PJ and I didn’t go to a lot of concerts in 2014, but we did go to three that are worth remembering.

In May, we attended the annual Nelsonville Music Festival, which is a wonderful local three-day festival of national acts, some of them up and coming, others nearer the end of their careers, and everything in between. Last year featured Lucius, Wilco, Mavis Staples, and lots more! Here’s a video I found on YouTube that samples the three days of music:

We also saw Natalie Merchant in Columbus. She’s been touring for the last couple of years and performing with local orchestras. PJ adores her, and after seeing her repeatedly I have to agree that she’s amazing in concert. Here’s a video from another stop on the same tour:

“Verdi Cries” is my favorite of Merchant’s songs, and it really works well with an orchestra accompanying her.

These events were both great, but the best concert we went to last year was Fleetwood Mac, another of PJ’s favorites. The whole concert was great, but the last two songs during the encore absolutely slew me. For the second encore, everyone else left, leaving just Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham on stage. First, Stevie sang “Silver Springs.” Here’s a video from another venue that I found:

I’ve loved this song since the first time I heard it in concert on TV. After it, Stevie and Lindsey sang a song he wrote, “Say Goodbye.” I vaguely remember hearing it before on their 2003 album, Say You Will, but it wasn’t a song that I was really familiar with. Between the two of these songs, I felt like Stevie and Lindsey were ripping my heart out!

Here’s a video of “Say Goodbye” I found. I don’t know if Stevie cried during the concert in Columbus, but I wouldn’t be surprised if she did. I just about did!

I’m not sure I’ll ever see such a raw, beautiful performance live again. Fans have made theirs the ultimate love story; performances like this illustrate why. This song is so beautiful that I thought I’d end by including the lyrics:

So you face yesterday
Thinking on the days of old
And the price that we paid
For a love we couldn’t hold

I let you slip away
There was nothing I could do
That was so long ago, yeah
Still I often think of you

I fall down, I get up
And I’ve always had to fight
Everything that was wrong
For the things that were right

Now I finally found my way
Now I know just what to do
Once you said goodbye to me, yeah
Now I say goodbye to you

It’s so hard to find your way
When the lies come around
Still it happens everyday
So don’t let it get you down

Just a time within a time
Just a scheme within a scheme
A little world within a world
Yes, a dream, just a dream

Now I finally found my way
Now I know just what to do
Once you said goodbye to me, yeah
Now I say goodbye to you

Now I best be on my way
Before the night turns blue
Once you said goodbye to me, yeah
And now I say goodbye to you
Once you said goodbye to me, yeah
Now I say goodbye to you