Fleetwood Mac Rocks the Garden
Monday, October 13, 2014
“Sweet wonderful you,” sang Christine McVie Friday night, leading Fleetwood Mac in the first of two shows this month at the TD Garden. The “all in” opening lyric from “You Make Lovin’ Fun” could have described the mutual admiration between the fans and the band, especially McVie, who has been absent since 1998.
The vibes were good, and genuine warmth was flowing as the band charmed it's way into the hearts of the 19,600 or so fans in the sold out arena. WIth so many hits to draw from, there weren't many misses on this night of great music.
Christine McVie Returns
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTIt goes without saying that the highlight of the evening was the return of McVie, whose smoky alto took lead on many of the band’s hits. She’s been in semi-retirement since 1998, and all in attendance, especially her “Sister of the Moon” Stevie Nicks, have missed her dearly. In between songs, Nicks referenced her personal dream catcher that she brought out every night on tour and its success in getting the “dream girl” (McVie) back into the band.
Indeed, she completes this unique collaboration, formed in bits and pieces in the early 1970s. It was a special chemistry that drove the band to make the top selling album of the decade, Rumours. In concert, her voice was remarkably strong at age 71, as if frozen in time from the moment she left the band in 1998.
Band of Superstars
Like a fine bottle of wine, this mix of Brits and Americans has aged gracefully, having set the standard for classic rock in the 70’s, with their real life reality show played out on their albums for all to see. (Their saga probably inspired the original VH1: Behind the Music series.) They were perhaps the biggest band to air their pain in public since the Beatles. But their “drama” inspired some timeless classics, many of which they shared in Boston.
When one thinks of Fleetwood Mac’s “stars,” names like Nicks and McVie top the list, so it’s ironic that the band’s name comes from original drummer Mick Fleetwood and bass player John McVie. Don’t get me wrong, the two make up one of the greatest “sections” in the history of rock and roll. They shined on rhythm driven tunes like “Tusk” and “World Turning,” both crowd favorites.
Then there is the guitar playing, singing, and stage presence of Lindsey Buckingham. Buckingham’s guitar prowess is well known, and his intensity on songs like “Big Love” and “Never Going Back Again” (done real slow), enthralled the crowd. His angst ridden performance on “I’m So Afraid” was as authentic as Kurt Cobain in his prime.
Rumours Rules
The concert featured a number of tunes from 1977’s Rumours, one of the top selling albums of all time. The album chronicled the relationships among the band mates – where sentiments of love, heartbreak and deceit fueled the lyrics.
They played almost the complete album opening with “The Chain” then segueing into “You Make Loving Fun,” followed by Nicks taking the lead on “Dreams.” Next was “Second Hand News,” (on steroids), followed by Rhiannon from the self titled 1976 Mac album.
It was a balanced show no doubt, but McVie stole the thunder from beginning to end, sweetly gliding through hits like “You Make Lovin Fun,” “Little Lies,” and “Over My Head.” “Songbird,” the final encore, which hushed the crowd, was particularly poignant.
Other show highlights included “Landslide” - the quintessential break up song – performed brilliant as always, with Buckingham elegantly accompanying Nicks’ vocals. "Silver Springs" was another crowd favorite led by the Buckingham/Nicks duo.
A Certain Chemistry
What Fleetwood Mac brings is a diverse repertoire, including arena rock sing-a-longs like "Don't Stop," along with some of the most accessible ballads in rock history. Their mainstream success is undeniable, and their musicianship is absolutely top notch. Remember, they were a highly regarded Blues-Rock band before Buckingham and McVie joined in 1974.
The chemistry is hard to define, but it works so well. It’s not formulaic, and although well rehearsed, the interplay on stage feels completely authentic. They truely dig deep to recapture those feelings of triumph and heartbreak that were so raw so many years ago.
As one who has always been a casual fan and never seen them live, I admit I missed out a little, and was thankful for the opportunity to see them Friday night. It was a great a concert and I look forward to catching them when they return to the area in January.
On With the Show
Fleetwood Mac has a second Boston concert on October 25th. They return to the area in 2015 with a Providence show at the Dunkin Donuts Center January 28th and a Mohegan Sun gig on Feb 7th. Ticket pre-sales start today and continue all week. Click here for ticket information.
Ken Abrams reviews Roots, Rock and Blues for GoLocal. E-Mail him here.
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