The Nicks Fix - Fleetwood Mac Fan Reviews

Say You Will FAN REVIEWS

9/30/03 Madison Square Garden New York, NY

Newest reviews posted at the top.

Ralph Storrier
My boyfriend and I had a fantastic time at last Tuesday's incredible show. I've experienced Stevie and Fleetwood Mac live many times over the years, but this show was the best ever. I've always hated the small seats in MSG. We were in the mezzanine and a few rows behind us was a small press box with no one sitting there. So we moved up there and had a fabulous time drinking beer out of New York "Knicks" cups and dancing. Stevie has never sounded better. She looked beautiful and seemed to be having a great time. She was very assured and gracious. It was an exquisite performance and only proved once again why Ms. Nicks is the Queen of Rock. She told the crowd that New York City is very special to her for "reasons you all know". Stevie was here in NYC on 9/11/01. We had tickets to see her in Atlantic City on 9/15/01 and we weren't sure if she would show up. But, show she did and the crowd (including Donald Trump!) was thrilled. Thank you Stevie. You helped mend alot of broken hearts that night. I was hoping that the band would include the gorgeous 9/11 inspired "Illume" from the new album last Tuesday. IStevie dedicated It's so beautiful. Stevie dedicated it to NYC in the notes on Say you will. In hind sight, none of us are probably ready for it yet. Lindsey was absolutely amazing. The almost sold out crowd was enthralled by his expert guitar playing and yearning voice. As for Mick and John.., what can you say? The very best there is. They all seemed to be having a real blast. And it was very infectious.

Matt Beckoff
BLOWEN AWAY!! THATS THE ONLY THING I CAN SAY ABOUT LAST NIGHTS CONCERT AT MADISON SQUARE GARDEN. THE BAND SOUNDED BETTER THAN EVER!! I SAW 3 OTHER SHOWS DURING THIS TOUR (JONES BEACH, CONTINENTAL ARENA, AND WORCESTER, MASS.) THEY SOUNDED GREAT AT ALL THE SHOWS, BUT LAST NIGHT WAS BETTER THAN ANYONE COULD HAVE WANTED. STEVIE WAS AT THE TOP OF HER GAME. YOU COULD JUST SEE HOW HAPPY AND FULL OF ENERGY SHE WAS. THE WHOLE NIGHT SHE WAS DANCING SPINNING AND SOUNDED AMAZING!! SHE HIT THE HIGH NOTES PERFECTLY. THE CROWD WAS WILD LAST NIGHT. IM STILL DANCING AS IM WRITING THIS REVUE. LINDESY, JOHN, AND MICK LIKE ALWAYS WERE FANTASTIC. SEEING THIS CONCERT LAST NIGHT MADE ME LOVE THE MAC MORE THAN I EVER HAD.

Virginia Gilley
Fleetwood Mac's return to Madison Square Garden was fantastic, out-of-sight...all of the above. There was the electric aura that is so unique to MSG, and which all of us, including the band, picked up immediately. After "The Chain", Stevie commented that the special exuberance of the audience was what she expected in New York. She said that New York has a special place in her heart "for reasons most of you know." At this first performance in Manhattan since 9/11, Stevie was especially alive and emotional. Lindsey, too, seemed even more on fire and intense than at the Continental Arena Memorial Day weekend. The group is very comfortable with the show and therefore, more relaxed and indulged in much more ad-lib than in NJ. Whatever walking problems Stevie had that I observed in NJ were gone -- near the end of the show, she changed from flat-surface 3" sneakers to her platform boots, and she rocked all evening. She and Lindsey were very affectionate and the audience soaked up the hard-to-ignore chemistry pouring from them. Stevie sang "Gold Dust Woman" with a special, experienced flair, giving a warning tone to us at the 'gold dust' lyrics. Rhiannon was on fire -- her revved-up emotions flooded out to us with this old favorite of hers, along with "Stand Back", "Beautiful Child", and "Say Goodbye." Lindsey's intensity was vivid in his playing and his curtain calls. He gets better and better -- as if he hasn't found his peak yet. Mick is Mick - fun-loving, frisky and with amazing energy. John's bass is and was awesome; he always stays in the background but his tone is audible and underlines the rest of the band. The Fleetwood Mac sing-along came out loud and strong during "Landslide", "Silver Spring", "Go Your Own Way" and "Don't Stop", with a little "Tusk" also. It was another forever-in-the-memory Fleetwood Mac and Madison Square Garden experience.

Bob
WOW! just got back from seeing a fantastic concert. I was lucky to have been seated Row A , right in front of Stevie! All I can say is that after seeing them three times so far on this tour, this one was their best. They gave us New Yorkers quite a treat tonite and you could tell they were enjoying it. Stevie was wonderful during Stand Back. She must have twirled around like 12 times!!!!!. Thankyou Fleetwood Mac for being the great band you are and for that amazing show.

Joe Mazzo
I have seen many Fleetwood Mac and Stevie concerts, but I think they were at their finest last night. Lindsay, John & Mick were top notch. Stevie's voice was the most powerful I've ever heard and they all had so much fun on stage. It amazes me how they can still fill the Garden after all these years! I will never forget this show!!

Rob Ramos
The band was in astonishing form tonight. It is almost unbelievable that they can play this well, and put on such an energized, upbeat performance after doing this set for 5 months. GYPSY just keeps getting better and better...and RHIANNON was nothing short of a revelation. The crisp audio at the Garden accentuated all the glorious notes Stevie was hitting all through the night. Her miking during BEAUTIFUL CHILD left much to be desired at the top of the song, but after about a minute or so, it improved dramatically. This song has been consistently powerful and heartfelt at every one of the six shows I have seen on this tour. The Garden was NOT sold out--not by a long shot. the uppermost tiers of the Garden were very empty. When I arrived at the Garden, there were abundant floor seats, in the middle and rear sections, and a ticketseller told me that there were large blocks of seats in the 100 level, too. But the crowd sounded like a full house and then some. Thanks, Stevie and the band for another extraordinary night--filled with beautiful music! If you have been toying with the idea of seeing Fleetwood Mac on this tour, RUN!!! HURRY--spend the money and go to Vegas if necessary, from wherever you live...they are so worth it. This is the real deal...a powerhouse group at the very peak of their powers.

Michelle
Fleetwood Mac Rocked The Garden!! OMG! The big day finally came! I was extremely excited all day.. actually since the night before. It was such an amazing night - way better than the two shows I saw in May. Since everyone already knows the setlist, here are the highlights (my personal faves) from last night's show at the Garden.. in no particular order: Beautiful Child was amazing! Stevie's vocals were so on and she sang "I still love you... I still need you... I wish that you were mine." Very beautiful and touching. I was so mesmerized by this performance yet again. My favorite performance on this tour. During the intro to this song, Stevie came to the mic and said "this is a song from a long time ago from ....aaaahhh.." she then laughed and fanned her face with her hands and said "from Tusk." It was a cute, funny moment...lol. Silver Springs - WOW- the drama was definitely there. Lindsey and Stevie faced each other towards the end of the song. She sang "was I just a fool... give me just one more chance... still I am a fool." She was really into the song.. Lindsey was stomping his foot throughout that time. It was way better than the Dance version. Landslide - incredible! Stevie said the usual stuff about how they take this time in the show to thank us for our appreciation for the band. She then said (and I am paraphrasing here) "I want to dedicate this song to New York City because you are very special to me for many many reasons that you know. I also want to dedicate it to my friend Liz Rosenberg and to all of you." During the interlude, she went behind Lindsey and tapped his shoulders with her fingers to the beat of the music. He had a big ole smile on his face! As the song was ending, they clasped hands, fingers intertwined and he kissed her hand. It ended with a side hug, a kiss on her temple and Lindsey's right hand over her shoulder and her right hand intertwined with his. Big smiles at the end from both of them. Gold Dust Woman - OMG! It was the most powerful raw version I've ever seen or heard. She held the notes really long and was very fiery. In between the first and second verse, she was standing in front of Mick and then took the shawl and kind of shook her chest in front of John, then spun around and shook her back to him! It was amazing! The final pose at the end of the song still knocks me out.. the colors are so beautiful and she just glows. Rhiannon - the woman has major, major cleavage and was not afraid to flaunt it! When she came to the mic during NGBA, she had a lot of people gasping, but in a good way. She looked stunning and sang this song like a woman possessed! It was a fantastic performance. Gypsy - loved the new shawl she wears for this song. She sang "I still see your bright eyes" all the way to the end of the song. This still continues to be my favorite FM song. Say You Will - This song is really progressing nicely. Stevie did her hand gestures during the chorus and some people were following her. During the interlude, she went over to Lindsey and played air guitar. Their faces were inches apart, but they weren't talking to each other. They were making kissy faces back and forth to each other! It was cute! Tusk - HOLY CRAP! This was absolutely a highlight for me. After tusking John, Lindsey unplugged his guitar and lassoed it around his head and then dropped it and put the guitar on the floor. He made his way towards Stevie and she was ready for him. They started boxing away from each other at first, but moved a little closer. Lindsey then outstretched his arms and Stevie walked into them and wrapped her arms around his neck. He wrapped his arms around her waist then moved one hand onto her head.. bringing it closer to his shoulder. His hands kept rubbing her hair up and down. They finally parted, but it was so cool to see them slow dancing like that! Stand Back - Stevie was on fire! This song had everyone on their feet. She did 14 twirls and 2 kicks! It was great! Lindsey humped his guitar in the beginning of the song. Stevie fanned herself at the end of the song! LOL Go Your Own Way - She wore her black boots for this song and all the encores!! YIPPEE!! I was so happy! This song rocked too! Once again, everyone was on their feet. Lindsey was amazing! Come - this song gets Lindsey so worked up! It was just intensely hot! He is such the guitar god! Goodbye Baby - this song always has me in tears. She looked very melancholy during the song. It was beautiful! Also, before the song she said, "this is for you" to the audience. Don't Stop - Such a great song live. I really love Stevie's vocals on this and World Turning. She just adds a rocking edge to it that Christine never captured. Everyone on the stage was totally rockin'. Lindsey and Stevie ended it back to back sort of.. Lindsey's head ended up in Stevie's hair and back.. it was cool! Say Goodbye - Lindsey and Stevie sang this song to each other again - very poignant and still some idiots feel the need to scream out "Lindsey" or "Stevie". All the rest of the songs were incredible too! Second Hand News had Stevie and Lindsey very into it and Eyes of the World was very animated. It was awesome. They totally rocked and were very energized. Lindsey threw two sweaty towels into the crowd. Stevie shook hands with a lot of people in front - as did Lindsey as Mick spoke his final words to everyone. She got some flowers and so did Lindsey. Stevie is so gorgeous and Lindsey really is so good looking! His eyes were sparkling throughout the night! It really was an awesome show and I am so glad I got to see them again! Rock on!

Elise Feldman
So I get an email the morning of the concert from my rugby team--get ready, we're doing tackling drills tonight! I got excited, then thought--augh! I'm missing practice! But then, I realized, wait, I'm not missing practice for work this time--I'm missing it so I can see STEVIE, JOHN, MICK and LINDSEY again!!! Pretty much the only good reason to miss practice! So instead of heading to Randall's Island, I headed downtown from my office, practically running from Times Square to the Garden. Once again, great seats! I walked to my seat and was thrilled by the view! Met some guys from Ireland (I swear, guys, I really do play in the front row!), who were so excited to see the Mac, too. The entire arena was filling up, lots of anticipation! Then the band came on. So incredible. It was a huge rush from beginning to end, the set going perfectly from fast-paced to some slower songs, new songs, classics, fantastic guitar solos, Stevie's harmonies and, yes, the twirling and the shawls... It's so much to try and put into a short prose review, but here goes...! The whole band's energy was way out there! They seemed excited to be playing at the Garden, and the place was packed with people who were all excited to see them! Stevie looked just as beautiful as she did at Jones Beach--all the things about the costume changes, the jaw dropping fabulousness that I mentioned about the Jones Beach concert, well, it just got even better, especially as I managed to get closer to the stage (and get behind people who were shorter than me or sitting down!). By the way, my purchase earlier that day of platform shoes definitely paid off--that extra 2-3 inches really helped! Of course, they were nothing like Stevie's platform boots, but still... Fantastic night as Lindsey worked the crowd, John grooved away on his bass, and Mick kept the heart going. When Stevie sang "Rhiannon," and got to the part at the end where dreams unwind... and sang "I know..." those two words were so powerful. The connection with that song is amazing. As I sang along, I thought, well, I know, too... Stand Back was just as amazing as it had been at Jones Beach. You know, that's a great break-up song, as I said before, but just in case you're wondering, it also somehow manages to be a fantastic pump-up song to prepare for rugby games!! I think it's that driving guitar... Stevie's power when she sang Gold Dust Woman was incredible--she rocked out and really moved to it, too! You know, she says that now she warms up before concerts--I think I should, too, because the music is nice and loud, and you can sing to your heart's content while still enjoying the Mac, but by the end of the night, my voice is GONE! Lindsey's Come was a definite highlight again at this concert. He's such a great showman, and "Goes Insane" with his guitar!! I think his guitar work is seriously underappreciated--COME ON!! What a great player! Loved that there was a huge screen in the background with a 50-foot Lindsey playing Big Love--SO cool to watch his fingerwork. Whew!! And I'm so glad that Stevie gets to sing Beautiful Child. It is one of my favorite songs of all time, and deserves its place at every concert. It is so meaningful to me on top of being an incredibly-written song! Now my vote would be to have Smile At You and/ or Thrown Down as part of the set, too... Just a bit of a song wish-list! As the concert went on, my friend and I were able to get closer to the stage, because some people managed to get up TO the stage, and we snagged some prime temporary seats! And Stevie and Lindsey do a fantastic job with World Turning--it's not the same without Christine, but I really enjoy it! It's also cool to hear a new take on a great song. Finally, during the encores, we managed to get up to the stage. Mick's drum vest solo--SO MUCH FUN!! I LOVE that!! He's so NUTS!!! Plus, what can you say about the red shoes?! And then Stevie was RIGHT THERE! Hearing her sing from something like four feet away was beyond belief. She is so intense, and her unique, amazing, beautiful voice goes right through you. And she puts her whole being into her songs. It really pulled me into everything she sang. I love getting up close, watching the Mac work the crowd, work the music, feel the concert! And they really felt this one!! On the one hand, the Garden concert was similar to the Jones Beach concert, seeing the Mac again, in all their glory, with their amazing talent, but on the other hand, it is such a different venue--thousands more people at the Garden, indoors rather than outdoors, smaller space... And the Mac played up to each venue--I don't think everyone can do that--some people can't translate from one type of venue to another... But the Mac sure did! I'm SO glad they hit all those venues--Madison Square Garden, Jones Beach, Nassau Coliseum... Gave me the opportunity to see them on both legs of the tour without leaving the state! And thanks to Taku for signing my Tusk cd sleeve!! He's so great, and works so well with Mick!! The Mac percussion section is AWESOME! I was so happy when Stevie sang Goodbye Baby for us. I love Illume, but I feel like it's too vivid, in the moment, to share in that arena space now... Maybe because it's so close to the anniversary--I don't know. She and the band definitely made the right choice in putting in Goodbye Baby instead. That song is so cathartic. Another reviewer talked about some things that happened to him, and how Goodbye Baby affects him. It affects me that way, too--the last few years have been quite hard, and that song lets me think about all my friends and family who have died and who have been ill, and moving on with life, with the song like arms around me. Very few singers and songs can do that. Stevie can.

Karen
This was my first Fleetwood Mac concert it was awesome. They performed mostly older stuff but did do some songs from the new album. Stevie looked amazing as usual, and Lindsey was HOT, not to mention a fabulous guitar player. Mick did a cool number with a drum attached to his vest-----He is one great drummer. My favorite album I have of theirs is the Greatest Hits.....they played all my favorite songs from there except for Monday Morning but I still got to hear it in the car on the way home. Q103.4 was playing all their songs after the concert. I guess after being around for 30+ years they have alot of songs and can't play everyones favorite. I was really expecting not to be able to see from where my seats were but they turned out way closer than they look on the map. I was happy about that. They did an encore of about 3-4 songs. Out of all the concerts i've been to I loved this one as much or even more than Billy Joel. I hope they have a another tour soon, i'd definately buy tickets again next time around.

B. Kato
The day before the show I decided I was going and went on down to my local Ticketmaster only to be offered a great seat,first level on Stevie's side.So I plunked down the money and left,got in the car and poped in "Tusk" and was happy as could be.How could I pass up a chance to see Fleetwood Mac in the world's greatest arena? When I arrived at the show I found my seats to be even better that expected,I had to be about 20 yards from the stage,again on Stevie's side. Now I have been to many,many events but nothing gives me goosebumps more that seeing Miss Stevie Nicks. The show began with "The Chain" and away I went for 2 1/2 hours. No work,no problems,no nothing,just Stevie. The highlights for me were "Gold Dust Woman" and "Silver Springs",two of my all time favorite songs,and "Beautiful Child",which I think Sevie shed a tear during. We love you Stevie!!!

A.T.
I've been to many FM concerts but this one was the best by far. I'm totally awestruck from how good the show was. Stevie sounded AMAZING...she hit notes i didnt know she could anymore, and she really went crazy during a lot of songs. She was really into it. So was Lindsey of coarse, but he always is. Mick and John are always great. And Lindsey and Stevie were like dancing and smiling and talking to eachother...and all I'm thinking is like WHY THE HELL IS HE MARRIED! THEY GOTTA BE TOGETHER!!! Anyway...I'm going off topic. The show was the best I've seen. The only problem was some of the audience. While everyone in the whole place was standing up and dancing to songs like GYOW and Stand Back, everyone in my row was sitting down and they gave me dirty looks when I got up. It was clear that they werent fans...and I am SUCH a big fan. They kind of ruined my night a little, but what can you do. And I felt really bad that it wasnt a full house...with the show they put on, they definitly deserved it. It was so good - its like each person put in like 150% of themselves and it turned out to be one of the most amazing nights of my life. I laughed and cried and bounced in my seat (I couldnt stand up) and sang all night. I'll never forget it. I love you FM, you rock my world!

Dottie Sharib
This was my first and hopefully not my last Fleetwood Mac Concert. I am usually one to get up and dance the night away at a concert. However, I was so in awe of the band and all that they represent both visually and well musically that I just wanted to listen and observe their every stage move. AT the onset of the concert, the instruments were drowning out the vocals, but, somewhere down the road it leveled out. Mac was absolutely awesome. Their old tunes and as well as their new tunes were a delight and masterfully performed. I did notice and miss the absence of Christine McVie, but soon got past it. If anywhere between now and the end of the band's tour you have the opportunity to go to a show or ten, do it, You will get more than your money's worth. Welcome Mac. See you down the road. Oh by the way, I can't stop singing Mac tunes.

more reviews coming......

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