REVIEW | PHOTOS: Fleetwood Mac at the United Center - Chicago April 13, 2013

Concert review: Fleetwood Mac at the United Center
Greg Kot - Music critic
Chicago Tribune

It was billed as a Fleetwood Mac concert Saturday at the United Center, but it was really more about the California duo that Mick Fleetwood invited to join the band in 1974, Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks.

Lindsey and Stevie were the Jay-Z and Beyonce of the ‘70s. They were an under-achieving folk-rock duo transformed into a power couple with Fleetwood Mac, a core ingredient in three multimillion-selling albums that provided 15 of the 23 songs performed Saturday: “Fleetwood Mac” (1975), “Rumours” (1977) and “Tusk” (1979).

The concert turned into an extended dialogue between the two, with the rest of Mac’s membership – both current and past – reduced to ancillary roles. Buckingham and Nicks were more than just bandmates, of course, but lovers who broke up just as Fleetwood Mac broke big. That personal travail provided a subtext for countless songs, and the soap opera has continued to play out over the decades. Buckingham played hide-and-seek with the band while conducting a solo career, and he and Nicks appeared uneasy allies at best on recent tours. On Saturday, they were on cozier terms, and the songs and presentation underlined it.

Fleetwood Mac has a rich history that reaches back to swinging London during the late ‘60s. The band was named after its rhythm section, which is still intact. Though he looks more than ever like he could be Fagin’s goofball sidekick in “Oliver Twist,” Mick Fleetwood remains an inventive drummer, steeped in blues but capable of coloring arrangements with orchestral flair. Hey, the man’s got a gong – and wind chimes! – and he knows how to use them. Band co-founder John McVie provided the bass breakdown in “The Chain,” a moment so iconic that it got an ovation from the capacity crowd. But even though Fleetwood got a drum solo, he and McVie were basically just part of the backing band on this night.

Another crucial player in the “Rumours” run written out of the script was Christine McVie, the U.K. keyboardist whose sultry hits were every bit as resonant as those of Nicks and Buckingham. But McVie retired in 1998, and her songs have been retired from the set list, with one exception – “Don’t Stop.”

Above 5 Photos by Live Nation Illinois

It was that song that urged, “Don’t you look back, yesterday’s gone” – solid advice for most rock bands trying to remain relevant. Though the set was loaded with yesterday’s songs, Fleetwood Mac does have its own anti-nostalgia machine. Buckingham still plays like a guy looking for his first break. Only his gray hair betrayed any signs of aging. His voice remains pliable and strong, if slightly deranged in its most fevered moments. As a guitarist, he’s a finger-picker who can sound like he’s got four hands going at once, playing lead and rhythm lines simultaneously while mixing a grab-bag of influences – everything from bluegrass to hard rock. He described “Big Love” as a “meditation” on change, but this was more like an exorcism. He attacked his guitar as much as plucked it, a ferocious solo performance that was easily the night’s highlight.

Nicks took longer to warm to the occasion. Her range has narrowed and her register has lowered, and attempts to stretch out and talk-sing through “Rhiannon,” “Gold Dust Woman” and “Sara” turned these warhorses sludgy and slack. But when Fleetwood, McVie and several backing musicians and singers exited, Nicks had the stage to herself with Buckingham, and the intimacy and space in the arrangements suited her. “Landslide” finished with the duo clasping hands, and they resurrected “Without You,” a song from their pre-Mac days that allowed their voices to blend like the California-pop innocents they once were.

Buckingham responded to Nicks’ tune with one he wrote a decade ago about the couple, “Say Goodbye.” The guitarist even broke out the “c” word – “closure” – in describing his relationship with Nicks. Once again, the stage was empty except for the two singers as their public therapy session dissolved into darkness. Then they exited holding hands.

Below photos by Cindy (csimko75) - View Gallery

Below Photos by Erin Brown - View Gallery

SAD ANGEL

(Will be released on-line as part of Fleetwood Mac's new EP. Lindsey says in the video, it's a digital release first, then possibly a physical piece later)

LANDSLIDE

Re: Fleetwood Mac EP "awaiting artwork approval"

Posted by: Anonymous

Whether this is fact or fiction... thought it was worth posting - and thanks to whomever posted the info if in fact it's correct:

"A friend of mine works at Madison Square Garden and got me backstage at the Fleetwood Mac concert last Monday. I heard Lindsey Buckingham telling someone that the new EP being released online was awaiting the approval of the artwork. Stevie at first wanted photos, but then they all decided it should just have a Fleetwood Mac logo and say EP. He said once that is approved the EP will be out in a week. It contains "Sad Angel", "Without You", "Miss Fantasy" and one more Lindsey song."

REVIEW | PHOTOS: Fleetwood Mac Live in Louisville, KY + WDRB News Recap

Fleetwood Mac Live in Louisville, KY - April 11, 2013

Above Photos by Mike Stewart
View Gallery - 21 photos

Below Photos by Laura Wood
View Gallery

WDRB 41 Louisville - News, Weather, Sports Community

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Legendary rock band Fleetwood Mac took the spotlight in Louisville. The group hit the stage at the KFC Yum Center on Thursday, April 11. The lineup includes original members Mick Fleetwood and John McVie, Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks. The band is on a national tour after a three-year break. The new tour marks the 35th anniversary of the release of their classic 1977 album Rumours.


Fleetwood Mac Puts on Exceptional Show at the KFC Yum! Center

by Pam Windsor
Louisville.com

Photos:  sniperphotography.com View Gallery

With no opening act – which made it all so much better - Fleetwood Mac hit the stage and rocked the KFC Yum! Center for more than two hours with a high energy, dynamic performance of their greatest hits, some new music, and even a newly discovered old song from the Buckingham Nicks days. As the show got underway, it was difficult to tell who was more excited to have Fleetwood Mac back performing live for the first time in three years – the many, thousands in the crowd – or Stevie Nicks, Lindsey Buckingham, Mick Fleetwood and John McVie.

They kicked things off with the hard charging “Secondhand News,” one of many songs they performed from their 1977 Rumours album, which remains one of the most successful in rock history and saw a deluxe reissue earlier this year. Rumours came at time of emotional upheaval for the group, with the break-up of Nicks and Buckingham, the divorce of Mick Fleetwood, and the separation of John and Christine McVie, and many of the songs reflected what they were dealing with at the time.

“Secondhand News” was quickly followed by “The Chain.”

Nicks welcomed the Louisville crowd, with a “How about those Cardinals?” offering her congratulations and later dedicating her well-known song “Landslide” in their honor.

Nicks sported a long-sleeved black jacket and short tiered skirt, adding shawls and scarves throughout the show.  She moved and spun, sometimes round and round in a dizzying fashion, maintaining her signature dramatic flair.  She and Buckingham, once a couple, seem to have struck a balance of being separate now, yet at the same time sharing a closeness, as they deliver so many songs that  reflect their history together.

The group moved through a stream of fan favorites, “Dreams,” “Rhiannon,” “Never Going Back Again,” “Sara,” “Stand Back,” “Go Your Own Way,” and more, all with strong, excited reactions from the crowd.

There was also some new music.  Buckingham explained that before this latest tour the group went back into the studio and recorded some new tracks that will be available on a new EP soon.  They performed one called, “Sad Angel.”

There was an old song, too, pre-dating Fleetwood Mac, that Nicks and Buckingham recorded many years ago.  Nicks says she recently discovered it on a “Youtube” video. “Without You,” will also be on their new EP.

It was an amazing night, with intense musical performances throughout.  There were strong vocals from Nicks and Buckingham, exceptional guitar work from Buckingham, who has never ranked as high as he should on those “greatest rock guitarist” polls.  Some of the highlights included Buckingham’s solo performance of “Big Love,” (during a break when the rest of the band left the stage), that saw his hands and fingers moving  up and down the guitar so fast the crowd could hardly contain itself.  And later, he rocked the house in a mesmerizing performance of “I’m So Afraid.”   As he wrapped it up, he was so wound up he was banging the guitar at the end of the song with both hands.  His efforts garnered him a standing ovation.

Stellar musical performances, though, did not stop there.  Mick Fleetwood – did a tremendous job during “Eyes of the World,” and during the group’s first encore “World Turning,” Fleetwood  did an electrifying four minute drum solo, reminding those who may have forgotten, what rock and roll is all about.

John McVie was also in rare form on the bass throughout the evening, providing the foundation for the sound that has always been Fleetwood Mac.

There were some slight differences such as a few lower notes where songs in years past featured higher notes, and a few song variations such as a much slower, at first almost unrecognizable beginning to “Tusk,” when compared to the original version.  But those were not detractions, just minor observations for anyone paying attention.  Overall, the Fleetwood Mac concert was more than a show, it was an event. It’s rare to see four core members of one of rock and roll’s greatest groups, just as strong as ever, performing songs they made famous some thirty-five years ago.  It makes the idea of new music on an upcoming EP – something to get excited about.

WITHOUT YOU (New/old Buckingham Nicks song)
WORLD TURNING
SARA
SISTERS OF THE MOON

No Mirage... Fleetwood Mac Returns With New Songs

"We just made the decision to put a few of these songs on iTunes," Fleetwood said - the EP is expected to drop any day.

Boston Herald - April 12, 2013

Bob Lefsetz showing "Christine McVie" a little love

Lindsey Buckingham gets all the credit. Stevie Nicks gets all the attention. But Christine McVie was the glue. She bridged the gap from obscurity to fame. Nicks twirled, but it was Christine with her understated beauty that enraptured us. And it was Christine's track that broke the new Fleetwood Mac. Yes, "Over My Head" paved the way for "Rhiannon." And Bill Clinton's theme song, "Don't Stop," was not the work of an American, but a Brit, Christine McVie.

And for a while there, Christine was part of the Fleetwood Mac reunion, but then she dropped out. And too often band names are brand names and individuals are forgotten, but in Christine's case, this is unjust.

But all her Fleetwood Mac tunes stay in rotation. And if you loved those, maybe you missed her 1984 solo

album, produced by Russ Titelman, that had some traction but then disappeared, as if it were never made, but there are a few tracks that I'll never forget, that titillate me to the core.

Like "So Excited"...

"Well, I'm so excited

My baby is on his way"

It's the jangly guitar part and then the pure voice. The track exudes honesty, which is the heart of great music. You really feel like Christine has been waiting all day, cleaning the house, prepping her look, waiting for him to show up.

Who hasn't done this?

It's the essence of love. The anticipation!

REVIEW: Stevie Nicks: "In Your Dreams" Documentary

Stevie Nicks: In Your Dreams

Two and a half stars out of five
by Katherine Monk
Canada.com

Starring: Stevie Nicks and Dave Stewart
Directed by: Dave Stewart
Running time: 100 minutes
Parental Guidance: coarse language

They say the creative process can be like riding a rabid bull, eager to gore you in a moment of distraction one minute, and likely to stampede in a rush of inspiration the next.

Unpredictable, fiery and completely random, creativity can reduce the bravest, most decorated left-brained soldier into a puddle of nervous mush.

For singer-songwriter Stevie Nicks, this seems to be a natural state — a lacy palace of romantic thoughts and swirling melodies that complements her actual abode, a sprawling mansion with a mega-rotunda in suburban Los Angeles.

The house and Nicks’s ephemeral creative muse are essentially the two stars of In Your Dreams, a new documentary from multi-hyphenate producer Dave Stewart.

Part video diary of the production process, and part artist portrait, In Your Dreams chronicles the conception, gestation and eventual birth of Nicks’ latest studio offering, which shares the same title as the movie.

In many ways, it feels a lot like a generic outing from the folks at VH1 or MuchMusic — a slick collage of music videos and talking head interviews cut within an inch of looking like a straight commercial.

Yet, for all the generic filmmaking device, In Your Dreams is not a generic experience because Stevie Nicks is not your average pop star.

Easily one of the more compelling figures to occupy a stage at the height of the arena-rock era while a member of the record-breaking, iconic act Fleetwood Mac, Nicks always smacked of difference.

With her black cloaks, spinning dance moves and sulky, notoriously nasal voice, Nicks became a cryptic sex symbol, and part of the pop culture soap opera as the world followed her affairs and heartbreaks with the likes of Lindsey Buckingham and others.

Rumours of everything from substance abuse to witchcraft were also thrown into the cauldron of talk, and while In Your Dreams doesn’t exactly denude the singer’s quirky personal curiosities, it does bring the icon into clearer focus.

And frankly, that’s not always a good thing.

On the up side, we are given unprecedented insight into how Nicks creates her signature tunes. Without the structure of a formal musical education, Nicks simply sits at the keyboard and plinks around on the keys until she finds the right sounds to fit the melody in her head.

As the musicians in the room make abundantly clear, she breaks the rules of music all the time, often changing the number of beats in a bar, the time signature and the verb tense of the lyrics.

At times, we hear expert production staff tell her “she can’t” do something, to which Nicks responds in a perfectly diva-esque drawl, that “of course she can” — because it’s art, after all, not a term paper.

Her self-possession is obviously one of the big reasons why she became as successful as she is, but we also hear how success created fear at the bottom of her creative well, making her dread the possibility of fabricating a complete dud.

Stewart helps her get through all these creative traps because he not only understands the musician’s headspace and the female mind (having worked with Annie Lennox as the other half of Eurythmics), he’s a natural observer.

At the top of the film, Stewart tells us he’s been a man with a movie camera ever since he found a gold chain on the street, turned the corner to find a pawn shop, and traded the chain for an 8mm consumer model. He loves making movies, and we can feel his passion behind the frames as he completes a two-pronged project: the record, and the movie about making it.

The best parts come after the midway point, once Stewart has established Nicks as a serious artist worthy of icon status, because once he’s dispensed with her legacy, he can get down to brass tacks — and offer up the real face of the Phoenix-born daughter named Stephanie Lynn Nicks.

Conjuring a feeling somewhere between nutty cat-collector and esteemed oddball sculptress Louise Nevelson, we hear Nicks tell us she was so moved by the plight of Katrina victims she “needed to take action.” So she wrote a poem.

She also tells us: “If my father were still the president of Greyhound, he would have had every bus in the country” converging on the deluged bayou to help move people.

These are lovely sentiments, and writing a song for the suffering is a nice gesture. Similarly, she tells us how much the Italians are going to love the ballad she wrote about Italy because it’s “the most romantic song (she) has ever written.”

And then, she talks about how much she loves Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight series because she feels a soul connection to the fictional Bella Swan — because she, too, fell in love with a beautiful boy at 16 who eventually dumped her.

This stuff all feels a little too self-indulgent to spur feelings of sympathy, but it’s undeniably real and speaks directly to who Stevie Nicks really is: A well-intentioned, high-minded woman who feels great waves of empathy for others, but also has a healthy sense of ego to ensure she never feels like a wishy-washy waif.

Stewart captures the woman in fits and spurts, but he’s a rather random director and for all the technical prowess he brings to the booth, the songs feel overproduced. In fact, one of the most illuminating moments involves a demo track for an old unrecorded song that was found on the Internet.

The song is so cool, they decide to record it with all the bells and whistles. Yet, it doesn’t take a thick-rimmed music geek to realize the track sounded better as a haunting acoustic number. Stewart seems to turn everything into a Sting solo album, which may be manna to some people’s ears, but make mine hide under the bed.

As a slice of L.A. life, In Your Dreams succeeds beyond caveats because it captures all the ego and chandelier crystal of the fame-enabled lifestyle, but as a music doc and straight biography, In Your Dreams feels a little bleary-eyed.

Eurythmics’ Stewart wowed by Night of 1,000 Stevies
by Jane Stevenson
Jam ShowBiz!

Eurythmics’ guitarist Dave Stewart, who co-wrote and co-produced Stevie Nicks’ 2011 solo album, In Your Dreams, also directed a documentary of the same name about the experience which begins exclusive engagements across Canada starting April 15 in Toronto.

Stewart told QMI Agency he came away from the exprience impressed by the diversity of Nicks’ fan base.

“What’s amazing about Stevie’s audience is that it ranges from 12 years old to 60 odd years old,’ said Stewart.

“I mean girls of 16 are obsessed with the look, the feeling, the words, and then you get soldiers – it’s amazing – you get a cross-section audience, age-wise, gender-wise.”

Like the Night of 1,000 Stevies, an annual event bringing together Nicks lovers and look-and-sound-alikes staged in New York, with this year’s 23rd event happening on May 3 at Highline Ballrom.

“It’s a huge sort of gay gathering that all worships Stevie. It’s another huge part of her audience,” said Stewart. “They all have a great time and every single one is dressed as Stevie.”

In Your Dreams Canadian screenings.

• Toronto / TIFF Bell Lightbox April 15 (7 p.m and 730 p.m. with Stevie Nicks Q&A afterwards) and then April 16–18.
• Ottawa / Mayfair Theatre - April 19 & 20
• Winnipeg / Winnipeg Cinematheque - May 2,3 & 5
• Saskatoon / Broadway Theatre - May 13
• Edmonton / Metro Cinema at the Garneau - May 14
• Calgary / Globe Cinema - May 16
• Vancouver / Vancity Theatre - May 18
• Montreal/ Cinema du Parc - June 14-17