FLEETWOOD MACINGHAM

I’ve always thought Lindsey Buckingham was the true genius of arguably one of the most successful rock bands of all-time. Yet for some reason, Buckingham’s talents over the years seem to have gone rather unappreciated or, dare I say, unnoticed. Sure Mick Fleetwood created and named the band Fleetwood Mac, Stevie Nicks had the unmistakable voice and sex appeal, Christine’s vocals were unique and her husband John McVie played a mean bass. But man, I’d put Lindsey Buckingham’s song writing, vocals, and his guitar playing up against anyone. My favorite Mac songs were the ones heavily influenced by Buckingham. Well lucky for me, I was able to see this underrated artist live and up close (five rows up close)!

In the same small, cozy venue that I saw Dmetri Martin, Lindsey displayed his talents in front of an older, pony-tailed 60s/70s generation appreciative crowd. As I walked in the auditorium to find my seat, I noticed the t-shirts were incredibly high-priced. $30 and $35 for a t-shirt? I guess they figured us old folks have spent our lives working hard and accumulating large sums of money.

The lights dimmed and Lindsey walked on the hazily lit stage to a thunderous ovation. Jeans, a t-shirt, and a leather jacket. Gone was the big ‘fro from the mid 70s. His hair is still curly though touches of gray were evident. Heck, the guy is 57 years old and looks pretty good given the hard life he’s led. On stage, there must have been over a dozen guitars to choose from and by the end of the set, I think he used every one of them. He opened with "Not Too Late," a song from his new CD, “Under The Skin.” It was acoustically beautiful. His vocals were clear. High registers seemingly reached effortlessly. The song reminded me of his classic work on the gazillion-selling album, Rumours. But what really stunned me as the set progressed was his signature finger-picking guitar playing. I really couldn’t believe I got to witness it live. What a lifetime treat that was for me.

Lindsey sang an acoustic version of his big hit, Trouble, and followed it up with a passionately-sung, finger-picked, “Never Going Back Again,” from Rumours. The crowd was juiced and really kicked in when the three-piece band hit the stage for the up-tempo, "Second Hand News," another Mac/Rumours hit from Lindsey. And so a pattern was set. Buckingham interspersed new and old songs each received with a standing ovation. There’s no doubt in my mind that he’s not lost a thing. He sings and plays with a passion. His fast plucking fingers on those guitars mesmerize you. Trust me. Click on "Big Love" below. Sure the artist on the label says Fleetwood Mac but it’s all Lindsey. Kinda like "Yesterday" is The Beatles, but it’s all Paul McCartney. That song may have been the highlight of the show; Buckingham slamming his guitar on the floor as if to say, “Yeah baby, that’s what I’m talkin’ about.” That poor guitar got another slam after a rousing version of “Tusk” was completed. The nearly hour and forty-five minute set concluded with perhaps his most famously penned song, “Go Your Own Way,” written about his breakup with Stevie. Lindsey treated the fully standing crowd to a 30-minute encore which included a dog barking-enhanced version of “Holiday Road.” Holiday what, you ask? C’mon. You know. Vacation? Chevy Chase? The Griswold clan? Yeah, it’s the theme song and yes, it’s a Lindsey Buckingham song. See? I told you he’s been unnoticed. Seriously, if you ever get the chance to see him, do it. I promise you, you won’t be disappointed.