The music of legendary rock group Fleetwood Mac is in his DNA.
Mike Luniw – born in Vernon, grew up in Armstrong, graduating from Pleasant Valley Secondary School in 1985 – has been channeling Fleetwood guitarist/vocalist Lindsey Buckingham for the past two years on stage as a member of the tribute band Fleetwood Magic. Luniw and bandmates will take the stage at the Vernon Performing Arts Centre on Friday, May 10, 7:30 p.m.
“Fleetwood Mac was of my earliest exposures as a kid,” said Luniw, 56, a teacher of band, jazz band, string orchestra, choir and rock school at Port Moody Secondary by day.
Luniw recreates the distinctive signature licks and vocals of Buckingham, from delicate fingerpicking to full-throttle lead vocals and guitar. His stylings are an uncannily natural fit.
“He’s got a really distinctive style,” said Luniw of Buckingham. “He doesn’t play with a pick most of the time. He draws influence from lots of less than typical places a rock guitarist would.
“He’s got a distinctive voice. My voice is in the same postal code as his. As far as being a dead ringer for his vocal timbre, I don’t think I’m there. I try to match everything on the guitar I can. It took some getting used to playing without the pick, but I’m glad I did.”
A four-year band student at PVSS, Luniw grew his passion with “a little gaggle of us (friends)” who were mutually enthusiastic about music.
Luniw learned under teachers Bob Brown, Jeff Kenyon – only had him for one year but Luniw called him the most influential, stocking the PVSS jazz band with local pros – and then Jim Howie for his final year.
Luniw studied music at the University of Victoria, and he began teaching in 1991.
Away from the classroom, Luniw has been a singer, songwriter, guitarist for the Mike Luno Band for more than 15 years, where he works on original music.
The band includes drummer Curtis Leippi, who has been playing with Luniw for 30 years. Leippi was already in Fleetwood Magic portraying drummer Mick Fleetwood when he recommended Luniw to the band’s Stevie Nicks, Diane Warren, to play Buckingham.
A former student of Luniw’s, Zoey Leven, portrays keyboardist Christine McVie (“she’s one-third the age as the rest of us,” laughed Luniw). Rounding out the tribute band is Dave Kalancha, who plays bassist John McVie, and multi-instrumentalist Steve Bush.
As the only member from the North Okanagan, Luniw is looking forward to playing tour guide for his band mates.
“I can’t wait for the show,” he said. “I love coming home, love Vernon and Armstrong.
‘Friends have been telling me they’ve already bought their tickets.”
Tickets to Fleetwood Magic - The Authentic Tribute to Fleetwood Mac are available through ticketseller.ca or call 250-549-SHOW (7469).