Nicks lacks spark

Nicks lacks spark
By Bill Thompson
June 26, 2008

Stevie Nicks brought a treasure trove to National City Pavilion Thursday night.

It included a handful of legendary songs (“Rhiannon,” “Dreams,” “Gold Dust Woman” and “Edge of Seventeen”), a dazzling array of shawls, vintage video that chronicled her career since she joined Fleetwood Mac in 1975, and photographs that paid homage to her late father, Jess.

She also brought a talented 10-piece band and more than 30 years of experience as a big-time rock star.

What she didn’t bring, however, was a spark; that certain something that sets a concert apart from a rote reading of greatest hits.

The majority of the 3,000-plus fans didn’t seem to mind. They stood and cheered from the first notes of “Stand Back,” yelped when she went into her patented twirling dervish moves (made even ... twirlier ... by silhouette lighting), and waited patiently during extended instrumental breaks while she changed from a black dress to a white one, then a different white one.

Folks love their Stevie, and it’s not surprising. She’s the real deal, a bona-fide Rock and Roll Hall of Fame singer-songwriter who was at the core of one of the most popular bands of all time.

But that’s precisely the reason she should be held to a higher standard. Even though Nicks turned 60 last month (she’s closer to the edge of seventy than seventeen), she’s still in fine voice. But the stage show settled for ritual -- an interminable trip across the front of the stage to shake hands with every member of the front row of the audience while a security guard held her from behind -- instead of a passionate performance of those classic tunes, which had women in the crowd high-fiving each other despite the lackluster delivery.

Nicks has settled for a comfortable niche instead of searching for that inner vixen that helped to fuel the phoenix that was Fleetwood Mac in its heyday. In a way, it’s understandable. She’s worked hard, and if the rumors are close to true, lived hard as well. She deserves to enjoy her success.

But it would be great to see some of the fire in her eyes that you hear in her voice on songs such as “Silver Springs” and “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around.”

Ironically, it was during the simplest song of the night that Nicks allowed a peek behind the scripted banter. After dedicating “Landslide” to her father, she sang loud and clear accompanied by longtime compadre Waddy Wachtel on acoustic guitar, as the photos of her life flashed across the background.

Moments like those are what gives one hope that she will dig deeper to uncover her treasures next time around.

“Our lipstick and boots are on!” (Toledo Show Review)

Nicks battles storms during late show at Toledo Zoo
By DAN FIRESTONE
BLADE STAFF WRITER

Stevie Nicks has a powerful song, “Storms,” from the Fleetwood Mac album, “Tusk.”

Perhaps she should have added that to her set Wednesday night while performing at the Toledo Zoo Concert Series.

A rain and lightning storm blew through the area just before the scheduled 7:30 p.m. concert and pushed back the start of the sold-out show until nearly 10.

Nicks will never doubt the faithfulness of her fans in Toledo, who waited the two and half hours in unpleasant weather to see the rock legend at only her second performance here and the first since 1986.

“Our lipstick and boots are on!” that familiar voice said over the loudspeaker near the end of the long delay, explaining she’d be out as soon as she was allowed. “We’re sorry about this damn rain!”

Soaked and more than ready to rock when the legendary singer finally took the stage, the crowd roared with the first beat of “Stand Back,” and stood for the next two hours as she carved through hits from her solo career, some of her finest tunes with Fleetwood Mac, and adding three songs from other artists.

In her traditional black dress draped by a red shawl, she followed with the perfectly fitting, “Outside the Rain,” from her solo debut album “Bella Donna,” then went right into “Dreams,” her No. 1 hit with Fleetwood Mac.

“Thunder only happens when it’s raining,” Nicks sang in the chorus as the crowd loudly joined in while getting drenched and basking in the irony of the lyrics. Nicks and her band were getting rained on to, but they seemed to go with the moment and never missed a beat as she was handed a large umbrella to perform under.

Again and again she thanked the audience for waiting, seeming genuinely appreciative of their patience. By then they didn’t seem to care and as the rain slowed and finally stopped, their energy rose.

For those familiar with seeing Nicks alone or with Fleetwood Mac, it’s on her solo tour she gets to engage the audience more with anecdotes about each song, her career or her life.

“We were all sitting around and someone said, 'If anyone falls in love, I hope it’s one of us,’ and I went home and wrote this song,” she said, then performed “If Anyone Falls,” a hit from her second album, “Wild Heart.”

It was also a refreshing change for those who have seen Nicks multiple times to see her change things up and add cover songs by Dave Matthews (“Crash”) and Bob Seger (“Face the Promise”). The former she said is part of her upcoming PBS special, and after hearing the latter, fans probably wish it was to.

Nicks is backed by an outstanding band, led by guitarist Waddy Wachtel, and backup singers, most whom she said have been with her since beginning her solo venture in 1979.

At age 60, Nicks showed she still has the vocals to rock with the best of them.

Maybe equally amazing is Nicks looks nowhere near her age. If that’s 60, God bless 60 (or at least He did with her.)

She started “Rhiannon,” with a delicate, slow version, just her haunting voice backed by a piano, then launched into a pulsating finish, one of the best songs of the night.

“Sorcerer,” was a song from her last solo album (“Trouble in Shangri-La,” 2001) but she harked back to the time it was actually written.

“It was 1973. Lindsay [Buckingham, her Fleetwood Mac bandmate and former boyfriend] and I were angst-ridden and we were poor. You know, great songs are written when you’re poor.”

“Gold Dust Woman” time-warped the baby-boomer audience right back to the ‘70s, as Nicks still delivers an amazing, stirring rendition of the song from the Mac’s mega-selling “Rumours” album.

“Landslide,” was especially moving, as Nicks dedicated the song, as she always has, to “my dad,” who died three years ago. The giant screen behind her displayed a photo tribute to him, taking the audience on a visual ride of her childhood and the final years with her father. Nicks was nearly drowned out by the audience who sang along to every single word.

After exiting for a moment, Nicks returned with her familiar top hat and ripped into “Edge of Seventeen,” finishing by reaching out to the audience, touching as many hands as she could.

It was still a full house when she came back for an encore, performing Led Zeppelin’s “Rock and Roll” and you can probably count on one hand the number of female singers who can do that justice. Nicks, of course, is one of them.

That was it because the long delay and a curfew didn’t allow her to showcase with a second encore, “Has Anyone Ever Written Anything For You,” as ballad she has been doing on this tour and dedicating to the U.S. soldiers she’s been supporting with gifts of iPods and visits.

But it had been a long night, and most didn’t even know that, and it had been a long wait for Toledo to have Nicks here again.

Rain or shine the tickets say.

It rained, and Nicks shined.

GIFT OF SCREWS TOUR!

If the title of the tour wasn't coming from his own website, I would not have believed it!.... GIFT OF SCREWS TOUR! How appropriate!!

Lindsey Buckingham's website indicates these are the dates for his Sept/Oct shows:

Sun, Sept 7 - Saratoga, CA - Mountain Winery
Tue, Sept 9 - Seattle, WA - Moore Theatre
Wed, Sept 10 - Portland, OR - Newmark Theatre
Fri, Sept 12 - Lake Tahoe, CA - Harrah's Casino
Sat, Sept 13 - San Francisco - tbd
Sun, Sept 14 - Los Angeles, CA - Royce Hall
Tue, Sept 16 - San Diego, CA - Humphreys
Thu, Sept 18 - Phoenix, AZ - The Orpheum Theatre
Fri, Sept 19 - Anaheim, CA - The Grove of Anaheim
Sat, Sept 20 - Las Vegas, NV - The Joint
Mon, Sept 22 - Salt Lake City, UT - Depot
Wed, Sept 24 - Denver, CO - Opera House
Fri, Sept 26 - Tulsa, OK - Brady Theatre
Sun, Sept 28 - Kansas City, MO - Uptown Theatre
Mon, Sept 29 - St Louis, MO - Pageant
Wed, Oct 1 - Cleveland, OH - House of Blues
Thu, Oct 2 - Chicago, IL - House of Blues
Sat, Oct 4 - Milwaukee, WI - Pabst Theatre
Sun, Oct 5 - Indianapolis, IN - Eygptian Theatre
Wed, Oct 8 - Toronto, ON - Music Hall
Fri, Oct 10 - Reading, PA - Sovereign PAC
Sat, Oct 11 - Atlantic City, NJ - Taj Mahal
Tue, Oct 14 - Northampton, MA - Calvin Theatre
Wed, Oct 15 - Ridgefield, CT - Ridgefield Play House
Fri, Oct 17 - Boston, MA - Berklee Performing Arts
Sat, Oct 18 - Glenside, PA - Keswick Theater
Sun, Oct 19 - New York, NY - Nokia Live

Also, this must be the title of the new cd coming in August otherwise why use the name? Finally after all these years, a cd that was being put together and worked on in the 90's as a solo release which ended up being shelved is finally going to see the light of day...

The track listing will have to be drastically different then the bootleg copies floating around since a couple of the tracks ended up on his last cd Under The Skin and on the last Fleetwood Mac cd Say You Will.

Soundstage.... Season 6 - Stevie Nicks

I CAN'T WAIT!!!!!!

After six years of incredible shows, Soundstage is proud to present one of our best line-ups yet with a diverse roster of legendary and chart-topping performers worth staying in for.

Liven up your summer and tune in each week as Grammy nominated Josh Groban kicks of a phenomenal season with performances by Bon Jovi, Kenny Chesney, Matchbox Twenty, REO Speedwagon, and Stevie Nicks!

Check your local PBS station listings for Stevie's airdates beginning in July. SOUNDSTAGE

Stevie Nicks - Boston Review Number 45!

Stevie Nicks
by Brian Callaghan
EDGE Contributor
Wednesday Jun 25, 2008

Before going to the Stevie Nicks concert at the Bank of America Pavilion Sunday night, there was significant worry she might have crossed over into the realm of self-parody. Would it all be a mess of lace shawls, dervish spins, bleating vocals and freaky hippie chick dancing?

While all of those elements featured prominently in Nicks’ show, the star acquitted herself well, putting on an entertaining and musically formidable concert of songs from both her Fleetwood Mac and solo careers.

Nicks is now 60, but looked much younger. With her long straight blonde hair and wrinkle-free skin, you could easily confuse her for Jenna Bush’s 40-year-old older sister. Her voice was strong and as distinctive as ever, and she wisely surrounded herself with an outstanding 7-member band and three talented back-up singers, many of whom have toured with her for years.

The evening kicked off with a good version of Stand Back, with the classic keyboard riffs Prince provided when the song was first recorded. This was followed by Outside the Rain, a well-received Dreams and an impressive version of If Anyone Falls in Love, a 1983 hit this reviewer had long ago forgotten.

Nicks chatted frequently with the audience between songs, providing little bit of info about their inspiration. Sorcerer, from 1973, was described as being written at a time when she was living with Lindsay Buckingham, waitressing to make ends meet and barely scraping by.

Landslide was dedicated to her father, Jess Nicks, who passed away a few years ago, and was accompanied by a slide show chronicling the life of the singer and her family.

Rhiannon and Gold Dust Woman, the two other Fleetwood Mac songs she performed, showcased her trademark sheeplike warble but her voice was powerful and clear throughout the hour and 50 minute, 14-song performance.

The Mac songs were all wisely performed in extended versions, with playful instrumental preludes that built some excitement before the actual song was revealed.

Edge of Seventeen, with its chorus of "Just like a one-winged dove," was the only other major solo hit she performed. Other well-known songs were missing in action, including Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around, Leather and Lace, The Insider and Sara.

Taking their place were unexpected covers of Dave Matthews’ Crash Into Me, Bob Seger’s new Face the Promise, and even a terrific version of Led Zeppelin’s Rock and Roll, during which the vibrato in Nicks’ voice all but disappeared.

Guitarist and musical director Waddy Wachtel led the proceedings, which included a few too many musical solos in the second half of the show. One wished for a few less indulgent solos and one or two more hits.

By surrounding herself with a great band, Nicks proved it’s possible for an artist with a 35-year career to still keep things fresh and exciting, which the near sell-out crowd embraced enthusiastically.

Opening was singer Mandy Moore, who was pleasant and friendly. Knowing most in the audience would be unfamiliar with her music (and having disavowed herself of her first few albums), Moore wisely included Cat Stevens’ Moon Shadow" and Joni Mitchell’s "Help Me I Think I’m Falling" in her set list, providing the audience with a couple popular anchors to latch on to.

Sunday, June 22
Bank of America Pavilion, Boston

Rhiannon rings like a bell thru the night.....

All your life you've never seen a woman - taken by the wind.

Swirling, twirling Nicks captivates

Stevie Nicks delivered a two-hour show filled with her past hits.

By Jonathan Perry
Boston Globe Correspondent / June 24, 2008

As if anyone needed a reminder of the influence Stevie Nicks has had on pop music, "Bootlylicious," the Destiny's Child hit built on a sample of Nicks's "Edge of Seventeen," was piped over the house public address system before we got the real thing Sunday night.

The appetite-whetting tease was one not-so subtle reminder - opener Mandy Moore being the other - of the vast difference between a pop star and a genuine artist. As one of rock's most successful songwriters and original voices, both with and without Fleetwood Mac, Stevie Nicks is both.

When the first signature twirl of her gold-flecked shawl came, mere moments into a percolating and percussive "Stand Back," Nicks's fanatically devoted audience roared its approval. It was an auspicious start to a two-hour, career-surveying set at the Bank of America Pavilion that was crammed with many highs and few lows: beloved evergreen hits, power-ballad misses, and poignant moments.

Impeccably supported by a seven-piece band led, as always, by longtime musical director and guitarist Waddy Wachtel, as well as a trio of backup singers, Nicks took a twirl and a tour through a catalog more than three decades deep, and nearly as wide. Considerably less wide, however, was the 60-year-old Nicks's vocal range.

While her voice, clear and strong in the sound mix, was as inimitable and often as affecting as ever, it stayed, for the most part, within a narrow melodic framework. There were fewer highs hit on a still-graceful but somewhat flat "Dreams," for instance, the song's gilded edges blunted and gauzy embroidery all but cleared away. And why perform a flaccid cover of the Dave Matthews Band's turgid "Crash Into Me" when we didn't get "Gypsy" or "Sara", or any number of other Nicks classics?

As if to make up for this brief (but unfortunately not brief enough) lapse in judgment, Nicks and Co. offered a dramatically stirring "Rhiannon," then hit soon after with the baleful, brewing storm of "Gold Dust Woman." A pulse-quickening version of "Edge of Seventeen" was an epic curio, stretching into a well-meaning but distracting meet-and-greet receiving line with the adoring faithful.

If an encore cover of Led Zeppelin's "Rock and Roll" was the night's throwaway thrill, then "Landside," a tender meditation on the passage of time, was its most elegiac moment. Nicks dedicated the song to her late father, and gave it a gorgeously glistening reading as family photos of dad and daughter gently bled into one another on the stage screen.

Onetime pop goody-two-shoes and perpetual smiler Mandy Moore opened with a cloying 45-minute set of karaoke-bar cover songs meant to demonstrate how, at age 22, she's all grown up and has discovered Cat Stevens and Joni Mitchell. With a voice and personality as bland as generic toothpaste, the fact that Moore's been handed an enormous public platform to say absolutely nothing original felt like an insult to the artists she so earnestly covered.

Lindsey Buckingham in Reading PA - October 10th

Another date has appeared on ticketmaster adding a third date to Lindsey's tour itinerary...

From what I've heard, he's going to be touring for approximately 5-6 weeks this fall... If you can see him, grab a ticket! Seriously, you won't be disappointed - he puts on a really great show.

READING, PA
FRIDAY OCTOBER 10, 2008
SOVEREIGN PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

BRE PRESENTS
AN EVENING WITH LINDSEY BUCKINGHAM

Stevie Nicks keeps on rockin' (Boston Review)

By Jay N. Miller
For The Patriot Ledger
Posted Jun 23, 2008 @ 01:16 PM

QUINCY — Stevie Nicks’ star quality continues to shine unabated, even if some of the vocal subtleties have changed.

Nicks, who turned 60 a month ago, and her 10-piece backing band delighted a near sellout crowd of about 4,600 Sunday at Bank of America Pavilion with a two-hour show that touched on all phases of her career, and added a couple of surprises.

With a band led by longtime leader Waddy Wachtel on guitar (who also served as Warren Zevon’s bandleader), and including such rock stalwarts as Scott Plunkett on piano, Ricky Peterson on organ, Lenny Castro on percussion, and Carlos Rios on second guitar, Nicks boasts one of the best groups anywhere. The arrangements stuck close to the hit versions of her songs, but extended many into gloriously pulsating workouts that had the throng singing and sweating along.

One minor detail was that Nicks’ voice seemed to be harder than usual, without the velvety quality that marks some of her biggest hits. This could just be from the strain of the current tour, and it didn’t detract from the material as much as just give it a new twist. It wasn’t so much Nicks’ emotional vulnerability that the vocals conveyed, as perhaps in the original renditions, but a kind of world-weary resilience born of a lifetime of experience.

“Stand Back” was the rumbling opener, with Nicks appearing in a red shawl flecked with gold, over a black pant suit. Frankly it took most of this hard-rocking song to get the sound balanced, as the drums were burying everything else early on. By the throbbing rocker “Outside the Rain,” Wachtel’s slide guitar and the rest of the superb band were coming through loud and clear. Nicks played with the lines in “Dreams,” dragging the tempo a bit as the crowd sang the chorus to that Fleetwood Mac mega-hit gleefully.

“If Anyone Falls” from 1983 was an apt example of the different vocal sound, as that tune’s delicate trilling lines of enchantment became more stark, open imperatives. Nicks explained she had done a live show for PBS, which will be released this summer, and wanted to cover a favorite songsmith. Her take on Dave Matthews’ “Crash Into Me” was done with just two acoustic guitars and her backup vocalists, for an effect that was both more reflective and more sensual.

Plunkett’s lovely piano interlude introduced “Rhiannon,” as just a piano/vocal duet, that soon took off into a pounding rock charge that electrified the arena.

Nicks reminisced about her days waitressing and songwriting at night, in introducing ‘73’s “Sorceror,” and backup singer Sharon Celani provided the second half of what was a dual vocal on the ballad. Bob Seger’s “Face the Promise,” a tune about life on the road Nicks claimed she hadn’t sung for 25 years, was probably the night’s hardest rocker, with a fiery Wachtel solo.

Since her father’s 2005 death, Nicks has been doing “Landslide” as an acoustic tribute to him, with photos from their life together. Sunday’s was done with just Wachtel’s finger-picking accompaniment, and turned into a communal hymn with the crowd singing along quietly.

“In the Still of the Night” and “Edge of 17” were the pulse-pounding rockers that finished the regular set. Nicks returned for a blistering run through Led Zeppelin’s “Rock ’n’ Roll,” wearing her Mad Hatter’s chapeau.

Finally Nicks ended with a softly moving “Has Anyone Ever Written About You?” as pictures of soldiers flashed on the screens. Nicks has been working with the USO since 2004, and has sponsored an effort to provide iPods full of music to returning, and especially wounded, service personnel.

Stevie Nicks and Soundstage

WOW! This is starting to get exciting.... Check out the new pics from Stevie's upcoming Soundstage on PBS!

Stevie-Nicks.info posted these along with a link to the Iowa PBS station previewing the pics....

Very nice!

Starting around the middle of July, this 2 part Soundstage performance should start airing all over PBS networks in the US. In September, it's scheduled to be released as a DVD/CD package.

Stevie Still Enchanting (Boston Review)

Rock goddess Stevie still as enchanting as ever at 60
By Lauren Carter
Monday, June 23, 2008

Rock’s resident goddess doesn’t appear ready to give up her title anytime soon.

Fleetwood Mac member and solo star Stevie Nicks rocked the Bank of America Pavilion last night with a verve that belied her 60 years: A roar of “Let’s go” before the ethereal “Outside the Rain” set the tone for the night, and a variety of fist pumps, wails, coos and a flick of the microphone any moody hard rocker would be proud of made it clear that Nicks’ signature intensity is still going strong.

After 25 years onstage touring solo, certain elements of Nicks’ show remain comfortably predictable: the hard-rocking opener, “Stand Back,” the ruffled black dresses and multiple shawls, the microphone draped in jewels and scarves, the flowing blond hair, and the enchanting twirls that crowds go wild for.

But amidst the signature atmosphere and a lineup of classic solo and Mac hits, there were a couple of new additions during Nicks’ 90-minutes-plus onstage, including the pleasant surprise of Dave Matthews Band’s “Crash.”

Vocally, Nicks warmed up throughout the night, her voice a soothing medium on “Dreams” and a sandpaper flame on “Rhiannon,” “Gold Dust Woman” and the bluesy “How Still My Love.”

With help from a tight band anchored by guitarist and longtime musical director Waddy Wachtel, she took on the multiple personalities her songs demand, from the poignant “Landslide” to the hard-driving “Edge of Seventeen.”

How similar Nicks really is to the otherwordly enchantress she plays onstage, we may never know. But a show is still a chance to step inside her temporary world - a world of white-winged doves, billowing clouds, snow dreams and mysterious painted women, a world of intense love and loss, where shawls are used to create metaphors and unicorns frolic in an onscreen enchanted forest.

Even as the years pass, the trip remains worth it.

Nicks is known for bringing along young female singer-songwriters as opening acts, and this time around, Mandy Moore got the call. The once-teen-pop starlet showed off a decidedly folkier side last night with a stripped-down set that put her voice front and center.

Looking eerily like a young Nicks, Moore was especially powerful on the wistful “Wild Hope,” but hasn’t completely closed the door on her past - she ended with a rootsy rendition of her breakout hit “Candy,” albeit with a few self-deprecating chuckles along the way.

Stevie Nicks Never Seems To Change

Stevie Nicks: The rock goddess appears in the Toledo Zoo Concert Series Wednesday
By DAN FIRESTONE
BLADE STAFF WRITER
Article published Sunday, June 22, 2008

Stevie Nicks never seems to change.

Legends don’t have to.

The rock and roll gypsy has twirled her way through a career of dreams, mesmerizing her faithful fans for more than 30 years now.

With flowing chiffon and lace and a leathery voice, Nicks has pretty much kept her style throughout her time with supergroup Fleetwood Mac and a successful solo career that is being highlighted on her current tour.

Nicks spins her way here for an appearance at the Toledo Zoo Concert Series at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, in a show that will focus on solo material, with a few of her Mac classics tossed in. At 60, she seems to always be on tour — alone, with Fleetwood Mac, or even, as she did a few years back, with Eagles member Don Henley.

She rose to fame in the 1970s when she and then-boyfriend Lindsey Buckingham, whom she met in high school in California, joined the British-based band Fleetwood Mac.

Mick Fleetwood, the band’s drummer and leader, heard the two on a demo tape, and without even an audition asked them to join himself, bassist John McVie and singer-keyboardist Christine McVie.

The band made history with the 1977 release of “Rumours,” which stayed at No. 1 on Billboard’s charts for 31 weeks. It became the biggest selling album in history at that time, with sales of 19 million in the United States and 30 million worldwide. It won a Grammy for album of the year and included “Dreams,” a Nicks classic which also hit No. 1.

“Rumours” was a follow-up to Fleetwood Mac’s 1975 self-titled album that also topped the charts, thanks largely in part to Nicks’ hit single “Rhiannon,” and her unforgettable “Landslide.”

In the process, she created mysterious rock goddess persona on stage in the pre-MTV days. She was aloof and sexy and rarely gave interviews.

She was dubbed “Queen of Rock” by Rolling Stone magazine, causing friction among Mac’s members that resulted in brilliant songwriting but the end of relationships.

“Lindsey and I both loved each other, not just because we loved Lindsey and Stevie, but because we loved what Lindsey and Stevie did,” Nicks recently told the British magazine Telegraph. “And that is definitely what kept Lindsey and me together for as long as we did stay together. It’s not that he’s not a great love — he is a great love.
And I write songs about him to this day. I don’t know why. But whenever we’re together we fight — to this day.”

Nicks and Buckingham had actually achieved some mild success as a duo before joining Fleetwood Mac. The sounds that drove the early success of the group can be heard on the cult classic 1973 “Buckingham Nicks” album.

“I think, in Lindsey’s heart, he thinks if we hadn’t joined Fleetwood Mac, we would still have become famous, and we probably would have gotten married and probably would have had kids and probably would have lived in San Francisco, his hometown, and our lives would have been very different and we probably would have never done drugs. It’s possible,” she told Q Magazine in Great Britain.

Through all the fighting and broken relationships – Nicks and Buckingham split, the McVies divorced – the band continued on with tremendous success. But in 1981, Nicks launched her solo career, which was immediately successful.

“Bella Donna,” her debut album, sold 5 million copies, hitting No. 1 and spawning the hits “Edge of Seventeen,” “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around” (with Tom Petty), and “Leather and Lace,” (with Henley) — all still staples on classic rock radio.

It didn’t spell the end to Fleetwood Mac, however, as Nicks has weaved her creativeness between both ventures while becoming one of the biggest influences on a generation of female rockers, actually writing more hits as a solo act than she did for the band.

Including greatest hits packages, she’s released nine solo albums and had major hits in the ’80s like “Stand Back,” while still cranking out timeless songs for FM like “Sara” and “Gypsy.”

Her songs stand the test of time, a clash of mystical poetry with a raw rock sound that appeals to both her male and female fans.

“I was only doing my solo career to have another vehicle for my songs,” Nicks told Q. “When you’re in a band with three writers [including Buckingham and Christine McVie] and you do a record every two or three years and there’s 12 songs on an album, that’s not much for somebody that writes as much as me. I adored being in Fleetwood Mac.”

She was back touring with Mac most recently in 2003 when the band (without Christine McVie) launched “Say You Will,” its first studio album in 13 years. Still oil and water off stage, Nicks and Buckingham remain magical together on stage.

Her personal history has been told over and over — battles with drugs, a soap-opera love life that included Buckingham, Fleetwood, and her record-producer Jimmy Iovine, as well as Henley and fellow Eagle Joe Walsh.

Except for a very brief marriage to the widower of her best friend from childhood, Nicks has remained single and never had children.

When VH1 made its century-ending list of greatest women of rock in 1999, Nicks was on it at No. 14. Of course, viewers had another opinion, ranking her No. 1.

In recent days, Nicks has devoted herself to causes such as support for wounded soldiers at Walter Reed Army Hospital in Washington, aiming to use music in the rehabilitation of soldiers wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan. She gives hundreds of iPods away on her frequent visits.

Last year she released another greatest hits package, but hasn’t done a studio album since “Trouble in Shangri-La” in 2001.

Perhaps life on the road led to the recent selling of her mansion near Phoenix in a “downsizing” effort, Nicks said. She spends more time away, even now, than she does at home.

She’s still Stevie, still a rock-and-roll gypsy.

Stevie Nicks performs at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday in the Toledo Zoo Amphitheater. Tickets are $99.50, $75, and $49.50, and are available from Ticketmaster outlets or by calling 419-474-1333, or at www.livenation.com. Tickets at some prices are available at the zoo box office.

Lindsey at Humphreys in San Diego - Sept, 2008

Another Lindsey tour date has popped up:

Humphreys Concerts by the Bay
Lindsey Buckingham
San Diego, CA
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Show Time: 8:00PM
Tickets: $50

Stevie Nicks at Alcatraz

Anyone wanna hedge a guess as to approximately when this was taken? I found it on Flickr and it apparently was taken at Alcatraz.

MICK FLEETWOOD TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS!

MICK FLEETWOOD TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS!

The Mick Fleetwood Band
What do you want to know about the tallest drummer in rock?

Mick Fleetwood is taking part in Uncut's regular 'Audience With' feature. So what do you want to know about the tallest drummer in rock?

1. How did you feel when your blues band got hijacked by the Yanks?
2. Can he still speak Norwegian?
3. After having played an Antedean dignitary in Star Trek, are there any other alien species he fancies playing?

Send your questions by Noon on Friday, June 27 to uncutaudiencewith@ipcmedia.com
The best questions, and Mick's answers will feature in a future edition of the magazine!

Casino Rama June 18, 2008

Legendary singer and songwriter Stevie Nicks performs a night of incredible hit music at Casino Rama in Canada June 18, 2008.

Edge of Seventeen...

Edge of Seventeen... I don't know what show this is from, but it's kinda cool... Stevie is filmed from a distance so you get to see the stage and back drop...



edge of seventeen

Stevie Nicks fits in all the right grooves

Stevie Nicks fits in all the right grooves; Colvin keeps opener short, sweet

06/17/2008, 9:15 am
By Andy Argyrakis
The Daily Journal correspondent

CHICAGO -- She may have first found fame through Fleetwood Mac, but after the opening synthesizer and cymbal crashes of "Stand Back" Saturday night at the lakefront's breathtaking Charter One Pavilion, Stevie Nicks showed her solo star is burning brightly.

Last year, she released the retrospective "Crystal Visions" and, Sept. 9, PBS' "Soundstage" will present a television special that will also hit CD and DVD.

Saturday, her seven-piece band and three background singers demonstrated over two hours, that there was plenty to celebrate beyond a catalogue crammed with hits. Fleetwood Mac's "Dreams" showcased her 1970s soft pop roots, while the keyboard drenched "If Anyone Falls In Love" was steeped in shimmering '80s-style production.

But Nicks wasn't afraid to try contemporary style, putting her sultry stamp on the Dave Matthews' "Crash." She also gave a rugged interpretation to Bob Seger's 2006 track "Face the Promise."

Nicks also dusted off the mystical "Sorcerer," which was co-written with Mac mate Lindsey Buckingham a year before they joined the band. The group's "Landslide," showcased the lacier side of her vocal register, while a psychedelic stab at Led Zeppelin's "Rock and Roll" was leather all the way.

Amidst the highlight reel, Nicks squelched some of her momentum by changing outfits or shawls several times, leaving her band to stall with instrumental solos. One of the more patience-trying moments came from a five-minute percussion rant leading up to the infamous "Edge of Seventeen."

Shawn Colvin

Opener Shawn Colvin was a stark contrast to Nicks given her acoustic framework and introspective storytelling, which included a reference to her time at college in Carbondale. The veteran troubadour demonstrated a folk undercurrent (think Emmylou Harris), while also addressing her pop side via 1998's double Grammy Award-winning "Sunny Came Home."

Yet the tunesmith made sure to keep her set short and to the point, admitting how excited she was to see Nicks.

Andy Argyrakis is a Chicago based writer/photographer. E-mail him at andy@andyargyrakis.com">andy@andyargyrakis.com.

Lindsey Buckingham a Hotel Room and a Guitar

Check this out! Lindsey in his hotel room playing an acoustic version of "Down on Rodeo". Played during one of his tour stops on the "Under The Skin Tour" in 06/07. Cool stuff!!
Link to Video

Lindsey Buckingham Fall Tour Date

As expected, Lindsey Buckingham fall tour dates are rolling out to back up his yet to be announced, but anticipated early fall release of his next solo album. The reported rock album comes just two years after his previous release in the fall of 2006 "Under The Skin ".

First date announced by Ticketmaster:

Lindsey Buckingham
Keswick Theatre, Glenside, PA (Philadelphia)
Sat, Oct 18, 2008 08:00 PM

Tickets: US $32.50 - US $39.50

Stevie Nicks - St. Louis (Review)

Stevie Nicks
By Daniel Durchholz
SPECIAL TO THE POST-DISPATCH
06/14/2008

Midway through her concert at Chaifetz Arena Friday night, Stevie Nicks showed a side of her persona rarely seen during her decades onstage as a member of Fleetwood Mac and as a solo star: that of barroom rocker.

Nicks cut loose with a rip-roaring version of Bob Seger’s “Face the Promise,” a song she identified as a “highway driving song.”

Such a tune wouldn’t be that much of a stretch for most singers. But consider that only moments before, Nicks, clad in a lacy shawl, was twirling with abandon in front of a giant video screen depicting gamboling unicorns.

That was Nicks’ two-hour, 15-song set in a nutshell: It dealt with things both earthy and ethereal, from love and loss to the singer’s dreams and “crystal visions.”

Nicks is the third Fleetwood Mac principal to visit here in recent times. Lindsey Buckingham packed the Pageant last year, and Mick Fleetwood brought his blues band to the Sheldon a few months back. But Nicks remains the Mac’s biggest solo star and she got to play the biggest room, even though the place was far from full.

That didn’t stop her from performing a crowd pleasing greatest hits revue that included the Mac hits “Rhiannon,” “Gold Dust Woman,” “Dreams” and “Landslide,” plus solo smashes “Stand Back,” “If Anyone Falls in Love” and “Edge of Seventeen,” among others.

She paused after “Dreams,” which contains lines about rain and thunder, and wondered aloud how she could perform that song in Iowa, given the recent floods there. “I’m serious,” she said. “Pray for ‘no rain.’”

Meanwhile, “Landslide” contained a nice twist, with harmonies added by two of her backup singers transforming Nicks’ version of the song into the Dixie Chicks’ countrified cover.

An even better moment was equally unlooked for: Nicks did a lovely take of Dave Matthews’ “Crash into Me,” gesturing expressively as she lost herself in the libidinous lyrics.

The singer brought the show home on a heart-tugging note, performing “Has Anyone Ever Written Anything for You” in front of video images of American soldiers. As the band took a final bow, Nicks asked that her audience look to music for peace and solace in a time of war.

Pianist/vocalist Peter Cincotti opened the show with a brief set that tried mightily to turn his naturally jazzy and pop-oriented material into arena rock. But even his successes, like “Goodbye Philadelphia” and “Make It Out Alive” were pyrrhic victories at best, as they trod the same path worn deep decades ago by Billy Joel.

Stevie Nicks at the Chaifetz Arena (Review)

Stevie Nicks at the Chaifetz Arena
Friday, June 13

I'm just going to come right out and say it: Stevie Nicks must have a magical coochie. That's all I could think about last night while watching her perform at the new Chaifetz Arena. That isn't to discredit her ample musical talent, but her feminine gravitational pull is apparent, even in a large music venue. She's got that something. And whatever it is, it's magnetic and irresistible.

Over the years her lady parts have served her well: the source of most of her song writing material has come from her love affairs. Most of these episodes were well documented, even in the pre-paparazzi days of 1970s celebrity. Successful rock-and-rollers lined up around the block back in the day for a crack at Miss Nicks. She supposedly gave quite a few of them a spin, from Don Henley to Mick Fleetwood to Jimmy Iovine, and her long relationship with uber-sexy band mate Lindsey Buckingham was a main topic in Rumours, the classic Fleetwood Mac album.

Even now, at the age that most people retire, Nicks still knows how to work it. She's still all high-heeled platform boots, gothic Lolita dresses, long blond mane and sparking shawls. Her static, uncompromising image is shockingly stubborn. Imagine a '70s punk who still sports a mohawk as an old man on the golf course. Still, Nick's image doesn't feel contrived- it's just as if she found a good thing an stuck with it.

And the fans? They love it. When she opened with "Stand Back" one would have never known that the arena was only about half full, as every older lady in the place got up out of her seat and cheered while mentally reliving her glory days.

What followed was a string of hits (including "Dreams," "Rhiannon," "If Anyone Falls in Love," "Sorcerer," Gold Dust Woman" and "Landslide") and a couple of surprising covers (Bob Seger's "Face the Promise" and a torturous version of Dave Matthews Band's "Crash").

To her credit, Nicks basically excused these covers by explaining that she and her band need to do something fun every now and then. By "fun," I'm guessing she means "sing a song that I haven't already sang 873,421 times in my life." It's cool. She's forgiven for that. She is still under the gun, however, for one part in her stage show.

There was a huge video screen behind the stage that showed mostly innocuous, appropriate swirling art (a rain shot during "Dreams," a yellow haze during "Gold Dust Woman," etc.) but during "Rhiannon" it featured a pair of cheesy white unicorns frolicking in the freaking forest. I shit you not. It was distracting and I laughed for nearly the whole song with sympathetic embarrassment for everyone on that stage. Lest you think I am a cynical party-pooper, those unicorns garnered snickers from quite a few people near me and pretty much ruined the song for us all. Lose the unicorns, Stevie, that's pushing the "mystical" and "enchanting" thing just a little too far.

This was the first "rock concert" hosted at the Chaifetz, and aside from the poor attendance (due, no doubt, to the high ticket cost), the management can certainly call it a success. The place is much smaller than an average arena, creating a cozy feeling even at a big show. It's a clean white space accented with SLU blue, but it doesn't feel cold, just new. There were helpful ushers, food and drink and a kind employee even offered to escort me to my car. Yes, the parking situation is kind of wack, but you've dealt with worse. There's just nowhere to park that feels close. I paid $10 and went for the SLU garage. It was a bit of a hike from the garage to the arena, but it's nice scenery with small ponds, bridges and sports fields to watch along the way.

Jaime Lees

photos by: alicia bailey; todd owyoung

Fleetwood Mac Recording New Album in October, 2008

Stevie Nicks performs tonight in St. Louis
BY SCOTT KIEFER - Fri, Jun. 13, 2008
Special to the News-Democrat
bnd.com

Rock icon, artist, songwriter, aunt and inspiration to millions, Stevie Nicks just reached the milestone of turning 60 years old on May 26. She sees it as a defining moment in her life that has brought about some realizations about her personal life, her career and what she needs to maintain and to change.

"It's been a wonderful, hectic, glamorous, miserable, exciting, tumultuous life," said Nicks in a telephone interview from Florida last week. "Who could ask for more?"

Nicks will perform at 8 p.m. tonight at the Chaifetz Arena at St. Louis University.

Although Nicks has this persona of being mysterious, elusive, mystical, and hard to reach, she has always been an open book during interviews ... which aren't granted often.

"My life has been such an open book anyway, so when I do interviews, there's really nothing to not talk about," said Nicks jokingly. "Sometimes I even get to set the record straight."

Nicks isn't really bothered by her recent birthday.

"Really, it is just a number," said Nicks, "but an important one. Better that the alternative. I would say. I've never been one to be obsessed with my numerical age. I really do believe you are as young as you feel, and as long as you are happy within yourself and good to others, your youth shines through, no matter what your age. It's all about change.. in lifestyle, diet, and emotionally. Age is about learning and growing, not your number."

Nicks shows no signs of slowing down.

She is currently working on writing the story for the production of a movie based on the hit Fleetwood Mac single of 1976, "Rhiannon."

"I have been working on this for quite some time," said Nicks. "It's really been a work in progress for 30 years. This is it, though. As soon as this tour is finished, I'm off to a secluded place in Europe (she didn't disclose where) to finish the writing, and do some tweaking on the finished product. After that, we are meeting with people like HBO or Showtime to hopefully do a mini-series type of movie. It is such a wonderful story, and there is so much more to be told about Rhiannon."

After that, Nicks will sign on for the all-original Fleetwood Mac tour.

"Yes, we are going to do it, at least once more," said Nicks. "All of us except Christy (Christine McVie). She is just so 'over' that whole thing. She has done it, again and again, she just doesn't want to do the touring anymore."

Nicks stated that the group will start working on material and recording probably in October, and finish an album.

"We should be getting into tour rehearsals in January or February, and get out on the road in the spring of next year."

Asked about the rumors surrounding the replacement of McVie by Sheryl Crow, Nicks said it would not be happening.

"Actually, Lindsey and I will be taking some of the songs that Christine sang on record, and we will be sharing the vocals," said Nicks. "After all, we wrote most of them anyway, and we feel it was best for us to do them instead of bringing someone else in to take her place. We want to show her our respect, and include her in the show, because she was such an important part to our group."

The lives of the members of Fleetwood Mac were definitely the rock 'n' roll soap opera of the late '70s and '80s, but Nicks doesn't like to dwell so much on the negativity and the hype that surrounded the group.

"We definitely had our moments in the spotlight," said Nicks, "and some hellatious ones out of the spotlight too. But, it's all good now. In fact, Lindsey and I are really doing good, we are friends ... for now at least."

Nicks attributes much of the high drama within the band to the creativity each member possesses.

"When you have creative people such as we are, and we are all artists, you have high emotions and feelings, and that is how we expressed ourselves -- and still do really," said Nicks. "It's hard to live with, work with and be constantly around someone who has such creativity and emotion spilling out of them all of the time, and not have conflict. It's just the way it is. But we're all fine right now."

With the movie script and the band reunion, you would think that Nicks has enough on her plate.
"I also will be working on some of my paintings, and I'm always writing new songs, poems, things like that," said Nicks.

Will there be a new solo album soon?

"That's something that I can't say will or will not happen," said Nicks. "As I said, I am constantly writing, but not just for me. Some of the stuff I do may turn up on a Mac album, or maybe I will have a solo album, I'm not ruling out anything."

Nicks has just moved into a large apartment on the oceanfront in Santa Monica, where she lives alone.

"I am in 'Stevie's Place' now," said Nicks, "all by myself. I loved my large home in Phoenix, but it was more of a bother than it was enjoyable to me. I was always wondering about redecorating this room or that room or the landscaping or the kitchen or whatever. Kind of a pain in the a--, really."

"See, that's what I mean about the creativity flowing," said Nicks. "Where I am at now, I am by myself, and can concentrate on the movie script ideas, my paintings, and my songwriting. I can get up in the middle of the night and see the moonlight on the water and watch it make a glisten on the waves, and work on whatever it is I need too, until I can watch the sun rise over the ocean. Or, I can just do whatever the h--- I want."

Nicks sees this as an advantage to herself and her family.

"I can do these things when they come upon me, and I can be in my world," said Nicks. "This is why, I realize, that I never had children, and that I will never be married. Things in my life are kind of like coming together, and yet starting over, all at the same time."

Nicks is currently on a short tour of only 15 dates in North America in promotion of the "Crystal Visions" CD and DVD project.

Nicks is also appearing this season on the PBS Soundstage music series in a two-episode concert.

"Doing the show for PBS was a thrill, and an honor," said Nicks. "Public television is something that is very important, not only for it's entertainment value, but for the educational opportunities it provides.."

During this tour, Nicks is doing all of the expected hits such as "Rhiannon," "Stand Back" and "Edge of Seventeen," but has thrown in some exciting covers as well.

"We have to do the hits that the fans expect," said Nicks, "but, we've thrown in a Dave Mathews song, and a Bob Seger song, plus a couple of other surprises."

"This is gonna be more of a rock and roll show," said Nicks. "I can't wait to perform at St. Louis, because it was one of the better shows I did last year with Tom Petty.

"Tom asked me to come out and do six shows, and do just six songs on each date," said Nicks. "And I was thrilled. I've always had this fantasy about being a member of the Heartbreakers. Tom helped me to make that dream come true. It was so much fun that we ended up doing 23 days. And for Tom to foot the bill for my expenses for that many dates -- and believe me it ain't cheap -- says a lot about my friend.

"After the tour was over, he gave me a gold, five-point sherriff's badge with five diamonds on each point with an inscription on the back that read 'To Stevie, our honorary Heartbreaker.' That was one of my most special moments in life, and I will probably never get the chance to do something like that again."

Nicks is really looking at a new lease on life.

"With all that I have going right now, it seems as though I have just started my life all over again. To h--- with counting my birthday numbers, who needs 'em anyway?"

Quick hits

1. Coke or Pepsi: Coke. Coke Zero, actually.
2. Favorite Dessert: Red Velvet Cake
3. Religous or Spiritual: Spiritual
4. On your Ipod: Madonna to Justin Timberlake, Motown to Classic Rock.
5. By yourself or with others: By Myself.
6. Obama or McCain: Wouldn't you like to know.
7. Worst part of touring: The hectic schedule.
8. Best part of touring: Playing for my fans.
9. Passion: Music and painting.
10. Marriage: Never.
11. Landscape: The ocean.
12. Best friend: Lori Nicks. (background singer and sister-in-law).
13. Paparazzi: Not an issue.
14. Tour bus: Hate 'em. That's why I fly only.

At a glance

Who: Stevie Nicks with Peter Cincotti
When: 8 p.m. today
Where: Chaifetz Arena at St. Louis University
How much: $65 and $45
How:www.metrotix.com, or 314-534-1111.

Mick Fleetwood uncorks passion for wine

Rock legend and winemaker advocates a more accessible wine experience
The Aspen Times

ASPEN — Some decades ago, Mick Fleetwood had little interest in wine. And who could blame him? Several times a year, on his early visits to the U.S. — he says the experience was very different in Europe — the British-born Fleetwood would subject himself to the discomfort and degradation of ordering wine to go with dinner. No matter how good the bottle may have been, the process left him with a bad taste in his mouth.

“It was people sitting in a restaurant, quivering in their boots, thinking, ‘What are we going to order?’” said Fleetwood. “In truth, they were just told what to like. And I remember sitting there drinking, and thinking, ‘Oh, I’m supposed to like this — and not necessarily liking it.’”

Fleetwood turned his attention away from oenology, and focused instead on music. It proved to be a wise decision; he has never seemed to need outside prodding to know what sounded good to his ears. In his earliest days, it was blues-rock — first with John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers, then, beginning in the late ’60s, with the earliest incarnation of Fleetwood Mac. In the mid-’70s, with the addition of Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks, the band’s sound took a sharp turn, toward radio-friendly pop-rock. It was an assured stylistic change, however, as Fleetwood Mac turned out such essential ’70s works as 1975’s eponymous album and 1977’s “Rumours.”

A decade and a half ago, Fleetwood had another abrupt about-face, this time in his offstage life. It was almost certainly a good thing; Fleetwood Mac was one of the primary symbols of rock ’n’ roll excess, mid-’70s-style, and Fleetwood himself was never known to exclude himself from the party. His 1990 memoir, “Fleetwood: My Life and Adventures with Fleetwood Mac,” recounts his cocaine addiction and bankruptcy. And in looking to switch things up, Fleetwood decided on a new beverage to go with his new ways: wine.

“Probably about 16 years ago or so,” said Fleetwood, by phone from his home on Maui. “That was a journey that started really from a change in lifestyle. My crazy rock ’n’ roll lineage wound down a bit; my home life changed. I started entertaining at home, not going out so much.”

(An aside: The life change apparently did not include going any easier on his drum kit. Not long after this adjustment, Fleetwood played a New Year’s Eve gig at the old Double Diamond in Aspen, on a bill with rockabilly singer Billy Burnette, a member of the latter-day Fleetwood Mac, and then little-known singer, Sheryl Crow. I happened to be backstage in the company of Fleetwood, and we had a pleasant drink and conversation. He was then called to his drum set, and started playing the show while we were still sharing our moment together. Standing a few feet from the six-foot, six-inch Fleetwood as he played, I was shaken by the force of his drumming, and his near-manic energy.)

Continue to full article

Rock legend Nicks mixes her music with Mac’s

By DAVID DORSEY • news-press.com • June 13, 2008

HOLLYWOOD, FLA. — Her blond hair waving and her costumes flowing — and oftentimes spinning — Stevie Nicks mesmerized a sellout crowd of 5,000 fans with her mystical blend of classic rock.

Nicks, who celebrated her 60th birthday May 26, opened at the Hard Rock Live venue with “Outside the Rain” as she launched into an hour and 50 minutes’ worth of songs.

Nicks covered a mix of her own material and that of the band that made her famous in the 1970s — Fleetwood Mac.

But she also put her own spin on the works of others, playing the Dave Matthews Band song “Crash,” a Bob Seger cover and Led Zeppelin’s “Rock and Roll,” the first song of the encore.

Performing with nine others on stage, Nicks took to the center, flanked by a guitarist, a rhythm guitarist, bass player, drummer, percussionist (he banged on African-style drums among other instruments), a keyboardist, piano player and three background vocalists, including her sister-in-law.

The two drummers came in handy, teaming for a drum duet that energized the crowd before being rejoined by Nicks and the rest of the band for the final song of the set — and her best song — “Edge of Seventeen.”

As the drummers showed off their skills, Backstage, Nicks changed into a white gown. When she came out and turned around and stretched out her arms, her back to the crowd, her arms resembled wings. She transformed herself into the image of a white-winged dove.

“Stand Back,” and “How Still My Love,” were included in her set along with Fleetwood Mac’s “Rhiannon,” “Gold Dust Woman,” and “Landslide,” the latter of which she dedicated to her late father, with snapshots of her and her dad flashing on the big screen behind her.

The emotional moment drew a standing ovation, as did the final song of the evening, “Has Anyone Ever Written Anything For You,” a song she dedicated to injured U.S. troops who were stationed overseas.

Stevie's revolving door of opening acts.

Mandy Moore will be opening for Stevie in Boston on June 22nd and in Toledo on June 25th. Myspace

Mandy is the third act to be opening for Stevie on this short June tour. Shawn Colvin and Peter Cincotti are the others.

Landslide.... Hard Rock Live.... June 7, 2008

Stevie Nicks will sing songs people want to hear

Stevie Nicks vows to stick with fan favorites for her show here

By Kevin C. Johnson
STLtoday.com
POST-DISPATCH POP MUSIC CRITIC
06/12/2008

Stevie Nicks vows to stick with fan favorites for her show hereBy Kevin C. Johnson

When Stevie Nicks comes to Chaifetz Arena this weekend, her fans won't have to worry about her dropping "Gold Dust Woman," "Rhiannon," "Landslide" or other staples to make room for new material.

First of all, Nicks, 60, hasn't released new music since 2001's "Trouble in Shangri-La"; her latest release is last year's "Crystal Visions — The Very Best of Stevie Nicks."

Second, Nicks just isn't into deleting hits from her set.

"People aren't happy with you for doing that, and we've all tried," she says. "The Eagles tried it, Fleetwood Mac tried it, I've tried it. We try to do it because we want to do something different. But then when you do it, you find your audience going to the bathroom or going to buy a T-shirt.

"They've leaving because they're not familiar with what you're doing and don't care. So all we can do is take the nine or 10 songs they're coming to hear, build a set around those songs, add four or five songs, and mix it around, change the sequencing. Then it appears to be different to everybody."

Nicks, who will rejoin Fleetwood Mac for a tour next year, says her show has changed since the last time fans saw her.

She put "Beauty and the Beast," "Has Anyone Ever Written Anything for You" and "Outside the Rain" back into her show, and added songs by Bob Seger and Dave Matthews Band.

"Has Anyone Ever Written Anything for You" is performed in front of a video montage of American soldiers in noncombat situations.

"It's great, but I couldn't look back at the video," says Nicks, who believes she'd lose it if she did. "It's beautiful and poignant. It had everyone in tears."

Nicks, who filmed a PBS "Soundstage" episode to air this summer, had more to say about her music and tour.

Q. When you look over your solo repertoire with a collection like "Crystal Visions — The Very Best of Stevie Nicks," are there any regrets?

A. I have no regrets. I did everything pretty right. The only thing was in 1986, with the tranquilizers (she says it was Alonpin). I got through the pot and the cocaine and the Kool menthols and still worked. But the tranquilizers stole my soul. It was a very sad time. I curled up and didn't do anything. I could have made one or two more Fleetwood Mac records, and my own repertoire would've been 30 to 40 percent bigger.

Q. You released "Timespace — the Best of Stevie Nicks" in 1991. What makes "Crystal Visions — the Very Best of Stevie Nicks," the very best?

A. Some of it is live, some of it is hot new mixes, some of it is video with me sitting and doing commentary over each video and telling people what the song is about and what was happening in my life when the song was being made. That's interesting and fun to me because it's not just greatest hits.

Q. Dixie Chicks and Billy Corgan both covered "Landslide." What's the preferred version?

A. I love the Dixie Chicks, and I love Billy Corgan's version, crazy as it was. I'm friends with the Dixie Chicks and I got to sing it with them in a four-part harmony, and they brought it back in a huge way. Now the version I do is different, and the Dixie Chicks made that possible.

Q. Your songs have been heavily remixed by dance-music technicians, including the Deep Dish remix of "Dreams" on "Crystal Visions." How do you feel about your material getting this treatment?

A. I love them. I work out to all these dance remixes. With Deep Dish, they asked whether they should use my old vocal, or another singer, or if I could sing it over. I said I'll be there in an hour. It was a thrill to put a brand-new vocal on it, though it sounds similar to the old (one). My voice doesn't change.

Q. Destiny's Child used "Edge of Seventeen" for its hit "Bootylicious." What was your thought on that?

A. I know Beyoncé fairly well, and she's a doll. She asked me if she could do it, then she called and asked me to be in the video. As a writer, 50 percent of that song is mine. Every time that song is played, Beyoncé and I make the same money.

Q. When can we expect the next Stevie Nicks studio project?

A. I don't know. That's why I'm doing more greatest hits and going back in the vaults and finding cool stuff that might bring people out to Borders and Starbucks to buy a record. I can do a solo record, but what will happen is 1,000 hard-core fans will buy it and push the send button and send it to 5 million others. That makes me wonder, why bother? People are stealing our songs.

Has Anyone Ever Written Anything For You

Stevie performing at the Hard Rock Live, Hollywood, Florida, June 7, 2008

Stevie Nicks talks Crow

06.10.2008 9:29 am
Stevie Nicks talks Crow, Winehouse on way to Chaifetz Arena Friday
By: Kevin C. Johnson

Stevie Nicks has somehow managed to escape my interview clutches these past 20 years I’ve spent writing about music, and my chat with her last week was worth the wait.

Nicks, a longtime favorite of mine who performs at Chaifetz Arena on Friday, called my home office last week in the midst of a tornado warning that made national news. She was watching the news reports while at a tour stop, asked if I was OK, and said if I needed to hurry off the phone at any point because of the weather, it was cool.

She was a great interview, chatty, revealing and forthright. The interview runs in the Post-Dispatch in Thursday’s Get Out, and will be online at http://www.stltoday.com/, but her comments on Sheryl Crow and Amy Winehouse are only found here.

Crow made some headlines recently when she suggested she’d fill in for Christine McVie on the Fleetwood Mac tour next year. But Nicks shot down the idea of her friend joining her on the road with the veteran band.

“Sheryl and I discussed this in the nicest of ways. Sheryl has a new baby, and a new baby is all encompassing. We decided it wasn’t the best idea,” says Nicks. “I had to explain to her the ups and downs of being in a band like Fleetwood Mac. You sign your name on the contract and it’s like being in the Army. You don’t have your own life anymore. That’s why I went solo.”

There will be no second female vocalist with Nicks on the Fleetwood Mac tour. Instead, a backing singer will step up to the plate. “We’re excited about this, because now there are five or six songs we love that we can put back into the show,” says Nicks.

Nicks, whose past problems with substances are well known, has words for the constantly troubled Winehouse about getting her act together before she’s forgotten. Nicks’ advice comes from a loving place, she says.

“I will always think of myself as a drug addict, and it’s hard to tell a drug addict to stop doing drugs. They have to wake up and say I’m done, have that epiphany, get on a plane and go to rehab and stay there for two months,” says Nicks.

You gotta love Stevie Nicks.

Tickets to her concert Friday are $45-$95, available through MetroTix outlets, www.metrotix.com, and by calling 314-534-1111 (go to MetroTix’s web site and get half off lower level tickets using promotional code MAC, up until 5 p.m. Tuesday).

Peter Cincotti was just announced as Nicks’ opening act.

Lindsey Buckingham UTS Tour Stats (update)

Managed to find additional dates and tour grosses for Lindsey's Under The Skin Tour. Additions to the list are marked with an asterisk.

Stevie Nicks at Hard Rock Live (Review)

(photo - Hard Rock 2007)
Stevie Nicks

Saturday, June 7

Hard Rock Live

Browardpalmbeach.com

Better than: Watching Stevie Nicks 10 years from now.

The body of Stevie Nicks turned 60 last month. Her voice has been 60 for a while.

Maybe it was all that coke in the '70s, or maybe it was that her vocal cords weren’t durable enough to handle her preferred mode of singing. I suspect it was the latter — Stevie’s always cited Janis Joplin as a prime influence, but she never had Janis’s chainsaw pipes, nor the dubious good fortune to die at 27. In the '70s, Stevie Nicks performed like a blues shouter even while her recorded output highlighted a voice better suited to witchy balledeering, and even back then her fans worshiped her primarily as a crone in the making.

She’s not in-the-making anymore — now she really is a crone, and her fans love her for it. They went genuinely apeshit at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino last night, with the first twelve rows erupting into near-moshing when guitarist Wally Wachtel ended a long solo by segueing into “Edge of Seventeen." The Hard Rock isn’t known for volatile crowds, and the reactions down front were more intensely physical than anything Aerosmith ever got in the same venue. Nicks fans are passionate people.

They’re also, I might add, exactly the same demo you might have seen at a Hillary Clinton rally a few short months ago. They are overwhelmingly white, female, and middle-aged, with a few old hippies tossed in for grit. There’s plenty of lesbians and skinny young white girls who can’t dance, but are willing to try. I counted four blacks in the auditorium. All of these people are madly in love with a white, 60-year-old woman with a sometimes-grating voice and a history of relationship trouble. Their devotion is so intense that, when fully demonstrated, it looks a little creepy.

In the case of the Nicks fans, you can understand why. Despite the shocking limitations of her vocal range — which I’m pretty sure doesn’t even span an octave anymore — Nicks’ performance is surprisingly muscular. Heartfelt too, which is even weirder (how a singer can stay attached to a song like “Gold Dust Woman,” which implores you to “Rock on ancient woman/follow those who pale in your shadow,” is anybody’s guess). Since Stevie’s touring in support of a greatest hits package (Crystal Visions), her current show sticks mostly to the lollipops that even non-Nicksians can dig, but she never sounds tired of the material. Last night, she seemed most engaged when tearing into the most obvious of chestnuts, like a huge, raucous version of “Stand Back” or the long slow build of “Rhiannon,” which she brought to an acceptably molten climax (she’s been fiddling with the end of that song since 1975, and only now has she finally gotten it right). She only seriously faltered when she tried doing something new, like a version of Zep’s “Rock’n’Roll” which was a whole helluvalot more staid than the original, or a version of Dave Matthews’ “Crash Into You” that made you appreciate Dave’s charms as a singer.

The set was under two hours but felt a little longer, probably because Stevie kept darting backstage to change bits of her costume. Since all of her costumes were pretty much identical, it’s hard to say why she bothered. If I were her, I would have used that time to do something about my boots. Stevie Nicks’ footwear looks like some kind of medieval torture device, equipped with huge, cruel heels that force her to do the entire show en pointe. This may be the reason Stevie refused to move around the stage during the show. Not once did she come over to our section, off to the side of stage left. She remained glued to the five feet around her monitors at center stage, and though she seemed mobile enough in that circumscribed little area, it would have been nice to see her up close — especially since those of us at the sides of the arena couldn’t see the video screen mounted behind the drummer (I assume that’s where it was mounted — like I said, I couldn’t see it). We were starved for visual stimulation, but Stevie didn’t care.

The long-time Stevie fan sitting next to me noticed this, and complained about it. She also noted that Stevie should stay the hell away from Dave Matthews songs, and commented on the unfortunate state of Stevie’s vocal cords. Even so, she said she “loved the concert” and thought it was “wonderful.” This is what it means to be a fan of Stevie Nicks, or even Hillary Clinton: it’s not the execution that matters, but the gusto of the attempt.

--Brandon K. Thorp

Stevie Nicks - Hard Rock Hotel - June 7, 2008 (3 Pics)

Stevie Nicks performs in concert at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Florida on June 7, 2008.
Photo/Michael Bush

Wal-Mart + Fleetwood Mac = New Release

A quote from the New York Times surfaced today by Irving Azoff, founder and chief executive of FrontLine Management regarding the possibility of a NEW Fleetwood Mac release. (Azoff's partner in FrontLine is Howard Kaufman, Stevie's Manager, formerly of H.K Management) FrontLine acquired H.K Management in January, 2005. H.K Management at the time also managed Fleetwood Mac so I'm assuming they are now under the FrontLine umbrella.

The article is about the latest round of artists to release cd's and dvd's exclusively through Wal-Mart by-passing the major labels all together. The article doesn't indicate that this is new music from Fleetwood Mac, just that Azoff is talking to Wal-Mart about it's possibility.

Good news to me!!!!

[quote]
"Mr. Azoff said that he was already talking to Wal-Mart about an exclusive deal for Fleetwood Mac's next release. “Classic rock really works there,” Mr. Azoff said."

New York Times

Stevie Nicks' Visions Still Crystal Clear in Concert

BY HOWARD COHEN
hcohen@MiamiHerald.com
Redorbit.com

Stevie Nicks proved 60 is the new 30, as the rock legend nearly sold out Hard Rock Live near Hollywood Saturday night -- just a year or so after her last appearance at the 5,000-plus seat venue -- with a hit-packed, lively set that found her in good voice and reinforced her stature as a rock and roll original.

Nicks might not move on stage with the gale force drive she tapped into in the Bicentennial year but who, aside from Mick Jagger, still can? Nicks is probably the only performer who can earn a standing ovation for merely twirling on stage, as she did during her third number, Stand Back. But given her familiar songs to draw upon, from a solo career and from her ongoing Fleetwood Mac catalog, and a distinctive voice that's grown richer over time, Nicks plays to full houses because she can. Saturday, she didn't take that blessing for granted. She sounded engaged, delivered all the expected favorites such as Dreams, Stand Back and Rhiannon with clarity and purpose, offered a rarely performed album cut (a mesmerizing How Still My Love, from 1981's Bella Donna) and threw in a few remakes.

Her audience ranged from a 10-year-old who was enjoying her first concert with her mom, to some overheated dude in the rafters who couldn't stop yelling, ''I love you Stevie!'' for most of the 105-minute show.

Still others were here to share memories (and we could here some of their stories because South Florida audiences just can't watch an event without providing a running commentary of their own): There's the first car they drove when, on its AM radio, they heard Nicks sing Rhiannon 33 years ago. Or the time they had big hair in the '80s when Nicks initially sang about a life lived on the Edge of Seventeen.

None of these fans' recollections were quite as musical or endearing as the star's own tales from the stage. In introducing If Anyone Falls, Nicks, whose band features sister-in-law Lori Perry Nicks on harmonies, told how she wrote the 1983 hit after one of her single friends tossed out a hopeful line, ``if anyone falls in love I hope it's one of us.''

''I thought that was such a good phrase I went home and wrote that song,'' Nicks said. Sorcerer, she explained, came about in the interim between the commercial failure of her duo album with ex-boyfriend Lindsey Buckingham in 1973 and the pair's joining of Fleetwood Mac on New Year's Eve 1975. A tender Landslide movingly featured a video montage of her father Jess Nicks who died in 2005.

There weren't any major surprises in Nicks' set list. She's opened many of her solo tours with Outside the Rain since her first in 1981 and it was in lead position again. A convincing cover of Led Zeppelin's Rock and Roll is now a regular encore. Of the two new additions -- Bob Seger's rollicking Face the Promise and Dave Matthews' acoustic Crash -- only the latter cover proved ill-advised despite Nicks' insistence she could sing a male song. She can. But her otherwise exceptional band, led by veteran guitarist/musical director Waddy Wachtel, ran ramshod over its slight melody. When Nicks charitably introduced Crash by saying 'it's the most fun I've had in 10 years,' our first thought was that she needs to get out more.

The uninspired computer-generated effects on a video screen also disappointed but some new tweaks, like a brief electronic keyboard pulse in the bridge of the rocker Fall From Grace, kept her music fresh and stylish. Overall, Nicks delivered a crowd pleaser that sets her up well for her next challenge: a proposed 2009 tour with Fleetwood Mac.

Peter Cincotti will open for Stevie in Cincinnati, New York & Holmdel

According to the National City Pavilion website, fellow Warner Bros. recording artist Peter Cincotti will be Stevie Nicks' guest at her June 26, 2008 show in Cincinnati. I think Stevie has a thing for Pianists.

Edit June 8th:

Peter Cincotti will also be Stevie's guest to open her shows at Jones Beach (Wantagh, New York) June 28th and also June 29th in Holmdel, New Jersey.

Myspace

Stevie covers Bob Segers "Face The Promise" in Biloxi (Vids and Pics)

Stevie Nicks in Biloxi at the Hard Rock Live - June 5, 2008
Stevie's take on another cover. This time out Bob Seger's "Face The Promise" from his September, 2006 release of the same name. It's the first time Stevie's covered a Bob Seger tune. Covers seem to be becoming a habit of hers, but she actually did a pretty good job I think. I would have prefered her to throw in something of her own that she either hasn't done in years or at all, but that's just me.
Pics and Vid credit: Jazzy from The Chain

Click for more vids from Biloxi