Tusk/Mirage concert reviews...

[ericktul]

Upon perusing archives from The Daily Oklahoman, I found reviews for the OKC Tusk and Mirage shows. Take a look if you'd like!

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FINE FLEETWOOD MAC PERFORMANCE NO RUMOR
Lindsey Buckingham Dominates Myriad Concert

Date: 8/24/80
Publication: The Daily Oklahoman
Writer: Bruce Westbrook

For a band that's been touring most of the past year, Fleetwood Mac performed a remarkably long and inspired concert at the Myriad Friday night.

The group's record sales may have waned - their latest album is nowhere near the history-making "Rumours" LP - but Fleetwood Mac's concerts are still a hot ticket.

Several weeks ago, the Oklahoma City show sold out in 2 1/2 hours, although some seats behind the stage were later put on sale. That brought the total audience to about 12,000.

Only a few were in their seats when Rocky Burnette opened the concert, but that's just as well. His material was undistinctive and his band was better than he was, yet Burnette boasted he's "the son of rock and roll," apparently since his father, the late Johnny Burnette, was a rockabilly legend.

Burnette could learn something about rock music from Fleetwood Mac, who played a well-paced, dynamic, non-stop show that lasted two hours, not counting the encores. The suspended sound system was good, the lighting was superb and the players' professionalism was consistent and assured.

The dominant force all evening was the only band member who stayed on stage throughout the show - the talented and tireless Lindsey Buckingham.

Singer Stevie Nicks may be the sex symbol of the group, but Buckingham is the heart. With his obsiessive vocal stylizations and his crisp, powerful lead guitar playing, he was the energized, driving force that kept the music moving.

The show's opener, "Monday Morning," was deceptively light and bouncy, because the next song, "The Chain," was frenzied and compelling, even more dramatic than it is on record.

Other "Rumours" hits followed, including "Don't Stop" and "Dreams."

The latter featured Miss Nicks' first solo. She often seemed bored with the older material and sang melodic variations to give the songs a new dimension.

An early highlight was "Oh Well," a sassy rocker written 10 years ago by former Fleetwood Mac member Peter Green.

Most of the newer material was performed much like the recorded versions, although "Sara" was played at a faster tempo and "Tusk" had a new vitality, with much more instrumental muscle from the band.

The rhythm section was consistently sound and solid, thanks to bassist John McVie and drummer Mick Fleetwood.

They offset each other well. McVie looks serious-minded and subdued, while the 38-year-old Fleetwood flails at his drums with maniacal zeal.

McVie's ex-wife Christine was impressive on several different keyboards and sang some soulful solos, especially for "Over and Over."

Miss Nicks left the stage several times to change outfits, and everyone left the workhorse Buckingham alone for "Never Going Back Again." The song was beautifully simplified, with Buckingham almost whispering the vocals while strumming an acoustic guitar.

With the band back, "Angel" featured the night's richest harmonies, and after several more songs, "Go Your Own Way," one of the group's best concert songs, ended the set on an exhillirating note.

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DESPITE EX-LOVES, FLEETWOOD MAC MAKES GREAT MUSIC TOGETHER IN MYRIAD CENTER

Date: 9/27/82
Publication: The Daily Oklahoman
Writer: Gene Triplett

Embattled couples everywhere should take a lesson.

When a band of ex-lovers and ex-spouses like Fleetwood Mac can still make beautiful music together despite past differences, there's gotta be hope for better human relations.

Before a devoted, sold-out crowd of 15,291 at the Myriad Sunday night, this three-man, two-woman musical aggregation wove a two-hour-plus musical spell that was both inspired and inspiring.

There was blond, sultry Stevie Nicks - the acknowledged female star of Fleetwood Mac - standing face-to-face with ex-boyfriend Lindsey Buckingham, trading fiery, dramatic vocal harmonies with him on the churning love song, "The Chain," and the winsomely flowing "Dreams."

Bassist John McVie stood close to ex-wife Christine McVie's battery of keyboards, seeming to urge her along on her turns at the spotlight on her typically sensitive, torchy love songs, like "Brown Eyes," and her urgent, smoky rocker, "Don't Stop."

Fleetwood Mac proved themselves to be one of the most solidly unified bands in rock 'n' roll, each member playing off one another's talents, especially on tunes like effervescent "Eyes of the World," which showcased the talents of all three lead singers, and Stevie's magical turn at the spotlight on the haunting "Sara."

Stevie lived up to her witchy, erotic image, going through numerous costume changes that seemed to consist of nothing more than ornate shawls, flowing, diaphanous dresses and knee-high boots.

But her swirling dance routines, wherein her layers of colorful fringe and delicate fabrics billowed majestically about her, were as mesmerizing as her erotic and emotionally charged vocalizations on tunes like "Gypsy" and the grippingly haunting "Rhiannon."

Buckingham's five-fingered electric guitar picking was another aspect of the band's performance not easily bested, especially on the band's bluesy classic, "Oh Well," and his own rhythmic and structually eccentric melodies, "Second Hand News," "Never Going Back Again" and "That's Enough for Me."

The only flaws were in the over-long, meandering rendition of Buckingham's "Not That Funny," which included too much pointless drum and bass pyrotechnics by Jon (sic) McVie and Mick Fleetwood, and the brevity of "Oh Well," which is one of the band's most enduring classics.

But their performance spoke well for the adaptability of truly talented, intelligent artists, who can overcome personal problems to enjoy a mutual passion and talent for creating great music.

(review goes on to talk about opening act Men At Work)