Lindsey Buckingham Rocks!
by GregFromUrbandale on 11/4/22Hoyt Sherman Place - Des MoinesLindsey Buckingham and a three piece band rocked hard in Des Moines on a beautiful Saturday night (10/29/22). The venue, Hoyt Sherman Place - a fabulous historic theater housed in a restored 1800’s mansion once owned by William Tecumseh Sherman’s brother - sounded great, and the fan-vibe was positively electric. I was lucky enough to be at the pre-show sound check where, after the first of three songs, Lindsey commented to the band that the “stage-sound [was] great”. The sound from my seat, both then and during the show an hour or so later, was equally awesome. Lindsey’s guitar playing continues to be phenomenal. I saw him at the same venue on a solo tour eight or nine years ago, where his guitar and voice literally carried the show - he played like a wild, crazy man with nothing to lose (don’t think it was going well with FM at the time - it almost seemed cathartic for LB); it was awesome! Now, a decade later, he’s still wailing away, but he’s well supported by a drummer, keyboardist, and fellow guitarist. The harmonies with Lindsey and the boys was spot-on, almost as if it must be pre-recorded because it was SO tight. Also, Lindsey and the band played incredibly well instrumentally off of each other. It was a pleasure to hear that, as well as to see how much the band enjoyed playing together, and their obvious love of being on-stage. It was truly a great show. In terms of the pre-show package, it was worth it to have access to the aforementioned sound check, where Lindsey and the boys had work to do but gave off an overall positive vibe from the stage. As with the show a bit later, Lindsey made nice comments about Des Moines and the beautiful venue, which were greatly appreciated both in the moment and upon later reflection (rock stars don’t always know where they’re at - Jackson Browne, for example). Finally, I’ve seen Lindsey both solo and with a band that didn’t include Stevie and Mick (apologies to the current band if any are named Mick or Steve), and I’ve seen him twice with Fleetwood Mac - his guitar playing and vocals have been amazing - almost record-like - every time without fail (he’s really proficient); but, his sheer joy of playing in an intimate theater, and his obvious lack of stress in doing so, is, in my opinion, quite palpable, and a joy to behold. In this case, on a gorgeous late-October Saturday night in Des Moines. Bravo!