A rock ‘n’ roll style Valentine’s Day was celebrated at the Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts at the University of Connecticut on Saturday, Feb. 14, with a performance by The Seven Wonders: A Tribute to Fleetwood Mac.
The seven-member band showcased a variety of multi-talented musicians and vocalists joining together to cover both Fleetwood Mac’s greatest hits and frontwoman Stevie Nicks’ solo songs. The setlist consisted of just under twenty items, including “Landslide” as a beautiful and emotional encore — similar to how Nicks closes her own shows.
Popular songs, such as “The Chain,” “Dreams” and “Silver Springs,” along with many others were performed.
“‘Silver Springs’ is one of the most beautiful songs Stevie ever wrote,” Teagan Ward, who sings the Nicks vocals for The Seven Wonders, said. “I see all the colors she’s singing about; the blues and greens.”
Ward captivated the stage throughout the night with her powerful vocals and demeanor that matched that of Nicks — wild blond hair, black flowy dress and all.
“Rhiannon” brought forth a memorable moment of the show. The band performed a rendition similar to Fleetwood Mac’s wildly intense extended live version of the hit from the 1970s.
Ward belting the lyrics “Would you take me with you to the sky?” along with large groups of women flocking to center stage to dance in their own witchy ways created an atmosphere that felt magical.
“This concert was truly phenomenal,” Hardika Patel, a second-semester finance major, said. “They really knew how to engage a crowd. Their vocals and their musicianship — we really enjoyed it.”
Each member of the band held their own on stage. From Jon Sheffer’s enthusiastic guitar playing to intricate harmonies from Eli Flynn (Lindsey Buckingham vocals and rhythm guitar) and Mel Muscarella (Christine McVie vocals). Flynn and Muscarella each sang wonderful solos of their own, such as Buckingham’s “Go Your Own Way” and McVie’s “Songbird.”
Fleetwood Mac performed at Jorgensen Center in October 1975 and recorded songs from the performance were released on “Fleetwood Mac: Live 1975” in 2025.
Muscarella remarked that it was wonderful to be standing in the same place that McVie once had.
“I think [tribute bands] are important because younger people aren’t going to see older bands perform live, and it’s cool to see those classic songs performed,” Miles Harriman, a second-semester psychology major, said. “It keeps the fanbase alive.”
The high energy of the crowd ramped up through the night. Audience members continued to get up from their seats for the latter half of the concert, with couples slow dancing and friends holding hands, creating a picturesque Valentine’s Day scene.
Timeless classic rock anthems from Fleetwood Mac’s “Rumours,” one of the best-selling records of all time, and “Bella Donna,” Nicks’ debut solo album brought an audience of varying ages together.
Drummer Matthew Ramerman and singer Flynn noted “You Make Loving Fun” as one of their favorites to perform as a band.
“It’s hard not to move to,” Flynn said.
The Seven Wonders: A Tribute to Fleetwood Mac was one concert of a series put together by the Jorgensen Center to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the auditorium and the birth of rock music.
“I really liked the performance,” Maximilien Forestell, a second-semester marketing major, said. “I was originally going to go to the basketball game. I heard about this concert very last minute, and I was like, ‘forget the basketball game, I want to go here.’”