Des Moines

[gldstwmn]

The rumors are true — iconic American rock outfit Fleetwood Mac returns Sunday night to Iowa's capital city.

The "Landslide" outfit plays Wells Fargo Arena in downtown Des Moines as part of a North American tour featuring band newcomers Mike Campbell, known as longtime guitarist in Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, and Neil Finn, of Crowded House fame.

Notably missing from Iowa's largest indoor stage Sunday night will be longtime Fleetwood Mac songwriter and guitarist Lindsey Buckingham; the band fired the "Go Your Own Way" penman earlier this year.

Des Moines fans will get an early look at the band's latest lineup, being the fifth city on a North American tour that's set to run through April.

What can fans expect from the band? Here's what critics have said about the first week of the tour.

On replacing Buckingham, Consequence of Sound said ...

"... the addition of Finn and Campbell only stresses the impossibility of replacing Buckingham, seeing how it took two musicians to swap out one. Granted, Finn gets the job done (especially on the harmonies for hits like “The Chain” or “Go Your Own Way”), and you even get to hear him duet his band’s biggest hit (“Don’t Dream It’s Over”) with [Stevie] Nicks, but it’s impossible to buy any of the band’s theatricality, which has always been one of their on-stage trademarks."

Still, when highlighting time-tested performances from Nicks, Mick Fleetwood or Christine McVie, it's the latter that Consequence of Sound said stole the show.

"...not only does she lead the group’s more accentuated hits ... but she also oozes with character, opting to go off-script in ways that felt incredibly natural and jamming out like the biggest fan in the room."

Ultimate Classic Rock attended the group's tour debut in Tulsa, outlining set list highlights and rarities the group baked into its 24-song setlist.

The site highlighted a handful of rarities from the tour's opening night, including 1970's "Tell Me All The Things You Do," which Ultimate Classic Rock said hasn't been performed in decades.

"... please raise your hand if you'd crossed your fingers for "Tell Me All the Things You Do," the sweltering blues-rock gem from 1970's Kiln House. They'd played this one only a handful of times in the early '70s — most recently a brief run in 1977."

JamBase noted that the group departed briefly from Fleetwood Mac canon during the set, giving nod to Campbell's time with the Heartbreaks and Finn's Crowded House work.

"... Finn not only led Fleetwood Mac through the beloved Crowded House favorite 'Don’t Dream It’s Over' but also threw back to his Split Enz days by fronting a performance of 'I Got You.'"

Reviewing opening night, the Tulsa World lauded the band's energy.

"A big change happened in the ranks of Fleetwood Mac. But here's the takeaway: The tour launch didn’t feel like you were watching/hearing something less than Fleetwood Mac."

If you go ...
Who: Fleetwood Mac

When: 8 p.m. on Sunday

Where: Wells Fargo Arena, 233 Center St., Des Moines

Cost: $69.50-$229.50 before fees.

More information: iowaeventscenter.com.