By Conrad L. Stinnett
While Buckingham and his three-piece band do justice to the obligatory Fleetwood Mac classics “Tusk,” “Second Hand News” and “Go Your Own Way,” the band really cooks on “So Afraid,” “Holiday Road,” and “Shut us Down.” The guitarist’s trademark Segovia-meets-Chet Atkins finger-picking style is used well on solo acoustic renditions of “Trouble,” “Not Too Late” and “Big Love.”
While he’s earned a reputation as a studio rat, Buckingham does well in front of the crowd and genuinely seems to enjoy playing live. Not only is his playing and singing spot-on, but he banters with the audience a bit and provides a bit of back story for some of the songs. When an audience member shouted out “Great new album, Lindsey,” (referring to Under the Skin) the guitarist smiled and good-naturedly replied “I think so, too.”
While Buckingham is a well-known classic rock figure, the varied set list and acoustic sections allow both longtime listeners and casual fans an opportunity to experience some different facets of his artistry. Overall, this set is a great showcase for Buckingham and is a hopeful sign that he’s still got a lot of rocking to do.