Fleetwood Mac drums up high-energy hits

By Pat Reavy
Deseret Morning News

Amanda Lucidon, Deseret Morning News

"The Mac is back." Thus declared Fleetwood Mac drummer and father-figure Mick Fleetwood as he said goodnight to the crowd at the Delta Center after playing nearly two and a half hours. The band that provided the soundtrack for every relationship gone bad in the '70s made a triumphant return Saturday with a high-energy set laced with nostalgia.

The Mac opened with "The Chain," one of six songs of the evening from the mega-successful 1977 Rumors album, followed by "Dreams," another of the Rumors hits. Lindsey Buckingham put the rock in rock show singing his way through several up-tempo songs early, including a fantastic version of "Second Hand News," and providing several long guitar solos with his unique style of pickless playing. Looking and sounding as fit as he did 25 years ago, Buckingham jammed through several extended solos with frantic intensity.

But the real magic of Fleetwood Mac is Stevie Nicks. Her deep, gravelly voice is still full of power, even if she can't hit the high notes anymore, and her stage presence simply commands attention. Nicks' songs were the highlights of the evening, with classics such as "Gypsy," "Landslide," which the former Salt Lake County resident dedicated to her lifelong friend, Karen Thornhill of Sandy, and a passionate version of "Gold Dust Woman." The applause was loud as Nicks danced in her long black dress and shawl as "Rhiannon" the witch and harmonized on duets with Buckingham, most notably on the beautiful "Silver Springs." She had the crowd dancing in the aisle during "Stand Back" from her 1983 solo album "The Wild Heart."

The timeless rhythm section of Fleetwood and John McVie, who have been playing together since the band was formed in 1967, provided the backbeat for the evening. The towering Fleetwood often looked like the happiest drummer ever, constantly smiling and almost looking possessed at times with his bug-eyed glares as he pounded through several solos including the marching intro to "Tusk." Later, he donned a jacket of electronic drum pads and took his solo to the front of the stage.

Despite being backed by a seasoned seven-piece band, there was still the noticeable absence of Christine McVie, who retired after the 1997 reunion tour. "Don't Stop," which brought the show's first encore to a close, was the only McVie tune played, with Nicks handling McVie's vocals. The show closed with "Goodbye Baby" for the second encore.

"It's been a long, difficult, sometimes strange trip. The point is we're still here," Buckingham said of the Mac's staying power.