THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, August 6, 1994 TAG: 9408060218
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B5 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Concert Review
SOURCE: BY ERIC FEBER, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 75 lines
About three-fourths of the way through Fleetwood Mac's two-hour Thursday night set, new member and longtime rock veteran Dave Mason told the Boathouse crowd, ``The Mac is back.''
He wasn't half wrong, either.
In this summer of Jurassic Park reunion tours, rock dinosaurs are all over the place. The Stones are back and so are the Eagles, Traffic and a host of other graying, aging rockers. And into this stampede of bopping brontosaurs slips the never-say-die Fleetwoods.
Another new incarnation of Fleetwood Mac, fronted by one ol' vet and two youngbloods - explosive singer Bekka Bramlett and singer/guitarist Billy Burnette - performed a solid, professional show before a medium-size crowd of baby boomers and older rock fans.
Granted, the concert could have been a cheesy affair. Gone are the band's long and esteemed list of singer/songwriters who originally performed all the hits the crowd came to hear. Indeed, the idea of another group of singers performing the band's FM-radio hits seemed as exciting as hearing one of those tired used-to-be rock bands going through the motions at a Holiday Inn lounge.
Gone are Peter Green, Jeremy Spencer, Danny Kirwan, Bob Welch, Christine McVie, Lindsay Buckingham and Stevie Nicks. But then, that's the way this long-lasting band has survived. People came, people went, but the band always adapted, and the solid rhythm section of bassist John ``Penguin'' McVie and drummer Mick Fleetwood kept up the beat, as it did Thursday night.
Mason, who helped start Traffic and had his own distinguished pop/rock career, is the band's new lead singer and guitarist. And with this way-over-40-something performer joining the equally aging John McVie and Mick Fleetwood, you can bet the group's drug of choice was Rogaine. But they all performed with panache, skill and a collective experience that is long, varied and rich.
What gave this band its kick, however, was the contributions of the younger members, both coming from distinguished musical families.
Bramlett is the daughter of R&B rockers Delaney & Bonnie (who once had Mason and Eric Clapton in their touring band), and Burnette comes from the well-known rockabilly/country and western Burnette family of singers and songwriters.
Bramlett easily aped and improved on the vocal standards established by Nicks and Christine McVie. In fact, her vocal explosions were a concert highlight. She can flat-out sing, and she possesses a stage charisma not unlike a young Janis Joplin. She's a knockout power performer whose soulful voice could peel paint.
Burnette added pretty-boy good looks and a fine vocal tenor that shone in the group's flawless three-part harmonies.
Mason showed he could play solid lead guitar lines and proved his mellow voice had not lost its touch. He did well on his own hits, including ``Only You Know and I Know,'' ``Dear Mr. Fantasy,'' ``All Along the Watchtower'' (yes, he made it into his own minor '70s hit) and a fresh-sounding rendition of his syrupy ballad, ``We Just Disagree,'' with good harmonies from Bramlett and Burnette.
And yes, they trotted out all the other Mac hits too, much to the delight of the crowd. Even though we'd heard them a million times, the sometimes unctuous, predictable hits like ``You Make Loving Fun,'' ``World Turning,'' and ``Go Your Own Way'' sounded surprisingly fresh and alive. ``Oh Well'' thundered across the stage like a summer storm, and even the Clinton anthem ``(Don't Stop) Thinking About Tomorrow'' sounded better than the original band's wretched version at the president's inaugural.
What this band now needs to do is establish its own body of songs and material. Then Mason's boast can be taken as fact. ILLUSTRATION: CONCERT REVIEW
Fleetwood Mac with Waterworks, Thursday evening at the Boathouse.
by CNB