8,000 sing along with megaband Fleetwood Mac

Victor R. Martinez
El Paso Times

Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham returned to where it began for them in the mid- 1970s.

"I'm going to say this little thing about El Paso, then I'll leave it alone," Nicks told the crowd at the Don Haskins Center on Tuesday night. "This was the first city Lindsey and I played when we joined the band. It was the most exciting night of our career because we knew it was going to work."

The crowd of more than 8,000 fans who came to watch Fleetwood Mac screamed in appreciation.

"This is also the place where I went to third, fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh grade," she said. "I went to this little all-girls' Catholic school called Loretto, but that was too hard for me so I went to Crockett. El Paso will always have a special place in my heart; it is the place where I learned how to sing."

And sing she did.

Nicks and Buckingham shared the spotlight throughout the 24-song, two-hour-plus set during the "Say You Will" stop. The

tickets had an 8 p.m. start time, but when in El Paso, do as El Pasoans do -- so Fleetwood Mac -- Nicks, vocals; Buckingham, vocals/lead guitar; Mick Fleetwood, drums; and John McVie, bass -- were 25 minutes late.

The fifth member of the group, Christine McVie, has officially retired to a castle in England and was not very McMissed.

Because the crowd forgot all about that once the band broke into "The Chain," followed by "Dreams" and later by "Second Hand News."

Buckingham quickly proved this would not just be a "That '70s Show," as he performed several songs off the new "Say You Will" record. The best of the many songs off it were "Come," "Peacekeepers" and "Say You Will."

But the night belonged to the spirited, brilliant versions of their fan-friendly, time-tested hits.

Buckingham shined on "Big Love," done solo and acoustically, "Never Going Back Again," and "I'm So Afraid."

He plays and sings with real passion and grit. His guitar jams on the showcase songs, such as the new "Come," and "Go Your Own Way," rivaled any new quick-fingered player out there.

As for Nicks, she was simply Stevie Nicks.

Dressed in black robes most of the evening, her enchanting voice and mystique eventually were showcased when the band broke into "Rhiannon" and "Gypsy."

The highlight of the evening came midway through the show when she joined Buckingham on stage for "Landslide," the ultimate crowd sing-along at a Fleetwood Mac concert.

The show ended with two goodnights. The first was "World Turning" and "Don't Stop." They returned with "Goodbye Baby," a song that was sweetly played and sung.

If Tuesday night proved anything, it is that middle-aged adults do not have to be cramped in a SUV. They can still come out and rock.

Now where is that Ben Gay and Bayer aspirin?