Let’s just say it was a Gaga-Stevie Nicks double header.
I ROCKED HARD LAST WEEKEND, GUYS: It all started on Friday night, when I finally got to see the one movie I’ve been waiting MONTHS for: the remake of the rock ‘n romance saga, A Star Is Born, headlined by Lady Gaga and Bradley ‘I Can Sing and Direct Too, Mmmkay?!’ Cooper.
And, as you’d likely agree if you’ve seen it yourself, it did not disappoint.
TWO STARS ARE REBORN: Pivoting on a rare brand of hand-me-my-fan, searing-hot chemistry between Gaga and Cooper, I found the movie to be, at moments, an electrifying, emotion-evoking experience that doesn’t come with every $15 ticket at your local AMC.
As on-the-rise Ally and ill-fated Jackson, both leads plumbed new depths of their substantial talent in A Star Is Born—undoubtedly the key ingredients that have made the flick Oscar bait as opposed to a frothy studio pic that exists simply to make money.
To start, Lady Gaga proved beyond a reasonable doubt that she is a ‘capital A’ actress, showing the haters that her Golden Globe win for American Horror Story: Hotel wasn’t just a celebrity-fawning fluke. She—and the movie itself—soar the highest when depicting Ally’s humble beginnings and believable rise: bare faced with natural color hair and a streak of inner strength surging through every movement (including a punch to the face of a rowdy fellow bar-goer), Gaga is left with nothing but her wall-shaking voice and acting chops to sell the story, and she does so in instantly classic cinematic moments. Take her opening rendition of La Vie en Rose (nice touch with the drag club, Coop), acapella rendition of Shallow in a parking lot and debut public performance of the tune at one of Jackson’s shows as just three examples of indelible moments that I can’t get out of my mind. (I also can’t shake Shallow, which I have literally walked around singing non-stop for the past five days. Even in public. I’m obsessed.)
Gaga is so good that it could be easy for Cooper to fade into the background in a true-to-the-story turn. But not only has he never been better as an actor—richly and powerfully subtle while delivering the perfect physical embodiment of a hard boiled country rocker about to teeter over the edge—he has also shown himself to be a formidable director in his behind-the-lens debut. As generous to himself as to his co-stars in the final edit (the movie also boasts crackerjack supporting performances from Sam Elliott, Anthony Ramos and Andrew Dice Clay), Cooper frames his shots in surprising and visually compelling ways, while expertly pacing the action to balance the intimate private moments with full-out performances (the impact of shooting at real festivals really pays off). Also: he can actually sing. Go figure.
The movie isn’t perfect in its second half, but Cooper brings things full circle in a deeply affecting finale that he lands with a last tableau that gave me chills. By that point, any other small storytelling bumps along the way were forgiven and forgotten. I guess that’s what happens when you spend two hours watching two huge stars shed their personas to shine even brighter than before.
*****
NEXT UP WAS A MAC ATTACK: Still riding the A Star Is Born high, my Saturday night was spent at the United Center, where my favorite band of all time was playing Chicago on the second date of their new tour. Yes, friends: I’m talking about Fleetwood Mac.
I’ve loved this band madly since their 1998 comeback with The Dance that, when my husband and I were planning music for our big day, he turned to me out of nowhere before even one song was discussed and said, “This is not going to be a Fleetwood Mac wedding.” He knows me so well, and that statement sums it up.
I was hesitant to see the gang again after catching them for the first time four years ago at Madison Square Garden, mainly because the legend, Lindsey Buckingham, departed before they hit the road on this new tour. He was replaced by fellow Neil Finn (of Crowded House fame) and Mike Campbell (part of Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers), but originals Stevie, Christine, Mick and John were in tow, so I decided to snag a last-minute ticket.
MIXED MAC BAG: As I had initially anticipated, the concert ended up being kind of a hit-or-miss event. The best part was seeing the band perform The Chain, which I was thrilled to catch after missing it when I ran in late to their last concert (bucket list moment!). They also pulled out uber-classics such as Rhiannon (I listened from the beer line), Landslide (I cried in my seat), Little Lies (I bopped and jammed), Dreams (I swayed), Black Magic Woman (I pretended I had long fringe on my sleeves), Gold Dust Woman (I wanted to cast a spell) and Go Your Own Way (I lost my mind, as always, for my karaoke go-to). Seriously solid stuff. No complaints there.
But the band decided to bid adieu to Buckingham and welcome Finn and Campbell by reimaging the set list and giving a spotlight to songs not many people care about, as evidenced by the 20-minute stadium-wide bathroom break in the middle of the show. Digging into the Fleetwood Mac archives, each core member elevated a long-lost song they love, which was cool but not awesome, if you know what I mean. This was followed by the new guys playing old songs of their own they dig, among which was one potentially promising moment: Finn sang one of my top ten 80s jams, ‘Don’t Dream Its Over,’ in a fine (albeit pitchy) rendition, with Stevie Nicks billed to join him. But when she came up to the mic, she sang one weak, half-hearted verse before fading into the background. It takes a lot for me to scold Ms. Stevie, but that one had real potential and it fell flat, y’all.
I mean, I sit through all of this and they still don’t give us Silver Springs—the epic progressive chorus of which is one of the best of any rock song ever, and even better live? Ah, the melancholy of missed musical moments. (Clearly, I’m not over it.)
But you know what? Despite all of that, I’d still go again if given the chance, because there’s no other way to satisfy a Mac Attack than hearing them live—just like there’s no other way for me to stop thinking about A Star Is Born than to see it again.