Lindsey Buckingham is an American musician best known as the previous lead guitarist and lead male vocalist of the folk-rock music group Fleetwood Mac. Buckingham became the lead guitarist in 1975 and continued until 2018. He has been creating solo music work since 1981. With the release of his latest album, Lindsey Buckingham, this year, Buckingham began his United States tour. The 20th stop on his tour was at The Theatre at Ace Hotel in Los Angeles.
The theatre was packed—every seat was full of fans waiting to hear their favorite Lindsey Buckingham and Fleetwood Mac songs. The performance opened with Buckingham and his band—a keyboardist, a bassist, a second guitarist and a synthesizer—entering the stage as blue and purple stage lights illuminated them. As the music began, a spotlight shone on Buckingham, allowing him to stand out from the rest of the band.
The audience erupted in applause and cheers as Buckingham played the first song of the night, “Not Too Late,” off of his 2006 Under The Skin album. The song included a rapid guitar solo that Buckingham played flawlessly; the audience was captivated as they watched his fingers move across the guitar so quickly.
Later on, Buckingham played his song “Stars Are Crazy,” which was met with cheering, dancing and swaying from the audience. The stage was engulfed in blue light that would gradually dim until the chorus began once again, during which the lights would flash intensely bright along with the music.
Right before the seventh song of the set, the band members exited the stage, except for Buckingham, who remained front and center with his guitar. He then expressed his excitement for playing in his hometown of Los Angeles, saying, “We are, needless to say, so thankful to be here tonight. It took us a while to get here, but we finally made it. We’re here, and all of you are here, too. Love it, love it, hometown proud!”
Buckingham then played a number of songs solo, including “Shut Us Down,” “Trouble” and two Fleetwood Mac songs, “Never Going Back Again” and “Big Love.” The solo performance felt intimate, with Buckingham serenading the audience, who reciprocated with cheers, applause and dancing. Throughout the solo portion of the night, Buckingham was illuminated by a single spotlight, giving it an even more personal feel.
After this solo segment, the band returned to the stage to play some new songs off of Buckingham’s new album, including “Scream” and “I Don’t Mind.” Buckingham introduced the songs by explaining that this new album has developed more meaning for the band members because of how long it has taken to be released due to the pandemic and other conflicts. The songs had a more electronic feel than Buckingham’s previous work, with more synthesizer and vocal effects. During the chorus of each song, a choir effect could be heard on the vocals, giving the song even more excitement.
Buckingham played four Fleetwood Mac songs to close out the set, and the audience went wild. They stood up in their rows and danced in aisles, enjoying the nostalgia that came with these songs. Couples slow danced, people waved their arms, friends danced together—it was an energetic and joyful end to the night.
“I’m So Afraid” began with a drum solo, and a spotlight shone on the drummer as he kicked off the song. Eventually, Buckingham also joined it, playing a guitar solo over the drums. The curtains were then illuminated in yellow light, and deep purple stage lights flooded the floor. Buckingham moved to the front of the stage, closest to the audience, as he played his impressive guitar solo. The audience was mesmerized; Buckingham was able to make these intense and quick solos look incredibly easy.
At the end of the final song, “Go Your Own Way,” Buckingham brought his guitar off the stage and allowed audience members standing at the front to strum his guitar. During his solo, he looked out at the audience, seeming to make an effort to look at every single person sitting in the theatre. As the song came to a close, the lights came off the stage and pointed to the audience as they cheered.
The audience waited patiently for an encore, and the wait was worth it as Buckingham, and his band returned to the stage. “You guys are just the best. The hometown, I love it! Great, great night for us; we loved playing for you tonight so much!” Buckingham said as he entered.
Buckingham played the song “Love Is Here to Stay,” a cover of a song he sang with Christine McVie in 2017. The audience stood and swayed along as purple and turquoise lights added a mystical feel to the performance.
The final song of the night was “Time,” a song off of the new album that Buckingham explained had taken on a more “visceral complex” for him as he had waited three years for the album to be released. The song was slow and haunting, almost sounding like a dark lullaby. The audience could feel the emotion behind the song through the passionate softness of Buckingham’s singing. The song finished, and the audience clapped and cheered as Buckingham and his band thanked the crowd and took their bow. The lights flooded the theatre, and the audience filed out, ready to reminisce on this night for years to come.
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