Tuesday, May 21, 2013

REVIEW | PHOTOS: Fleetwood Mac Live in Tacoma 5/20

Fleetwood Mac Looks Back, Moves Forward at Tacoma Dome
By Corbin Reiff
Seattle Weekly
Photos by: Dana Nalbandian


Before the final song of the band’s two and a half hour long set at the Tacoma Dome on Monday night, Fleetwood Mac guitarist and latter-day creative force Lindsey Buckingham stepped to the microphone and proclaimed, “Sometimes it takes losing a set of illusions to move forward.” While he may have been referring to his oft-discussed and long dormant romantic relationship with his band mate Stevie Nicks, the same sentiment could be applied to expectations for the band’s performance that evening.

No this wasn’t the same powerhouse that dominated popular music in 1977 – the hair was a little grayer, the movements on stage a little more deliberate – but Fleetwood Mac still managed to deliver a solid set of timeless music that brought the thousands in attendance to their feet for nearly the duration of the show.


The night began with a touching gesture as Buckingham and Nicks took the stage hand-in-hand lending the crowd a visual cue that each was willing to put their respective feelings of acrimony behind them. If they were ready to forget their own personal histories however, they were just as quick to delve into their musical past opening the night with a one-two-three punch of songs off the astronomically successful album, Rumors; “Second Hand News,” the first track off the album followed by “The Chain” and then “Dreams.”

It was clear from the start that Buckingham was to be the focal point of the evening and his performance both vocally and on guitar was transcendent. Buckingham, who drummer Mick Fleetwood later referred to as, “Our inspiration and our mentor,” was given much of the burden of moving the show along and providing the necessary flourishes that kept the songs from drifting too far into stale renditions of over-played material. His solo on “I’m So Afraid” in particular stood out for both its intensity and technical wizardry.

However much Buckingham proved throughout the evening to have sidestepped the effect of passing years on his musical prowess, the same could not be said singer Stevie Nicks. It was evident early on that Nicks has lost a bit of her vocal top-range – the iconic falsetto on “Rhiannon” was noticeably absent. She was, however, still able to solidly belt out each number with a steadiness that proved admirable. Accompanied by Buckingham alone on acoustic guitar, Nick’s rendition of “Landslide” – always a crowd favorite – was delivered expertly and with a great deal of precision.

The rhythm section – the Fleetwood and Mac in Fleetwood Mac as it were – was, as expected, on point throughout the evening. John McVie’s bass proved to be the solid rock and foundation of each number. His technical ability combined with his comfortable setting near the rear of the stage rendered him almost an afterthought; something taken for granted. Mick Fleetwood on the other hand was a force that refused to be ignored and throughout the evening slammed all the power that his 6’5” frame could muster into each hit on the snare and kick on the bass.


Amid an evening soaked in nostalgia – Fleetwood himself was garbed in the same outfit he wore in the cover photo of Rumors, down to the balls dangling listlessly from his waistband – there were signals that the group intended to carry on. Selections from its latest offering, Extended Play, were interspersed amongst the old standbys in the setlist to great acclaim from the audience. Buckingham himself declared that there are, “a few chapters left to be written in the book of Fleetwood Mac.” If Monday’s performance proved anything, it was that while they may have lost a step or too in some regards, and may be more than a little too reliant on their back catalog, Fleetwood Mac still has it and aren’t quite ready to say goodbye just yet.

 Above photos by: artofwore | meegggyyyy 
 Above photos by: g_field206
 Above photos by: taybaycakes | maxgleibs
 Above photo by: DaniCanoelle

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Being as this was a back to back show, was Silver Springs included?

Anonymous said...

Tacoma set List
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
(Stevie Nicks song)
Go Your Own Way
Encore:
World Turning
(Also Included Mick Fleetwood's Drum Solo)
Don't Stop
Encore 2:
Silver Springs
Say Goodbye

Anonymous said...

It was a magical night!!

Anonymous said...

We were invited by daughter Dominique whos tight with Mick to attend this MAGICAL event. A REunion is a wonderful event in all our lives. The honesty, the ownership, the truth made it a magical soothing experience for me. For me Stevie was a time when she performed at Menlo Atherton back in the beginning. Days when groups like the Warlocks became the Grateful Dead in the club I managed or you went to breakfast after closing & saw the likes of Sly & the family Stone perform. Fleetwood Mac was the blood of living life, the sounds, words of a life yet lived. Tears were streaming as I remembered the ups & downs of my life as they connected memories of wars, loves lost & future dreams yet realized. Being privey, meeting Mick before & after the performance was an honor for a man now 71 but the real treasure was seeing how this group of entities gave back to those that made them. How they reconciled their inner stuff for you & me. A CLASS ACT touched down in Tacoma & after a day words are coming to express my gratitude for the gift you are to the world.

Anonymous said...

They sang silver springs as an encore. It was gorgeous.

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