Concert review: Stevie Nicks, adoring crowd perfect match at MVP Arena
By Jim Shahen Jr., Freelance arts writer
TimesUnion
Nearly 10,000 people turned out to see the former Fleetwood Mac singer/solo star play at the MVP Arena on Wednesday night. They were vociferous in their applause throughout the evening, and the enthusiasm was justified as Nicks and her stellar band gave a fantastic 15-song, two-hour performance that touched on all aspects of her legendary career.
After coming out to Tom Petty’s “Running Down a Dream,” Nicks and band got off to a hot start with a solid version of “Outside the Rain” that segued into a crowd-pleasing rendition of Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams” and her own “If Anyone Falls.”
From there, Nicks slowed down the pace a little and indulged in some personal anecdotes and memories. A tight take on “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around” was preceded with a story about collaborating with Tom Petty on the smash single, while she prefaced “Gypsy” with a lengthy tale of how she and her then-boyfriend Lindsey Buckingham ended up joining Fleetwood Mac. In theory, a cover of Buffalo Springfield’s iconic “For What it’s Worth” should have felt unnecessary, but Nicks made it relevant to her own body of work by explaining how it was a song she’s wanted to perform since hearing it for the first time as an 18-year-old in 1966.
Nicks’ band was on-point throughout, particularly on a thumping, arena-sized take on “Stand Back.” It would have been the biggest rocker of the evening, if not for main set closer “Edge of Seventeen.” On the latter, lead guitarist (and accomplished sideman) Waddy Wachtel was able to shine. As the band vamped to open up the song, he cut loose with some extended soloing.
To close out the evening, Nicks played a couple of beloved Fleetwood Mac tracks. First up was “Rhiannon,” then a heartfelt, acoustic spin on “Landslide” ended the night. While Nicks sang, the video screen behind her displayed a series of images of her with her former Fleetwood Mac bandmate, the late Christine McVie. Upon its conclusion, Nicks told the adoring audience that the primary way she’s processed the pain of her best friend’s 2022 death is by going back on stage and singing, and thanked the Albany faithful for coming out to the show.
Throughout the evening, Nicks cut a dignified figure on-stage and sang with a vigor and warmth that belied her 76 years. Closing with a musical and spoken tribute to McVie was an elegant capper on an evening centered on songs and memories meaningful to Nicks and just as importantly, made for a moving coda to the Fleetwood Mac story.
Prior to Nicks taking the stage, singer-songwriter Nicole Atkins played a solo acoustic set. The rootsy chanteuse’s 30 minutes or so on-stage was delightful and her cover of Roy Orbison’s “Crying” was excellent.
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