Concert of the year: Fleetwood Mac at Tacoma Dome

After the exhilarating Barcelona show, I had only 24 hours to catch a breath and a few winks before my next big...and I would have to say BIGGEST...concert of the year.  I had the good fortune of grabbing tickets for the November 20th Fleetwood Mac concert at Tacoma Dome.  I was going with my friend Art, who would be doing the driving for the two hour trip to Tacoma.  We left Bellingham in the early afternoon to take into account potential traffic tie-ups.  And, it was a good thing we did.  It was bumper to bumper from Seattle all the way south to our destination.  Still, we got there plenty early, the plan being to park in one of the Dome lots, and walk a short distance to grab a bite for dinner.

Not soon after unbuckling my seat belt did our plan come to a grinding halt.  As a security precaution, Art applied a lock to his brake pedal, then realized belatedly that he didn't have the key for it!  In his haste to get out of the house to rendezvous with me in Bellingham, he grabbed the wrong set of keys.  After unsuccessfully searching through the vehicle's storage compartments, it was apparent we were stuck.  My first thought was to try calling AAA, but the only thing they could offer was a tow to a locksmith.  We had better luck with the second option.  Art called his insurance company, since he had road assistance as part of his coverage.  The nice lady he spoke to was able to find a locksmith close to our location, who in turn dispatched someone to help us.  Long story short, the competent young man used his impressive skills to pick the lock and save the day.  The only downside was that it cost a pretty penny to the tune of $185 for the call and the labor.  The upside is I just got word from Art that his insurance will cover $100 of that.  Needless to say, my friend will be much, much more careful in the future should he decide to use that lock again!

With our meal plan blown, we made our way into the Tacoma Dome along with a lot of other people who by then had arrived for the concert.  After perusing the food offerings, I settled on chicken nachos for dinner and we ate at our seats while watching the venue slowly filling up. 

It was a full house when Fleetwood Mac took the stage to a roaring welcome from the audience.  Their current tour was the first time since 2007 when Christine McVie left the group that the gang was all present and accounted for.  I had never been to a Fleetwood Mac concert, and it was thrilling to see and hear them. 

With Christine McVie on keyboards and vocals, Lindsay Buckingham playing guitar and also on vocals, John McVie on bass, Mick Fleetwood at the drums and Stevie Nicks singing her heart out, it was an amazing evening of timeless music.

The group played many of their biggest hits, including my favorite song, Christine McVie's Say That You Love Me.  After 40 years, Fleetwood Mac hasn't lost anything...they still rock!  Here's their set list for the night:

The Chain
You Make Lovin' Fun
Dreams
Second Hand News
Rhiannon
Everywhere
I Know I'm Not Wrong
Tusk
Sisters Of The Moon
Say That You Love Me
Seven Wonders
Big Love
Landslide
Never Going Back Again
Over My Head
Gypsy
Little Lies
Gold Dust Woman
I'm So Afraid
Go Your Own Way

Encore:
World Turning
Don't Stop
Silver Springs

Second Encore:
Songbird

Fleetwood Mac played for 2 1/2 glorious hours and it was almost sad that it had to end.  It was truly a celebration on the longevity of one of greatest rock bands in history.  I mean, how many bands are still around that have all their original members from the height of their popularity?  I'm thankful that I finally got a chance to see these amazing musical artists.  Next month, I'll be going to another concert long overdue.  Stay tuned...

Hometown heroes: Barcelona at The Crocodile

So, the last time I saw my favorite band Barcelona was waaaay back, last June at their Marymoor Park concert.  I know, that's not THAT long ago, but it sure felt like it.  When I heard they would be playing the legendary Crocodile in Seattle on November 19th, I was very excited.  As usual, I took advantage of my guest list privileges to get in.  Try as I must, I couldn't find anyone to accompany me, but I wasn't alone.  I met up with a friend I had attended a Barcelona show with last spring.  It's always more fun to attend a concert with someone.  And, it's also nice to follow a band who will do local shows fairly frequently.

I left home early enough to miss rush hour traffic and had a Happy Hour dinner at The Crocodile's Back Bar.  I asked a security guy about the guest list, and he told me to check in at the box office when it opened.  But, when I tried to do that, I was told Barcelona hadn't submitted their guest list yet.  So, I had to wait for them to finish their soundcheck.  I was standing near the entrance to venue's music hall when who should walk in the door but Barcelona front man, Brian Fennell.  He greeted me with a hug, and I introduced him to my friend, Robin.  I told Brian about the missing guest list, and before he could act on that, the friendly security guy...who overheard the conversation...immediately gave me the required hand stamp.  Shortly after that, Branden Cate...who does keyboards and backup vocals for the band...entered and enthusiastically greeted me.

When doors opened, Robin and I grabbed a good vantage point in front of the stage.  The first opening act was Water Monster from Spokane, WA, who is really just a solo artist, Max Harnishfeger.  His electronic sounds were catchy, and a good way to start the evening.

The second opener was the band Arkomo, led by lead singer Sam Anderson.  The incorporation of a cello in his electronic-experimental style of music was refreshing, but it didn't take long for me to start yearning for the headliner.

Barcelona took the stage to an enthusiastic hometown welcome.  Brian wasted no time getting the party started with one of my fave songs, Paper Lion.  His great guitar vibes, drummer Rhett Stonelake's dependable beats and Branden's awesome keyboard work set the tone for the night.

I really appreciated the fact that Barcelona played most of the songs off their new album, The Melodrama.  I know fans like to hear the old stuff, and many artists give in to that desire.  But, true fans should listen to the newer material and embrace what they hear.  I, for one, love Barcelona's new songs, even though some of it might be a departure from their earlier roots.  Here is the night's setlist:

Paper Lion
Sick
Diamond and Silver
It's About Time
Drop Everything
Fall In Love
Lose Control
On/Off
Time After Time (Cyndi Lauper cover)
Come Back When You Can
Strange Way
Cure
Background

Encore:
I Choose You
Please Don't Go

As I exited The Crocodile after the show, rain was lightly falling.  I didn't find it depressing...I was still pumped up from a thoroughly fantastic night of music, courtesy of Barcelona.  Not wanting that feeling to end, I made the 1 1/2 hour drive back to Bellingham playing their tunes on the car stereo.  Needless to say, I can't wait till the next Barcelona concert.  See you in 2015!