Fleetwood Mac Live in San Jose
On the day before Thanksgiving, my wife and I drove down to San Jose, California, to see Fleetwood Mac. Though the band’s roots go back to 1967, I knew them mostly for their lineup from the 70’s and 80’s featuring Christine McVie, Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham. For this tour, Buckingham declined to participate. He was replaced by Neil Finn of the 80’s band Crowded House, and Mike Campbell, former lead guitarist for Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.
The show was at the SAP arena, the home of the San Jose Sharks hockey team. We had floor seats - padded folding chairs placed on a covering over what, during Sharks games, would be ice. The acoustics aren’t great, but that hasn’t stopped me from coming to shows here. I’ve seen Billy Joel, Barry Manilow, and (with my teenage daughter) Avril Lavigne at this same venue.
I was excited for this show mostly because of the additions of Finn and Campbell. This would be a new experience, a blending of old songs and new talent, rather than a strictly nostalgic tour that was trying to recapture some moment lost in time.The first question was, with the new members, would it still sound like Fleetwood Mac? They started off with “The Chain,” which has a slow build leading to a frenzied guitar solo. Campbell nailed the solo and immediately put to rest the “I wish Buckingham were here” talk.
The band features three lead vocalists, and each got a turn in the spotlight. Christine McVie sang “Everywhere,” “Say You Love Me,” and “You Make Loving Fun.” Neil Finn covered songs that Lindsey Buckingham would sing, like “Second Hand News” and “Monday Morning.”
But, the big star of the show was Stevie Nicks. Nicks grew up in San Jose, and this was a homecoming for her. She had friends and family in the audience, and, despite her years touring as part of Fleetwood Mac and as a successful solo artist, she admitted to being nervous and flustered.
The core members of Fleetwood Mac are all in their 70s. The band is now augmented by a second keyboard player, a third guitarist (besides Campbell and Finn) and a percussionist, Taku Hirano. Christine McVie can still hammer out a bluesy solo on the keyboards, but with Ricky Peterson backing her up, she could also step away and just sing. Mick Fleetwood banged away on the drums for nearly entire concert, including a long percussion interlude between him and Hirano. I hope when I’m 71, I have that kind of energy.
After that drum extravaganza, it was time to cool down and mellow out. Everyone left the stage except Neil Finn and Peterson. The two of them played “Don’t Dream It’s Over,” which was a big hit in 1987 for Crowded House. Halfway through, Stevie Nicks came back on stage, and the two finished the song as a duet. This was exactly what I wanted to hear when I bought the tickets. It elevated Finn from stand-in to a key contributor to the band.
The two then started right in on “Landslide,” a lovely ballad about growing older. (The Dixie Chicks covered this song in 2002.) Halfway through, Nicks lost her place in the song and, in a fit of nerves, couldn’t get it back. The audience came through for her. We sang the next line, she joined in with us and we finished the song together. This is why you go to live shows, and not just listen to the studio recordings. You go for those unique moments, those magical, heartfelt connections between the performer and her audience. It was the highlight of the show.
As part of the encore, the band performed “Free Fallin’,” the 1989 hit for Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. During the performance, they projected a slideshow, pictures of Tom Petty, Mike Campbell and the rest of that band. There were several pictures featuring Stevie Nicks. She had a hit in 1981 with “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around,” which she recorded with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, and she performed with them several times during the 80’s. It was a touching tribute. Mike Campbell bowed to his old friend, projected on the screen, at the end of the song.
They finished with the ballad “All Over Again” from the 1995 album Time. Christine McVie and Stevie Nicks sang it as a duet. The two have been portrayed as rivals through the years. It was great to see them on stage, singing together, and embracing at the end of the song.
I’ve seen some unique shows through the years - U2 during the Joshua Tree tour, Sting playing with Branford Marsalis and Kenny Kirkland, Joan Osborne in a small theater in my hometown - but this was a memorable, special night. It was a nice early birthday present for me.
The show was at the SAP arena, the home of the San Jose Sharks hockey team. We had floor seats - padded folding chairs placed on a covering over what, during Sharks games, would be ice. The acoustics aren’t great, but that hasn’t stopped me from coming to shows here. I’ve seen Billy Joel, Barry Manilow, and (with my teenage daughter) Avril Lavigne at this same venue.
I was excited for this show mostly because of the additions of Finn and Campbell. This would be a new experience, a blending of old songs and new talent, rather than a strictly nostalgic tour that was trying to recapture some moment lost in time.The first question was, with the new members, would it still sound like Fleetwood Mac? They started off with “The Chain,” which has a slow build leading to a frenzied guitar solo. Campbell nailed the solo and immediately put to rest the “I wish Buckingham were here” talk.
The band features three lead vocalists, and each got a turn in the spotlight. Christine McVie sang “Everywhere,” “Say You Love Me,” and “You Make Loving Fun.” Neil Finn covered songs that Lindsey Buckingham would sing, like “Second Hand News” and “Monday Morning.”
But, the big star of the show was Stevie Nicks. Nicks grew up in San Jose, and this was a homecoming for her. She had friends and family in the audience, and, despite her years touring as part of Fleetwood Mac and as a successful solo artist, she admitted to being nervous and flustered.
The core members of Fleetwood Mac are all in their 70s. The band is now augmented by a second keyboard player, a third guitarist (besides Campbell and Finn) and a percussionist, Taku Hirano. Christine McVie can still hammer out a bluesy solo on the keyboards, but with Ricky Peterson backing her up, she could also step away and just sing. Mick Fleetwood banged away on the drums for nearly entire concert, including a long percussion interlude between him and Hirano. I hope when I’m 71, I have that kind of energy.
After that drum extravaganza, it was time to cool down and mellow out. Everyone left the stage except Neil Finn and Peterson. The two of them played “Don’t Dream It’s Over,” which was a big hit in 1987 for Crowded House. Halfway through, Stevie Nicks came back on stage, and the two finished the song as a duet. This was exactly what I wanted to hear when I bought the tickets. It elevated Finn from stand-in to a key contributor to the band.
The two then started right in on “Landslide,” a lovely ballad about growing older. (The Dixie Chicks covered this song in 2002.) Halfway through, Nicks lost her place in the song and, in a fit of nerves, couldn’t get it back. The audience came through for her. We sang the next line, she joined in with us and we finished the song together. This is why you go to live shows, and not just listen to the studio recordings. You go for those unique moments, those magical, heartfelt connections between the performer and her audience. It was the highlight of the show.
As part of the encore, the band performed “Free Fallin’,” the 1989 hit for Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. During the performance, they projected a slideshow, pictures of Tom Petty, Mike Campbell and the rest of that band. There were several pictures featuring Stevie Nicks. She had a hit in 1981 with “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around,” which she recorded with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, and she performed with them several times during the 80’s. It was a touching tribute. Mike Campbell bowed to his old friend, projected on the screen, at the end of the song.
They finished with the ballad “All Over Again” from the 1995 album Time. Christine McVie and Stevie Nicks sang it as a duet. The two have been portrayed as rivals through the years. It was great to see them on stage, singing together, and embracing at the end of the song.
I’ve seen some unique shows through the years - U2 during the Joshua Tree tour, Sting playing with Branford Marsalis and Kenny Kirkland, Joan Osborne in a small theater in my hometown - but this was a memorable, special night. It was a nice early birthday present for me.
No comments have been added yet.
