303 Magazine by Alex Faubel December 15, 2014
http://303magazine.com/2014/12/fleetwood-mac-denver/
Fleetwood Mac Fulfills Dreams in Denver
Sometimes you get the chance to stand mere feet away from a band that had a hand in laying the foundation of your love for music. Most of the time they look different. Many times they sound different. But never do you take that moment for granted. My dad would probably say “back in my day” and trail off into a tangent about how great Fleetwood Mac was when he saw them in 1975. But it’s not often you get the chance to see a band you grew up listening to with the top down on your mom’s Volkswagon Cabrio going way too fast down residential streets. Go Your Own Way, right? And if that way has you on tour nearly five decades after the inception of your band, I’d say your way is one hell of a route.
Songbird Christine McVie returned to cap off the platinum roster of the Fleetwood Mac we know and love. Stevie Nicks was as much of a gypsy-witch as she was years ago, fill of jagged vocals and winged dresses. Leather-clad Lindsey Buckingham continued to shred, as his gaunt face and grayed hair refused to hinder the dexterity of his appendages. John McVie, Fleetwood’s right-hand-man, was as solid and unnoticed as he was in their prime. And the man, Mick Fleetwood, wild-eyed and loose screws led the booming march on the night, giving no reprieve to that poor, battered drum set. The show seemed overly rehearsed, as any show that’s been played thousands of times may sound, but magical nonetheless–especially for the gaggle of twenty-somethings who, like me, finally got the chance to see heroes live and in person.
The band opened with “The Chain” and never broke sequence, never ruptured a note and reminded audience members from the get-go that they were as strong as steel even today. “Dreams” closely followed and with 71-year-old McVie back on stage (and glowing, might I add) the band came alive again. McVie’s voice always added a poppier element to the band, as was evident Friday with upbeat songs like “Say You Love Me” and “Everywhere,” creating a more approachable feel to the show than their 2013 rendition while the singer was still on her 17-year hiatus. While some thought her return was over-hyped, on Saturday night McVie showed the Mile High City what it means to complete a band.
Stevie Nicks was the enchanting she-devil you grew up pining after. She snarled and moaned through “Rhiannon,” where her biting vocals re-emerged to give the song its truest taste of black magic. While it’s quite evident Nicks has had good and bad nights on this tour, she was the epitome of grace and mystery. She was the doe-eyed girl with feathered bangs and perfect breasts from the 70s, grown into a windswept entity spinning and shimmering in her gold shawl like a woman who needs no age.
During “Landslide,” the crowd shared goosebumps as Nicks provided a lengthy intro about a girl in a vintage shop with a big dream. Together we shared in that massive dream, which blossomed into a renowned rock group that sold over 100 million albums. The auditorium pulsed with nostalgia; it ran through the pipes of the Pepsi center and was thrust into the air like a Vegas oxygen bar. People danced, couples serenaded one another with the words and the band fed off of this energy, delivering an unyielding performance.