Fleetwood Mac takes crowd to another place (Scranton Review)

[MacMan]

Fleetwood Mac takes crowd to another place
http://www.timesleader.com/mld/timesleader/8894570.htm
REVIEW
By ALAN K. STOUT

[email protected]

SCRANTON - There's no question that popular music can serve as a soundtrack to our lives, and certain songs take you back to a certain time and place. But with Fleetwood Mac, it seems particularly true.

Maybe it's the images the songs paint, or the moods they create, or the time periods they reflect. Whatever the reason, the band's songs seem to connect in a special way, which can make for a very special concert.

The group performed at the Ford Pavilion at Montage Mountain on Thursday, and for the crowd of 10,500, it appeared to be a night of such musical connections. The group opened with the classic, "The Chain," and followed with "Dreams," a former No. 1 smash hit from 1977's "Rumors," which has sold over 17 million copies.

New songs, such as "Peacekeeper" and "Say You Will," were also well received and well performed.

Though the group is named after original members Mick Fleetwood and John McVie, it's vocalist Stevie Nicks and vocalist/guitarist Lindsey Buckingham who are the stars of the show. Nicks twirled like a dancing gypsy during "Rhiannon" and Buckingham led the band through a torrid guitar-fueled jam highlighted by his own impressive guitar work. Vintage clips of the group, circa 1979, appeared on the video screen during Nicks' "Sarah," Buckingham offered a soulful acoustic performance of "Big Love," and the crowd sang along to "Landslide." The song left some in the crowd in tears.

The absence of Christine McVie was, of course, notable. Some of her popular songs were respectfully left out of the set and were missed, as was her mere presence. Another distraction, though a minor one, was the occasional misuse of stage lighting. Sometimes, during moody numbers such as "Gold Dust Woman," the lights and the live shots on the video screen were too bright. A softer, darker look would have been better, and would have added to the ambiance.

Still, this was a terrific show, also highlighted by a rhythmic rendition of "Tusk," Nicks' solo hit "Stand Back," and "Go Your Own Way." Encores included "World Turning" and "Don't Stop."

Quite a soundtrack.

THE NEXT SHOW: