Fans cheer Stevie Nicks, Fleetwood Mac

By Donna Isbell Walker
ENTERTAINMENT WRITER
dwalker@greenvillenews.com

I never thought I'd live to see Stevie Nicks, queen of platform boots, in sensible shoes. So when the fluttery front woman for Fleetwood Mac took the Bi-Lo Center stage Sunday night in clunky black shoes with no discernible heel, I thought, this can't be a good sign. Fortunately, shoes don't make the woman, or the band, and though Nicks didn't reach her expected physical elevation, her voice soared to the rafters.

The Mac was back, albeit minus the singular voice of Christine McVie, and over the course of nearly two dozen songs, they gave fans a heavy dose of classic rock, fine-tuning here and there, but not straying too far from the original sound.

Opening with "The Chain," the story of the band members' tangled interpersonal relationships, the group gave each member a turn. In fact, one of bassist John McVie's only moments in the spotlight was during his distinctive bass solo on the song's bridge.

With three such distinctive personalities as Nicks, guitarist Lindsey Buckingham and drummer Mick Fleetwood, McVie may be content to be the band's musical backbone.

Nicks, who just turned 55, seemed to be fans' favorite, and they cheered everything from her solo vocals on songs like "Rhiannon" and "Gypsy" to her tambourine-shaking moves. Her performance of "Gold Dust Woman" provided one of the highlights Sunday.

Adding a sparkly orange cape to her flowing black skirt and blouse ensemble, Nicks offered a miniature piece of performance art, bowing with outstretched arms, pantomiming running and hiding from the light, and ending the song bathed in a golden spotlight, her back to the audience and Mick Fleetwood's chimes clanging. Further proof, if any were needed, that Nicks remains one of rock's coolest chicks.

Although classic Mac, with those shimmering Buckingham-Nicks harmonies, made up the bulk of the concert, there were several new songs, spotlighting the band's current album, "Say You Will."

One song, the intense, eerie "Come," gave Buckingham plenty of time to show off his manic guitar work. The song, reminiscent of 1980s-era Fleetwood Mac with a few dark undertones, found Buckingham stalking the stage and attacking his guitar, pounding it with both hands at one point.

The two-song encore featured a world-shaking rendition of "World Turning," with an extended drum solo by Fleetwood, who became a drum, pounding his percussive vest. They closed with "Don't Stop." After nearly 2½ hours, it seemed as if they might not.