30TH SHOW: Fleetwood Mac, American Airlines Center, Dallas, Texas, Tuesday, June 4, 2013

Fleetwood Mac performed in concert at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas on Tuesday night. It was the 30th show of the 2013 world tour.

Fan photos

Fan reaction (via Twitter)

@Jimmy_Burch
For those wagering at home, Fleetwood Mac opens Dallas show w Second Hand News. Gonna be a good night. 🙂

@dfwrax
Stevie Nicks slightly buzzed, but still sounds great. #FleetwoodMac #AA Center Dallas.

@KRProthro
Just hanging out at the AAC with every other Baby Boomer in Dallas #FleetwoodMac

@tkylej
@stevienicks is amazing live! At the #fleetwoodmac concert in #Dallas!

@JayGormley
Stevie Nicks can still belt out “LandSlide”. #FleetwoodMac in Dallas

@PaddyNation
“Strong woman, we rule.” -Stevie Nicks said after singing Landslide @AAC in #dallas. #fleetwoodmac #livemusicrules

@taylormcarthur
Fleetwood Mac!! So awesome!!

@erikj
Lindsey Buckingham still rocks the house with Fleetwood Mac. #fleetwoodmac

@lindsey422
No matter what generation- stevie’s still kickin’ it #FleetwoodMac

@PaddyNation
TX folks know how to get what they want. Not 1, but 2 encores from #fleetwoodmac. #livemusicrules #fleetwoodmac

@FlyRan
@fleetwoodmac crazy show tonight in Dallas! Thank you for keeping the music going! Lindsey – you were insane. Respect. Stevie = Love.

@teachkiwi
#fleetwoodmac plz invest in getting all screens utilized in concerts.Those of us in nose bleeds can’t see a thing

@kirstinroush
@fleetwoodmac BEST SHOW EVER ! Dallas loves you !!

@Nick_Burdett
After going to a Fleetwood Mac concert. I now see that all old people still think they are 18.

@clairedwest
And with that, Fleetwood Mac is easily one of the best concerts I’ve ever been to. @ American Airlines…

@madisonbaxter
After the past two days I can die happy. I hope I age as well as Stevie #FleetwoodMac #blessed…

@dfwrax
just came home from #FleetwoodMac show in Dallas!! While @stevienicks definitely buzzed she sang her heart out #mesmerizing

@onealbc5
@fleetwoodmac played Dallas tonight and once again the amazing Lindsey Buckingham steals the show. #GuitarGod #Genius

@asalumchef
@fleetwoodmac what an incredible concert in Dallas tonight!! You guys are amazing!!! Thank you for the memories and the memories and music!

Set list (unchanged)

1. Second Hand News
2. The Chain
3. Dreams
4. Sad Angel (new song)
5. Rhiannon
6. Not That Funny
7. Tusk
8. Sisters Of The Moon
9. Sara
10. Big Love
11. Landslide
12. Never Going Back Again
13. Without You (new song)
14. Gypsy
15. Eyes Of The World
16. Gold Dust Woman
17. I’m So Afraid
18. Stand Back
19. Go Your Own Way
20. World Turning (first encore)
21. Don’t Stop
22. Silver Springs
23. Say Goodbye (second encore)

Videos

11. Landslide (courtesy of Jonathan Williams)
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=he4yJupEYrE]

12. Never Going Back Again (courtesy of John Bynum)
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DtB5f38W2g0]

17. I’m So Afraid (courtesy of atx423musicfan)
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GjfmxbHWYOI]

21. Don’t Stop – short clip (courtesy of 1amazeme)
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-IrDckcqio]

Special thanks to atx423musicfan, John Bynum, 1amazeme, and Jonathan Williams for making these clips available.

By Simon Sweetman / Blog on the Tracks (New Zealand)
Tuesday, June 4, 2013

While I was away the other week and busy seeing shows in Sydney, news dropped that Fleetwood Mac will return to New Zealand before the end of this year; one show, Auckland, December 6. It’s tempting to see them again – it’ll be almost four years to the day from when I saw them in New Plymouth and that was a fabulous gig.

I seem to cop a bit of grief around here (and Facebook) for mentioning, from time to time, that I’m a Fleetwood Mac fan. Not sure why. Extraordinary band, one of the best (most adaptable) rhythm sections in rock (and pop and blues…) and in Lindsey Buckingham the band has a leader (albeit reluctant at times) who has, if anything, improved with age. He was always an incredible player but it feels like he had to walk away from the band, had to leave, in order to be fully appreciated (by both the band and fans). And his solo albums have improved with time – I love them all but if anything he’s getting better, stronger with each release.

He’s the one doing the heavy lifting with this version of Fleetwood Mac. People might still turn up in their white-witch/white-trash regalia to do a slow twirl as Stevie Nicks sings Gypsy but listen to Lindsey’s guitar solo on that track. He’s the star. He’s the one making it happen.

There’s still something in the story of Stevie and Lindsey too – they still know how to milk that, this band-as-soap-opera; these two tormented lovers/ex-lovers/lovers/ex-lovers…

I’d rather see Fleetwood Mac in 2013 than The Rolling Stones. Have you heard how awful they sound? For proof – head to the band’s official YouTube channel. It’s clear they don’t have a clue…

But Fleetwood Mac still knows how to get the job done. And they’ve even taken the smart approach to releasing new material – choosing to simply offer an EP, just four songs. I think for a band like Fleetwood Mac – a heritage act, a band that tours to play the hits – this is the right move. It’s been 10 years since they released an album and in that time we’ve been told (so often) that the album is dead, that the industry is dead. The world doesn’t really need a new Fleetwood Mac album – but an EP means there is a fan-souvenir and there are four new songs for the gigs.

Again, it’s Lindsey doing the heavy lifting, contributing three new songs and a re-recording of a Buckingham/Nicks song. So the four songs are Lindsey’s doing – and he nails three of them. Heck, he even does his best to write a new Christine McVie song; since she’s still the missing piece of the puzzle these days.

Did you know they’d released new material? And will you check it out? Will you go to the gig end of this year? Or are you just not a Fleetwood Mac fan? Just as I don’t understand how someone couldn’t like this band are you someone who does not understand at all how someone could like them? And do you agree that Lindsey Buckingham is – in this day and age – the star the show, the one carrying the FM name at this point in terms of the playing/writing/delivering? (And yes, I know a lot of people still go just for Stevie.)

By Matt Miller / Reverb
Monday, June 3, 2013

Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham held hands as they walked onto stage at the Pepsi Center on Saturday night. Here is a relationship in flux for decades — one that has inspired some of Fleetwood Mac’s most memorable works of heartbreak and romanticism — and it may finally be in a comfortable place. What followed was a reflective and ambitious two and a half hour set from the nearly complete Rumours lineup of Nicks, Buckingham, Mick Fleetwood and John McVie.

Whereas a few years ago Nicks and Buckingham could barely make eye contact on stage, Saturday night the two fondly shared anecdotes about writing love poems and joining the band as they played through many of Fleetwood Mac’s biggest hits. And while they had seemingly made amends on stage, musically they can be best talked about as individuals.

Like someone in his 20s — right down to the skinny jeans and v-neck — Buckingham shouldered the charisma of the entire band. He ended “The Chain” with a flying kick, busted out a tapping guitar solo on “Gypsy” and played an interlude on his own half way through the set. Accompanied by only his likeness reflected on a rectangular sheet that had dropped from the ceiling, Buckingham performed an acoustic version of “Big Love.” Where the original is marred with ‘80s synth and drum tracks, on Saturday Buckingham’s fiery guitar picking nailed both the rhythm and lead guitar of the song.

For Nicks, her moments came when her vocals could stay clear of Buckingham’s. While a bit more nasally in 2013, her voice still has its power when she stays in a comfortable range. On the many songs that end with a Nicks afterward, she sustained her haunting melodies for a few bars as if it were the 1970s. Sultry as ever on the smoky “Dreams” and full of soul on “Gold Dust Woman,” she embodied her witch-like persona, though her dancing was confined to a single spot.

When it came time for her to perform “Landslide,” the song took on new meaning given the reflective tone of the night. Written in Aspen decades ago, Nicks prefaced the song by telling the nearly sold out Pepsi Center about a picture from her childhood that showed seven generations of Colorado women in her family. Husky and beautiful, “Landslide” became less of an internalization of struggle, and more of a lesson for her many Colorado relatives in the crowd.

Throughout the night, Fleetwood played his usual role as the backbone of the band. During the second encore, he pounded out a nearly 5 minute drum solo, showcasing his chops even at 65.

With all the great individual performances aside, and the banter like lifelong friends, Fleetwood Mac couldn’t click early in the set as a group, most notably between their trademark vocal harmonies. The choruses of “Dreams” and “Rhiannon” had some jagged edges, the tempos were sleepy and it was clear that these were musicians who had spent time at odds and apart.

But these missteps couldn’t overshadow the sense of calm in the band. And it seemed only right that Fleetwood Mac truly connected on “Go Your Own Way,” the song that ended the main set. The vocals between Nicks and Buckingham finally fit together as they sang about their failing romance.

Reverb Managing Editor Matt Miller has a really common name so please use these links to find his Twitter account and Google + page. Or just send him an email to mr******@********st.com.

Glenn Ross is a Denver-based photographer and regular contributor to Reverb. See more of his work here.

29TH SHOW: Fleetwood Mac, Pepsi Center, Denver, Colorado, June 1, 2013

Fleetwood Mac performed in concert at the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado, on Saturday night.

Stevie said that she has “a very strong bond with Colorado” because of the five generations of women in her family that have lived in the state. She also mentioned that the state of Colorado was special because she wrote “Landslide” in Aspen.

Fan reaction (via Twitter)

@RockyMtns4Me
Fleetwood Mac concert…amazing!

@MikeMeierII
At Fleetwood Mac right now, incredible! Stevie ROCKS. Thanks SpinGo!!

@SmelkShow
Dreams do come true. The most incredible concert ever.

By Ray Mark Rinaldi / Denver Post
Sunday, June 2, 2013

If you compared the crowd that was downtown this Saturday night to see Fleetwood Mac with the crowd downtown last Saturday night to hear the Colorado Symphony, you wouldn’t find that much difference.

Both audiences were up there in terms of age, mostly old enough to have grandchildren, and overwhelmingly caucasian, maybe 90 percent, if you can actually guess those things by looking.

The Pepsi Center folks drank more alcohol, and didn’t turn off their phones, and the orchestra attendees were way better-dressed and polite enough not to shout “We love you Stevie Nicks” while the singer was actually trying to perform. But the two sets shared one key element: enthusiasm. The ovations were made standing in both houses and that basic human need to be sated by very familiar music – whether guitar-driven or violin-driven — was never in doubt.

Who would have thought 35 years after the band started playing, people would still be interested in hearing Fleetwood Mac. Or that the musicians, rich, adored and legacy secured, would still be interested in playing.

But there it was Saturday at Pepsi, the house visibly sold out, the players up there rocking out, in earnest, and in appealing way that went way beyond nostalgia. They’re still very talented pop stars, attractive, energized, envied. If classical music isn’t selling the way it was a few decades ago, don’t blame Beethoven. Blame rock ‘n’ roll for not giving up its hold on fans, for staying competitive for those concert dollars even when everyone, on stage and off, is old enough to retire.

Stevie Nicks and Christine McVie arrive at Pepsi Center Saturday night. Just kidding: McVie is sitting out the tour. Oh, and that’s not Stevie either. But these women were having as much fun.

That was especially true with Fleetwood Mac. Who played 22 songs for 2 hours and 41 minutes, with all but two of them from their vast catalog of hits. The band stayed in there, delivering pretty much all of the quirky and sure personality they are known for.

Lead guitarist Lindsey Buckhingham, 63, but with the lean body of a 30-year-old and a Hollywood tan, pulled off heroic solos, particularly on “Looking Out for Love.” Drummer Mick Fleetwood, 65, shouted, sweated and banged the night away. He held the stage, just by himself, for maybe 10 long minutes around “World Turning” during the extended encore.

Stevie Nicks, 65 last Sunday, worked her tambourine, and those scarves and gold chains tied to her microphone, and her lacey shawls and finger-less gloves and threw her guttural voice out like a rock star. After three decades of performing “Gold Dust Woman” and “Dreams,” the routine is down. She stills does her famous spinning moves on cue, (though just 14 careful turns Saturday eve), but she chooses her earthier moments like a pro and goes for it. She remains amazing to watch on stage.

Fleetwood Mac concerts used to be rowdier, more drugs, more screams, more dancing. Back in the day, half the women showed up in gauzy, Stevie Nicks drag. Last night, there were only a few gals rocking the high boots and bandanas, though it was good to see them.

But like a night at the orchestra, it all seemed unfailingly appropriate. The show started on time and the sound was at a reasonable level. The between-song chatter was about the importance of family. There were lots of sentimental tales of the band in its early days. It was kinda nice.

Some people would see that as the death of rock ‘n’ roll, no anger, no danger, no cigarette lighters, no youthful vibe, really. But rock has always taken its real strength from its humanity; its naturalness, rather than its costume-driven rawness. Natural, three decades in, isn’t as loud, and not as much beer gets spilled in the floor, but it has its own sort of enthusiasm, and it goes on and on and on.

Be sure to check out the Denver Post’s pop music website, Reverb, where you’ll find more reviews, and photos, of local concerts.

Ray Rinaldi: rr******@********st.com. On Twitter: @rayrinaldi. Follow me right now!

By Shane Kennedy / Phoenix New Times
Friday, May 31 2013

Fleetwood Mac
US Airways Center
May 30, 2013

It would be challenging, at best, to attempt to write an objective concert review about a band that your love for borders on obsession, so I’m not going to try.

Fleetwood Mac’s show at US Airways Arena Thursday night, was, well, it was fine. It was what one could reasonably expect from a band at this stage in its career, a career that began well over 40 years ago. They played the familiar hits, minus the Christine McVie (who stopped touring with the band in 1998) selections, which meant no “Say You Love Me,” no “Over My Head,” no “You Make Loving Fun,” no “Songbird,” no “Think About,” no “Little Lies.”

Her noticeable absence left the band less like the Fleetwood Mac that we all know and love, and more like the Lindsey Buckingham/Stevie Nicks show, with John McVie and Mick Fleetwood serving as a backing band. Much of the banter centered around the (to say the least) well-documented drama between former lovers Buckingham and Nicks. We all know the story.

The actual members of Fleetwood Mac were the minority on stage. A second guitarist, a keyboardist, two female backing vocalists, and a second drummer were curiously hidden behind Buckingham’s wall of amplifiers and augmented the band as they lumbered through opener “Second Hand News,” and on through “The Chain” and “Dreams.”

And then something beautiful happened. Buckingham mentioned that they had been recording new material, some of which appears on their new EP, the awkwardly titled Extended Play and introduced one of those selections, the excellent “Sad Angel.” I cannot, off the top of my head, think of any other band that has been around as long as they have that has issued a song so fantastic. I’m serious. It’s really good. The entire band, Mick Fleetwood especially, seemed to light up with the opportunity to play great new material.

The band followed up with Nick’s witchy crowd pleaser “Rhiannon,” and though her voice has changed over the years, she still has “it.” There is something very Billie Holiday about her, although her range in her 60s far exceeds Holidays at 20. Her youthful range has been replaced by a depth that can only come from a lifetime of being Stevie Nicks.

After “Rhiannon,” Nicks left the stage, leaving Buckingham to talk about the creative versus commercial challenge they faced after the blockbuster Rumours album, and the follow up, Tusk — a sprawling and uneven double album that has become the stuff of legend, and a musicians’ favorite (see notes below.)

Nicks returned to join the band for “Not That Funny,” “Tusk,” and “Sister of the Moon,” which could’ve been “Rhiannon 2” and is a song that, on record, seemed underdeveloped, likely due to Buckingham’s lack of interest in working closely with Nicks at that point in their relationship. They don’t make that mistake live. It’s a moody, spooky, epic live, one for which Nicks can play up the twirling White Witch persona to the hilt. The lovely “Sara” closed out the Tusk portion of the show, which for me, at least, was the highlight of the evening.

Buckingham was left alone on the stage for his frantic “Big Love,” Nicks then returned for her classic reflective weeper “Landslide,” then joined Buckingham for his sweet and sour “Never Going Back Again,” another new one — actually a just-recorded version of a pre-Mac Buckingham-Nicks demo called “Without You.” This acoustic portion of the show ended with Buckingham and Nicks in a touching embrace.

A small drum kit was set up for the Fleetwood for a mellow version of the fantastic “Gypsy” and the neurotic rave-up “Eyes of the World,” both from the underrated Mirage LP. Another Nicks showcase, the intense “Gold Dust Woman,” and Buckingham’s equally frightening “I’m So Afraid” followed.

I’m not sure what made the band decide to include Nicks’ solo hit “Stand Back” in the set; if it were up to me (and it wasn’t) I would’ve picked “Edge of Seventeen” off Nicks’ solo debut, Belladonna — and if they’re doing solo material, why not Buckinghams solo classic “Trouble,” or the fantastic “Don’t Let Me Down Again” from the pre-Mac Buckingham Nicks?

The familiar opening chords from “Go Your Own Way” sent the audience into near hysterics, and with that the band said their farewells.

But wait….Yes! Encore…

“World Turning,” as usual, turned into one of those things that I have never heard anyone say that they actually like, the drum solo. Mind you: I frickin’ LOVE Mick Fleetwood. But, ugh, drum solos. The obligatory “Don’t Stop” followed, to the audiences delight, and with that, the band cleared the stage before, due to popular demand, returning once more for Stevie’s tear-jerker “Silver Springs” and, finally, “Say Goodbye” from the 2003 (mostly) post-Christine McVie album Say You Will.

Looking over set lists and reviews from other stops on this tour reveals the same exact nightly set list and same nightly banter. Perhaps that’s to be expected in this day and age, but don’t we always want to believe that we are special and every show is unique?

All in all, I doubt there was anyone in the audience who left feeling slighted, other than the one holdout who thought there was a chance of them busting out Peter Green’s “Oh, Well.”

The band was indeed the “Big Machine” that Lindsey frequently refers to them as, and with any machine that big, nothing was left to chance, which would explain the teleprompter in front of Stevie.

For me, one of the great joys of the show was seeing, and hearing, John McVie and Mick Fleetwood play together, as they have for almost 50 years now, and as seamlessly as ever. One cannot say enough about their chemistry and history. Oh, the places they’ve been!

And despite the hair-splitting, it was a great joy to go with them last night.

Set List

1. Second Hand News

2. The Chain

3. Dreams

4. Sad Angel

5. Rhiannon

6. Not That Funny

7. Tusk

8. Sisters of the Moon

9. Sara

10. Big Love

11. Landslide

12. Never Going Back Again

13. Without You

14. Gypsy

15. Eyes of the World

16. Gold Dust Woman

17. I’m So Afraid

18. Stand Back

19. Go Your Own Way

20. World Turning (encore)

21. Don’t Stop (encore)

22. Silver Springs (encore)

23. Say Goodbye (encore)

Critics Notebook:

Last Night: Fleetwood Mac at US Airways Center (See the full slideshow of the concert)

Better Than: The lousy Just Tell Me That You Want Me Fleetwood Mac tribute album that came out a few months ago. Most of that crap was just awful.

Personal Bias: Um, a bit. I must confess that I own numerous bootlegs recordings, VHS tapes, a laserdisc, a T-shirt, two belt buckles, and, yes, I also have a Fleetwood Mac cover band that exclusively plays material from Tusk. I frickin’ love Fleetwood Mac. Seriously.

One of Shane Kennedy’s two Fleetwood Mac belt buckles.

Further Listening: I highly suggest that you revisit the Mirage album, it’s really good. And the new track “Sad Angel,” I swear to God, it’s really good.

By Ted Hansen / Examiner
Friday, May 31, 2013

For a group whose celebrated past, both in song and in real life, dealt with the pain caused when relationships cease, there sure was a lot of love in the air from Fleetwood Mac during their performance at the U.S. Airways Center in Phoenix on Thursday night, May 30, 2013. There was a love of the audience professed on separate occasions by singer Stevie Nicks, guitarist Lindsey Buckingham and drummer Mick Fleetwood. There was the special love for Phoenix mentioned by both hometown girl Nicks and Buckingham.

As for the relationship between Nicks and Buckingham, it may not have been “get a room,” love, but their hand holding, hugs and repeated compliments of one another on stage suggested any animosity between the two was long gone. Had Nicks and Buckingham been at this point in 1976, the bittersweet song writing that made Rumours the outstanding album it was, may never have occurred.

For two and half hours, the Buckingham/Nicks era of Fleetwood Mac was on full display. It may have taken Mick Fleetwood and bass player John McVie eight years before they found the right lead guitarist for their band with Buckingham, but ever since then they’ve been selling out arenas and did so once again in Phoenix. Thankfully for all, Buckingham insisted that his girlfriend at the time, Stevie Nicks, “a wonderful, brilliant lead singer,” as he called her, also join the band when he did.

The audience was already up and applauding before the band hit the stage. Mick Fleetwood’s tall stature made him visible even in the dim light as he took his place behind his kit. McVie followed closely and took his place to Fleetwood’s right side, a place where throughout the show, except to occasionally leave the stage, he did not vacate. Nicks and Buckingham came out hand in hand and took their places on opposite sides of the platform.

Once assembled, the band broke into “Second Hand News,” the first of seven songs from Rumours, to be played during their performance (there might have been more had Christine McVie, lead vocalist on Rumours’ songs “Songbird” and “You Make Loving Fun” not retired from touring in the 1990’s).“The Chain” brought forth the anticipated fiery vocal exchange between Nicks and Buckingham. With “Dreams,” Nicks was ready to “get this party started.” She was a song or two off from when that was to happen.

Buckingham let the audience know that there are “still some chapters left in the book of Fleetwood Mac” as he introduced their first new studio song in a decade, “Sad Angel.” A good, up tempo number, “Sad Angel” made fans hope that the next chapter is more than just the four songs recently released by the band on Extended Play.

It could be argued that when Nicks sings such songs as “Rhiannon,” “Sara,” “Gypsy,” or “Gold Dust Woman,” that Fleetwood Mac is her band. McVie and Fleetwood do an outstanding job as her backing rhythm section, content to be present enough to compliment the songs without being overpowering. Although her trademark twirling is not as prominent as it used to be, Nicks’ voice can still remain captivating, as it was for “Landslide.”

But the risk taker of Fleetwood Mac is Lindsey Buckingham, as evident by his breaking the music business rule of, as he called it, “if it works, run it into the ground,” when he spearheaded the release of Fleetwood Mac’s 1979 adventurous album Tusk. Time and the audience’s response to the four song set from “Tusk” gave Buckingham the vindication he deserved. Buckingham was highly animated and energized for the album’s title track, a number that grew from a very slow, eerie, beginning to a frenzied guitar effort by Buckingham accompanied by the USC marching band shown on the enormous video screen at the back of the stage.

The momentum created from the “Tusk,” set slowed when Buckingham was the sole performer on “Big Love,” followed by just him and Nicks performing together on the next three numbers. The slowdown in momentum did not translate to a slowdown in quality. Buckingham’s guitar work was mesmerizing and Nicks began to hit her stride vocally.

The final four songs of the regular set gave everyone a chance to see their favorite version of today’s Fleetwood Mac. Is Stevie Nicks your main draw? Then “Gold Dust Woman,” with Nicks at her mystical best satisfied as did her solo output, “Stand Back.” Can’t get enough of Lindsey Buckingham’s amazing guitar work? He blew the roof off the arena with his playing on “I’m So Afraid.” Like the band as a whole? Then “Go Your Own Way,” with its catchy melody, upbeat tempo and well sung-a-long lyrics would suffice.

Although the quartet of Buckingham, Nicks, McVie and Fleetwood are who the audience has come to see, the live version of Fleetwood Mac would not be the success it is without those in the background as well. Keyboardist Brett Tuggle, guitarist Neale Heywood and backup vocalists, Sharon Celoni and Lori Nicks, although kept in the shadows most of the night, gave Fleetwood Mac its on stage fullness.

The night ended with two encores, the first with the crowd pleasing tunes “World Turning,” which included a Mick Fleetwood drum solo and “Don’t Stop.” The second encore included one of Nicks’ better songs, “Silver Springs.” If you weren’t moved by the vocal interplay between Nicks and Buckingham on that song, then you probably had left after the first encore.

If the Phoenix concert is any barometer for those that have tickets to Fleetwood Mac’s upcoming shows, then expect no opening act, plan on the band starting about 20 minutes after the scheduled start time and be prepared for a stellar two and half hour stroll through the highlights of the last 37 years of Fleetwood Mac. It’s okay to say that you loved them.

Set List: Second Hand News | The Chain | Dreams | Sad Angel | Rhiannon | Not That Funny | Tusk | Sisters of the Moon | Sara | Big Love | Landslide | Never Going Back Again | Without You | Gypsy | Eyes of the World | Gold Dust Woman | I’m So Afraid | Stand Back | Go Your Own Way

Encore 1: World Turning (with Mick Fleetwood drum solo) | Don’t Stop

Encore 2: Silver Springs | Say Goodbye

By Ed Masley / Arizona Republic
Friday, May 31, 2013

It’s been 35 years since Fleetwood Mac released the soft-rock masterpiece that even now remains their calling card, the 11-times-platinum “Rumours.” And with four-fifths of the classic “Rumours” lineup — Lindsey Buckingham, Mick Fleetwood, Stevie Nicks and John McVie – back together again, they weren’t shy about blowing the dust off a good portion of that album Thursday night at US Airways Center, setting the tone with a spirited “Second Hand News” and then following through with “The Chain” and the chart-topping “Dreams.”

If Buckingham’s electrifying presence on guitar and vocals made it hard to believe you were watching a man who’d aged 35 years since releasing those songs, Nicks’ vocal on “Dreams” made it clear that the passage of time had not affected everyone in Fleetwood Mac the same. And it’s not that her vocal was off. It’s just that she’d rewritten the entire melody to suit the lower range her voice has settled into in her 60s, which detracted from a number of essential hooks ingrained in every Fleetwood Mac fan’s head. “Rhiannon” also found her backing down from the challenging notes, although delivered with real urgency. But Nicks, who told the crowd “It means a lot to be here; I was born here,” had redeemed herself and then some by the time the night was through, with her charisma and her vocals, really shining on an understated “Landslide,” which may have taken on an even more reflective tone with age.

It wasn’t all nostalgia, either. After three shots of “Rumours,” they tested the waters with “Sad Angel,” a new rocker driven by Buckingham’s chugging guitar. And later in the set, they treated the fans to the newly recorded soft-rock gem “Without You,” a Buckingham-Nicks song that went missing in the ’70s only to resurface in 2010 on YouTube, of all places.

Buckingham set up a showcase of “Tusk” with a speech that began with “There is a rule of thumb — I guess you could call it an axiom — in the music business. If it works, run it into the ground and move on.” It’s with great pride that Buckingham looks back on “Tusk” as the artistic left-field triumph no one, least of all the label, wanted after “Rumours.” Now, of course, it’s revered as one of rock’s most enduring misunderstood classics. And the first two songs they played from “Tusk” — “Not That Funny” and “Tusk” — have certainly retained their offbeat charm, while the Nicks songs that followed, “Sisters of the Moon” and “Sara,” served as a haunting reminder that “Tusk” had more to offer than Buckingham pushing the envelope into artier waters.

Buckingham followed the tribute to “Tusk” with a solo acoustic rendition of 1987’s “Big Love,” which showcased his skills on acoustic guitar with urgent vocals driving home the chorus hook. That led to a breathtaking version of “Landslide” with just Buckingham and Nicks on stage, the former couple holding hands in one dramatic pause while Nicks made the most of the poignant potential in the line “I’m getting older, too.”

From there, they dove back into “Rumours” with the slowed-down country blues of “Never Going Back Again.”

Nicks set the tone for “Without You” with a charming trip down memory lane and followed through with “Gypsy,” an early ’80s hit from “Mirage” that featured one of Nicks’ strongest vocals of the night and some of Buckingham’s flashiest guitar work. They stayed on “Mirage” for the spirited roots-rock abandon of “Eyes of the World” before another of Nicks’ most compelling showcases, the “Rumours” highlight “Gold Dust Woman.”

Next, Buckingham managed to bring in one of Thursday’s most enthusiastic crowd responses for a song that was neither a single nor a track from “Rumours.” A rarely heard highlight of Fleetwood Mac’s self-titled album, their first with Buckingham and Nicks on board, “I’m So Afraid” brought nearly every audience member to his or her feet with a jaw-dropping blend of musicianship and showmanship. He tore it up convincingly enough to win the adulation he deserved for that performance.

Nicks’ solo hit “Stand Back” kept the audience happy but the concert may have peaked with the set-closing “Go Your Own Way,” a rousing “Rumours” highlight that featured Nicks in a little black top hat and Buckingham squeezing out another flashy solo.

The encore got off to an odd start when Mick Fleetwood interrupted “World Turning” with a lengthy solo and then followed with the worst momentum killer in the history of rock and roll, introducing the band. You could feel the energy that peaked with “Go Your Own Way” dissipating by the second. But they made it worth the wait with yet another “Rumours” highlight, “Don’t Stop” — as in thinking about tomorrow. There was probably something ironic in seeing them close that particular show singing “Yesterday’s gone,” but here’s the thing: The highlights of that concert, of which there were many, served as a rousing reminder that maybe sometimes it’s cool to stop thinking about tomorrow and give yesterday another try, especially if you can make it feel as relevant as this show’s most compelling moments.

Reach the reporter at ed*******@*************ic.com or 602-444-4495. Twitter.com/EdMasley

28TH SHOW: Fleetwood Mac, US Airways Center, Phoenix, Arizona, May 30, 2013

Fan photos

(You can view even more photos of the show here.)

Fleetwood Mac performed in concert at the US Airways Center in Phoenix, Arizona, on Thursday night.

Fan reaction (via Twitter)

@ZachNemeth
Fleetwood Mac live is pretty damn good.

@kimicunningham
3 of my favorites in a row!!! I hope they just do the whole rumors album. #letsbehonest #fleetwoodmac #rumors

@BryceGustafson7
FLEETWOOD MAC IS KILLING IT!!!

@thebeerdedway
We’re so close to Fleetwood Mac I’m sure I could hit Lindsey Buckingham with a football. Or with my mother-in-law. She would like that.

@rtgaston
Here’s the deal you fuckin assholes! When fleet wood Mac plays a new song In concert you get up and dance! #fleetwoodmac

@nooccar
Rhiannon!!!! I’m happy #fleetwoodmac

@RuffledRow
Stevie Nicks #rocks #fleetwoodmac #idol #live #lookinggoodgirl

@GreatBritten
Stevie just sang Landslide just as impeccably or better than any recording I’ve heard. #wow #lovedit #fleetwoodmac

@kimicunningham
“Landslide” has me choked up. Is this because I’m turning 25??? #fleetwoodmac

@CiCiRadio
Packed house tonight at the #FleetwoodMac show ❤ #USAirways #icons #instagood #music #legendary…

‏@coreyrangel
Lindsey Buckingham sounds better than Stevie Nicks #isaidit #fleetwoodmac

@mmvaz
@fleetwoodmac Stevie nicks looks and sounds amazing. Lindsay buckingham is fantastic.

@debbiefitness
Fleetwood Mac brought it!

@alejandro695
This is a 65 year old and he’s rocking out harder than most of today’s musicians would dare to. #FleetwoodMac

@Nick_Franck
Absolutely phenomenal!! #fleetwoodmac

@JustinLBeatty
Fleetwood Mac pulling the rare Double Encore, a first in my concert-going career

@Tunga17
Fleetwood Mac, you absolutely killed it tonight #legends #rockstars #classic

@AmandaBahe
There are no words to describe the experience that was Fleetwood Mac. Ahhhhh!!!

@weaponmonster97
@fleetwoodmac amazing show in Arizona tonight, you rocked it!

@DebbieJenningsD
So this is what happened: Fleetwood Mac played 3 hours no opening act & no intermission & 2 encores. It.was.awesome.

@phxbrooklyngirl
What a great concert!! 3 hours of solid singing and two encores!! Not bad for some old people #fleetwoodmac #Phoenix

@daft_bird
Dreams DO come true!

Rejuvenated and finally unencumbered by their past, Fleetwood Mac played a formidable show

By Sonya Singh / Los Angeles Magazine
Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Nothing ever turns out as expected for Fleetwood Mac. Whether their collapsing relationships were translating into their best albums or their tour announcements were coming on the heels of an interview saying they’d never tour again, the British-American quartet found themselves hugging it out on stage following an explosive hometown show at the Hollywood Bowl on Saturday night.

They’ve overcome plenty to look so at peace with one another, but that’s where the tranquility ended. The band came out swinging with “Secondhand News,” summoning so much gusto that it’s a wonder they didn’t run ahead of the song’s tempo. “L.A., let’s get ready to party!” cried Stevie Nicks to a blast of cheers before launching into her breakup hit “Dreams.” The fretwork of Lindsey Buckingham, particularly on “I’m So Afraid,” proved that he is still one of the most underrated guitarists in rock. A wide-eyed Mick Fleetwood breathed new life into straightforward drum parts while slick bassist John McVie calmly maintained his place as the band’s rock. It’s no great revelation, though, that Nicks — “Our lady, our poet,” as Fleetwood introduced her — stole the scene, twirling around the stage and ad libbing new lines into “Gold Dust Woman,” likely inspired by the night’s full moon.

Fleetwood Mac has always been the sum of its unique parts, and for all the band’s hits, the absence of any member is keenly felt. Keyboardist Christine McVie, whose compositions arguably rank among Fleetwood Mac’s finest, retired from touring in the ’90s. While skillful, their longtime backup singers tucked at stage left failed to compensate for her warm vocal harmonies. The reports that she may take the stage with her former bandmates when they play in London has set L.A. fans abuzz. If she’ll play one of the band’s two hometowns, why not the other?

Even without hits like “Everywhere,” “You Make Lovin’ Fun” and former show-closer “Songbird,” the two-and-a-half-hour set did not disappoint. Greatest hits were celebrated alongside new releases like “Sad Angel” and “Without You,” a holdover from 1970s Buckingham/Nicks songwriting. They also played “Landslide,” “Go Your Own Way,” and “The Chain,” as well as a Stevie Nicks solo track and a few deeper cuts including “Not That Funny” and “Sisters of the Moon,” the latter of which they haven’t played since 1982’s Mirage Tour. Both songs come from Tusk, the unusual Rumours followup album.

No one would have blamed Fleetwood Mac if their show felt like a forced TV reunion with plastered smiles and rose-tinted nostalgia. It was far more genuine. “It smells like you’re having a good time out there,” joked Buckingham, but so was the band. They told stories of their early years in L.A. — the only way Buckingham would agree to Fleetwood’s request join the band, as we also learned in Dave Grohl’s Sound City documentary, was if he could bring Nicks. Now the most famous member of the bunch, she thanked Fleetwood and John McVie “for telling Lindsey he could bring the girl along.” The warmth between Nicks and Buckingham never ebbed even as he growled “Damn your love/Damn your lies” during “The Chain.” Their closing duet of “Say Goodbye” left a few people dabbing their eyes with the corners of their sleeves. Rejuvenated and finally unencumbered by their past, Fleetwood Mac proved themselves as formidable and as together as ever.

Fleetwood Mac’s Live 2013 tour will circled back around to the Staples Center on July 3. Tickets are still available.