REVIEW Fleetwood Mac Live in Indianapolis, IN October 16, 2018

5 ways Fleetwood Mac gave Indianapolis a career overview plus a bit of Tom Petty closure
David Lindquist,
Indianapolis Star

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by Robert Scheer/IndyStar

Fleetwood Mac was a blues-rock act of some renown before Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks joined the band in 1974.

Featuring vocalist-guitarist Peter Green, Fleetwood Mac crafted "Black Magic Woman" (later a signature hit for Santana) and "Oh Well" (a scorched-earth jam Tom Petty frequently covered).

The band played "Black Magic Woman," "Oh Well" and a wealth of hits from the Buckingham-Nicks era Tuesday at Bankers Life Fieldhouse, giving a packed house the long view of Fleetwood Mac's 51-year career.

Green left the lineup in 1970 and vocalist-guitarist Buckingham was disinvited to participate in Fleetwood Mac activities six months before the current tour launched two weeks ago in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

The Buckingham absence is awkward at best (he sued the band for $12 million), but the rock 'n' roll professionals of Fleetwood Mac aren't limping toward the finish line — or bank — without him. The group reloaded with vocalist Neil Finn (of Crowded House) and guitarist Mike Campbell (of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers).

If listeners are willing to buy into the idea of the Fleetwood Mac brand being bigger than any one member, the new-look lineup is a formidable crew that masters the spectrum from Christine McVie's delicate pop to the darkened-corner raunch Green left behind.

(History shows Fleetwood Mac has soldiered on after Buckingham, Nicks and Christine McVie dropped out at various times. Campbell told Tuesday's audience Fleetwood Mac would cease to exist, however, without drummer Mick Fleetwood).

Check out five ways Fleetwood Mac framed its performance as a career overview and also gave Indianapolis a measure of closure following Petty's 2017 death:

1. This feels familiar

The band signaled its "all for one" approach during opening number "The Chain," when a large video screen was divided into six equal parts showing Nicks, Fleetwood, Finn, Campbell, Christine McVie and bass player John McVie. The song's middle section featured a spotlight on Fleetwood and John McVie, a bit of "fan service" in the tradition of modern "Star Wars" films that give viewers familiar and comforting scenes. The band is named for Fleetwood and McVie, who have played music together since a stint in John Mayall's Bluesbreakers in 1967.

Finn's voice rang true as a substitute for Buckingham's on "The Chain," while Campbell's first guitar solo of the night was relatively subdued. "The Chain" stands as an archetype of Buckingham's dual-threat abilities.

Later, Christine McVie's vocals on "You Make Loving Fun" represented a '70s FM radio flashback with Campbell sailing a melodic single-line solo high above the fray. And countless smartphones sprang into action to document "Rhiannon" — a Nicks highlight accented by Fleetwood's earthy percussion at the song's conclusion.

2. Last dance with TP

It’s difficult to overstate the presence of Tom Petty in Tuesday’s show. Indianapolis music fans, who somehow never completely warmed to Bruce Springsteen and have grown fickle even toward Hoosier Rock and Roll Hall of Famer John Mellencamp, absolutely loved Petty.

“We have an Indiana crowd on an Indiana night,” Campbell said Tuesday to thunderous cheers. He took vocal duties on “Oh Well,” and Nicks — who collaborated with Petty on the songs “Stop Draggin' My Heart Around,” “Insider,” "I Will Run to You" and a cover of Jackie DeShannon's “Needles and Pins” — sang a rendition of “Free Fallin’ ” to begin the show’s encore.

Although it would be easy to pick a more imaginative and/or rewarding song for this tribute, the series of photos featuring Petty, Nicks and Campbell on the video screen added up to an emotional wallop.

3. ‘Songbird’ Christine

Introduced by Fleetwood as the band's "songbird," Christine McVie aced a rendition of "Everywhere." The 1987 song is an example of her breezy, bittersweet sensibility that thrived without conforming to pop trends. She paid tribute to late Fleetwood Mac member Danny Kirwan with his "Tell Me All the Things You Do," a 1970 tie-dye jam that found Campbell dueling with Christine's keyboard to great roadhouse effect.

4. ‘Eternal romantic’ Nicks

Introduced by Fleetwood as the band's "eternal romantic," Nicks brought down the house with "Gold Dust Woman." With a giant voice casting its spell, this was Nicks mythology in the flesh. "Black Magic Woman," meanwhile, may be the great missed opportunity across decades of Fleetwood Mac performances. Admitting she previously assumed Carlos Santana wrote the song, Nicks then inhabited "Black Magic Woman" with the gusto she brings to witchy roles in TV shows created by Indianapolis native Ryan Murphy.

5. The ‘new guys’

Here's where we tackle the "How do they sound without Buckingham?" question. On guitar, Campbell vs. Buckingham is a matter of personal preference. Campbell gravitates to a muscular, more conventional rock style when compared to Buckingham's acoustic-meets-electric tone. Either way, Campbell's performance on "Go Your Own Way" in Indianapolis was one for the ages. Finn's vocals may be a bigger challenge for Buckingham loyalists to accept. He can't summon years of love/hate chemistry with Nicks because it didn't happen. To his credit, Finn attacked "Second Hand News" with rapid skiffle pacing, and his Down Under roots elevated "World Turning" into an Outback hootenanny.

Videos at the link below

Side Note: Hypnotized and Storms were dropped from the set with no replacement.

REVIEW / PHOTOS Lindsey Buckingham Live in Chicago Oct 17, 2018

Lindsey Buckingham
Athenaeum Theatre, Chicago
Wednesday, October 17, 2018

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The first time Lindsey Buckingham left Fleetwood Mac, it was on his own accord, though by all indications including a very public lawsuit, the latest round was a result of being asked to leave. But one band’s loss is another man’s gain, at least as far as the singer/songwriter/guitar slinger’s Solo Anthology Tour through the intimate Athenaeum Theatre was concerned when the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer was able to expand well beyond the commercially-minded limitations of the arena-filling juggernaut into decidedly experimental, eccentric and personal territory.

Even so, Buckingham never lost his knack for an infectious hook, launching the almost two-hour concert with the jangly, jittery “Don’t Look Down” and barely taking a breather before diving unflinchingly into the unshakable eeriness of “Go Insane.” For the entire front half of the full band offering, the 69-year-old who remains at the top of his game stuck entirely to solo contexts (“Not Too Late,” “Trouble,” “Street Of Dreams”), but after unplugging all by himself with the fittingly-named “Shut Us Down,” he cast fresh light on FM’s “Never Going Back Again” and completely deconstructed “Big Love” (much like the version from The Dance).

His four kick butt backers returned for “In Our Own Time,” “Slow Dancing” and “Soul Drifter,” then Buckingham took a rare but entirely welcome trip down the “Holiday Road” from National Lampoon’s Vacation. Granted, that cut may have been a bit of a soundtrack novelty compared to strictly following an artistic compass, but it was a front to back dog-barking blast and opened the door for a trio of other big Macs (who the headliner insists he still loves while reaching a point of acceptance that “everything happens for a reason”).

In other words, none of the “Second Hand News” that’s been floating around the gossip circles stopped him from tearing into the stomping “Tusk” with gritty abandon, keeping the raw emotion building with “I’m So Afraid” and unfurling an onslaught of guitar pyrotechnics during “Go Your Own Way.” The encore of less familiar but no less satisfying tunes such as “Turn It On” could be considered either an epilogue to this specific concert or a hint of what might be coming – which probably won’t reach the masses to the degree of a Fleetwood Mac undertaking, but may prove even more rewarding and fulfilling for a restless creative who seems ready for the challenge.

-Review and photos by Andy Argyrakis

REVIEW and PHOTOS Lindsey Buckingham Live in Chicago Oct 17, 2018

Lindsey Buckingham at Chicago’s Athenaeum Theatre
By William Fanelli
Eponymous Review

Photos by Laurie Fanelli
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Fans flocked to the Athenaeum Theatre last night for a solo performance by legendary singer-guitarist Lindsey Buckingham. The Oct. 17 show took place less than two weeks after his fellow (and now former) Fleetwood Mac bandmates took the stage at Chicago’s United Center but band differences (and a subsequent lawsuit) couldn’t hold Buckingham back and, in fact, there was a feeling of freedom in the air as the artist explored the boundaries of rock with an expansive, well-rounded setlist packed with inspired tunes, youthful energy and dazzling musicianship.

The setlist, which Buckingham called “cathartic to curate,” spanned the artist’s expansive catalogue, weaving together an eclectic yet cohesive concert experience for listeners. The bulk of the artist’s solo records were represented over the course of the evening, some of which amounted to the night’s most engaging moments. Lynchian lullaby “Street Of Dreams” creeped quietly through the venue while “Shut Us Down” packed a powerful punch with its driving vocals, impressive fingerpicking and a bit of interpretive handiwork from Buckingham.

Buckingham inarguably came to play last night. His guitar work was in top form, as were his vocals… utterly guttural one moment, vulnerably tender the next. High energy renditions of Fleetwood fan favorites like “Tusk” and “Go Your Own Way” — the latter which saw the singer enlist folks in the front row to help strum his guitar — had the crowd dancing and singing along, while softer tracks like the goosebump-inducing “Never Going Back Again” entranced the theater in waves of introspection.

The intense and noisy rendition of “I’m So Afraid,” one of the many highlights of the night, built slowly before peaking with a mind-blowing, deceptively-effortless solo by Buckingham while the playful National Lampoon’s Vacation theme “Holiday Road” offered a lighter juxtaposition to the night’s more serious material. Other notable moments included the ultra-primal performance of “Big Love,” which saw the frontman crafting more distinct sounds with a single strum of the guitar than thought humanly possible.

Last night’s midwest performance — part of a larger solo tour spanning the U.S. from now until late December — was in support of Buckingham’s newly-released Solo Anthology: The Best of Lindsey Buckingham. The singer expressed his unbridled enthusiasm for the new album, noting the exciting opportunity it presented for him and his band to perform some of the songs that previously never really got a chance to shine in a live setting. “Surrender The Rain” and the title track from 1984’s Go Insane, both of which were a big hit with fans, come to mind.

Buckingham continues his U.S. Tour with a show tonight at Carnegie of Homestead Music Hall in Homestead, PA. And while some of us are already mourning Fleetwood Mac as we knew it, “you have to accept,” said Buckingham. “Look at things in a positive light. I still love those people.”

Videos at the link below

PHOTOS Lindsey Buckingham Live at the Boulder Theater Oct. 15, 2018

Lindsey Buckingham Live at the Boulder Theater Oct. 15, 2018

Photos by Nancy Isaac (Nancy Isaac Photography)

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REVIEW Lindsey Buckingham Live in San Diego Oct 13, 2018

Lindsey Buckingham Shines in Concert: Review
by Thomas K. Arnold
The Classic Bands

Lindsey Buckingham is making headlines with his lawsuit against Fleetwood Mac for firing him, and for launching his own solo tour at the same time as his former bandmates, who are out on the road with new members Neil Finn (of Crowded House) on guitar and vocals and Mike Campbell (from Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers) on guitar.

But judging from his Oct. 13 show at San Diego’s historic Spreckels Theater, the man who, for more than 40 years, reimagined the venerable British blues band into a power-pop hit machine (with a little help from musical partner Stevie Nicks, of course) has emerged a compelling and commanding solo performer. Buckingham’s flair for innovation and delicious finger-picking guitar work are more than worthy of a turn in the spotlight.

Indeed, Buckingham needed neither the band nor Christine McVie, with whom he toured last year, to shine. Much like Brian Wilson, one of his idols, the essence of Lindsey Buckingham is easier to digest, and appreciate, when he’s out on stage on his own.

There, the artistry of his songwriting truly becomes apparent. The carefully crafted pop songs, the often unconventional structures and clever melodies—it’s a musical show-and-tell from an artist who throughout his career has been stretching the limits of conventional pop music, as he did on Fleetwood Mac’s famed Tusk, for which he was soundly criticized for straying from the “formula” perfected on predecessor Rumours, which went on to sell more than 40 million copies.

Touring for just two months in support of the newly issued compilation Solo Anthology – The Best of Lindsey Buckingham, Buckingham from the stage of the Spreckels performed more than 20 songs spanning his career, from his early days with Fleetwood Mac through half a dozen solo albums. It made for an eclectic, and electric, evening of musical expressionism. Buckingham and his first-rate band had the crowd on its feet as he sang Mac hits like “Go Your Own Way,” “Never Going Back Again” and “I’m So Afraid.”

His solo rendition of “Tusk” surprised in that it sounded remarkably like the record. So did all his versions of the Fleetwood Mac hits he played, and one was left with the feeling that his firing is more the band’s loss than anyone else’s.

But the evening’s true delight was the assortment of songs from his various solo efforts. Fondly remembered hits like 1981’s mischievous “Trouble,” the feel-good 1983 “Holiday Road,” written for the National Lampoon’s Vacation movies, and 1984’s vindictive “Go Insane” were clear crowd pleasers.

So was the 1984 near-hit “Slow Dancing,” which he’d reportedly never performed live before this tour.

Some of the newer, less familiar songs showed Buckingham’s musical progression over the years, a path oddly similar to Brian Wilson’s, who also pushed further and further against conventional boundaries in his body of post-Beach Boys work. “In Our Time,” from 2011’s  Seeds We Sow, is a remarkable song that defies categorization and truly showcases the brilliance and dexterity of Buckingham’s signature finger-picking. And “Treason,” the final song of Buckingham’s three-tune encore, from 2008’s Gift of Screws, is a haunting tale of betrayal and redemption that could easily have been directed at his former bandmates in Fleetwood Mac:

Deep down there’s freedom
Deep down there will be a reason
At the end of the season
We will rise from this treason

Videos at the link below

REVIEW Fleetwood Mac Live in Des Moines October 14, 2018

Behind new members, Fleetwood Mac haunts a snowy Des Moines with a night of hits

Photo: Reese Strickland (View Gallery)

by: Matthew Leimkuehler,
Des Moines Register

A thump on the kick drum lurches a restless audience to its feet. A light jingle on the wind chime sends hands flying in celebration.

An opening twang on the guitar and a sweltering, unified scream washes away thoughts of the outside world.

Harmonized vocals fill the room and the ride begins.

Behind new members, Fleetwood Mac haunts a snowy Des Moines with a night of hits
Matthew Leimkuehler, Des Moines Register

A thump on the kick drum lurches a restless audience to its feet. A light jingle on the wind chime sends hands flying in celebration.

An opening twang on the guitar and a sweltering, unified scream washes away thoughts of the outside world.

Harmonized vocals fill the room and the ride begins.

“Listen to the wind blow, watch the sun rise …”

It’s “The Chain,” the first of a 24-song set from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame group Fleetwood Mac, playing Des Moines for the first time since 2015. An estimated 10,000 journeyed through spitting October snow to see the famed outfit perform at Wells Fargo Arena, Iowa’s largest indoor stage.