Fleetwood Mac: Together Again and On Top of Their Game

It wasn't a concert I was overly enthusiastic about going to, but I'm so glad I went.  For virtually anyone around my age, the songs of Fleetwood Mac were an indelible part of growing up.  Songs like Rhiannon, Go Your Own Way, Don't Stop, and so many more are permanently tucked away inside the furthest reaches of my brain, bringing forth fond memories of younger days.  So even though I was never a huge fan of the band, I always have been a fan, and when my friend Eric asked me to join him at Nassau Coliseum for what turned out to be a night of celebration, I was only too glad to join in.

Fleetwood Mac, in its present, reunited incarnation, first came together in 1974 and almost immediately they became a success with their first eponymous album, which produced the hits Say You Love Me and Rhiannon.  The road since then has been a tumultuous one, with lineup changes, departures and feuds, solo successes and such, but today the five-some of Stevie Nicks, Christie McVie, Lindsay Buckingham, John McVie and Mick Fleetwood have reunited once again for their On With the Show Tour, celebrating the return of Christie and a celebration of their 40-plus years together.

The evening was a beautiful thing to witness, a three-hour set of performances of all their great hits over the years and then some.  The band members were talkative and playful with the audience, and they really seemed to be enjoying their time together on stage, which made for a most enjoyable night. Buckingham was the most lively of the bunch, reminiscing fondly about how grateful he was for the all the days of Fleetwood Mac, and his enthusiasm showed in his performance, especially on the tune Big Love.    

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For virtually every song the band was spot on, from the comfortably cozy Dreams to the funky, head-bopping You Make Loving Fun to the uplifting Go Your Own Way.  One highlight for me was Stevie Nicks' rendition of a song I'd never heard before called Gold Dust Woman, from the classic Rumours album.  Stevie was like a woman possessed as she crooned and moved her way through the dark, slow moving groove.  I tell you, it was one of my favorite moments of the show and I'll be downloading this one as soon as I'm done with this post.

All in all, Fleetwood Mac provided about 16,000 people with a pleasurable walk down memory lane, and I couldn't help but feel grateful for having the opportunity to witness this great band back together again and on top of their game.  If you ever get the chance to catch them, definitely do so, and to whet your appetite, here's the setlist:

The Chain

You Make Loving Fun

Dreams 

Second Hand News

Rhiannon

Everywhere

I Know I'm Not Wrong

Tusk

Sisters of the Moon

Say You Love Me

Seven Wonders

Big Love

Landslide

Never Going Back Again 

Over My Head

Gypsy

Little Lies

Gold Dust Woman

I'm So Afraid

Go Your Own Way

(Encores)

World Turning

Don't Stop

Silver Springs

Songbird

And here's a clip of Gold Dust Woman from Atlanta, GA: