Appomattox was rockin’ and rollin’ Saturday night as Stevie Nicks cover band Breaking the Chain performed a live concert at Marshal's Bar & Grill. The band reportedly set an attendance record at Marshal’s, which opened for business in September 2024.

Breaking the Chain was co-founded in 2022 by lead singer Desiray Lorain Gunter, a lifelong fan of Stevie Nicks, whose voice is amazingly similar to the rock legend who has excelled as a member of Fleetwood Mac since the 1970s and a solo artist since the 1980s.

During Saturday’s packed house performance, the band cranked out Stevie Nicks and Fleetwood Mac popular hits such as “Go Your Own Way,” “Stand Back,” “Rhiannon,” “Gold Dust Woman,” “Dreams,” “The Chain,” “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around,” “Say You Love Me,” “Sara,” “Gypsy,” “The Chain,” (for which the band is named), and more. Several non-Nicks/Mac hits were played, such as “Play That Funky Music” by White Cherry and Long Train Runnin’ by The Doobie Brothers.

Band members are Gunter (lead vocals, tambourine), Paul Mallory (lead guitar), Mark Ryan (acoustic guitar, keyboards), Mike “Spike” Worley (bass guitar), Chris Salzone (drums), Chris Schmitt (aerophone, keyboards, vocals), and Victoria Guthrie and Michelle Motley (backup vocals). Jen Ryan is the band’s manager and stage handler.

Appomattox and its people hold a special place in Gunter’s heart. She called Appomattox home for five years, four of which she was employed as property manager of the Dogwood Apartments. Her parents and sister currently reside in town. Her father is a retired U.S. Navy veteran. Her best friends (one of whom passed away) owned a barber shop in town, at which she used to “harass” people for fun and bring along her pit bull dog for a visit.

Appomattox is also one of the first locations where she performed with her former band, Desert Rose.

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