Fleetwood Mac at Prudential Center is enjoyable, but...

By Tris McCall/The Star-Ledger
NJ.com

Last year, Hear Music -- that's the label run by Starbucks -- released a tribute disc to Fleetwood Mac. There wasn't a single cover of a Christine McVie song on the collection. Maybe she gave the okay for that, and maybe she didn't want to negotiate with Hear; in any case, it felt like she'd been written of a story in which she's a central character.

Last night, the Mac held the stage at the Prudential Center for nearly two and a half hours. There was only a single Christine McVie song on the setlist -- "Don't Stop," which is mostly sung by Lindsey Buckingham. McVie wasn't present for the concert, which is nothing new: She hasn't been performing with the group in more than a decade. Mick Fleetwood mentioned in an interview that the door is always open, and he'd love it if she'd walk through. Some fans have high hopes for the upcoming London gig; in Newark on Wednesday, she didn't walk through.

Check out these Photos by Jon Gregory - The Click Studio Photography - View The Gallery

I love Lindsey Buckingham. He's something of an onstage megalomaniac, and he'll solo all night and day if you let him, but he's endearing, he's a magnetic frontman and a dexterous guitarist, and his restlessness and taste for experimentation was put to good use by the rest of the group. I love Stevie Nicks, too; her songs are smart, tough, and intoxicating, and get her going in an extended outro and she's likely to guide you to places that few singers ever visit. John McVie and Mick Fleetwood are the rare rhythm players with indelible personalities; push play on a Fleetwood Mac recording and within seconds, you'll know it's them.There are days on which I am convinced that there has never been a greater British-born rock group than Fleetwood Mac -- not the Beatles, not the Kinks, not Led Zeppelin, not the Attractions, nor any of the other boys', boys', boys' bands who never seemed to want to let the girls get a word in. 

But that version of Fleetwood Mac is impossible without Christine McVie. She provided the serenity that made Buckingham's frenetic approach palatable, the earthiness that kept Nicks grounded, and the trancelike electric piano parts that added mystic resonance to the thump and throb of the rhythm section. Most of all, she added terrific songs to the repertoire: songs of romance and warmth, stories that added to that distinctive Fleetwood Mac feeling of men and women in conversation. She did not demonstrate Buckingham's imagination or Nicks' urgency. But no songwriter in a band of great songwriters understood the architecture of pop melody better than she did.

Christine shown here in this recent
photo supports Trevor's Law!

Years before Mick Fleetwood had the bright idea of enlisting Buckingham and Nicks, Christine McVie was

writing and singing great songs for Fleetwood Mac. She was writing good songs when she was still Christine Perfect, singer and pianist for British blues act Chicken Shack. After "Rumours" became a smash hit, pre-Buckingham-Nicks material dropped out of setlists, and because of that, an unfair percentage of Christine McVie's finest work has gotten lost in the Dark Ages of Mac history. She joined the group in 1971 (she'd drawn the children's book-like cover for the "Kiln House" set the year before) and immediately became a major contributor. "Believe Me," the leadoff cut from the 1973 album "Mystery to Me," is first-rate Fleetwood Mac and as delicious as anything on "Rumours." "Come a Little Bit Closer," from 1974's "Heroes Are Hard to Find," anticipated the major-league pop moves the band would make a year later. Once the band hit the big time, she kept right on penning hits: "You Make Loving Fun," "Think About Me," "Hold Me," "Say You Love Me." (Her album cuts were just as good.)

I'll have my review of this show in Saturday's paper, but I'll give you the short version here: Fleetwood Mac is always something great to behold, but I missed Christine McVie like a jeweled ring I'd dropped down the drain. I want her back, badly, and I'll bet her former bandmates do, too. 

Note: Mick Fleetwood has recently been indicating to fans during the Meet and Greets on the Fleetwood Mac Tour that Christine will likely make an appearance on stage in London during The Mac's 3 sold out shows... When asked if she'll be doing all 3 he indicated likely just one, but wouldn't confirm which show.

STARTING FRIDAY: Stevie Nicks "In Your Dreams" Film at Carlton Cinema in Toronto For 1 Week!

SCREENING FOR 1 WEEK IN TORONTO

Beginning Friday, April 26th and running through Thursday, May 2nd, Stevie's documentary "In Your Dreams" will be running at the Magic Lantern Theatres - Carlton Cinema located at 20 Carlton Street at Yonge.  The film will play twice daily at 1:40pm and 6:50pm.

Go on Toronto... You know you want to!

Carlton Cinema

PHOTOS | VIDEO | REVIEW: Fleetwood Mac Live in Newark, NJ

Fleetwood Mac Live in Newark, NJ

at Prudential Center

April 24, 2013

"Silver Springs"
(was a no show tonight)

Photos by: By Saed Hindash

View the full gallery at NJ.com

Above 2 pics by Brian Killian

WITHOUT YOU:
SAD ANGEL:

Above photos by Ashley Glynn

Rare moment! A fan brought the Buckingham Nicks album and both Stevie and Lindsey agreed to sign it.
Fleetwood Mac - Prudential Center - 4/24/13 By Brian McManus  Village Voice Better Than: The idea of the band not reuniting this year at all. It begins with "Second Hand News" -- a song with a title and lyrics probably meant to be a self-deprecating nod to the reunion's time and place. It's an entire arena clutching their hearts along to songs that are older than I am and mumbling "angel" with every golden twirl of Stevie Nicks' body. It's a Fleetwood Mac concert in 2013, and it needs less explanation or apologies than one would think. "This is all your fault," Nicks told the audience at the show's end, joking but stern. She was referring to the collection of moments that led to the very one we were experiencing right then. The dreams the band had become and the dreams the band lived thanks to the audience seeing their own dreams in the band's, or some magical through line similar to that one. Until that particular monologue, the concert had been a compilation of greatest hits ranging the varied career of varied sounds that Fleetwood Mac enjoys and is still able to revel in with the conviction of an artist celebrating a particularly intimate new release. With "Second Hand News" followed immediately by "The Chain" and "Dreams," the opener could have easily been an encore with the feverish audience response they each elicited. New songs like "Sad Angel" and show closer "Say Goodbye" were just as welcome to the repertoire, especially after the band revealed the upcoming short EP they will be releasing next week with a grand total of four new songs on it. They were equally sweet musical moments that brought Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham's incomparable stage chemistry to the forefront. This chemistry between the two -- famous for many reasons -- was a beautifully endearing element to the overall performance. Providing anecdotes to the histories of songs like oldie "Without You" and newbie "Say Goodbye," each serving as an emotional antithesis to the other, were loving and intimate. They came back onstage for the encores holding hands and braided their voices together in a stunning, velvety manner. One front row fan handed them a vinyl album slip with a cover featuring a young, half-naked version of them. Nostalgia seemingly floated through their eyes. In a show that was meant to be nothing but highlights, and delivered as such, the moments that catapulted themselves to the forefront were truly surreal. "Big Love," a Buckingham solo, was mesmerizing with the guitarist's impassioned and hypnotic finger-picking. Nicks still has it, and sounded flawless during "Rhiannon" and "Gold Dust Woman" as she wailed away with her signature raspy-but-smooth voice. During the latter, the singer came onstage with a shimmering gold shawl and created the illusion of golden wings as the song faded out. Mick Fleetwood and John McVie were exceptional, per usual. While McVie remained a silent presence on-stage, Fleetwood joked around, made funny faces to the crowd, and played a heart-stopping extended drum solo during "The World Keeps on Turning." The individual talents that each member brought did, however, make it hard not to notice the absence of Christine McVie, who's soft but smoky voice would have provided another rich layer to an already grand performance. "Landslide" featured a particularly poignant moment: With arms triumphantly outstretched, Nicks gave the most valiant delivery of the famous line "...and I'm getting older too." Fleetwood Mac has experienced an aging that is less comical or just awkward to watch be performed onstage; they've grown naturally in a way that feels wise and most certainly bold. Critical Bias: Stevie Nicks is an angel sent from Heaven, hallowed be her name. Overheard: "BEAUTIFUL!" - a very aggressively gruff man during the sweet, soft performance of new song "Say Goodbye." Random Notebook Dump: A general rule should be: if you're telling people to sit down at a concert then you should not have gone to the show in the first place. Major shout out to the people in front of us who held their own against some very confused and unnecessarily angry audience members telling them to stay seated. Setlist: Second Hand News The Chain Dreams Sad Angel Rhiannon Not That Funny Tusk Sisters of the Moon Sara Big Love Landslide Never Going Back Again Without You  Gypsy Eyes of the World Gold Dust Woman I'm So Afraid Stand Back Go Your Own Way ----- World Turning Don't Stop ----- Say Goodbye A lot more from the show below... Click the "Continue Reading Here For More" link

REVIEWS | PHOTOS | VIDEO: Fleetwood Mac Live in Ottawa Canada

Fleetwood Mac performed for about 12,400 fans at Scotiabank Place.
By Lynn Saxberg, Ottawa Citizen

Fleetwood Mac Live at Scotiabank Place

Ottawa, Ontario Canada

April 23, 2013

PHOTOS: Andre Ringuette/Freestyle Photography - See Gallery

View More Photos at Ottawa Citizen

OTTAWA — The Fleetwood Mac that touched down at Scotiabank Place on Tuesday appeared to be a
band in transition, turning in a slightly uneven performance for a crowd of about 12,400.

The 2013 version of the 1970s hitmakers still counts guitarist Lindsey Buckingham, drummer Mick Fleetwood, bassist John McVie and singer Stevie Nicks in its lineup, but no longer includes singer-keyboardist Christine McVie, who has refused all invitations to join her old bandmates.

Of course, that’s nothing new, and the band has been soldiering on without her for years. On this tour, a keyboardist, extra guitarist and two backing vocalists help fill in the sound, leaving Nicks and Buckingham co-fronting the classic rock outfit.

With their voices in sync, the former sweethearts presented a united front during the first song, knocking out a terrific version of Second Hand News.

The lovely twang of Buckingham’s guitar led into a muscular version of another old favourite, The Chain, to the delight of the audience.

It was Nicks who greeted the crowd first, remarking on how beautiful Ottawa was, with its “rivers and castles.” But after issuing a call to get the party started, the 64-year-old, who still wears her hair long and blond, seemed to struggle to find her groove on Dreams. Maybe it was an off night, but in it, and her signature song, Rhiannon, her voice had a harsh edge, lacking much of the fluidity of the early days.

When Buckingham, who’s 63, took his turn at the microphone, he shared the news that the band had been working on new material, and an EP is being released soon. One of those new songs, the upbeat Sad Angel, was played early in the show, indicating a crisper form of melodic rock to come from the soft-rock survivors, a style perhaps better suited to Nicks’ not-so-lush voice.

Buckingham, who played a solo show at the Ottawa Folk Festival last summer, also talked about the 1979 album, Tusk, describing it as a line in the sand between him and the record company, who would have preferred another blockbuster like 1977’s Rumours. Digging into a couple of tracks from the album, he showed how well the music has held up.

Leave it to Buckingham to forge ahead creatively back then, and to push the band in new directions now. Looking fit and tanned in jeans and leather jacket, the guitarist was the band’s guiding light throughout the show, while Nicks, draped in something fringed and sparkly, had to work to match his energy and recreate her old magic.

But everything clicked during the encore. With Buckingham as the guitar hero, Nicks as the rock goddess and Fleetwood bashing out a thunderous drum solo, the band finally sounded reunited as they tore through World Turning and Don’t Stop.

FAN PHOTOS

MORE FROM THE SHOW AT THE 'CONTINUE READING' LINK

Stevie Nicks "In Your Dreams" Screening + Q&A with Dave Stewart in NOLA April 29th

NEW ORLEANS:

NOVAC, Jazz & Heritage Foundation and The New Orleans Film Society (NOFS) have partnered to produce Sync Up Cinema, a free film industry conference focused on Louisiana film production and the emerging opportunities in the film industry.  For three days, in between the weekends of Jazz Fest, Sync Up Cinema will bring to the region: screenings of local and international documentaries and NOVAC Conversations and Panels with internationally renowned filmmakers and industry pros.

WHEN: Monday, April 29 – Wednesday, May 1
WHERE: New Orleans Museum of Art
(* indicates off campus event)

FREE & OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

HIGHLIGHTS: 
SCREENING: "In Your Dreams" a documentary about rock legend Stevie Nicks starring Fleetwood Mac’s Stevie Nicks PLUS Q&A with Director Dave Stewart (formerly of the Eurythmics) to follow.
Monday, April 29, 2013 6:45PM

Dave Stewart (IN YOUR DREAMS), a multi-media entrepreneur, is recognized as one of the most respected and accomplished talents in the music industry today. Beyond his creative work as a musician, Stewart is a renowned producer, author, director, photographer, filmmaker, and philanthropist. Stewart’s music career spans three decades and more than 100 million album sales, highlighted by his collaboration with Annie Lennox in the groundbreaking pop-rock duo Eurythmics. Behind the scenes he’s produced albums and co-written songs for Bono, Bryan Ferry, Gwen Stefani, Tom Petty, Katy Perry, Mick Jagger, and Sinead O’Connor, racking up numerous Producer, Songwriter, Golden Globe, and Grammy Awards along the way. As an entrepreneur, Stewart has established Weapons of Mass Entertainment (WME), a “media company for the new world” (The LA Times), linking creative ideas to a host of projects in music, film, television, books, theatre, and new media. As the creator of content for WME, Stewart has recently married his passion for music, film and television by creating a number of high profile projects. In 2011, Stewart co-wrote and co-produced Stevie Nicks’ critically acclaimed solo album, In Your Dreams, marking the first time Nicks has ever collaborated on a solo effort.

Detailed information at Sync Up Cinema

REVIEW: Fleetwood Mac “We throw it out to you and then you throw it back to us. That’s the magic.”

Fleetwood Mac – Still Great After All Those Years
by MJ Hanley-Goff
Womanaroundtown.com

Whatever the players of Fleetwood Mac are having, I want some of that. The enduring rock and roll/pop band played to an appreciative full house (pun intended) at the Mohegan Sun Casino Arena in Montville, Connecticut on Saturday night. Between them, the four 60-something players, Stevie Nicks, John McVie, Lindsey Buckingham, and Mick Fleetwood, total 250-plus years… young. And “young” is most certainly the optimum word here.

For close to 2½ hours, without an intermission (just a few quick disappearances during another member’s solo), the band played a remarkable set of their best of the best. Stevie began the night with a welcome to the fans who erupted in approval at her promise to “let you forget your troubles” for the next few hours. And from then on, there was no stopping them. I can’t think of one song of their repertoire of hits, (there was only one new song tossed into the mix, the rocker, “Sad Angel”), that they omitted, and each one was played with vitality and enthusiasm, a feat when you think of the thousands of times they’ve played them. Lindsey owned the stage with his quick-finger, guitar picking, and jumped and hollered, and panted when the song was done. The album Tusk, Lindsey explained, bewildered the music executives at the time, and continues as a reminder for Lindsey to not keep doing the same thing, that change is good.

Remembering that Stevie and Lindsey were a couple during the early years of the band, it was endearing to see them play off each other, glancing at one another when they each performed songs written for the other. Stevie sang an oldie, almost-forgotten song, “Without You” (she said the band truly had forgotten it, but it turned up on YouTube), and Lindsey, in return, replied with “Say Goodbye.” When Stevie was explaining the genesis of her song, she went on and on a bit, and then glanced at Lindsey and said, “Oh, I know, I’m rambling.” Still in grand gypsy form, Stevie danced, swayed and waved her capes and scarves around, at times playing air guitar and air piano. At one point, she led the audience along with her and Lindsey during the big favorite, “Silver Springs.”

Without a doubt, the highlight of the night came during Mick Fleetwood’s sweaty, non-stopping, pounding solo, and with the movie screen above him, he was bigger than life; eyes closed, he beat the drums and shouted, “Are you with me?” Of course we were. At one point Stevie addressed that fact, commenting that it was the audience who made the songs come alive. “We throw it out to you and then you throw it back to us. That’s the magic.”

Introduced as the “backbone of Fleetwood Mac,” a big nod goes to John McVie, the oldest of the bunch, most noticeably the least flamboyant, who wore his trademark vest and beret, and is still adding the back bass notes that take on a life of their own. (Give a listen to Tusk and you’ll see what I mean.) After three encores, it was easy to see that the audience wasn’t ready to let them go, and Fleetwood Mac didn’t want to leave, but finally, Stevie came to the mike and sent us off with a reminder to “always listen to music – it’s good for the soul.”