The “Rumours” are true: Back 2 Mac, a Fleetwood Mac tribute band, will perform 9 p.m. Friday at The BluebirdNightclub.
Back 2 Mac started as a one-time gig when the seven musicians assembled in 2009 to play two performances at an arts festival, said lead vocalist Kimmet Cantwell, who emulates Fleetwood Mac lead vocalist Stevie Nicks onstage. They were so well-received that they kept getting booked and have embarked on mini tours together ever since, Cantwell said.
Back 2 Mac keeps its audience engaged by balancing its setlist with Fleetwood Mac’s most well-known hits and more obscure charts, like “Oh Well” and “Think About Me,” Cantwell said.
“We play all the hits that everybody wants to hear, and then we do a few deeper cuts that the serious Fleetwood Mac fans are only going to know,” Cantwell said.
Cantwell said the intricate patterns of Fleetwood Mac’s music keep the songs interesting for them to play. As for the lyrics, she said the poignancy of the words is what’s meaningful for the audience.
“Lyrically, even if you don’t know what Stevie Nicks is talking about, they always have such an impact,” Cantwell said. “Those lyrics mean something different to each person hearing them. There’s definitely so much feeling to them.”
Though she sports the Stevie Nicks-esque black lace and top hat, Cantwell said the band’s performance style is entirely its own. They play the music everyone loves, but with their own distinct flair.
Cantwell said they get wild on the more intense songs, such as “Rhiannon,” and are sometimes joined onstage by the University of Louisville Pep Band when they perform in Kentucky.
“We don’t try to come off as if we are Fleetwood Mac,” Cantwell said. “We love to get the audience involved. It’s kind of a lovey, happy atmosphere.”
Although Fleetwood Mac has a notorious history of drama between bandmates, Back 2 Mac is the exact opposite, Cantwell said.
“We’re all great friends. I think that’s something that people love about us too,” Cantwell said. “They can see what a great time we’re having and how much we love being together.”
Tickets can be purchased for $10 by people over 21 on the Bluebird website and at the door.
