REVIEW Fleetwood Mac Live in San Jose, CA 11/21/18 highlights its history in hit-studded concert

Revamped Fleetwood Mac highlights its history in hit-studded San Jose concert
Warren Pederson - San Fransico Chronicle
Photos: Jim Gensheimer

Fleetwood Mac paid tribute to its varied incarnations at San Jose’s SAP Center on Wednesday, Nov. 21, and despite a few surprising flubs, the storied rockers commanded the crowd as if they never broke the chain.

The band, which survived five decades of shifts in sound, personnel and personalities, performed an almost 2½-hour set rich in the soft-rock standards that defined its commercial peak in the 1970s and ’80s, as well as blues tunes from its formative years and a few obscurities, during its 50th anniversary tour stop.

It was a set that regardless of which Fleetwood Mac era fans came to see, hit every note. The show may not have won over those who miss singer-guitarist Lindsey Buckingham, recently replaced in a move that divided classic rock lovers, but the tour that is likely to please longtime followers planning to catch Fleetwood Mac when the band plays Sacramento’s Golden 1 Center on Friday, Nov. 23, and Oakland’s Oracle Arena on Sunday, Nov. 25.

The San Jose concert was particularly special for singer Stevie Nicks, who turned 70 this year but hasn’t ditched her shawls or heels. A homecoming of sorts, Nicks took several moments to give the South Bay city a proper shout-out. Born in Phoenix, she attended San Jose State University and made some of her first recordings in the Bay Area.

“It’s pretty darn good to be back in my own specific and very special hood,” she said. “This is where it all started, and I had to take a minute to let you know that.”

Nicks, who has done decades of shows worldwide with the band as well as solo, said she was a bit nervous to be back in the Bay Area and even forgot the lyrics at one point to “Landslide.” Whether it was nerves or overfamiliarity with one of her most popular songs with the band, it was an odd moment from a normally polished singer.

“What’s happening? … I’ve lost the key,” Nicks admitted in the midst the song, which she dedicated to longtime friends (including one who used to drive her to the College of San Mateo for “two solid years, back and forth”).

“This is my home, so I can do this,” she laughed off. “Seriously, I’m so nervous I’m never coming back here!

“I’m kidding. I will always come back,” she assured the crowd. “This is when you know, after 70 years, that you still get this nervous when you sing a song for people that you love.”

With longtime singer-guitarist Buckingham fired amid reports of major bad blood with Nicks, his former lover he met when the two attended Menlo-Atherton High School, the band has been touring with Neil Finn of Crowded House and Mike Campbell of Tom Petty’s band, the Heartbreakers. Though neither had the manic magic that made Buckingham unstoppable onstage, they provided competent interpretations of Buckingham’s standards, with Finn handling the lead vocal in “Second Hand News” and “Monday Morning,” and Campbell tackling the frenetic guitar leads on “The Chain” and “Go Your Own Way.”

The band did a deep dive into its blues catalog, with Nicks providing a feminist spin singing “Black Magic Woman,” a haunting psychedelic gem later popularized by Santana; Finn dusting off “Tell Me All the Things You Do,” a melodic nugget from Danny Kirwan, a Fleetwood Mac member from 1968 to 1972 who died this year; and Campbell taking the spotlight on “Oh Well,” a powerful hard rock hybrid.

Nicks, even more of a focal point for the band with Buckingham out of the picture, gave the crowd what it wanted with “Dreams,” “Rhiannon” and “Gypsy.” She paid tribute to Petty, her frequent collaborator who died last year, with a spirited version of “Free Fallin’” featuring projected images of the two together and Petty with the Heartbreakers over the years.

Finn, whose solo career hasn’t received the attention it deserves after he created moody, melodic pop with Crowded House and Split Enz, took a deserved spotlight with a cover of “Don’t Dream It’s Over.” It was an unusual choice for a Fleetwood Mac concert, but it was well received — especially when Nicks joined in on the chorus.

Drummer Mick Fleetwood, still a solid player at 71 and is probably the member who’s worked harder than everyone to keep Fleetwood Mac together over the years, did his standard wild-man solo. Bassist John McVie kept his usual low profile but provided a solid foundation for the band. And keyboardist Christine McVie, who rejoined the band in 2014 after a lengthy semi-retirement, proved to be a grounding force with her smoky vocals on the mid-tempo staples “Little Lies,” “Isn’t It Midnight” and ”Everywhere.” She closed the evening with a duet with Nicks for the band’s third encore song, “All Over Again.” (The deep cut is off the band’s poorly received 1995 “Time” album and is a song that only Fleetwood Mac’s die-hard fans remember — if at all.)

McVie’s collaboration with Buckingham last year on an album of new material was such a pleasant surprise that it’s disappointing to know that Fleetwood Mac has no intentions of recording new songs again. That could take the sting away for Buckingham fans who resent hearing the new guys covering songs he made famous. But as long as some form of Fleetwood Mac remains intact covering the band’s classic catalog, this incarnation passes the test.

San Francisco Chronicle senior digital arts editor Mariecar Mendoza contributed to this story.

REVIEW Fleetwood Mac Live in San Jose, CA Nov 21, 2018 flops without Lindsey Buckingham

Review: Fleetwood Mac flops without Lindsey Buckingham on board
Jim Harrington - Mercury News
Photos: LiPo Ching

Fleetwood Mac showed up and played music at the SAP Center in San Jose on Nov. 21.

The band’s performance was professional, mostly well organized and started in a timely fashion.

It wasn’t an entirely bad way to spend a Wednesday night.

Honest.

But you’ll have to excuse me if I’m not sounding too enthusiastic about the concert. It’s just that, for the entire evening, it was nearly impossible to shake the feeling that something — or, more accurately, someone — was missing.

And that someone was, of course, Lindsey Buckingham.

The group dismissed its incredibly talented singer-songwriter-guitarist back in April, sending shockwaves through the classic rock world and resulting in a big lawsuit between Buckingham and the band. Of course, Fleetwood Mac has long been one of rock’s all-time great soap operas, but few outside the band saw this coming.

The split ostensibly had something to do with the band’s touring schedule, with the big sticking point reportedly being over when the trek was to begin. Although, Buckingham told Rolling Stone that his former band mate — and former love interest — Stevie Nicks wanted him out of the band, going so far as to have Fleetwood Mac manager Irving Azoff deliver the message that “Stevie never wants to be on a stage with you again.”

So, the band quickly enlisted not one, but two replacement guitarists — Neil Finn of Crowded House fame and Mike Campbell of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers — and announced a major tour.

The loss of Buckingham didn’t stop the public from snatching up ducats. The San Jose show was dubbed a sell out, while big crowds are expected for the band’s two upcoming shows in Northern California — Nov. 23 at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento and Nov. 25 at Oracle Arena in Oakland. (Tickets, priced $69.50-$299.50, are still available for those two shows at www.ticketmaster.com. Shows start at 8 p.m.)

The fans seemed pretty excited about the evening as they entered the SAP Center, forming long lines at the merchandise booths to purchase $15 Fleetwood Mac bottle openers, $20 Fleetwood Mac mugs, $15 Fleetwood Mac shot glasses and an assortment of $40 Fleetwood Mac T-shirts. There was, however, no truth to the rumor that the band might be selling “Lindsey Buckingham is a big jerk” hoodies.

The fans were still going strong as the group — featuring vocalist Nicks, drummer Mick Fleetwood, bassist John McVie, vocalist-keyboardist Christine McVie and new members Campbell and Finn — took the stage and kicked off the show with a rousing version of “The Chain,” from the 1977 blockbuster “Rumours.”

Yet, it wouldn’t last and the enthusiasm — from the band and especially its fans — quickly began to wane.

You see, it’s not always enough to simply try and replace talent with talent. If it was just pure guitar chops then the new Fleetwood Mac — with Campbell on board — wouldn’t miss Buckingham all that much. If it was just a fine singing voice then the new Fleetwood Mac — with Finn signed on — would be just fine.

But Buckingham also brought hard-to-quantify intangibles to the band. He delivered the passion and power, brought the heart and soul, and was able to lift the entire show to a higher level. He also shared unbelievable love/hate chemistry with Nicks — a dynamic that helped make Fleetwood Mac more than just a tired nostalgia act.

Yet, the group was sounding pretty tired on this night, as it delivered clean, capable and barely compelling versions of such fan favorites as “Dreams,” “Second Hand News” and “Say You Love Me.”

The two newcomers did help out quite a bit, though.

Campbell’s guitar leads were typically on point throughout the night and he did an admirable job on the microphone during “Oh Well,” a 1969 single from what’s commonly referred to as the Peter Green-era of Fleetwood Mac. He’d also heavily factor in during the encore, as the band covered Tom Petty’s “Free Fallin'” with Nicks on vocals.

Finn was part of the best moment of the night, as he sang a lovely duet with Nicks on the Crowded House nugget “Don’t Dream It’s Over.”

“It’s in the top five best-written songs in the history of songs,” Nicks commented at its conclusion.

Overall, Nicks didn’t have a great night. The former Bay Area resident, who attended San Jose State University, kept saying how nervous she was to be back home — and she’d prove it by forgetting the lyrics and losing the key on “Landslide.”

“I think that has never happened before — ever,” she said.

One thing that hasn’t changed in Buckingham’s absence is that Mick Fleetwood’s lengthy, obnoxious drum solo is still a complete waste of time and space. It goes nowhere. But it still takes forever to get there.

As the band wrapped the main set up with the dependable crowd pleaser “Go Your Own Way,” I couldn’t help but linger on the feeling that the whole thing would’ve been so much better with Buckingham in the mix.

Sure, without Buckingham, the group has proven that it can still be popular, still sell out an arena, still get people to spend $15 on a bottle opener.

But, without Buckingham, the group might never be truly great again.

VIDEOS AT THE LINK BELOW

PHOTOS: Fleetwood Mac Live in Tacoma, WA November 17, 2018

Fleetwood Mac Live in Tacoma
Photos by Tacoma Weekly

REVIEW Lindsey Buckingham Ann Arbor November 17, 2018

Lindsey Buckingham Goes His Own Way, Revisits Fleetwood Mac On Stage In Ann Arbor
by Jim Ryan
Forbes
Photo Philamonjaro Studio

2018 was a year featuring highs and lows for Lindsey Buckingham.

While word didn’t start to trickle out publicly until April, Buckingham was fired from Fleetwood Mac in January, making his performance with the group on January 26th at a MusiCares benefit his final one. It marks his second departure from the group he joined in 1975 following a sabbatical from 1987 to 1997.

On October 5th, Rhino released Buckingham’s first ever Solo Anthology, featuring material from all six of his solo studio albums, plus a pair of unreleased tracks and one cut from his 2017 album with Fleetwood Mac’s Christine McVie.

But not even a week removed from that release, it was reported Buckingham was suing his former band for breach of fiduciary duty, breach of oral contract and more.

One of the issues reportedly at the center of the acrimonious split was his desire to book solo shows on off nights of the Fleetwood Mac arena tour.

Buckingham brought that solo tour, what he’s often dubbed “the small machine,” to Ann Arbor at the Michigan Theatre, where he was backed by a four-piece band Saturday night.

“We are here for… a couple of reasons,” said Buckingham on stage Saturday, tongue-in-cheek, addressing the crowd with a pause for emphasis near the start of the show. “The important one is that Warner Brothers has put out an anthology of my solo work. The whole process of curating it was a catharsis. In celebrating this package, we get to celebrate some material that has never been performed on stage,” he said, before heading into “Surrender the Rain,” from his 1992 album Out of the Cradle.

From his 1981 solo debut, “Trouble” provided a terrific example of just how great Buckingham’s deliberate finger picking remains as he headed toward a full band take of “I Must Go,” featuring wonderful backing vocals from both his bassist and keyboard player.

Buckingham remains in terrific voice and “Street of Dreams” was an early highlight Saturday in Michigan as he moved to the acoustic-electric for a solo take on the track in the theater setting.

“We are making a new start,” said the guitarist in another general nod to his Fleetwood Mac departure, both a situation and band that, amidst litigation, he’d never directly reference. “It’s very important to have you here at the beginning of something new. We have lots more down the line,” he continued, addressing his future obliquely.

Those words acted as Buckingham’s introduction to a solo rendition of “Shut Us Down.” But “Oh you and I we sure can dream / of conversations that might have been,” are the lyrics that actually begin the song. For Buckingham, who claims he was never given a reason for his Fleetwood Mac firing by any of his bandmates, despite inquiries, the placement of that song, at that particular point in the set, following said introduction, was probably not coincidental.

It was a point further driven home with a solo take on Fleetwood Mac’s “Never Going Back Again” immediately following.

At that point, the show began to hit its stride. Buckingham’s band is tight but the best moments Saturday in Michigan were those which placed the greatest emphasis on his delicate playing and introspective lyrics in a far more intimate setting than Fleetwood Mac fans are generally accustomed.

While he may have never directly addressed his former band, he had no problem diving into that catalog, as the solo portion of the show continued with his stunning take on Fleetwood Mac’s “Big Love.”

From 1987’s Tango in the Night, the song’s glossy production on that record hasn’t aged well. But treated as the Buckingham solo spectacle that it often was during Fleetwood Mac tours, “Big Love” was every bit as engaging in a small theater as it was many nights in an arena, with Buckingham’s classical picking of the acoustic guitar stealing the show Saturday night in Ann Arbor.

As the band made its way back to the stage, Buckingham appeared not just energized but comfortable, interacting with his keyboard/acoustic guitar player during “Slow Dancing” and jovially messing around with his bassist.

But the biggest smiles were saved for a seasonally appropriate rendition of “Holiday Road,” the solo Buckingham cut most well-known for its placement in the 1983 Chevy Chase film National Lampoon’s Vacation and subsequent sequels. The guitarist laughed and kicked throughout, drawing the crowd to its feet, as the show headed for the close of the main set with rollicking takes on Fleetwood Mac classics like “Tusk” and “Go Your Own Way.”

“Thank you so much,” said Lindsey Buckingham Saturday in Michigan. “We’re making a new album next year and we’ll be back. We love you all so much for being a part of this so early on,” he continued, making the most of his unexpected new chapter.

Kenyan singer songwriter J.S. Ondara opened the show with a rousing, self-deprecating, solo acoustic set Saturday night.

“If I play something and you recognize it, just stop me,” he joked, referencing the upcoming February 1 release of his debut solo album Tales of America. “When the record comes out, I’m gonna come back and quiz you,” he continued.

Songs like “My Heart is Never on Time” and closer “Saying Goodbye” set the stage beautifully Saturday in Ann Arbor not just for a headlining set by Lindsey Buckingham but for Ondara’s new record as well.

“If you’re concerned that this next song is going to be sad, it’s ok because the next show is a rock show,” observed Ondara. “It’s a nice lyrical contrast.”

GO YOUR OWN WAY

I MUST GO

REVIEW Lindsey Buckingham Live in Ann Arbor November 17, 2018

Lindsey Buckingham displays big life after Fleetwood Mac in Ann Arbor
By Gary Graff
The Oakland Press

VIEW THE PHOTO GALLERY

ANN ARBOR -- One door closed on Lindsey Buckingham this year -- and hit him on the butt on the way out.

Now he's ready to open another one.

That was the message of the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer's concert Saturday night, Nov. 18, at the Michigan Theater. Fired by Fleetwood Mac earlier in the year, he's responded not only with a lawsuit against the band but a purposeful renewal of his solo career, including a compilation of what's come before, and promises of much more to come. "You are here at the beginning of something new," Buckingham told the Ann Arbor crowd mid-show. "We have lots more down the line...We're looking forward to having time to do all that."

Though he played some of the group's material, Buckingham did not mention the turmoil with Fleetwood Mac -- who he spent 42 off-and-on years of multi-platinum success with -- or even the band superficially during the nearly two-hour, 21-song show; The closest he came was while discussing the "Solo Anthology: The Best of Lindsey Buckingham," when he noted that he "likes looking ahead and not behind -- that's certainly served me well this year." But his song choices were clearly statements of purpose, including a solo acoustic pairing of "Shut Us Down" and Mac's "Never Going Back Again."

And he ended the night with the pointed and potent choice of his 2008 solo track "Treason," whose chorus declared, "Deep down there's freedom...We will rise from this treason."

Mostly, however, Buckingham and his tight four-piece band gave every reason to anticipate good things to come from his new path. Saturday's show offered an insightful and, to some, revelatory showcase for the creative inventiveness and even quirkiness that's made him one of the standout pop auteurs of the past four decades. For guitar fans in particular it was a festival of finger-picking dexterity as Buckingham -- in his trademark black jacket, black T-shirt and blue jeans -- simultaneously played leads and rhythms on both acoustic and electric, driving songs such as "Go Insane" and a solo acoustic "Big Love" into frenetic fury. Fleetwood Mac's "I'm So Afraid" was its usual epic discourse, with Buckingham slapping his guitar and mugging for ebullient fans who lined the front of the stage.

And the Mac's "Go Your Own Way" was a soaring, triumphant anthem with an extended solo at the end.

The show also let Buckingham dig deep into his solo catalog for songs he noted were seldom played, including shimmering gems such as "Surrender the Rain," "Not Too Late" and "Soul Drifter," the stomping angst of "Doing What I Can" and the gentle, bluesy "Street of Dreams" and the disco-flavored "Slow Dancing." "Holiday Road" from the "National Lampoon's Vacation" series was a roaring rockabilly set-up for a spirited romp through the Mac's "Tusk," while "Turn It Down" nodded to New Wavey pop.

During his comments Buckingham promised a new album and vowed to "see you again next year." And with Saturday's show he gave every reason to anxiously await both.

REVIEW Fleetwood Mac brings a different kind of drama to Rogers Arena in Vancouver

A revved up, magical, and vital Fleetwood Mac brings a different kind of drama to Rogers Arena in Vancouver
by Janet Smith
Straight.com
Photo: Rogers Arena

Rogers Arena on Wednesday, November 14th.

Drama has always been a part of Fleetwood Mac's mystique—from the romantic rifts that fueled Rumours right up until this year, when long-time singer-guitarist Lindsey Buckingham departed the band with the usual acrimony before its tour. Was he kicked out, or did he leave voluntarily in a huff? That's bound to be cleared up by the ongoing lawsuit.

But the epic Vancouver tour stop here last night at Rogers Arena was all about the love and good vibes. From the opening kick-drum tick of “The Chain”, it was clear the band was eager to go their own way without Buckingham, adding Crowded House frontman Neil Finn and former Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers guitarist Mike Campbell to the mix. And the crowd—a wild mix of ages, from kids in Rumours T-shirts to moms in their best feathered top hats to old dudes with canes—went gamely along for the ride.

Everyone on-stage was having a complete ball, gleeful drummer Mick Fleetwood smashing away like Animal without the aggro, the hulking timekeeper shown in closeup-cam via projections from multiple angles. As he tore through an insanely extended drum solo in “World Turning”, he repeatedly asked, “Are you ready to release the hounds?” Met with the crowd's screaming “Yes!”, Fleetwood then proceeded to do so on his kit.

It was easy to forget that the hyperenergized 71-year-old helped found the band no less than 50 years ago—as in five freaking decades. At the end of the concert, long after the ovations for fittingly upbeat show closer “Don’t Stop” had died down, Fleetwood took the stage in his jaunty black knickers, red shoes, and scarlet top hat to plead with the crowd heading up the aisles of Rogers Arena to simply "be kind” to one another.

Fleetwood’s manic energy was matched by Stevie Nicks’s Gypsy splendour, the songstress fondling the streamers hanging off her microphone and tambourine as she sang, and wrapping herself in a glimmering gold shawl for showstopper "Gold Dust Woman". Spinning magically in her full black skirt and black-suede platform boots, she looked preternaturally young.

For his part, though he didn’t bring the loaded history Buckingham would have had with the others on-stage, Finn managed a nice balance of achieving the Mac-veteran’s tone while somehow still making the songs his own. He also treated fans who lived through the '80s to his own acoustic Crowded House ballad “Don’t Dream It’s Over”, in a transcendent duet with Nicks—another of the show’s feel-good moments.

Campbell, meanwhile, brought the necessary chops to the guitar work, not to mention gravitas to the encore’s "Free Fallin’", sung by an emotion-drenched Nicks and set against projections of the late Tom Petty.

For die-hard fans, the band dug deep into its vaults, back into the bluesy '60s under original frontman Peter Green. Christine McVie—back in the fold after a 15-year hiatus from the group—held her own on the keyboards, and gave most of the room a new appreciation for the '80s radio hit “Little Lies”.

The biggest highlight of a show that didn't lack them came midway through, and we don’t have to tell you which song it was. Nicks was as bewitching as ever in “Rhiannon”, spreading her black shawl like wings and throwing a spell over the packed arena.

In the process, she brought something magnetically older and wiser to the catharsis that's long been part of Fleetwood Mac's storied run. So, yeah, maybe there was drama after all.

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THE CHAIN
DREAMS
TELL ME ALL THE THINGS YOU DO
GOLD DUST WOMAN
GO YOUR OWN WAY