Fleetwood Mac tribute kicks off SummerSounds concert season

A group of singer-songwriters from Rochester, N.Y., found a niche when they came together for a one-off performance of Fleetwood Mac’s “Rumours” album.

“It was very popular, so we did it a few more times, and then we turned it into a real band,” said Teagan Ward, who sings the Stevie Nicks vocals. “We didn’t have a name, so a local promoter in Rochester deemed us The Seven Wonders, because there’s seven of us and it’s the name of a Fleetwood Mac song.”

The Seven Wonders will kick off Greensburg’s annual SummerSounds concert series at 7 p.m. Friday in St. Clair Park downtown.

With Western Pennsylvania’s love of rock tribute bands and a favorable weather forecast, it should be a great night in the park, said SummerSounds organizer Gene James.

“We’re expecting a great crowd,” he said.

Together since 2017, the tribute group plays dates around New York and up and down the East Coast, Ward said. The project has been so successful that it’s taken precedence over members’ other musical pursuits — and meanwhile, the exposure has helped to promote those other projects.

“We’ve prioritized it quite a bit, because it’s been so successful for us,” she said. “We’ve developed it quite a bit into a full production show. We travel with a crew and people come out in hordes, and it’s awesome.”

The set list has expanded beyond the “Rumours” album to include most of the major hits from the British-American super-group’s vast catalog.

“We’re starting to deep-dive a little bit, but we’re still focusing mainly on the hits,” Ward said.

Paying homage

The members of The Seven Wonders were Fleetwood Mac fans long before that first show. Ward said she and her band mates also have seen a resurgence of interest in the group’s music since the death of vocalist/songwriter Christine McVie on Nov. 30.

“I can speak for me and some of the other band members, and I know we’ve all been fans throughout our careers,” Ward said. “Just being singer-songwriters, too, I think there’s no way to escape the ‘Rumours’ album and how wonderfully crafted it was.”

While the band strives to replicate the songs as faithfully as they can, they’re not trying to impersonate the original players.

“I like to tell people we play more of an homage. We try to dress a little bit like them, but we don’t replicate the band completely,” Ward said. “I’d say we’re probably a little bit more high-energy than they were, though. We dance around.”

Joining Ward in The Seven Wonders is Katy Eberts, singing the Christine McVie songs. Drummer Matt Ramerman fills the Mick Fleetwood role, bassist Kyle Vock is John McVie and Matthew Stephens is Lindsey Buckingham, playing guitar, banjo and percussion.

Rounding out the group are lead guitarist Jon Sheffer and keyboardist Taylor Lee Smith.

Pre-show music by Woodland Twang is scheduled for 6:15-6:45 p.m. Hailing from Saltsburg, the “newgrass” duo features multi-instrumentalist Dan Grasinger and guitarist Kyle Labovick.

Their songs run a gamut from Billy Strings to Pink Floyd, Tyler Childers to Greensky, Grasinger said.

“Woodland Twang grabs your ear right away with their timeless bluegrass and country sound,” said Derek Woods, local musician and music promoter who books the pre-show acts.

Some bench seating is available in the park. Attendees also can bring their own seating to set up on the grassy hillside above the amphitheater. Food and beverages are allowed in the park, and some food vendors will be present.

Admission is free; donations are taken during the evening to support the weekly concert series that runs through Aug. 26.

For information, visit summersounds.com.