Fleetwood Mac…A Symphony of Solos at United Center

As I sat amongst a sold-out crowd at the United Center waiting for Fleetwood Mac to begin what was the band’s second stop on its 2014 reunion tour, I could barely contain the excitement brewing from within. I mean, this was one of those supergroups that helped define pop-rock music of the late seventies, my most musically impressionable years.

After 47 years, 100 million albums (1977’s Rumours accounts for 45 million of that, being the sixth highest selling album of all time) and hundreds of sold out arena performances later, Fleetwood Mac is indeed Rock royalty. But what I witnessed during the two-and-a-half hour, twenty-four song and double-encore performance helped me come to the realization of something that is really quite obvious and what I believe is a big reason for the band’s success…there are a bunch of solo performances going on coincidentally at the same time!

The combination of the personal and professional personalities on stage is so engaging that, whether you realize it or not, you get drawn in and wrapped up within the band’s individualistic approach to a cohesive group.

First of all, this “On With The Show” tour marked the long-awaited return of keyboardist/vocalist Christine McVie to the band after a sixteen-year hiatus, thus returning to the lineup that propelled the band into an international phenomenon in the late seventies. Her warm and humble presence didn’t take away from her smooth yet powerful delivery of some of the band’s biggest hits including “You Make Loving Fun,” “Songbird” and “Little Lies.” The band’s personal excitement about McVie being back on stage was most evident and made the experience something that just seemed right.

Only bassist John McVie somewhat remained in the background keeping his contribution to the evening solely musical, which was enough for me! He was recently diagnosed with cancer and is fighting the battle, but still is a vital part of the band and the prognosis is good.

Then there is the guitar playing prowess of Lindsey Buckingham. Even though I have been a fan of his vocals since the beginning, it wasn’t until recently when he played my Arcada Theatre as a solo act doing twenty songs with twenty guitars that I really saw first-hand what a guitar-wielding crazy man this person really is! That show was in and of itself and incredible performance. But his guitar solos at the FM show were awe-inspiring! His incredible finger-picking style and Flamenco overtones makes him as much of an entertainer to watch as he is to listen to.

He just continued to jam, note after note after note, tossing in his quips and song pre-cursors. When it comes to guitar playing greats, names like Hendrix and Clapton come to the forefront, but what this guy does, in my humble opinion, puts him right up there with them.

The most animated person in the band, bar none, was absolutely the guy bangin’ on the skins, Mick Fleetwood. He was the first to take the stage, a six-foot, five-inch, sixty-seven year old rocker seemingly sharing the excitement with the bubbling crowd like a teenager. After practically every song he egged the audience on for louder applause with his wide-eyed smile and Sean Connery-like demeanor.

Of course, the practically mythical member of the band is Stevie Nicks. Like Madonna did years later, Stevie created her own look, her own persona, and it was present that night. Clad in flowing black dresses, black boots and lace-laden shawls and gloves added to the retro-feel of the show as she broke into her signature twirls on stage. Many times throughout the concert, all the band members recognized the return of Christine, but Stevie seemed particularly sincere and genuinely happy about it.

So I found myself so engaged with the players on stage that the music almost became secondary. Their first number was “The Chain,” followed by megahit after classic rock megahit all the way through the final number of the evening, “Songbird.” I have to say, my personal favorite is the college football halftime staple, “Tusk.” With a massive video screen behind the band and footage of the USC Marching Band playing along, the power of this tune made me play the dashboard drums on countless occasions.

The band hasn’t skipped a beat and is even talking about recording new material. Just when the likes of Justin Bieber, Miley Cyrus and inner-city gangsta rappers seemed to be taking over the music scene, bands like Fleetwood Mac step out of the shadows to remind us what music really is. You can “Go Your Own Way,” but you can “Never Break The Chain” of hits Fleetwood Mac has given to true rock ’n rollers for generations to come.

I still don’t know why McDonalds never named a sandwich after them, though. Seems only natural to me.