FANS ARE NOW RATING THE SHOWS AS WELL

1-5

5 BEING THE BEST

Rated "5" by Shawn Rocca

Mr. Lindsey Buckingham played an intimate and energetic show to a very loving crowd here in Toronto tonight. I was taken back as to just how loving the crowd was actually, it was pretty moving. You see so many people everyday on the street passing you by; and it never dawns on you that so many of them might be Lindsey Buckingham fans. Women were screaming, “I love you” and “You’re beautiful Lindsey” all through it. I was dancing with a couple of crazy, older and fun ladies through Holiday Road too, it was no holds barred at that point.

The Danforth Music Hall is a great venue for live sound, the music sounded fantastic and Lindsey’s vocals were incredibly solid in that small space. I was surprised just how great he sounds. He even commented how nice it was to be playing smaller venues like this as opposed to the bigger arenas he has toured around in with the Mac. All through the show he was grinning from ear to ear, and amazing to watch.

The hall was packed in the main room with crowd but the balcony overhead looked a little sparse. Still, a very surprising turn-out. When the lights dimmed and those 3 flashing blue lights summoned his entrance, he walked on with this almost smug expression like he felt like the shit. He was clasping his hands together as if he was praying, he sort of looked like a priest, taking command of his parishioners. Smug but about to back it up, so there was no gripe with me.

I wasn’t crazy about “Not Too Late”, but I’m not in love with that song to begin with and I think it’s a strange open but I was too excited to care that much really. It was too cool an experience to see him up so close. I was 4th row centre by the way. I was also disappointed with “Trouble” and “Go Insane”?.they were too slow and I was disappointed with the arrangement of them?.but that’s my own wishes speaking. I was just hoping for “Trouble” the way I fell in love with it, off the record. That said, those 3 songs were my only disappointments which really is pretty good because I’m usually a fussy little bugger.

Never Going Back Again and Second Hand News were amazing and most of the crowd all stood up and broke a sweat, again to my shock and surprise. I saw Heart there years ago and I don’t think the crowd even broke a smile. At this point, I didn’t think Mr. B was going to open his mouth and say a word until finally he greeted Toronto and broke into his spiel about Castaway Dreams. I liked him calling it “uber-cynical”, I thought that was a great description. It sounded like it was off the record, sensational. Red Rover was great too and this was never one of my favourites off SYW, and his “Red Rovers” of the chorus dropped so low, he sounded sort of angry.

It Was You is just an amazing song, hands down, my new favourite off UTS. I think it’s so rich, everytime I hear it, I hear something new. Live, it was just as rich and overwhelming. Big Love and Under The Skin again, incredible. The intro to World Turning was quite a spectacle with the blowing wind noise and flashing blue lights. With the lights so low, I was sort of expecting to see the helicopter from Miss Saigon land on the stage. But no. World Turning sounded strange without Stevie but I still felt like I heard her invisible echoes still bellowing through out the crowd. His solo on I’m So Afraid was like his “Come” extravaganza show-off moment during the SYW tour, only ISA is a better tune. His solo was incredible and long but it didn’t feel long at all. It was such a treat to see him play guitar so up-close and really get it, how incredible he is as a player as he is to watch playing. He just commanded respect and awe. When he closes his eyes, it’s awesome a nd sexy and just wowing. The crowd loved this one too and it was great to see how proud Lindsey was with himself, glowing with such a huge smile and doing that crazy thank-you motion with his hands to the crowd, like he’s silently convulsing. I’m not a guitar person but I noticed some guitars had a piece missing which I was curious about? Is that to hit the harder-to-reach notes? And why is the circle in the middle missing? The Tusk to GYOW build-up kept the fire burning and by Tusk, no one had sat down again until the end of the show. I am still awestruck that all these people of ages all over the place were up from their seats, and for so long -- I would have never guessed he had so many admirers here, just beautiful to behold. Another fun random moment was when he talked about taking drugs in his hey-day and someone up from the balcony cried out, “Do you want some?”?.He laughed.

I thought the dog barking on Holiday Road was hilarious but Brett Tuggle was the most hilarious to watch?hands down, the best barker up there, so much passion in his bark. I couldn’t stop barking myself and by that point was on too much of a high to give a flying f**k about some of the expressions being thrown my way by the proverbial uptight next to me?who by the way smelled like an ashtray. Don’t smoke folks, it’s the biggest turn-off in the world! Turn It On was heaven to hear live, a royal treat through and through. During the intros, I recalled Litarhiannon once called Alfredo the “Cuban Ruben?”?.but tonight and I don’t know if this had change way earlier than tonight?but tonight he was the “Proven Human”, which I thought sounded great as a title for well, anything. Show You How was incredible, they all played off each other with that tricky chorus flawlessly. Everytime I sing that song aloud, I sound possessed?Lindsey was a marvel and SYH was also one of my favour ites moments of tonight. I don’t know if it’s his usual shtick to walk off and then come back and ask, “Would you like to hear one more?”?but that’s what he did and the crowd went ballistic again. I yelled out “Down On Rodeo” , and again was thrown another nasty look by Mr. Ashtray beside me, and I was floored to hear a few more people cat-calling for “Down On Rodeo”?but Lindsey said “I haven’t rehearsed that one.” And a guy in the crowd yelled, “Play it anyway” and Lindsey did a quick head-turn and shot him a pretty bitchy but funny look.

As he started strumming the intro to SUD, a girl in the front cried out a disappointing, “Awwwww”?and Lindsey stopped playing and said, “What’s wrong?”. He walked right up to her, crouched down to be eye level with her and they shared some words. You couldn’t hear what they were saying but I had simply assumed she asked him for another song choice. Either way, they were whispering for a moment and when he got up, he simply continued on with “SUD”, which was also pretty funny?.that whatever that disappoint “Awwww” was about was quickly smoothed over with everything but a different song choice. The crowd was shimmering tonight and Lindsey embraced it, he seemed genuinely thrilled and happy and excited to be doing what he does. All in all, tonight surpassed my expectations on so many levels. It was beautiful to see him let loose without the cage of Fleetwood Mac?.I think I finally get his ego-thing, it’s well earned and deserved and warranted. He obviously has a lot of l oyal fans out there, they’re just a lot more subdued than Chiffonheads. T’was a Holy Thursday indeed.

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