FLEETWOOD MAC - JULY 9, 2004
BOZEMAN, MT
by Rod Cline

Concerts are like anything else; it’s hard to remove yourself from the experience to get an unbiased view. I’ve never been a big fan of F-Mac and this was the first time I’d seen them live. Coming almost thirty years after ‘this bands’ first release, I’d say my expectations were not particularly high.

I had just graduated from high school when the self titled album Fleetwood Mac hit #1 in the charts ( Sept. 1976), with “Rhiannon”, “Landslide”, “World Turning” and “Over my Head”, Rumours was released five months later, and became the fifth greatest selling album of all time. The polished California sound that was their trademark, was a bit too clean for this mid-west rock ‘n roller, the lyrics a bit too soft.

About now you are asking ‘why did this guy go to the show if he never liked them and figured them to be a bunch of old farts’? Indeed a good question! Prior to moving to this sleepy college town in Montana, I had worked for Rock ‘n Roll bands, and seen over a thousand shows. And in my fifteen years in Bozeman there have been less than three concerts of this caliber. So I decided I really should go to this show. But the $85.tickets that went on sale four months prior to the show sufficiently chilled by nominal interest.

Last Christmas, I went on a ski trip to Canada with a friend who had a copy of Say You Will, released in 2003. I really didn’t know or care that F-Mac was still releasing music, but it caught my attention on our long road trip. And I distinctly remember her saying; “I sure hope I see this band before they are past their prime”. I thought to myself, “She’s only about 25 years too late”.

I had forgotten about the upcoming show, when I saw a help-wanted ad for stage -hands. Even though I’m in my mid-forties and it has been over twenty years since I’ve done that kind of work, I thought ‘yes’ here is my chance to see the concert for free and make a little change on the side. I signed on with the local stage-hands crew, comprised mostly of college kids who were a lot like myself at the age; dumb as a box of rocks.

As soon as we started unloading the seven semi trucks at 9AM, I felt like I was in a familiar groove. It was hard work, and I’d lost about 25 lbs of muscle in the past 25 years, but I was definitely holding my own with the college kids. Besides almost the entire road crew was made up of guys older than me with gray and thinning hair. A few of them said ‘you really know what you’re doing, don’t you’.

After all the sound and light equipment was in-house, Steve, the drum tech grabbed me and said, “You’re working with me the rest of the day”. We organized all the stage equipment on the field house floor, and started setting up three drum risers. Mick Fleetwood had a huge kit, gold platted hardware, a four-foot gong, along with some small electronic drums that he wore during the encore. A second riser was filled with hand drums and other items for a percussionist, who played on 90% of the songs. The third riser was for Steve’s kit. I can’t remember seeing a drum tech ever playing before, but Steve’s kit was set up behind Mick’s, and Steve played on a half dozen rockers that benefited from his added punch. He played with the reckless abandon that I’ve always admired, and although no one but the few of us at side stage could see him, he added a driving energy that could be felt.

We were set up by 1:00, and three local crews were picked to continue working until sound-check. One of the bennies was a free lunch, catered by a fine local establishment and very tasty. I talked with a few guys on the road crew, and found out that Mac had been on tour for almost a year; including three North American tours, interrupted only by tours in Asia, Europe and Australia.

Final touches were being put in place as the band arrived for a brief sound check. I said hello to Mick and John, and as I held the curtain open for Lindsey Buckingham, he put his hands in prayer position and bowed slightly, saying “Thank you”. I was a bit stunned, and happy to see his lightness, humility and humor. At this point the bands security manager, a man twice my size, excused us from the premises. I’d heard the sound check was closed to all, and as my two compadres headed for the doors, I headed to the back of the auditorium to hide under some bleachers and listen. The sound check was very forgettable, and I expect the strict security was simply because Stevie’s hair was not done, or maybe she had a pair of sweats on!?!

After sound check I dined on poached salmon and asparagus with the road crew, and awaited the show. It was a full house, which at Montana State University is about 8000. F-Mac opened up with ‘The Chain” from Rumours. It didn’t take long to play an offering from ‘Say You Will’. Their third song of the night was ‘Peacemaker’, one of the best songs from this release. In all they would mix in a half dozen songs from the latest release, along with their biggest hits: Sarah”,
“Landslide”, “Rhiannon”, “World Turning”, “Don’t Stop”, and “Never Goin’ Back”.

My favorites were a couple rockers penned by Lindsey, including one from the new release titled Come. Although the entire show revolved around Lindsey, his guitar playing on this song left an indelible mark. I’ve seen a few good guitarists in my day including Eric Clapton, Joe Walsh, Pete Townsend, David Gilmore, Frank Zappa, Jeff Beck… and to my great surprise Lindsey Buckingham held his own with any of these guys. His unique fingerpicking style, his transcendental focus and intense energy soared, providing the highlight of the night.

In comparison the rest of the band were present, at best. Not to criticize them musically, the sound and performance were better than expected. But energetically there was not a lot in the tank. Stevie did not look healthy and put out significantly less energy than the Energizer Bunny. John stayed awake through the entire show and Mick only needed two assistants. On the side were a keyboardist, guitarist, percussionist and two back-up singers.

If you get a chance, check out Say You Will. There are 18 songs, 9 penned by Stevie, 9 by Lindsey. It’s a good piece of work. Lindsey’s playing is outstanding, the song writing and phrasing strong, and Stevie and Lindsey are fluid in blending their vocals.

This foursome currently known as Fleetwood Mac are all in their late 50’s. As a band, they did not come close to putting on the show that Bruce Springsteen and the E-Street band did recently, but they had their moments. It was heart warming to see that Lindsey had overcome his addictions and was moving forward in many ways. Stevie’s biggest contribution was her significant song-writing talents, and we can certainly tip our hats (if not take them off) to the balding rhythm section that has been together for almost 40 years. I expect this was the last Fleetwood Mac tour, and although they may be past their prime, I was very happy to see them!

Having the opportunity to see a few of my favorite musicians recently, including: Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Van Morrison and Bruce Springsteen, I’ve appreciated their continued endeavors of artistic expression. Joni’s voice is lost to cigs, Bob’s to age, and Bruce has lost a bit of power too. But they are a lesson to us all. For we all lose a step as we age, and to simply stop moving because we can’t do what we once did is cowardly. My admiration goes out to these musicians and Fleetwood Mac, for doing what they do; continuing to write, play, and be creative, and for continuing to inspire us.

Twisted Tales
2Co’s Cabaret
Short North
Columbus, Ohio
* * * *
by Rick Brown

Bingo and Rose Marie
( Joseph J. Lorenzo and Lydia Tew )

I’ve never been a big fan of Halloween. I think adults abducted the holiday…if that is in fact what it is…decades ago. It should be about trick or treat and little children in costumes getting candy. But now it’s a wild overblown adult macabre-fest that I truly do not understand. I know a woman who thinks so much of Halloween that she got married on it. I always wonder if she hands out candy in her wedding dress. And is her nuptial gown black and orange? So I tend to approach anything with a Halloween theme skeptically.

Fortunately for me and anyone else lucky enough to wander into 2Co’s Cabaret’s Twisted Tales, this show is wonderfully ambivalent about Halloween. The diversity of the skits, monologues and music makes it a very entertaining production that’s…well…a little twisted.

This show hits the ground running with Don Nigor’s Lurker, a riveting yet indirect exchange between a man who lurks and a woman who entices. Played out dynamically by 2Co’s veterans Tom Cardinal and Carrie Lynn McDonald the paralleling monologues are woven into a surprising and delightfully creepy conclusion. Having been prefaced by John Croke’s imaginative mugging of Peter Gabriel’s “Barry Williams Show”, house band Downtown DFN’s table setting made it flow ever so smoothly.

Another welcomed surprise was the return of actor Chris Chambers whose take on Charles Bukowski’s “Melancholia” was more than engaging. Mr. Chambers has a distinct ability to make a monologue seem uniquely his own. And Tom Cardinal returns later in the show to display his versatility in Rusty Russel’s , “Superman in the Nursing Home”. Just days later I thought of Cardinal’s silly yet poignantly respectful characterization of Superman’s humanity…lost on most souls…upon hearing of the death of Christopher Reeves. I found the juxtaposition sadly ironic indeed.

The music is simply a pleasure in Twisted Tales. I continue to be amazed by how Downtown DFN keeps reinventing itself. Constant personnel changes don’t seem to faze mainstays Chris “The Rev” Ciampa (who recruited his wife Sam for keyboards on this evening) and Ernie Cordy who juggle the lineup…exchange instruments…do whatever it takes to play a well crafted cover song all the while laying down a Downtown DFN interpretation. Joseph J. Lorenzo’s rambunctious “Nicotine and Gravy” (Beck) was incredible…as was Tom Cardinal (with superb backing vocal by Ms McDonald and Noelle Grandison) fronting the band for The Police’s “Spirits in the Material World”. Sheanneen Shelby’s turn on “Knock Me Out” made me whisper to myself “She just keeps getting better!”. But for me the crowning moment musically was when Noelle Grandison (with soulful assistance from Mr. Cardinal, Ms. McDonald and Ms. Shelby) grabbed Lloyd Price’s classic standard “Stagger Lee” by the throat and never let go.

Closing Twisted Tales is David Lavine’s Bingo and Rose Marie performed respectively by Joseph J. Lorenzo and Lydia Tew. The story of a circus clown who has lost his groove and is seeking help in group therapy with other circus performers could easily been played strictly for laughs. But the depth of Lorenzo and Tew’s characterizations made the audience feel connected…sympathetic…almost intimately familiar with a clown in full regalia and a shrink who once was the fat lady…his fat lady. Both actors are tragic…broken…yet by play’s end willing to invest their energies in hope.

I’m glad 2Co’s Cabaret didn’t do a strict Halloween theme for Twisted Tales. In doing so the show is more interesting…more relevant.

Twisted Tales runs through November 13th. For more information go to www.shadowboxcabaret.com