REVIEW: Stevie Nicks Rediscovers Her Inner Shawl

Twincities.com

By Ross Raihala

Throughout Fleetwood Mac's long and stormy history, Lindsey Buckingham has traditionally filled the role of the reluctant one. Tours and recording sessions, particularly since the classic lineup's mid-'90s reunion, have taken place at his whim, and he's a guy who has grown more and more fond of the word "no" when it comes to all things Fleetwood Mac.

So why, then, was Buckingham the only one who looked like he was having any fun Tuesday night when Fleetwood Mac played the Xcel Energy Center? Throughout the 135-minute show, Buckingham performed like a man possessed, barking out his lyrics, sprinting across the stage and shredding his six-string with an energy unseen from the guy in decades. At the end of his solo tear through the overheated 1987 hit "Big Love," he even hugged his guitar and took a deep bow.

The problem, though, is that there are three other members of Fleetwood Mac. Goofball drummer Mick Fleetwood has long since toned down his behind-the-kit antics — save for a manic solo during the encore — while bassist John McVie spent most of the night lurking in the shadows.

That left only Stevie Nicks to stand up to Buckingham. And, well, she mostly stood back. Without longtime foil/rival Christine McVie on hand — she left the group a decade ago — Nicks mostly allowed herself to get swallowed up by Buckingham's often hammy antics. (Seriously, it was a crime how he stepped all over her during "Never Going Back Again.")

And while Nicks remains bewitchingly foxy at 60, her voice tended to drift, particularly during disappointing runs through "Gypsy" and "Dreams." Thankfully, she eventually rediscovered her inner shawl, giving "Gold Dust Woman" a much-needed boost. Even better was "Landslide," a song she wrote more than 35 years ago that takes on deeper significance each time she coos, "I'm getting older, too."

With no new album in stores, the band is billing this tour as a greatest-hits outing. And they weren't kidding, with nearly half the songs coming from their two most enduring albums, their 1975 self-titled breakthrough and 1977's bazillion-selling "Rumours."

From there, they threw in a solo hit each from Buckingham ("Go Insane") and Nicks ("Stand Back") alongside a few classic album cuts (including the rarely performed "Tusk"-era track "Storms") to come up with an evening of songs familiar to pretty much anyone over the age of 40. And the crowd of about 12,000 consisted almost entirely of folks of that demographic, many of whom left the gig energized by Buckingham's endless enthusiasm.