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Category: Concert Reviews

REVIEW: Fleetwood Mac returns to the Forum intact

In a recent interview with Mojo magazine, Fleetwood Mac drummer and co-namesake Mick Fleetwood admitted the band had been a bit “one-legged” in the 16 years it carried on without keyboardist/vocalist Christine McVie. If that was the case, Fleetwood Mac was back on two legs, standing tall at the Forum on Black Friday for what was — according to a photo montage from its ’70s heyday proudly displayed in the Forum Club — its 13th appearance at the now remodeled venue.

Given that this was the group’s first date back in L.A. with Christine McVie and its history with the building, Friday’s show had all the trappings of a special event and Fleetwood Mac didn’t disappoint.

Opening with “The Chain,” the only song on the band’s 1977 blockbuster Rumours written by all five members, Fleetwood Mac at first celebrated its unity before turning the spotlight on the returning McVie, who sang lead on the even bigger Rumours era hit, “You Make Loving Fun.”

With all due respect to Fleetwood, we’d argue that Fleetwood Mac was more like a three-legged dog without Christine McVie, with frontwoman Stevie Nicks and frontman and guitarist Lindsey Buckingham holding up the front end while Fleetwood and fellow original member, bassist John McVie, together, supporting part of back. At the Forum, it was clear just how crucial Christine McVie’s role is, not only providing keyboards (although the band was supplemented by an additional keyboardist/guitarist and guitarist) and backing vocals for Nicks and Buckingham (the band was also assisted by three female backing vocalists), but providing an earthy lead vocal presence to counter Nicks’ sometimes out-three gypsy visions and Buckingham’s hyper emotionalism. And, it was that variety that made Friday’s show such a joy.

Christine McVie’s initial run in the spotlight was followed by Nicks’ turn on “Dreams,” then Buckingham on “Second Hand News,” back to Nicks with “Rhiannon,” extended with the singer altering her phrasing from the recorded version, proving this was no mere carbon copy of the record. The Tusk album track “I Know I’m Not Wrong” was a brief interlude from the hit parade before the title track, complete with video of the USC Marching Band performing the song on the video screen, for which Christine McVie added accordion and Buckingham replicated the elephant walk with guitar in tow.

The first third of the show was stacked so heavily with classic hits, it made you wonder if the band could sustain the momentum for the remainder of the gig, but that proved not to be a problem, as it used different configurations and vocalists to keep it interesting.

And the hits kept coming, as well, including McVie’s “Say That You Love Me,” the band’s first-ever top 40 hit after the veteran British blues band was revitalized with the addition of Nicks and Buckingham. After Nicks sang “Seven Wonders,” she gave a shout out to American Horror Story, which last season featured her in a cameo and the song, prompting the band to add it to the set.

Emotional highlights were natural to Buckingham and Nicks sharing the stage, Buckingham offering a startling acoustic reading of “Big Love,” after noting how the song’s meaning has changed over the years and then Nicks dedicating the ballad “Landslide” to “her fairy goddaughters” before the Forum’s roof sparkled as she sang.

Nicks also took the spotlight in “Gypsy” and “Gold Dust Woman.” The former was proceeded by a story about her early years in the Bay Area and remaining true to your dreams, while the latter had her donning a gold shawl and offering a freeform dance as she teetered on her high heels while the band provided a psychedelic interlude.

Towards the end of the set, the monster hit “Go Your Own Way” came off as a celebratory jam, with Nicks and Buckingham facing the drum kit and Fleetwood responding with a devilish grin.
During the encore, “World Turning” was punctuated with the hoariest of all arena-rock clichés — the drum solo. Yet Fleetwood made it tolerable by turning it into a call-and-response exercise with the audience, spouting gibberish and sporting wacky facial expressions between mercilessly pounding his kit.

“Don’t Stop” had all three main voices joining in unison and also seemed to be a theme for the two-and-half hour show and this 2014 tour. After Nicks took it down with “Silver Springs” and Buckingham (on piano) accompanied McVie on “Songbird,” Nicks returned to offer the story of Christine McVie’s return to the band. Then Fleetwood returned with his two young daughters in tow to once again thank the crowd and return the love. It was almost as if they didn’t want to stop.

Fleetwood Mac returns to the Forum Saturday and Dec. 6 and hits the Honda Center on Dec. 7.

Set List:

The Chain
You Make Loving Fun
Dreams
Second Hand News
Rhiannon
Everywhere
I Know I’m Not Wrong
Tusk
Sisters of the Moon
Say You Love Me
Seven Wonders
Big Love
Landslide
Never Going Back Again
Over My Head
Gypsy
Little Lies
Gold Dust Woman
I’m So Afraid
Go Your Own Way

Encore:

World Turning
Don’t Stop
Silver Springs

Encore 2:

Songbird

The Bottom Line
The classic ’70s lineup is complete again with the return of Christine McVie after a 16-year absence.

Venue
The Forum
Inglewood, Calif.
(Friday, Nov. 28)

Twitter: @CraigRosen

Craig Rosen / The Hollywood Reporter / Sunday, November 30, 2014

November 30, 2014
REVIEW: Fully reunited Fleetwood Mac wows the Forum, headed to O.C.

With Christine McVie back in the fold, the band plays all its ’70s hits.

Leave it to Stevie Nicks, ever the mystical muse of Fleetwood Mac, to let us in on the secret – some combination of cosmic vibes, love and magic, and a simple cell phone call – that made the legendary band whole again some 16 years after singer and keyboard player Christine McVie retired from touring.

Yes, McVie picked up the phone and called Nicks in October 2013 to ask if she could come back to the band that had soldiered on with four-fifths of its classic lineup of Nicks, guitarist Lindsey Buckingham, bassist John McVie and drummer Mick Fleetwood. And of course Nicks told her she was welcome whenever and for always.

But that was just the product of deeper machinations in the universe, Nicks said at the close of the band’s sold-out show at the Forum on Friday, the first of four Southern California dates that includes a stop at Honda Center in Anaheim on Sunday, Dec. 7.

“I think that last year at some point in October there was there was some magical thing that went out from all our fans saying, ‘It’s time for Christine to come back,’ ” Nicks said. “We are so thrilled that we got our girl back – you have magical powers.”

That the feeling was mutual – all that love and magic, natch – was clear from the start of Fleetwood Mac’s two-and-a-half hour show and a set that in its 24 songs included many written and sung by McVie that fans here hadn’t heard since a 1997 tour that included three nights at the then-Irvine Meadows and one at the Hollywood Bowl.

Though this On With The Show tour has run for 20-some shows so far the opening number, “The Chain,” seemed a little rough at the start, the harmonies of Buckingham, Nicks and Christine McVie not quite meshing as smoothly as they should. All felt better though by the opening keyboard bit of the next song, “You Make Loving Fun,” a Christine McVie number that drew tremendous cheers as the crowd welcomed her back into the fold.

This is a band whose fights and fractures were legendary during the height of their fame. Nicks and Buckingham and the McVies each were couples, and then were not. Drug addictions and interband rivalries caused rifts even as Fleetwood Mac made some of the best albums of the era, from the self-titled “White Album” to “Rumours” and “Tusk.”

That they survived all that then is a minor miracle; that they perform as well as they do when they’re all between the ages of 65 to 71 years old must be an even sweeter success.

The show largely unfolded with the three singers taking turns on the songs they wrote and sang lead on. Early in the set that found Nicks singing “Dreams” and “Rhiannon,” the latter of which found her all a-twirl in her gauzy black shawl, bowing deeply to acknowledge the cheers at the end.

Buckingham’s “Second Hand News” and “Tusk” put a spotlight on his high-energy vocals and still-dazzling guitar work, but throughout the night it was the McVie spotlights such as “Everywhere” and “Say You Love Me” that felt just a bit more special given her absence on stage for so many years.

Given how well-known these songs all are you’d be forgiven for thinking there’d be few moments of genuine surprise or deeper emotional connection, but throughout the night many of these older tunes felt fresh in the context of the gang getting back together again.

This was the case even when it was only Buckingham on stage by himself, singing “Big Love” and talking about how the feelings of alienation he felt with the band when he wrote it have faded to meditation now, or later when Nicks joined him for a beautiful take on the always lovely “Landslide.”

Nicks was her usual endearingly hippy-dippy self, at one point giving a shout-out to the TV series “American Horror Story” for featuring the song “Seven Wonders” earlier this year and thus getting it back into their set. She later told a long and rambling anecdote about her earliest days as a singer in San Francisco pre-Fleetwood Mac and how a visit to the lady rock star clothing store later inspired the song “Gypsy.”

Highlights in the final stretch of the main set included McVie’s “Little Lies,” a take on “Gold Dust Woman” that from the ominous guitar line and cowbell opening through Nicks’ gold-shawl-twirling performance was perhaps the tour de force of the show. They closed with “Go Your Own Way” with Buckingham taking the lead vocals but both Nicks and McVie joining in as it built to the finish.

The encore opened with “World Turning,” which featured Fleetwood on an old-fashioned drawn-out drum solo that you didn’t really mind given how animated and happy he seemed, then “Don’t Stop,” which had most of the Forum singing along.

After one more break, McVie returned alone to a piano at center stage, singing “Songbird,” the nickname Fleetwood gave her during the band introductions, alone for a moment, then joined by Buckingham on guitar. A fitting final spotlight for the prodigal daughter now back in the fold.

Contact the writer: 714-796-7787 or pl*****@********er.com

Peter Larsen / OC Register / Saturday, November 29, 2014

November 29, 2014
REVIEW: Fleetwood Mac, Christine McVie delight fans in San Jose

What a difference a McVie makes.

Christine McVie’s long-awaited return to Fleetwood Mac, following a 16-year absence, paid huge dividends during the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame act’s sold-out concert on Tuesday at the SAP Center in San Jose.

It allowed the band to fully recall its commercial and artistic peak of the ’70s, when the voices of McVie, Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham combined to make Fleetwood Mac one of the world’s biggest bands.

Sure, Nicks has typically received the lioness’ share of attention, with Buckingham hogging much of what was left over. Yet, anyone who doubts the importance of McVie’s musical contributions, both on vocals and keyboards, probably didn’t catch the band’s three previous road shows — all of which were solid, but not nearly as fulfilling as what Bay Area fans witnessed with the current On with the Show Tour.

Whether you’re a longtime fan or a newcomer to the fold, this is definitely the right time to see Fleetwood Mac. Locals will have another shot when the Mac — Nicks, Buckingham, Christine McVie, drummer Mick Fleetwood and bassist John McVie — perform Dec. 3 at Oracle Arena in Oakland. Show time is 8 p.m. and tickets are $49.50-$199.50, www.ticketmaster.com.

The tour — the band’s first with Christine McVie since 1997’s The Dance trek — is all about the hits. Fans get to hear most of the band’s best-known songs, minus the pre-Nicks/Buckingham material of the late ’60s and early ’70s, during a mostly well-paced set that stretches over 2 ½ hours.

The reunion show kicked off in appropriate fashion, with a triumphant version of “The Chain,” the only song credited to all five band members on 1977’s 40-million-plus selling “Rumours.” The group sounded fantastic, like it had just stepped out of some time capsule sealed around 1979, as it glided and grooved through some two-dozen pop-rock songs.

The three vocalists took turns in the spotlight, with McVie — the de facto guest of honor at this party — going first and crooning through a soothing “You Make Loving Fun.” Her first line was met with applause from the crowd, obviously thrilled to once again hear her voice.

“I’d just like to say a special thanks to Fleetwood Mac … for letting me come back and do this,” McVie said to the audience early in the evening. “It’s unreal.”

She bubbled with joy, like a woman who’d just found her lost winning lottery ticket, throughout the evening. She acted like it was a privilege to be able to once again sing such songs as “Everywhere” and “Say You Love Me” — and it certainly was a privilege to hear her sing them.

The happiest person in the building, however, was former San Jose State University student Stevie Nicks, who repeatedly informed the approximately 14,000 fans in attendance that she was delighted to be back in her old stamping grounds. It was great to hear her talk so warmly — and specifically — about San Jose, a city that is routinely referred to as San Francisco during concerts by performers who really should know better.

“This is for all of you in San Jose,” Nicks said during the introduction to the gorgeous ballad “Landslide.” “Because, you know, this is where the dream began.”

Nicks benefits greatly from Christine McVie’s presence, which allows her to shoulder less of a load overall and thus pour herself more fully into her lead vocals. She was brilliant on “Rhiannon” and even better on “Sisters of the Moon.” Nicks definitely went for broke on “Seven Wonders,” a tune from 1987’s “Tango in the Night” that gained new life after being used in TV’s “American Horror Story: Coven.”

“Thank you ‘American Horror Story,’” said Nicks, who also appeared — as herself — in the series.

The concert wasn’t without some problems. The last third of the show dragged on a bit too long, as the band extended some songs well past their worth and seemed to lose sight of the finish line. Nicks’ “Gold Dust Women” should’ve delivered a concise crescendo, but instead went on and on like a lesser String Cheese Incident cut. Mick Fleetwood’s drum solo during “World Turning” was a showstopper — but in all the wrong ways. Buckingham was his usual showboat self on guitar, but he has the talent to get away with it.

In all, however, it was a triumphant return for Fleetwood Mac — and its soaring “Songbird” Christine McVie.

Jim Harrington / Bay Area News Group / Tuesday, November 25, 2014
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November 26, 2014
REVIEW: With Christine McVie back, Fleetwood Mac feels complete

Fleetwood Mac played without an asterisk Monday during a sold-out show at Sacramento’s Sleep Train Arena.

JUMP TO: Photos

The superstar band offered all it hits and all its lead singers, with Christine McVie having returned to the road after a 16-year absence.

McVie was elegant and unassuming Monday, just as she was during the band’s “Rumours” heyday. Chic in black jeans and a leather jacket, the 71-year-old singer/keyboard player seemed happy to be back, whether she was in the spotlight or assuming a utility role by playing accordion on “Tusk,” the still-wild-and-weird title single from Fleetwood Mac’s 1979 album.

McVie was not so unassuming that you did not notice, when the band kicked into the McVie-led “You Make Loving Fun” as its second song of the night, that an intact Mac beats the four-fifths crew that toured in her absence.

The band’s 1970s and ’80s success lay in its musical diversity. In how it made room for McVie’s graceful melodies, Stevie Nicks’ airy poetry and Lindsey Buckingham’s more coiled, intense songwriting, then joined those styles in a signature sound cemented by three-part harmonies.

Mac minus McVie still entertained in concert, with Nicks tapping her distinctive, raspy vocals, witchy-woman vibe and giant-rock-star stage presence, Buckingham quick-picking his guitar and exploiting his own considerable charisma, and Mick Fleetwood going mad on drums.

But those shows never felt like complete Mac. Not like the Mac that killed it Monday night on the band’s McVie-led 1987 hit “Little Lies.” A harmony bonanza, the song sounds edgier live than on record.

No one looked happier to see McVie than Buckingham, the band’s creative engine and biggest champion. McVie’s return, Buckingham said, marked a new period for the band that appeared likely to be “poetic” and “prolific.”

For a 65-year-old to be mapping out a rock ‘n’ roll future with a 71-year-old (and with Nicks, 66, Mick Fleetwood, 67, and bassist John McVie, who turns 69 Wednesday) is inspiring. It also speaks to why the group endures, 37 years after “Rumours” and its surrounding excess and romantic strife. It’s through Buckingham’s sheer will.

Christine McVie’s road rustiness showed at times Monday, especially during the ballad “Songbird,” during which she clearly had trouble hitting notes. But even at these moments, the band was better with her than without her. The notes might not all still be there, but the reassuring, husky quality of her voice is.

McVie seemed shy as she thanked her bandmates and fans for their support. Nicks was not shy at any point. Not when turning “Gold Dust Woman” into a welcome bit of performance art involving a sparkly shawl, or when regaling the audience with a story from her days as a Bay Area rock baby.

She was in a band with Buckingham that once opened for acts such as Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin. After Nicks discovered all the famous San Francisco rock women shopped at a boutique called Velvet Underground (which Nicks name checks in “Gypsy”), she visited the store.

She couldn’t afford anything in it, Nicks told the crowd. But she had an epiphany while there, that one day she would be famous and play for big crowds. It happened, Nicks said, gesturing toward the 15,000 people watching her in Sleep Train Arena.

You gotta love Nicks for barely bothering with the “humble” part of humble bragging. But why bother with humility? Nicks has been an icon for decades.

“Icon” gets used too often. But add up Nicks’ one-of-a-kind, nasal-yet-pleasant singing voice, shawls, scarves, all-summer-long boots and the creation, last year, of an “American Horror Story: Coven” witch character who worshipped the singer, and there it is: icon.

Now that you know to whom the term legitimately can be applied, don’t go calling Taylor Swift an icon.

Call The Bee’s Carla Meyer, (916) 321-1118. Follow her on Twitter @CarlaMeyerSB

Carla Meyer / Sacramento Bee / Tuesday, November 25, 2014

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November 25, 2014
REVIEW: Fleetwood Mac at Moda Center, 11/22

Growing up, I hated Fleetwood Mac. Maybe part of the problem was I usually lumped them in with the Eagles, a band that is truly terrible, or with my general distaste for classic rock dinosaurs, borne from a childhood spent listening to Phil Collins and Sting greatest hit tapes on every single family roadtrip. Nirvana and Pearl Jam and Hole hit right when I got my first Discman, and soon after, my older next-door neighbor was giving me Radiohead and Built to Spill albums. Fleetwood Mac weren’t just uncool: They were the bloated, overwrought excess of everything a young indie-rock fan and Spin subscriber stood against. But then in college, a close friend lent me a copy of Tusk, saying it was their White Album and also the one where the band’s drug use was a little too intense. I grew older, went through a few breakups, and grew to truly love my former enemies.

Fleetwood Mac have been touring a lot the past few years (including an appearance at the Moda Center just last year), but the big news here is the return of Christine McVie after a 16-year absence. Though billed as the “On with the Show” tour, there was nothing resigned about the performance Saturday night, except the few moments when the New Age-y visuals recalled a Cialis commercial. Snark aside, this really was a wonderful show. The whole band seemed genuinely stoked to have McVie back in the fold, as most of the pre-song banter featured Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham or even Mick Fleetwood gushing about being able to play with her again. Fleetwood Mac has played most of these songs hundreds of times but they were still loose and nimble onstage, occasionally stretching out a song but never indulging in that classic rock trope of just jamming forever, man.

The hits from Rumours—”Dreams,” “Go Your Own Way,” “Gold Dust Woman”—naturally got the biggest responses, and the band smiled its way through through every moment. They were augmented by three backup singers and two sidemen on guitar and keyboards, but the mix was always light, centering on Nicks’ husky voice, Buckingham’s exciting guitar playing and the subtle backbone of the rhythm section, which just kept on beating amidst a sea of 20,000 people singing along to every single word.

But for me, the real pleasure was when the band dived deeper into their back catalogue, dusting off gems like “Tusk” and Tango in the Night’s “Little Lies” and “Big Love,” which Buckingham performed solo while showing off his incredible fingerpicked guitar playing. I nearly died when he played “I Know I’m Not Wrong,” my favorite song off Tusk and easily the most amusing song of the night visually, with his dismembered floating head projected on the screen behind the band mouthing the words through a sea of colorful clouds. Buckingham really is an amazing performer—at 65 years old, rocking skinny jeans and a tight black v-neck, he seems much younger than most of his contemporaries. Though not usually recognized as a guitar hero, his solos were revelatory, never overshadowing the song but pushing each hit to new heights.

During the encore, I realized this might be the first show I’ve ever seen without an opening band. I mean, who could realistically open for Fleetwood Mac? When Mick launched into a call-and-response drum solo during “World Turning,” I initially wanted to hate on the showmanship, but I actually found it rather endearing, just like when he came out front to play a smaller kit during a nice late set stretch of songs that included “Over My Head.” Sure, it was a little cheesy. But sometimes, we have to know when we are wrong, and just embrace the kitsch.

Michael Mannheimer / Willamette Week / Sunday, November 23, 2014

November 23, 2014
REVIEW: Fleetwood Mac plays hit after greatest hit

Fleetwood Mac
Moda Center at the Rose Quarter
Portland

“Sweet wonderful you,” Christine McVie sang, all smiles. “You make me happy with the things you do.”

That was pretty much the vibe at Fleetwood Mac’s concert at the Moda Center on Saturday night; five senior citizens touring again for the first time in 16 years, playing their hits like time stopped and it was 1979 again, with more hugs and without all the cocaine. McVie’s decision to return created a pocket of warmth on the left side of the stage and energized her bandmates, who couldn’t stop talking about how happy it made them to play with “our beautiful Christine,” as Lindsey Buckingham called her. Here’s a review in the form of an annotated setlist, 20 songs deep:

“The Chain”: Christine comes out and slides behind her keyboards like she’s never been away, 71 and looking great. Stevie Nicks is center stage, Buckingham is stage right, Mick Fleetwood atop a huge drum kit, John McVie almost invisible in a cap and red vest. There are two extra musicians behind the McVies and three backup singers, providing a fuller sound that’s immediately put to use on the chorus. First impression: Buckingham is really on it, breaking off a clean solo with that amazing fingerpicking technique.

“You Make Loving Fun”: Christine’s first solo vocal of the evening is strong and clear — that’s what 16 years off will do for your voice. She once wrote a song called “Warm Ways,” and warmth is the best word to describe her. She’s Christine Perfect from the Lake District of England, and it’s lovely to see her back onstage.

“Dreams”: Any band is a brand, and a band as big as Fleetwood Mac creates and maintains a brand that stays in people’s minds and brings them to a concert where the newest songs were recorded 26 years ago. The brand doesn’t change, the songs stay on the radio and sound as fresh as ever, but the players — the ones that only love you when they’re playing — get older. All the members of Fleetwood Mac are at least 65 and have been performing since they were teenagers. Time waits for no one.

Which is one way of saying that Stevie Nicks’ voice, always husky and evocative, sometimes sounds hoarse and flat, like it did on the first verse of “Dreams.”

“Second Hand News”: Fleetwood, who loves a kick-drum intro, pounded it out and Buckingham took it from there. Short and sweet.

“Rhiannon”: Nicks put on her black witch shawl and vamped a little as the rear-screen projection flashed some images that were a combination of “The Lord of the Rings” and “The Song Remains the Same.” And speaking of Tolkien, if Fleetwood Mac was “The Lord of the Rings” then Mick would be Gandalf, John McVie would be Samwise Gamgee, Buckingham would be Aragorn, Christine would be Gimli, and Stevie would be Frodo, keeper of the Ring.

“Everywhere”: Christine thanked the audience — warmly, sincerely — and sang one of her hits.

“I Know I’m Not Wrong”: Welcome to the Lindsey Buckingham show. He gave a little rap about how having Christine back “feels very circular,” then played the first of two numbers from “Tusk,” his masterpiece (but not the band’s).

“Tusk”: Slow build led by Buckingham, Christine strapped on an accordion (not that you could hear it), and the light show morphed into the famous USC marching band footage. Worked for me.

“Sisters of the Moon”: Stevie’s found her voice! Maybe the lower register fits the 2014 Stevie. This song is the one Stevie lovers love most.

“Say You Love Me”: Christine’s songs are all about love, pure and true. The lyrics are direct and sincere and timeless. Is it possible to have a crush on a woman old enough to be your mother?

“Seven Wonders”: More grooviness from Her Royal Stevieness, wrapped up with a shout-out to “American Horror Story” for bringing the song back around.

“Big Love”: Why did Buckingham never become a solo star the way Nicks did? He has so much talent: great voice, charisma, brilliant, unusual guitar technique, outstanding writer and performer. The biggest reason why Fleetwood Mac was so successful the late 1970s was it had three songwriters — Buckingham, Nicks, Christine McVie — coming up with one radio-friendly classic after another. But somebody had to be the boss and bring the sound into a whole live and in the studio, and that person was Buckingham. He was the driving force, the Lennon and the McCartney on “Rumours” and definitely on “Tusk,” and it took so much out of him that he quit after “Tango in the Night,” the last studio album with this lineup and originally a Buckingham solo album. He’s been the backbone of all the tours for the last 25 years and it seems to me forgotten as a live performer by those who see Fleetwood Mac as an oldies band. (Which they are, let’s face it.)

“Landslide”: Hearing Stevie play this is like hearing Neil Young play “Old Man.” They’ve grown into the song, and it means more now.

“Never Going Back Again”: Slow and easy, Buckingham whispered his vocal. He hugged Nicks when it was over.

“Over My Head”: “I wrote this one in 1975,” Christine said. Fleetwood’s out front, playing a smaller kit.

“Gypsy”: Long, funny introduction from Stevie about being in a band in San Francisco, going into a hippie clothing store called The Velvet Underground, following your dreams, etc. Best video of the night: rainy San Francisco, kinda noir. Lighting strikes, maybe once, maybe twice. Stevie spins!

“Little Lies”: The last top 10 hit for Fleetwood Mac, unless “American Horror Story” uses a deep cut from “Tusk” or something.

“Gold Dust Woman”: Stevie shuffled across the stage, and for a minute I wasn’t sure she was going to make it back. Cool outro from Ms. Nicks.

“I’m So Afraid”: The first of three big fat highlights for me. I love the desperate isolation in the lyric, and then Buckingham shredded a showcase solo. It’s one thing to finger-pick an acoustic, but getting that kind of big sound out of an electric without a pick is fascinating to watch.

“Go Your Own Way”: Buckingham was out of breath after “I’m So Afraid”; Nicks put on a top hat and waved to the fans. Cell phones light up before the encore. The woman next to me pulled out a lighter and people congratulated her.

“World Turning”: The first song of the encore meant a drum solo for Fleetwood.

“Don’t Stop”: The one song in the Fleetwood Mac catalog that feels overplayed. It’s not you, it’s me.

“Silver Springs”: (Highlight No. 2) How great an album is “Rumours” that this beauty didn’t make the cut? The flip side of “Go Your Own Way,” maybe Stevie’s loveliest lyric. She saved her best performance for last, and thanked the fans for remembering the song. Who can forget?

“Songbird”: (Highlight No. 3): Christine at a grand piano, Buckingham at her side, playing another wide-open love song, wedding music for a generation of happy couples, at least on that day. It’s all right. I know it’s right.

Jeff Baker / The Oregonian / Sunday, November 23, 2014
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November 23, 2014
REVIEW: The Mac is back!

Last Tuesday, Banker’s Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis hosted legendary rock band Fleetwood Mac for the 12th show of their tour – another sold out show.

The band, back to the original five with the return of Christine McVie after 16 years, reminded the sold out crowd why they were such big fans of the band for such a long time.

The nearly three-hour-long concert was filled with hits from the past as well as hits of the future.

As the lights went out the shouts and applause began. Chimes were heard and then the foot drum played by Mick Fleetwood slowly began to play. Everyone knew what was coming when Lindsey Buckingham started on the guitar, we all knew what song it was, “The Chain,” a hit from their album Rumours.

They followed with several more hits back to back all evening.

Age has nothing on this band as these “youngsters at heart” thrilled the crowd and sounded incredible. They sang, danced, jumped, and moved around the stage as if time had stood still for the past 40 years.

I have been at concerts of artists in their 20s on up and this concert was one of the best, if not at the top.

Stevie Nicks, 66 and Christine McVie, 71, can still belt it out like no one else with their amazing vocal talents.

From Mick Fleetwood’s entertaining antics on the drums during “World Turning” to John McVie’s steadiness on the bass to Lindsey Buckingham’s unbelievable abilities on the guitar all across the stage, the band put on a show to remember.

Aaron Kirchoff / Rushville Republican / Tuesday, October 28, 2014

October 28, 2014
REVIEW: Fleetwood Mac back in top form at Boston Garden party

When you have a record in your quiver like Rumours, one of the best-selling albums of all time with 45 million copies sold, you can kick off a concert like Fleetwood Mac did Saturday in its second sold-out stop at TD Garden this month. Especially if you have Christine McVie back after a 16-year retirement to join Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham in restoring all three of the lead singers from that 1977 classic.

Hence came the “Keep us together” chorus of opener “The Chain,” one of four straight jukebox-worthy tunes from Rumours, followed by Nicks’ signature 1975 smash “Rhiannon.” Yet beyond the nostalgic joy of having all three voices harmonize those vintage hits, Buckingham then announced a new “profound and prolific chapter” for the band, an allusion to songs reportedly in the works for a comeback album.

But no new songs, solo songs or pre-Buckingham/Nicks songs showed up in Fleetwood Mac’s two-and-a-half hour set, which actually grew stronger as it branched deeper into this quintet’s musical personalities (lengthy banter aside). Pianist McVie, the eldest band member at 71, beamed positivity into edge-of-sappy pop like “Say You Love Me” and “Over My Head.” Nicks tempered her witchy mystique for earthy, resonant delivery even in mid-set “Sisters of the Moon” and “Seven Wonders,” which she admitted wouldn’t have been done if not for its inclusion in the TV series “American Horror Story.” Buckingham hit virtuoso extremes from solo acoustic selections to his stinging, finger-picked guitar climax to “I’m So Afraid” while stoking the rock edge of “Go Your Own Way” with tribal drummer Mick Fleetwood, who fueled the energy of “World Turning” despite his overdone solo bash. Only bassist John McVie, recovering from cancer surgery, played the silent partner.

They all looked good and sounded spot-on musically and vocally, so did they really need three female backup singers, an extra guitarist and an extra keyboardist? “Tusk” was powerful before pre-recorded horns synced to video of the USC Trojan Marching Band that graced the album. Band members seemed in fine spirits as well, complimenting each other left and right, apparently quite sincere and happy about it all. Granted, they’re boosting a lucrative brand, starting with pricey sold-out concert tickets. And they must be in better mental and physical shape than in the cocaine-fueled days that Rumours was made, when relationships (between Buckingham and Nicks as well as the divorcing McVies) were in tatters.

Mac fans (especially many who never caught this full classic lineup) would do well to jump on this bandwagon — if they can afford a ticket, and perhaps before any new songs arrive for better or worse (Saturday’s main misstep was 1987’s glossy “Little Lies,” set to video of made-up young eyes and lips). Beyond a date this Saturday in Hartford, Conn., the band just added shows into the new year, including the Dunkin’ Donuts Center in Providence, R.I. on Jan. 28 and Connecticut’s Mohegan Sun on Feb. 7.

Paul Robicheau / The Improper Bostonian / Monday, October 27, 2014

October 27, 2014
REVIEW: Fleetwood Mac, Christine McVie concert a triumph

Fleetwood Mac
Canadian Tire Centre
Reviewed Sunday, Oct. 26

With Christine McVie back in the lineup, a revitalized Fleetwood Mac gave a triumphant concert at Canadian Tire Centre on Sunday, delighting a sold-out crowd of 18,500 fans.

The classic-rock legends had been soldiering on for years without McVie, who departed in the late ’90s because of a crippling fear of plane travel. Although they adjusted the music to work well enough without McVie’s mellow voice, her absence was always noted, as we saw when Mac passed through town last year.

This time, the 71-year-old singer-songwriter-instrumentalist took her rightful place alongside her original bandmates, who voiced their appreciation a couple of times during Sunday’s concert.

“Welcome back, Chris,” said singer-songwriter Stevie Nicks, who seemed genuinely happy to share the spotlight. “I told her I was lonely up here without another blonde. Two blondes are better than one.”

When it comes to the Fleetwood Mac catalogue, two female voices sound better than one, too, as McVie’s well-modulated pipes provide a nice counterpart to the emotional edge of Nicks’s voice. What’s more, it was terrific to hear the songs that McVie wrote included in the set list.

After a sturdy version of The Chain to kick off the show, McVie took the lead, lending her rich, buttery voice to the gently soaring You Make Loving Fun. She also played keyboards throughout the concert, and at one point, stepped away from the piano to wield an accordion. Other highlights of McVie’s contributions include Say You Love Me, Everywhere and Don’t Stop.

Despite the long history of challenging interpersonal relationships among the band members, there was nothing but love displayed on stage.

“On a personal note, I’d like to say thank you for letting me have a second chance at doing this all over again. I love you guys,” said McVie, who’s not usually one to gush.

It was up to Nicks, who occupied centre stage, to create a sense of drama with her arms outstretched and scarves floating around her as she twirled. The 66-year-old singer threw herself into such crowd favourites as Dreams and Rhiannon.

Musically, the band was on fire, thanks in large part to the work of singer-guitarist Lindsey Buckingham. He set the pace by digging into his electric guitar and coming up with some dazzling solos. Anchoring the proceedings was the mighty rhythm section of Mick Fleetwood on drums and John McVie on bass. A trio of backing singers and a couple of additional instrumentalists rounded out the lineup.

The concert lasted close to two-and-a-half hours and was packed with hits, including most of their seminal 1977 release, Rumours, one of the best-selling albums in rock history. Crowd favourites included invigorating versions of Go Your Own Way and Don’t Stop that demonstrated the band’s new energy.

The Ottawa concert was part of the first leg of their On With the Show tour, which Buckingham described as a new chapter for the band.

“At this particular moment for us, with the return of beautiful Christine, we begin a new chapter, a very prolific, profound and poetic chapter in the history of this band,” he said.

ls******@***********en.com

Lynn Saxberg / Ottawa Citizen / Sunday, October 26, 2014

October 27, 2014
REVIEW: Fleetwood Mac celebrates hits with help from Kid Rock

Fleetwood Mac celebrated its long history with a two-and-a-half hour concert at the Palace Wednesday that saw a cameo from hometown rocker Kid Rock.

Yesterday’s gone, as the song goes, but it was a celebration of yesterdays gone at the Palace of Auburn Hills on Wednesday night as Fleetwood Mac hit the stage for a 2½-hour love fest in honor of the return of Christine McVie to the band’s fold after a 16-year absence.

Even Kid Rock got in on the action, hitting the stage midway through the show after Lindsey Buckingham dedicated “Big Love” to the hometown rocker and Stevie Nicks mentioned him during her intro to “Landslide.” As “Landslide” was coming to a close, Rock walked onto the stage — his American Badass trucker hat atop his head — and stood behind Nicks, wrapping his arms around her with a reverse bear hug. That brought the crowd to its feet, as any appearance by Rock tends to do, and jump-started the show for its second half.

No disrespect to Rock (or Nicks), but it was McVie’s night to shine, and she brought a wave of early cheers two songs into the show when she opened “You Make Loving Fun.” “Thank you Detroit!” she exclaimed at the close of the song to a round of applause. The current tour marks her first outing with the band since 1998’s tour behind “The Dance.”

“I guess you did notice there is yet another blonde on the stage,” Nicks said after McVie’s brief hellos. “Two blondes are better than one!” She then asked McVie, “where you been?” but the answer was beside the point. This tour is about the famously contentious band coming back together for one more go-round and fans having one more shot at seeing them back together.

The packed house proved there was plenty of interest in the billing, and the Rock and Roll Hall of Famers delivered a solid 24-song show of hits and album cuts from its long and winding history. Everyone got a chance to shine, and Buckingham’s searing guitar solo during a towering “I’m So Afraid” was the night’s highlight.

Yet for all the talk about tomorrow and the band’s future — both Buckingham and Mick Fleetwood seemed stoked for the band’s prospects looking forward — it was a nostalgia play through and through. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, and there’s plenty to be said for playing the hits to a receptive audience. “Don’t Stop” came late in the show and while the song’s and the band’s optimistic message still rings, it’s a throwback of a throwback.

Yesterday’s gone, no matter how hard you try to hang on.

ag*****@*********ws.com

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Adam Graham / The Detroit News / Thursday, October 23, 2014

October 22, 2014