Live Review and Photos by Danielle Boise
It had been 3 years since their last tour and 35 years after the release of Rumours. Fleetwood Mac glided onto the stage and took over Philips Arena at their Atlanta stop of the Fleetwood Mac LIVE 2013 World Tour on Monday June 10th for a nearly sold out performance and did not disappoint for one second; as these living legends gave an earth shattering performance that straddled the line between electrifying, beguiling and perfection. There is no other band of yesteryear, today or tomorrow that is like that of Fleetwood Mac.
Fleetwood Mac kicked off their nearly 2.5 hour set, containing 23 songs and 2 encores with “Second Hand News” followed by the ever glorious “The Chain” and then the hauntingly sublime “Dreams” before demoing their new song “Sad Angel,” which was released on their new Extended Play EP, on April 30. “Rhiannon,” “Not That Funny” and Mick Fleetwood’s emotionally shattering “Tusk” amped up the raw factor. Before going into “Sisters of the Moon,” which Stevie Nicks stated, “that song hasn’t been played on stage since 1981,” it was a treat to see material that hasn’t graced the stage in several touring cycles.
It was never so prevalent to see that the past had been forgiven and ego removed, leaving only the love of the music and their shared history that they honored by performing together so cohesively, than when Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks shared an intimate moment on stage after performing “Sara” with an endearing embrace that left the crowd in cheers with some tears.
After “Sara,” it was Buckingham’s moment to shine with “Big Love,” as he took the stage as his own and stated “This next song is particularly significant to me. It is about transition. It once was an ensemble piece and looking back at the lyrics of the song to where I was in 1987… I was “looking out for love,” I was not looking for love. This song was about the contemplation of alienation and now, it’s about the power and importance of change.”
After which, Nicks moment to radiate for me was with “Landslide.” For me nothing compares to “Landslide” and in that moment the lyrics, along with the impact of witnessing Nicks perform it live brought tears to my eyes and took my breath away.
Fleetwood Mac continued the set list with “Never Going Back Again,” “Without You,” “Gypsy,” “Eyes of the World,” the ravishing “Gold Dust Woman,” “I’m So Afraid,” “Stand Back,” and ended the regular set with “Go Your Own Way” before coming back for the first of two encores. With Mick Fleetwood’s hands down amazing drum solo during “World Turning” before going into the crowd induced dance and sing-along of “Don’t Stop.”
“Much fun was had by all.” – Mick Fleetwood
For the second encore, Nicks beckoned the stage and brought a standing ovation that rippled through the entire arena with “Silver Springs” and ended the last song of the night in the most befitting way possible with “Say Goodbye.”
“Atlanta, you guys are the best!” – Lindsey Buckingham
It’s so hard to encapsulate this show into one set of words. It truly was about the bigger picture in the sense of the experience. What I think was beyond stunning, was every member had their moment to shine and be honored for their individual and collective talents that they bring to the group as a whole. There was no ego, no hurt, just the shared love of music that binds them together and that’s what they in turn shared with us, the audience in such a powerfully authentic way and heartwarming way and truly magical to watch.
There really is nothing like seeing Fleetwood Mac perform live, nothing. The band members are so engrossed in the music that they get absolutely lost in the sonic goodness that they are creating, yet still maintain a connection with their fans. This is what performing means, to bring the audience to their feet, time and time again without fancy theatrics, just showmanship.
Mick Fleetwood, John McVie, Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks are four pieces that come together to create a gorgeous soundscape. They truly are pieces of a puzzle that fit perfectly together, as if they’ve always just been one and forever they will be.
Fleetwood Mac is currently out on the North American leg of their Tour through July 6 before starting the European leg of Fleetwood Mac Live 2013 World Tour. For more information, visit www.fleetwoodmac.com.
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