July 29, 1978 review: Fleetwood Mac at Rich Stadium

 


The headliner falls victim to the deadliner in this review, which has all the earmarks of being phoned in many, many minutes before Fleetwood Mac took their encores. This is the curse of trying to cover an evening event for the next morning’s paper, a curse I have uttered many times. Better to go for a second-day story and talk about the whole show.

July 29, 1978 

All Roads and Acts

Lead to Fleetwood Mac

        Friday, 4:30 p.m. – We encounter Rich Stadium hordes along Route 20 west of Milestrip Road. The hot route for the Rolling Stones show is choked for Fleetwood Mac by a construction squeeze.

        “I don’t care if you buy a shirt, can you just give me a ride back?” said an unauthorized T-shirt salesman. It’s a long ride into the parking lot, where he hops out to start the trip all over again.

        Entering the stadium separates those with sensible shoes from the dedicated followers of fashion. First it’s the rock in the parking lot, then it’s water from the flooded bathrooms in the south wing.

        Incredibly, we meet Harvey Weinstein in the aisle. He says Pablo Cruise started at 4:15 p.m. and he’s jubilant. “I want to do a concert for a million people,” he says.

        6:30 p.m. – “Now I know who Bob Welch is,” someone remarks as the singer-songwriter does the old Fleetwood Mac hit, “Hypnotize.”

        Welch is all Southern California soul-slick and mellow. He yields his guitarists and percussion men room as well. He reprises “Ebony Eyes” for a graceful exit.

        7:15 p.m. – After the Wyoming County Bluedevils Sky Divers and Delilah Wallenda walking the high wire, Foreigner arrives for what turns into a fervid rocking hour.

        The crowd by now is a bit intoxicated and very much at ease. They cheer wildly for the Anglo-American band’s hits – “Hot Blooded” and “Cold As Ice.”

        After “Cold As Ice,” they unaccountably go into a long instrumental section and miss a chance to drive some 60,000 people crazy.

        As for crowd control, the show is all good manners and restraint. Deference is given to a kid who scales a white tower and it pays off. He descends. So far only 11 have been taken to the hospital.

        9:45 p.m. – Fleetwood Mac is 20 minutes into what will be two hours on stage and Stevie Nicks’ garment is flowing in the wind as she sings “Rhiannon.” At this moment, for the youthful hordes of Rich Stadium, this is the best of all possible parties.

* * * * *

IN THE PHOTO: Fleetwood Mac in Wisconsin, July 1978

* * * * *

FOOTNOTE: Fleetwood Mac was still riding on the crest of their 1977 "Rumours" album, which had yielded four Top 10 singles, and was in the midst of recording their follow-up LP, "Tusk." This mini-tour of arenas and stadiums, which began July 17 in Wisconsin, took a break shortly after the Rich Stadium show, then returned for a final sprint at the end of August.  Here's what they played that night, according to setlist.fm:

Monday Morning

The Chain

Dreams

Oh Well

Rhiannon

Oh Daddy

Never Going Back Again

Landslide

Say You Love Me

Gold Dust Woman

You Make Loving Fun

I'm So Afraid

Sisters of the Moon (live debut)

Blue Letter (Curtis Bros. cover)

World Turning

Go Your Own Way

(encore 1)

(Unknown) (could have been Sara, which they did at the end of their set two nights later in Philadelphia)

(encore 2)

Songbird

(Note on setlistfm: Probably incomplete, not in order.)

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