Last Best Show: Fleetwood Mac
By Bill Brotherton
Boston Herald (Guestlisted with Jed Gottlieb)
Friday, April 19, 2013
Fleetwood Mac did Boston proud! There was certainly a lot of love for the city and its people radiating from the TD Garden stage Thursday night.
After the electric opening one-two punch of “Second Hand News” and “The Chain,” vocalist Stevie Nicks addressed the near-capacity crowd. “When I was young and I was sad or blue because of hard times, my mama told me to sing, that it would make me feel better. And that’s what we’re going to do for two-and-a-half hours. We’re going to sing the blues right out of Boston.”
Later, Nicks dedicated ‘Landslide” to a soldier, Vincent, she met at Walter Reed hospital, and his Boston family. “They are Boston strong,” she said. Drummer Mick Fleetwood introduced “Don’t Stop” thusly: “Boston. What a city. Goodness, we know what you’re going through. Remember the message of the song, ‘Don’t stop thinking about tomorrow. It’ll be better than before. Yesterday’s gone. Yesterday’s gone.” The audience joined in on the chorus, turning it into an empowering cathartic experience. That song, of course, was written by retired member Christine McVie. The band certainly has a different dynamic in concert without her. Not better, not worse, just different.
Fleetwood Mac these days has evolved into the Lindsey Buckingham/Stevie Nicks Show with founding members Fleetwood and bassist John McVie relegated to backing-band status. If Nicks is the caring, new agey earth mother, guitarist Buckingham is the mad genius who orchestrates everything. He stayed on stage for the entire show, delivering one spine-tingling guitar solo after another. He is a bit show-offy, but the guy ranks with the all-time great guitarists and I dare say his 10-minute blast through “I’m So Afraid” will likely be the best shredding a Boston audience will see this year. This is the riff that launched 1,001 air guitar solos in front of bedroom mirrors all across America in the mid-‘70s and it remains totally awesome. And Buckingham does it all on an undersized guitar that’s not much bigger than a ukelele.
This is the Mac’s first tour in three years and the band was firing on all cylinders. So many great songs, all delivered with gusto: “Rhiannnon,” “Gold Dust Woman,” “Gypsy” and the solo hit “Stand Back” from husky-voiced, whirling dervish Nicks; “Go Your Own Way,” a solo acoustic “Never Going Back Again” and “Tusk” from Buckingham. More than half of the 23 songs performed came from those three masterful 1970s albums “Fleetwood Mac,” the 35-year-old “Rumours” and the indulgent, underappreciated “Tusk.”
Although the crowd came to hear the hits, this is no mere nostalgia act. A new song, “Sad Angel,” from an upcoming EP, rocked with abandon and featured the familiar, glorious Nicks/Buckingham harmonies. It was also endearing to see the two former lovers walk on stage holding hands.
Fleetwood Mac will return to Massachusetts on June 21, at Mansfield’s Comcast Center. By then, the heavy hearts of the band and its Boston Strong fans should be less dark. Don’t stop thinking about tomorrow, indeed.
