Fleetwood Mac's Rumours
Oakville Centre for the Performing Arts
Oakville, Ontario
October 25, 2008
by Live Music Head
“Only one thing I did wrong...
stayed in Mississippi a day too long”.
Compliments of the-one-who-burned-it-for-me,
I’m on a train listening to the latest release from Bob Dylan
at the very same time reading the latest email from Bob Lefsetz,
the very-opinionated music industry insider
who drops many a note in my yahoo mailbox.
Ranting, as he often does,
about the current state of the music business
compared to the old days of classic rock.
“Westbound train to Aldershot making all regular stops...
stand clear of the doors”,
says the conductor over the loudspeaker.
Speaking of rock and roll memories from days of old,
I’m on my way to a live rendition of Rumours,
the classic 1977 album by Fleetwood Mac.
It will be performed by a group of musicians dear to my heart…
Classic Albums Live.
In little over thirty minutes,
the Go Train brings me to the town of Oakville,
for the show at the Centre for the Performing Arts.
Minutes later,
I was caught outside the venue by Vanessa Lee
(another CAL groupie), who greeted me warmly.
Being a rock and roll chick who prefers the standing rooms
of concert halls and bars for her live music,
this is a first for me...
experiencing CAL in a sit-down setting.
Tonight’s Rumours show is sold out,
and when the band appears on stage,
Mike Daley is the first to notice.
Sporting a buzz-cut and thick-rimmed glasses,
he plays guitar and sings lead on Second Hand News,
the opening track.
Fading out to great applause,
the room falls deadly quiet waiting for the next number.
It almost feels like I'm part of an elitist audience
at a shushy jazz show,
although no one is shushing me.
And the sound is impeccable,
honouring the perfect rendition that Mia Sheard just gave Dreams.
And with the steadiness of Troy Feener on the drum kit,
the applause grows louder after each song.
It's my first time witnessing Mike's new bride, Jill
playing keyboards alongside him,
and feeling the bass way down low,
Go Your Own Way sounds identical to the record.
Everyone in the band is playing extremely well,
but if I were controlling the lights,
the spotlight would shine down on
the guitar playing of Russell Gray.
And I’m not alone.
At the end of the tune,
I heard “way to go Russ!” from somewhere way behind me.
And then there were three:
Leslea Keurvorst, Mike and Mrs Daley
standing in a row performing Songbird.
You could hear a feather drop in the audience,
and after the trio nailed it,
many whoops, whistles and cheers followed.
Perhaps even a few tears from the corner of an eye
before the full band returned with The Chain...
“Listen to the wind blow
watch the sun rise.
Run in the shadows...
damn your love
damn your lies!”
I confess Fleetwood Mac are not really on the list
of my musical favourites.
I wouldn't argue the band’s ability to craft a great song,
but for some reason
Fleetwood Mac never really moved me emotionally.
Thirty one years after the release of Rumours however,
if any band can move me with the material now,
it would definitely be Classic Albums Live.
Johnny B plucks his big bass with large presence,
and Mia Sheard blows away Oh Daddy.
But the spotlight still shines on Gray,
and grows bigger to include the drummer.
With a clever shake of jewellery
re-creating the sound we all know from the original record,
Keurvorst’s vocals on Gold Dust Woman
brought the entire OPAC audience to their feet.
Perhaps now it's time to…
“pick up the pieces and go home”?
But no, after band introductions,
we were informed they’d be back for a set of
Fleetwood Mac's greatest hits.
I dashed out for a beer.
Carrying a Sleeman ale outside,
I found the lovely Vanessa Lee again,
and finally met Leslea.
But back in my seat for round two,
Rhiannon was the first of the outros,
and I’m strangely buzzed from that single beer.
Laughing out loudly when someone in the band said,
“by… Mennon”,
but Stop Dragging My Heart Around isn’t a Fleetwood Mac song.
Sheard pulls me from the Sleeman’s fog,
but I don’t really know the clap-along.
And when Leslea sang the last note of Sisters of the Moon,
the loudest whistles and cheers were heard.
"Encore! Encore!”
And then sitting high atop the drums,
the audience could see only one.
If I had to pick a favourite Fleetwood Mac song,
it would have to be the one with lyrics sung so creepily...
“Why don’t you ask him if he’s going to stay?
Why don’t you ask him if he’s going away.....?"
Don’t say that you love me…
JUST TELL ME THAT YOU WANT ME!
Yah-hee!”
Now baby, that moves me!
Circling the kit,
the rest of the CAL band took up sticks of their own
and all seven became drummers just like that,
making Tusk the biggest highlight of the night.
I loved every second if it.
Vanessa Lee extended an invite to drive me back to the city,
where we found ourselves at the Foggy Dew;
an Irish pub at Bathurst and King in downtown Toronto.
Inside Phil and John were being heckled.
The duo may have given in to the demanding call for Crazy Train
(from the drunken trio showing off great air-guitar skills),
but from classic rock acoustic bar stools,
a triple shot of Alice Cooper was played instead.
As my mind wandered back to what I saw earlier in Oakville;
the show that originally brought us girls out tonight...
I thought to myself,
Bob Lefsetz really should had been there.
He'd have only great things to say about Classic Albums Live.
http://www.classicalbumslive.com/
