hear "Sara". I've seen Stevie play three times solo, Fleetwood Mac twice, and never heard "Sara" played live. It was beautiful, with footage her singing it at a show during the "Tusk" tour in the late 70's. I was taken by surprise when, after Stevie performed "Beautiful Child" she announced: "I just have to say, whoever, is smoking like mad up here (front row), you've got to stop blowing it my face while I'm singing." I gasped. She looked really mad. When Whitney Houston pulled something like this in Cleveland one time, she nearly got booed of the stage. There were a few cheers from the audience, and everyone seemed to understand. I did leave after "Big Love" because I wasn't feeling well. I was sad to go. I fealt like I was saying goodbye to them. They're starting to look a little tired from being on tour for so long. Stevie has gained considerable weight since I saw her last year in Cleveland at Gund Arena. It's okay though. She's shined brightly like the star that she always will be...big, small, and everywhere in between. Mick is looking old. As a twenty-something, I do feel lucky that I've been able to experience FM in concert. I was born the year "Tusk" was released. I will always hold this band very close to my heart. Amy P. I attended the Blossom show at Cuyhoga Falls, OH on June 13 and it was electrifying!! It was a stellar show. This is the second time I have seen this tour and it was even better than the first time. It does not look like anyone has run out of energy on the long running tour. Stevie was absolutely stunning as usual. She sang superb and she had just gotten over being sick. She sang Gold Dust Woman hauntingly. She did lots of twirling almost the same when I first saw her on the Rock A Little Tour. She looked beautiful and had the most stunning red cape with diamond specks all over it. She sang a few songs and then during Lindsey's performance she came back with her red lipstick on and this dark cherry red cape on. I am not sure if I have seen that one before. Lindsey was in excellent form and really seemed to be into the crowd and loving every minute of what he was doing. During Tusk, which is a high energy song to begin with, Stevie and Lindsey really got the crowd roaring when he ran up to Stevie and was hugging/dancing with her. I know most of us would love it it if they were a couple, its such a romantic idea, but you can tell that they have grown to be wonderful friends having a great time! Mick was fab on the drums as usual and John was awesome too but as always standing in the background. Red Rover was rocking and outstanding. World Turning got the place really rocking and the crowd was crazy for it. Mick knows how to beat those drums and Lindsey placed like the devil. It was just a great show from start to finish. The Mac really does care about their fans and and put every ounce of energy into that show. You can tell by the fans not leaving when it started to thunderstorm about midway through the show. The fans on the lawn were getting soaked and cheers to them for sticking it out. I will say though that the storm and the lightening that lit up the sky was an awesome setting for this show, it defiantely made for a surreal experience. Go to this show fans even if its dirt cheap lawn seats. You will never forget it and I must say this there were times I wish I was on the lawn, you should have seen the fun they were having, somehow I got stuck in one of the only sections where people would not stand. How do you not get out of your seat for "Stand Back"? It rocks! Well I stood anyway, everyone knows that you stand for the Queen of ROCK!!!! Megan Day It's the day after Fleetwood Mac rocked-out Blossom Music Center in Cleveland and I am still on an amazing high! This was the first time I have ever been this close at any concert and I can't imagine anything topping this! I was center and to the left in front of the beautiful and magical Stevie Nicks with my boyfriend Patrick and my friends Rob and Renee. The crowd interaction was phenomenal, with Lindsey doing three guitar solos right in front of me!, I even played his guitar! I can't say enough about his amazing guitar playing, he is a god!, I will never listen to the songs Come, I'm So Afraid or Go Your Own Way the same again, they will always go hand in hand in my mind with that amazing night. I also loved watching him interact with Stevie on stage, it really showed how much they really enjoy what they are doing. Rhiannon marked the beginning of the many beautiful costume/shawl changes, which mesmerized us with the ethereal feel of her many beautiful words in songs such as Sara, Beautiful Child and Goodbye Baby (which silenced the crowd). I could not have asked for a more magical or memorable experience and I thank each member of the band for making that possible for the four of us!
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