Denver Review: On With the Show Tunes: A Refueled Fleetwood Mac Truck Delivers Again

Photos by Michael Bialas
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On With the Show Tunes: A Refueled Fleetwood Mac Truck Delivers Again
by Michael Bialas
Huffington Post

Putting on a show to match the grandeur and longevity of Fleetwood Mac is a massive undertaking, but Stevie Nicks needed just a minute to personalize it for the crowd of mostly Coloradans in the sold-out Pepsi Center on Dec. 12, 2014.

"I have like a whole tribe here because one side of my family is all from Colorado," Nicks said to a roaring audience in Denver. It was about an hour into the 35th performance of this "On With The Show" tour that marks the return of songbird/keyboardist Christine McVie to the stage -- and the band -- for the first time in 16 years.

"My great-great grandmother came across the Rocky Mountains in one of the last Indian massacres," Nicks (left) added. "Seriously. And she crawled in the trunk (of a wagon train) and stayed there. And she was the only survivor. Strong woman."

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Photo by Svetlana Joukova
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Nicks, who dedicated her tender "Landslide" to the 100 or so friends and family members -- "my entire tribe" -- in attendance, thus making the Colorado connection feel even stronger, certainly shares the strength of her ancestors.

McVie, Nicks and the male members of this lineup -- frontman Lindsey Buckingham, Mick Fleetwood and John McVie (the pair for whom the band is named) -- also possess those staunch survival instincts long after all coming together in 1975.

This stunning show was a perfect example of that willingness to sustain a coexistence, finally blessed with the valuable missing piece of the puzzle that turns an already priceless picture into a beautiful work of pop art.

Fleetwood Mac Fulfills Dreams in Denver

Photo by Camille Breslin

FLEETWOOD MAC FULFILLS DREAMS IN DENVER

by: Alex Faubel

303 Magazine

Sometimes you get the chance to stand mere feet away from a band that had a hand in laying the foundation of your love for music. Most of the time they look different. Many times they sound different. But never do you take that moment for granted. My dad would probably say “back in my day” and trail off into a tangent about how great Fleetwood Mac was when he saw them in 1975. But it’s not often you get the chance to see a band you grew up listening to with the top down on your mom’s Volkswagon Cabrio going way too fast down residential streets. Go Your Own Way, right? And if that way has you on tour nearly five decades after the inception of your band, I’d say your way is one hell of a route.

Continue to the full review at 303 Magazine

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Fleetwood Mac - Denver: "Lindsey Buckingham’s six-string prowess is a sight to behold"

Fleetwood Mac Concert Review Denver, CO
December 12, 2014 - Pepsi Center,
by Ken Tomczak
995TheMountain.com

Photo: Ken Tomczak

When you go see a Fleetwood Mac concert, you’re immediately struck by how much talent is on the stage.  Stevie Nicks sings lead on classic hits like “Gypsy” and “Landslide,” but Lindsey Buckingham’s six-string prowess is a sight to behold – playing the entire concert in his signature plucking style with no guitar pick.  The legendary rhythm section of Mick Fleetwood and John McVie always keeps the band rolling forward, but the story of Friday night’s "On With The Show" tour stop at Pepsi Center was the return of Christine McVie after a 17-year hiatus from the band.

The nearly sold out crowd was thrilled to see the classic Fleetwood Mac lineup back together, giving McVie extra applause when she performed “Over My Head,” “Little Lies” and “Everywhere.”

“A very good evening, Denver!” McVie yelled to the crowd.  Stevie Nicks added, “She’s back!” and then quickly screamed “Let’s get this party started” before the Mac launched into “Dreams.”  Additional musicians and three background vocalists helped supplement the sound, making their trademark vocal harmonies that much more lush.

Buckingham was jumping around the stage from the opening notes and McVie quipped “That was fun!” after finishing “Say You Love Me.”  The band was exceptionally tight and it was apparent they were having a good time on stage.  Stevie Nicks’ signature vocals were especially strong on “Seven Wonders.”  Buckingham took some extra time to introduce “Big Love” off 1987's Tango In The Night explaining the tune was originally written about “boundaries” but it has since taken on a new meaning about “the importance of change.”  Lindsey performed the song by himself, showcasing his immense talent.

The stage production wasn’t anything to write home about – minimal lights and random images projected onto a backdrop.   Fleetwood Mac isn’t about lasers and pyro, they were happy to let the music do the talking.  And many fans were talking about the band already announcing another Pepsi Center gig.  If you missed this concert, tickets for their April 1st return appearance go on sale this Monday at 10am.

But the feel good story of the concert was the return of McVie, punctuated by the final song of the evening “Songbird.”

Review: Fleetwood Mac Live in Denver December 12, 2014

Fleetwood Mac at the Pepsi Center in Denver 
by Ray Mark Rinaldi
Heyreverb.com

Christine McVie always performed stage right with Fleetwood Mac, though she was never a side player. The keyboardist wrote a good number of the band’s hits back in the day and took the position of lead singer whenever they came into rotation.

Photos by Daniel Petty

More than that, she was the supergroup’s third leg. Lindsey Buckingham was the rocker, Stevie Nicks the spiritual siren and McVie the pop songstress who brought a head-bopping bounce to the band’s sound with numbers like “You Make Loving Fun.” That combination gave Fleetwood Mac something for every prevailing taste in the 1970s and pushed it to the top of the charts.

And so when McVie retuned to the band after a 16-year vacation this fall, she brought not just her 71-year-old self, but also a little more easy-going fun. Fleetwood Mac’s appearance at the Pepsi Center in Denver Friday night felt much more like a pop concert than the raucous rock show it performed there in 2013.

Continue to the full review (+ 20 photos) at Heyreverb.com