Review Stevie Nicks delivered a ‘funky fabulous party’ of a concert Wednesday night

[Review] Stevie Nicks: Live in Concert

New Orleans showed nothing but love for Stevie Nicks on Wednesday night – and Nicks showed it back!

As promised, Stevie Nicks delivered a ‘funky fabulous party’ of a concert Wednesday night at the Smoothie King Center. 

Nolaconcerts.com

Photos: Kathryn Holden

Vanessa Carlton

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!

Rhiannon

Edge of Seventeen