RUMOURS is part of the first wave of releases and comes with Dolby Atmos, DTS HD 5.1, and DTS HD Stereo mixes. Considered by many to be among the greatest albums of all time, winning the Grammy® Award for Album of the Year in 1978. The album includes the band’s first No.1 smash, “Dreams.” RUMOURS has been certified Double Diamond by the RIAA, selling more than 40 million copies worldwide.
Dolby Atmos is revolutionizing audio technology with its immersive, three-dimensional soundscapes. By precisely placing sounds in a space, it creates an unparalleled sense of realism and depth, setting a new standard for audio excellence. Rhino’s Dolby Atmos series will draw upon Warner Music Group’s extensive catalog to create truly extraordinary listening experiences.
Jason Jones, Sr. Rhino Director of A&R, says: “It’s always been crucial for music fans to immerse themselves in what they are listening to. I think of being in my bedroom with my headphones on and being caught up in the swirl of what I was listening to. With the advent of Atmos, I’ve been transported back to that original feeling. They stay true to the original mix’s intention while taking advantage of the full capabilities of the immersive format, with the added bonus of being sourced from the original multi-track master tapes.”
Patrick Milligan, Sr. Director of A&R, stated, “Immersive audio is here to stay, and it's a wonder to hear it on a full surround system. This is our first set of releases of Atmos on Blu-ray, and we're excited that for most of these titles, we are also offering 5.1 Surround Sound mixes. If you've only heard Atmos in your headphones, hearing these releases on a home theater system is dramatic and envelops you gloriously in the music.”
Warner Brothers is releasing limited and exclusive vinyl editions of the three Fleetwood Mac albums in May, June and July.
In case you didn't have enough versions or colored versions of these three legendary Fleetwood Mac's albums... This post is for you.
Urban Outfitters in the US and Canada on May 24, 2024 will release color variations of three Fleetwood Mac albums. Fleetwood Mac and Rumours are both priced at $29.98 with Tusk priced at $46.98. Pre-order at Urban Outfitters
Barnes and Noble in the US will be releasing this colored variation also on May 24th except Rumours, is showing a release date of July 12th (that date could be a typo).
HMV in the UK will release the same colour variation as Barnes & Noble in the US with a release date of June 15, 2024. Fleetwood Mac and Rumours are both priced at £29.99, with Tusk priced at £64.99. Pre-order at HMV
Amazon in the US and Canada will also have exclusives available in 3 different colors. Fleetwood Mac and Rumours are priced at $24.99 while Tusk is priced at $39.98.
Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours is already one of the most successful and beloved albums in U.S. history. If it were to disappear tomorrow, its place in the history books is safe…but Americans aren’t done with the pop-rock set yet. In fact, they’re increasing their consumption of the project, which is hardly fading from popularity, even after decades in the market.
Rumours climbs on three Billboard charts this week. At the same time, it finds its way back to another list, reaching a new high point in the process.
On the Billboard 200, the company’s namesake all-encompassing ranking of the most-consumed albums in the U.S., Rumours jumps from No. 43 to No. 36, returning to the top 40 region once again. The title is, impressively, still climbing, even as it nears 600 weeks on the tally.
In the past tracking period, Rumours moved another 18,445 equivalent units in America, according to Luminate. That’s up a little under 4% from the week prior.
At the same time, Rumours is also lifting on two of Billboard’s rock-only tallies, though its improvement on those lists isn’t quite as notable. On the Top Rock & Alternative Albums chart, Fleetwood Mac’s masterpiece pushes two slots, from No. 9 to No. 7. On the Top Rock Albums roster, it steps up just one space, from No. 7 to No. 6.
Rumours is also back on Billboard’s Top Streaming Albums chart this week. The set returns for only the fifth stint on the ranking of the most-streamed full-lengths in the country. As it reappears, the title hits a new peak of No. 46. That’s not just a new best showing for the album, but also the band.
Fleetwood Mac’s blockbuster full-length only declines on one major Billboard chart. The set falls slightly on the Top Album Sales ranking, slipping from No. 19 to No. 24. Interestingly, while it slides back in terms of position, the project is up more than 3% in sales. Rumours sold 3,521 copies in the past tracking week.
From the information that has been published (10 of 11 shows) for their joint dates, they have done amazing numbers. 10 shows and over 105 million gross. 521 thousand fans.
Fleetwood Mac hasn’t officially broken up, but they’re not really an active band any longer. The pop-rock outfit has not worked together in some time, and following the death of Christine McVie, it seems there are no plans to produce any new music or tour again. While some kind of end may have come for the group, they are still reaching new highs on the Billboard charts with music they made decades ago.
This week, Fleetwood Mac rises to a new peak on a ranking they’re still relatively new to. The band’s Rumours returns to the Top Streaming Albums chart this frame, finding its way back to the ranking of the most-streamed full-lengths in the U.S.
Rumours lands at No. 46 on the Top Streaming Albums chart this week. That’s not a very lofty placement on the 50-spot tally, but it’s the best that Fleetwood Mac has ever managed.
So far, Rumours is the only Fleetwood Mac release to make it to the Top Streaming Albums chart. It has thus far spent five nonconsecutive frames somewhere on the list, and it’s climbing–very slowly, but steadily.
It’s not surprising that Fleetwood Mac–or any band from decades past era–may only be getting started on the Top Streaming Albums chart. The ranking was introduced by Billboard in the past few months, and it’s almost always dominated by current pop stars, rappers, country acts, and rock bands. Newer names usually rule streaming platforms, so it isn’t odd that the list is filled with more contemporary releases, instead of older favorites.
Rumours is on the rise on a number of Billboard charts this week. As it hits a new high on the Top Streaming Albums tally, it also lifts on the Billboard 200, which ranks the most consumed titles across all metrics and genres. This week, it jumps from No. 36 from No. 43 as total consumption of the effort increases by a little more than 3%, according to Luminate.
Fleetwood Mac released Rumours in 1977 to critical and commercial acclaim. The set became the biggest album for the band, and in the decades since it dropped, it’s also been recognized as one of the bestselling and most respected full-lengths in history. The title produced many hits that are still loved to this day, and it won the group the Album of the Year Grammy.
Fans looking to see Stevie Nicks at her huge Co-op Live gig later this year have slammed the ‘too expensive’ prices for tickets during the event’s presale.
Announced earlier this week, the Fleetwood Mac singer will perform at Manchester’s newest music venue on July 9 as part of her first series of shows in the UK and Ireland for seven years. The gig will coincide with shows in Dublin on July 3 and Glasgow on July 6 as well as a headliner slot at BST Hyde Park on July 12
Tickets for the Manchester show are set to go on general sale from 12pm on Friday (March 22) but Co-op members and select fans have been able to sign up for presale tickets since Wednesday.
The pre-sale opportunity has seen some fans criticise the pricing of seats for the show - with tickets for far back areas of the arena, like sections 316 and 317, going for £132.50 each. Tickets a little closer to the stage, in sections including 104 and 112, are priced at £233.50 each.
It’s meant that some fans have said they feel priced out of going to the show. One posted on social media: “wanted to go see stevie nicks but it's too expensive :(“. Another wrote: “Well this was short lived. It would seem I need to be Stevie Nicks to afford Stevie Nicks tickets.”
Another asked: “why does stevie nicks want me to sell my kidney for her concert”. One other person said: “Love you to bits @StevieNicks but your prices are ridiculous!”. Another said: “Why are @stevienicks concerts so expensive! Loved Stevie since 1977 but this makes me sad !! People paying £140 + for rubbish seats - really?”
Members of tribute band Fleetwood Mad also decided to get into the fun of the online reaction by jokingly suggesting they could perform at a Co-op store for a fraction of the cost. Drummer 'Rocksteddie Ed’ posted: “Come and see Fleetwood Mad instead....we will play the Co-Op for far less!”
During the pre-sale this week, there were still some fans who were keen to pay no matter the cost to see their idol Stevie for the first time in years. One wrote: “Ticketmaster kept kicking me out of the queue (on both devices) but managed to get a ticket for Stevie Nicks. Insane prices - as well as 5 years of my life - but worth it.”
Sharing a screenshot of tickets booked for Co-Op Live, another said: “Beyond excited! Been waiting for this for years @StevieNicks.” Another wrote: “Stevie Nicks, you'd better be good after the amount I've just spent on you!!!”
But it’s not just tickets for Stevie Nicks that has opened up a wider discussion amongst fans about the rising cost of attending large-scale concerts. The likes of Eric Clapton and The Eagles have charged up to £300 for tickets to recent shows, whilst Taylor Swift’s shows in Liverpool later this year saw VIP experiences cost as much as £662.40 each.
Tickets for Stevie Nicks at Co-Op Live on July 9 will go on sale at 12pm on Friday
Stevie Nicks has extended her 2024 summer tour to include shows in the UK and Ireland. The announcement comes following news of her upcoming performance in London for the BST Hyde Park series later this summer.
The additional shows begin with a performance in Ireland, where Nicks will headline at Dublin's 3Arena on July 3, followed by a show at Glasgow's OVO Hydro Arena on July 6.
Afterward, she will perform at Manchester's new Co-op Live arena on July 9, just days before her highly anticipated London performance.
Following the UK and Ireland leg, Nicks will continue her tour with dates in Europe, including performances in Antwerp on July 16 and Amsterdam on July 19.
Tickets for these shows will be available for purchase starting this Friday, March 22, at noon. Fans can also access pre-sale options starting Wednesday, March 20, at the same time.
Fleetwood Mac’s heyday was long before the streaming era. Unlike many of their peers, the pop-rock band has been able to somehow find an audience with younger listeners, who make up a large share of users on streaming platforms. Their albums and singles continuously rack up millions upon millions of plays–and their catalog is still selling, as well.
The beloved band’s single “Dreams” stands out as one of their biggest hits. It was a commercial win when it was first released decades ago, and in the past few years, it’s become a success on streaming sites. This week, the tune is back on one specific chart, as Americans are still eager to press play on the cut, even after so many years.
“Dreams” reappears on this week’s Streaming Songs chart. The Billboard ranking tracks the most-played tunes on platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal, and many others. It is genre-agnostic, which makes it very competitive. The list usually favors younger, more current acts–but Fleetwood Mac has bucked that trend.
On the latest version of the Streaming Songs chart, “Dreams” returns at No. 49. That’s a fairly low position on the 50-spot tally, but the fact that it’s found space on the ranking at all is impressive.
Even more impressive is the history of “Dreams” on the Streaming Songs chart. The tune once peaked at No. 6 on the tally, becoming not only Fleetwood Mac’s biggest hit on the ranking, but perhaps one of the oldest top 10s on the streaming-only roster. The cut reached an entirely new audience several years ago after going viral on TikTok, propelling the band to new heights on several streaming-focused lists.
As “Dreams” finds its way back to the Streaming Songs chart, it’s also on the rise on another, related list. The tune is up one slot to No. 7 on the current edition of the Rock Streaming Songs chart. As its name suggests, that tally only looks at the most-played titles in the country labeled as rock. In the past, it has conquered that roster.
“Dreams” remains Fleetwood Mac’s only No. 1 hit on the Hot 100, so it’s not surprising that it has managed to stand out for years among a bevy of smashes the group released. The tune gave the band their only placement on the Streaming Songs chart and their only leader on the Rock Streaming Songs ranking. On the latter list, it’s one of their three tunes to find space, as “The Chain” peaked at No. 5 and “Landslide” rose as high as No. 14.
Fleetwood Mac On The Charts
Here's a look at how Rumour and other Fleetwood Mac albums are doing on the charts around the world this week (March 15, 2024).
A little less than midway through his main set Saturday night, Billy Joel, a Dallas Cowboys hat parked atop his bald pate, sat at his gleaming black grand piano and cast a sideways glance at the many thousands packed into AT&T Stadium.
“This is usually the part where I say I don’t have anything new,” the 74-year-old superstar began, before feigning surprise: “We actually have a new song!”
With that, Joel, making his first North Texas appearance in five years, and the seven men arrayed on the stage behind him lurched into “Turn the Lights Back On,” a deeply wistful, gorgeous ode to lost possibilities and acting before it’s too late — whether on a personal, romantic, or even professional level.
The performance was, put mildly, a hash.
Joel seemed as uncertain about tempo and lyrics and feel as the band members and the song contrasted with the tunes on either side of it (“Don’t Ask Me Why” preceding; “Allentown” following), “Turn the Lights Back On” had the fumbling energy of a colt finding its legs.
Such a moment stuck out in an otherwise polished-to-practiced-perfection two-hour set purely because, well, at this stage of his career, finding his footing on a new single isn’t something Joel really does.
The track is his first such effort in 17 years, a formidable stretch of seasons, and the veteran singer-songwriter defied expectations to deliver a song that is of a piece with his beloved catalog.
That catalog was selectively roamed Saturday (the concert was a make-good from an April 2023 postponement, owing to an illness in the touring party), as Joel heavily favored his 1980 LP Glass Houses and 1977’s The Stranger, declining to offer up any real rarities. (Of his 1974 album Streetlife Serenade, Joel cracked: “You don’t have that album — no one has that album. I don’t have that album.”)
he crowd, well-lubricated and ready for a Saturday full of hits, was, at least where I sat, utterly indifferent to deeper cuts like “Zanzibar,” which featured a volcanic trumpet solo from Carl Fischer.
Joel was also backed by drummer Chuck Burgi, guitarist-vocalist Mike Delguidice, guitarist Tommy Byrnes, saxophonist Mark Rivera, keyboardist David Rosenthal and bassist Andy Cichon — Crystal Taliefero, a long-time Joel collaborator, was oddly absent Saturday.
Yet perhaps Joel was somewhat invigorated by the challenge of new material. He seemed quite lively throughout and in shockingly strong voice — he reached for, and appeared to mostly hit, the sky-scraping high notes in the chorus of “An Innocent Man” (the contorted look on his face certainly suggested he was in the vicinity) — and playfully goofed around with the stadium’s cavernous echo, even yodeling at one point (“I like the acoustics in here”) and its enormous video board, fully operational on Saturday (“You’re watching a drive-in movie over there”)
The closing run of songs did build up a relentless, pile-driving energy: “Sometimes a Fantasy” into “Only the Good Die Young” into “River of Dreams” (complete with a Delguidice interpolation of ZZ Top’s “Tush”) into “Scenes from an Italian Restaurant” (again, Delguidice teeing it up with Puccini’s “Nessun Dorma”) and, finally, as mandated by law, “Piano Man.”
The shock of the new isn’t a common sensation in these settings, but its effects were, ultimately, pleasing. Being forced to reckon with fresh energy after many, many years created some pleasurable ripple effects — whether Joel will submit himself to additional such shocks remains to be seen.
Joel was joined as co-headliner (the evening was billed as “Two Icons, One Night”) by Stevie Nicks, whose opening 90-minute set marked her first North Texas performance in eight years.
The 75-year-old singer-songwriter was likewise in fine fettle, her dusky contralto relatively undimmed by wear and tear. She was backed by an incredibly tight band: guitarist Waddy Wachtel, drummer Drew Hester, bassist Carlos Rios, keyboardists Ricky Peterson and Darrell Smith, and backing vocalists Sharon Celani and Marilyn Martin. (“We’re just road dogs,” Nicks explained. “We really, really enjoy doing this.”)
As with Joel, Nicks was concerned with the hits and little else (Joel did join her early in her set, to duet on “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around”) — although in fairness, Nicks hasn’t released any fresh solo material since 2011, so the set list was always going to be full of the familiar and the popular
The propulsive energy of her solo back catalog was infectious: “Stand Back” giving way to “Bella Donna” before detouring into Fleetwood Mac (“Gold Dust Woman,” which built up to a furious climax, full of smoldering guitar and whirling shawls). Nicks even trotted out her long-time vocal coach, Steve Real, for “Leather and Lace,” as Real gave a startlingly approximate recreation of Don Henley’s singing voice.
For her encore, Nicks leaned heavily into sentimentality and was richly rewarded. The three-song run (Tom Petty’s “Free Fallin’” and Fleetwood Mac’s “Rhiannon” and “Landslide,” the latter featuring a deeply moving photo montage of Nicks and the late Christine McVie) was as beautiful as it was poignant — “Landslide” even did the impossible: silencing the entire stadium as Nicks, backed only by Wachtel on acoustic guitar, sang of getting older too.
It was an emotional moment that drove home the point of the entire evening, even before Joel wrestled with the disruptive energy of the new.
Time is an inescapable element in these settings. You’re measuring the arc of a career in decades, the depth of impact in generations and the number of records sold in the double (or triple) digit millions. (Nicks has sold 65 million copies as a solo artist; 120 million as a member of Fleetwood Mac — Joel has sold over 160 million copies worldwide.)
These are weighty, substantial, and meaningful statistics, yet they recede somewhat in the light and locomotion of a stadium-sized concert. Still, there is that unquantifiable feeling, lurking in the edges of the spotlight, the sensation of witnessing an endurance of impressive magnitude, but also, of looming mortality, a sense of days dwindling.
Each of these artists has made a profound impact upon those who piled into AT&T Stadium Saturday, and for a moment, sharing the space together drove home the value of what they do and the songs they sing. New or old, familiar or obscure, what matters most is the act itself: By standing tall in the light, everyone on the stage or in front of it helps delay the inevitable just a little longer, preserving the thrill and the joy of being alive in the moment, lost in the comfort of a melody.
After about a year from their original North Texas date, classic rock titans Billy Joel and Stevie Nicks finally made their way to Arlington’s AT&T Stadium Friday night. Die hard fans of all ages filled the stadium for a big night of hits and the legends didn’t disappoint – mostly. Thankfully, Nicks kicked off the night.
Opening with “Outside the Rain,” Nicks’ start was a tepid one with a deep cut opener, but a quick follow up with Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams” pulled the audience fully into her set. Her voice was in pure gravelly form as she swayed with her flowy garments and Raphaelite curls to hit after hit. She took a moment to explain that of all the people involved in the tour, she was the one who got COVID last year hence the reschedule.
The wait was worth it. She was in strong form with signature songs such as “If Anyone Falls,” “Stand Back” and “Edge of Seventeen.” The big surprise, even to her as she told the audience, was Billy Joel coming out to duet on Tom Petty’s part on “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around.” Seeing these two perform together with no real history (that I can think of) behind them was a remarkable and glorious moment. The audience lost their shit and the back and forth between the two icons was astonishing to watch happen in front of our eyes.
Nicks had some banter with the audience and expressed deep appreciation for people coming out to see her and to still be on the road. Despite being a star, she had no air of that onstage.
She still was magical and witchy as she conjured up a solid playlist of her hits and an encore of Petty’s “Free Fallin’” and Fleetwood Mac’s “Rhiannon.” Then she broke hearts, closing with her tribute to the late Christine McVie, her bandmate in Fleetwood, with “Landslide.”
Billy Joel kicked off the second half with “My Life,” a somewhat perfect opener for the piano man. Also a strong performance, Joel displayed an affable presence, He spent a lot of time talking to the audience and remarking on the size of the stadium and a lot of grandpa banter. He was a funny guy but at the same time, “please get on with the show.” When he did, he brought out some of the deeper cuts like “Zanzibar” and “Sometimes a Fantasy” that his die-hard fans ate up like candy.
Bigger hits like “An Innocent Man,” which he killed with his high notes still, and “Allentown” fared better but he held off on his more familiar songs like “Uptown Girl,” “We Didn’t Start the Fire” and “You May Be Right” until his encore. Those I did not see because his main set was just a bit underwhelming and thus, opted to beat the crowd with an early departure.
When one of the two headliners is 74 and he isn’t the oldest one on the stage you have a show more appropriate to end by 5 p.m. rather than 11.
Stevie Nicks is 75 years old, but she forever remains Fleetwood Mac’s middle finger, while Billy Joel, 74, is simply happy to play songs he could perform in a coma, and his audience has heard 3.4 trillion times.
On Saturday night at AT&T Stadium, the two music icons whose respective careers have combined to span about 100 total years did whatever they wanted, which is exactly what the predominantly over 50 crowd came to hear.
They performed some covers. A duet. Some ZZ Top. A little opera. Some Tom Petty. Led Zeppelin.
The every single one of the approximately 55,000 in the place is at that stage where they really don’t care what someone else thinks, which ultimately makes for the ideal night out. You want ice cream for dinner, kids? Here’s five bowls.
That’s what a Steve Nicks/Billy Joel concert is; bowls of chocolate chip cream you’ve had since you can remember.
This show was originally scheduled to play last spring, but it was canceled after Nicks was diagnosed with COVID.
She played 13 songs, and she still sounds like Stevie Nicks. For the most part. It helps her voice has always sounded like it’s crusted with cigarette smoke, so she was never apt to embarrass herself by going for a few high notes that were never her thing.
Part of Steve Nicks’ appeal is a voice that she doesn’t need to trademark. Even with autotone, no one else can sound like Stevie Nicks.
She ripped through her hits, and had no problem going to her Fleetwood Mac roots. She can still do “Gypsy,” “Stand Back,” “Seventeen,” “Gold Dust Woman” and the rest. Her cover of Buffalo Springfield’s “For What It’s Worth” was an unexpected twist, but she pulled it off.
There was an undeniable bittersweet undercurrent to her set. So many of the people she performed with are gone. People like Tom Petty and Christine McVie.
Nicks performed a cover of Petty’s “Free Fallin,” and Joel joined her on stage for “Stop Dragging My Heart.” That song became a hit with Petty and Nicks.
After performing her final song, “Landslide,” she spoke lovingly of McVie.
Joel didn’t take too much time before taking the stage wearing a Cowboys hat. Not a Cowboy hat. A Dallas Cowboys baseball cap.
“Hat or no hat?” he asked the crowd before taking it off revealing his bald head. “I am Lex Luthor.”
“Luthor’s” set lasted 2 1/2 hours that was a mashup of classic songs that became American staples. Since he’s only recorded one new song in the last 20 years, he all but acknowledged to the crowd that he was going to play what they wanted to hear.
He even went off script to play some of the Rolling Stones’ “Start Me Up,” complete with Joel standing on stage mimicking Mick Jagger’s hip moves. A noble effort, but Billy Joel will never be Mick. Billy Joel will always be a more diverse, energetic version of Paul Simon.
Name it, and Joel with his eight-member band played as if it was their final performance ever. “Don’t ask me why,” “Allentown,” “New York State of Mind,” “The Entertainer,” “It’s Just a Fantasy,” “All for Leyna,” and on and on.
This was as much of a throw back rock concert as you could have in 2024, right down to the distinct whiffs of marijuana smoke circulating on the floor.
Just when the audience was settled into Joel’s greatest hits, he had guitarist Mike DelGuidice perform a cover of ZZ Top’s “Tush” in the middle of “River of Dreams.” DelGuidice also performed “Nessun dorma,” an aria that today’s audiences associate with opera singer Luciano Pavarotti. (Since Pavarotti died in 2007, he couldn’t make it to Arlington).
Even if Joel is 74, listening to him perform “Scenes from an Italian Restaurant” and “Piano Man” still move any audience. They are brilliantly written poems, or short stories.
Joel has never had the best voice, but his ability to craft lyrics for a song is what allowed him to remain relevant in a brutal industry for several decades. He closed his 21-song set with a few encores, and ended the night with “You May be Right.”
By that time, everyone had given him a smile ‘cause he knew that it’s him they paid to see, to forget about life for a while.
For two hours Wednesday night, Stevie Nicks took the audience at Simmons Bank Arena in North Little Rock on a journey through the past with stories and songs from her five-decade career. It was part spoken memoir, part rock concert, but most of all it was, in her words, a party.
“Let’s get this Little Rock party started,” the 75-year-old Rock and Roll Hall of Famer told the 14,000 concert goers who sold out the arena. “Keep rockin’ Little Rock.”
Dressed all in black with a long, flowing skirt, accented with capes draped around her shoulders, which she changed throughout the show, she brought her signature witchy vibe to the stage. Backed by a six-member band led by her longtime lead guitarist, Waddy Wachtel, 76, she floated across the stage, twirling theatrically, as she sang a multitude of a hits from her days with Fleetwood Mac and, later, as a solo artist. There was a sharing of energy in the building as the crowd, which she called “awesome,” clearly fueled her performance while she, in turn, inspired the enthusiastic concert-goers, which included teenagers, millennials, members of Gen X and, of course, Nicks’ fellow baby boomers. “This is the joy of my life,” Nicks said at one point during the show. “I hope it will be the joy of your life.”
She opened the show with “Outside the Rain” from her debut solo album Bella Donna, released in 1981, followed by “Dreams,” a No. 1 hit for Fleetwood Mac from the acclaimed 1977 Rumours album. She followed that with “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around,” a song written by Tom Petty, who sang on what became a hit single from the Bella Donna album. Wachtel joined Nicks to sing Petty’s part of the duet as a psychedelic-styled video featuring images of Petty and other rock legends including Billy Joel, members of Fleetwood Mac, Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin played on a large screen behind the stage.
After that, she performed “Fall from Grace” from Trouble in Shangri-La, released in 2001, followed by “For What it’s Worth,” a song written by Stephen Stills in 1966 for his band Buffalo Springfield. In one of several stories she shared during the evening, she described hearing this song for the first time as an 18-year-old high school student and learning only recently how it was based on a confrontation between police and a group of young people gathered on Sunset Strip in Los Angeles. She recorded the song in 2011 and, in 2022, she released it as a digital download and streaming single.
In the longest song introduction of the night, she shared how she and her former partner and bandmate, Lindsey Buckingham, lived as paupers in the early 1970s as they tried to establish their musical careers. Within a period of five months after joining Fleetwood Mac, they became rich rock stars. As her life became more of a whirlwind with their increasing fame and wealth, she longed for a simpler time, she said, and the result was “Gypsy,” a hit from Fleetwood Mac’s 1982 album Mirage.
The show continued with performances of “Wild Heart” and “Bella Donna” before she and the band rocked it out with “Stand Back” from the 1983 album The Wild Heart. Next was “Soldier’s Angel,” a song she wrote for wounded servicemen from the Iraq war after visiting with them at military hospitals in the Washington, D.C., area. She dedicated the song to the people of Ukraine in their war against Russia, saying that, if she was a man and wasn’t 75 years old, she would be there helping in the fight.
A true highlight of the show was Nicks’ performance of “Gold Dust Woman” from the Rumours album, a song she said she always performs at her shows. Draped in a gold sequined cape, she twirled around the stage, her voice echoing powerfully through the arena, backed by the perfect harmonies of two back-up singers.
She finished the main part of the show with “Leather and Lace,” a duet she performed with Don Henley on the Bella Donna album, and “The Edge of Seventeen,” also from Bella Donna. In what she called a “surprise,” her vocal coach, Steve Real, joined her for “Leather and Lace” in a crowd-pleasing performance with vocals reminiscent of Henley.
For the encore, Nicks and the band returned to the stage with a tribute cover of “Free Falling,” written by Petty, who died in 2017 at the age of 66. Next came one her first hits with Fleetwood Mac, the 1975 “Rhiannon,” followed by the ballad “Landslide,” also from her first album with Fleetwood Mac.
A video of images of Nicks with her late best friend and Fleetwood Mac bandmate, Christine McVie (she died in 2022 at the age of 79), played on the screen while Nicks sang the haunting song of lost youth to the accompaniment of Wachtel's acoustic guitar.
Afterward, she closed out the show with another story, this time about the intense grief she felt following McVie’s death, which eventually led her to tour again. “My mother always said, ‘Anytime you are hurt, Stevie, you run to the stage,’” she said, adding that she was grateful to her audiences for helping “fix her” by coming to her shows. “I love you so much for that and appreciate it, every single night,” she said.
For those in attendance Wednesday night, there was no doubt the feeling was mutual.
On Wednesday, Feb. 28 at the Smoothie King Center, Stevie Nicks proved that 75 years of age has nothing on her. Dressed from head-to-toe in black, Nicks serenely floated onto the stage in a witchy, flowy skirt and blouse and announced: “Let’s get this funky, fabulous party started.”
Though she admitted several times during the show that “we’re old,” referring to her and her bandmates, her age never showed. She presented no sign of fatigue, allowing the music to overcome and move her throughout the show, at times air drumming, head banging and twirling. Her voice defied time; her songs sounded just as ethereal and rich as when they were first released.
The concert could better be described as a collection of songs and stories. Between each song, Nicks spent several minutes telling stories from the impromptu creation of the song “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around” with Tom Petty to learning what taxes were when she finally started making enough money to have to pay them. One of her fondest memories is the way she would ground herself when her fame began to reach the level of international superstar: by dragging her mattress to the ground, draping it with pillows and antique throws, sitting in the middle and reminding herself “I am still Stevie.”
The nearly two-hour show spanned only 18 songs because of her storytelling, which seemed to take up just as much time as actual performance. Though her lengthy stories between each song did not allow for much momentum to build up, they provided something even more valuable: a glimpse of her personality, her reflection on her life and career and an insight into her worldviews. Nicks even spoke about her concern for the war in Ukraine, strongly encouraging American support towards the effort. She dedicated her performance of “Soldier’s Angel” to the soldiers and citizens of Ukraine, ending the tribute with a Ukrainian flag beaming fiercely on the screens surrounding her. She also revived a less well-known song, “New Orleans,” for the audience of “one of her favorite cities.”
Nicks sang her songs from her career as a solo artist and a member of Fleetwood Mac, as well as covers of Tom Petty’s “Free Fallin’” and Buffalo Springfield’s “For What It’s Worth,” a song that is known as a symbol of the political turmoil of the 1960s.
Nicks told the story of how even during her time in Fleetwood Mac, she envisioned her own band with two female singers besides herself. “And here they are,” Nicks announced, gesturing to the female singers to her left. Though she did not mention them by name, they are Sharon Celani, Nicks’ longtime friend, and Lori Nicks, her sister-in-law. Both women are her long-term backup singers and have been with her most of her career.
To conclude the night, Nicks had an encore lasting three songs: “Free Fallin,’” followed by Fleetwood Mac songs “Rhiannon” and “Landslide.” The band’s performance of “Landslide” was a perfect way to end the show. It gracefully acknowledged the passing of time; it was Nicks admitting that she is not the same woman she was at her peak in the 70s and an acceptance that she doesn’t need to be.
As the mellow guitar of her bandmates accompanied her, Nicks soulfully encapsulated her career and concert, singing:
“But time makes you bolder, even children get older and I’m getting older too.”
There are no words in the human language that can describe what it feels like to watch Vanessa Carlton perform her 2002 hit, “A Thousand Miles” live. And although that was one of the highlights of her set for me, she is much more than her twenty-year-old tracks. From her electric piano work to her magnetic vocals to her profound lyrics, Carlton captivated the crowd during her 30-minute-long set.
The Pennsylvania-born singer-songwriter walked onto the stage and the first words out of her mouth were, “I’m here, pinch me” before going into her first song, “Carousel.” She prefaced each song with commentary that gave a glimpse into how each one came to fruition. It’s worth getting to the venue early for the warnings of red flags, the backstory of her nickname ‘Miss Vanilla’, and how MTV censored her in 2004 (and hearing some deep cuts because who doesn’t like to be put onto new music.)
Stevie Nicks
She and her band opened with “Outside the Rain,” from Nicks’s album Bella Donna before taking the crowd into one of Fleetwood Mac’s most iconic tracks, “Dreams.”
“I started [the tour] in New Orleans…almost two years ago. That was our first show of this entire tour. I thought it was gonna be like maybe a year, it’s still going,” Stevie Nicks afterword. Nicks performed at the 2022 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. She was scheduled to return to the Big Easy in April 2023 but the show was postponed and then later canceled due to a COVID-19 infection among her touring group. Ten months later, Nicks made it back and it was worth the wait! The two-time Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee and one of Rolling Stones’ 100 Greatest Songwriters of All Time, Stevie Nicks, graced the city on Wednesday night with an unforgettable show.
Dressed in all black, the 75-year-old singer-songwriter was joined on stage by a six-piece band and two singers. For over two hours, she performed a mix of her solo hits and songs from her time with Fleetwood Mac from “Rhiannon” to “Edge of Seventeen” to “Soldier’s Girl.” She even included a few covers including Buffalo Springfield’s “For What It’s Worth” and Tom Petty’s “Free Fallin’.”
We took a trip down memory lane as Nicks shared stories about her life – from how she and Tom Petty’s collaboration, “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around” came to be to writing Fleetwood Mac’s hit “Gypsy” during a time in the 70s when she needed to find herself and stay grounded. The nostalgic storytelling gave fans a glimpse into how the musical legend created some of their favorite songs.
Throughout the night, she also had some quick outfit changes where she would throw on colorful shawls that were tied to the songs she was performing. For example, she wore the original royal blue ‘Bella Donna’ cape and a shimmering black and gold one that was tied to her song, “Stand Back.”
One of the highlights (and you had to be there moments) was when Nicks performed “New Orleans” in New Orleans. Another was Nicks not being afraid to use her platform to encourage attendees to call leaders in Washington and ask for money to be sent to Ukraine to help stop Putin’s mission. And the most heartfelt moment of them all was her dedication to the late Christine McVie during her performance of Fleetwood Mac’s “Landslide.” Nicks was very open about her grieving process and how running to the stage has helped her through one of the greatest losses she’ll ever experience. It’s true what they say, music can heal and her fans have helped heal her soul.
If Stevie Nicks is ever in a city near you, don’t hesitate. Buy the ticket. It’s not every day you have the chance to witness greatness live – and even at 75 years, she hasn’t lost her touch!
Less than two years after dedicating 'Landslide' to Taylor Hawkins at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, she sang it for Christine McVie at the Smoothie King Center
Early in her songs-and-stories session at a full Smoothie King Center on Wednesday, Stevie Nicks gave herself and her bandmates a free pass: “If we make a mistake, we just go, ‘We’re old.’”
Superstars of the 1970s, now deep into their seventies, are bowing out. Elton John and KISS have concluded long farewell tours. The Eagles were recently in New Orleans as part of their Long Goodbye Tour.
At 75, Nicks hasn’t said anything about retiring. Nor should she. She is clearly comfortable in her own skin, comfortable being in charge, and comfortable with where she stands in life.
And as she demonstrated Wednesday, she is still committed to quality, to employing real humans to make real music in real time with real instruments, topped by a voice that still sounds real good.
Following the COVID lockdown, Nicks returned to the stage at the 2022 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. She considered Wednesday’s gig part of the same tour, albeit a tour with an intermittent itinerary.
A set that spanned two hours and 15 minutes managed only 18 songs. Nicks prefaced most with a story as long as the song itself. That verbosity didn’t allow momentum to build across multiple songs strung together.
But it did give fans insight into her thought processes, personality and world view, plus behind-the-scenes glimpses of her life and career.
She recounted long and frequent visits with injured soldiers at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Maryland. Sympathetic to the plight of soldiers, she strongly supports American aid for Ukrainian troops. Her song “Soldier’s Angel” concluded with a blue and yellow Ukrainian flag blazing on the LED screen above and behind her.
She recounted thinking she’d finished recording her 1981 “Bella Donna” album, only to be told by producer Jimmy Iovine that it lacked a proper single.
Not to worry, Iovine said: Tom Petty, whom Nicks idolized but had never met, had written a song that would be perfect for her. An overdressed Nicks showed up at Petty’s studio and “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around” was born.
Forty-three years later, she and her band cranked up a crackling version at the Smoothie King Center, with Nicks emphasizing the final “stop!”
She once thought “Fall From Grace” was “too mean-spirited” to perform. But her perspective shifted: “It’s not mean-spirited. It’s energy.” Sure enough, it was the most energetic and driving song up to that point in the show.
She thanked Stephen Stills for writing Buffalo Springfield’s “For What It’s Worth” in the 1960s “so I could sing it 3,000 years later.” It’s a fine song, but that time may have been better spent with a Fleetwood Mac cut.
In the early 1970s, she and then-paramour Lindsey Buckingham were dirt poor when Fleetwood Mac first hired them. Their $250 weekly checks seemed like a fortune, she said. When those checks increased to $1,000, Nicks considered herself truly rich. After her mother introduced her to the concept of taxes, she and Buckingham hired an accounting firm to handle their money.
Having money and success “is a big deal, but it’s not everything.” She then dedicated “Gypsy” to the “waitresses and waiters and cleaning ladies” who work as hard as she once did.
Even at the height of Fleetwood Mac’s success, Nicks envisioned a solo career with her own band. It would feature two “girl singers” standing up front with her, not in the background. And there they were on Wednesday.
As talkative as she was, Nicks never got around to introducing the bandmembers. That brawny band was led by guitarist Waddy Wachtel. A first-call session guitarist from the 1970s to the present, Wachtel has contributed to at least a couple hundred albums, plus countless live shows.
His extended guitar excursion settled into the chugging riff of “Edge of Seventeen.” Guitars also drove a strong “Stand Back.” As the drummer hammered a big finish on “Gold Dust Woman,” Nicks air-drummed, shook her curls and rocked out.
Just as she did at Jazz Fest, she revived “New Orleans,” a love letter to the city she penned after Hurricane Katrina. “If Anyone Falls” had a satisfying punch to it. She held out and massaged the final “know” in “Dreams.”
Since the 1990s, Nicks has relied on vocal coach Steve Real to keep her hearty contralto in tip-top shape. On this tour, he also joins her onstage to sing Don Henley’s part in “Leather and Lace.” Nicks and Real did the duet justice.
Underscoring just how close her connection was to Petty, a recording of his “Runnin’ Down a Dream” blasted from the P.A. to signal the start of the show. Nicks and the band opened the encore with Petty’s “Free Fallin” as a scrapbook of Petty pictures, including one from Jazz Fest, filled the screen.
A faithful take on the Fleetwood Mac classic “Rhiannon” followed by “Landslide” closed out the night. At the 2022 Jazz Fest, Nicks dedicated “Landslide” to her pal Taylor Hawkins, the Foo Fighters drummer who had recently died.
This time around, she sang “Landslide” for Christine McVie, her longtime Fleetwood Mac bandmate and confidante. As photos of the late McVie faded in and out on the screen, Nicks, accompanied by Wachtel’s light touch on an acoustic guitar, navigated the lyrics’ unflinching acknowledgment of the passing of time.
She is well aware that she is no longer the wild young chanteuse she was in the 1970s. And well aware that she doesn’t need to be.
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