Denver Review Stevie Nicks Keeps Her Legacy Alive at Ball Arena

Stevie Nicks Keeps Her Legacy Alive at Ball Arena

BY CALEB PAULSON

303 Magazine

The Colorado sunshine set the perfect scene for Stevie Nicks’ stop at Ball Arena on June 1st. Throughout her storied career, Nicks has developed a unique ability to connect with each rising generation, creating a legacy in music that fiercely endures the passing of time. Her fanbase spans generations and this was evident in the atmosphere — the music, the life, the person, all iconic.

The atmosphere in the arena was inviting, with strangers becoming fast friends as they bonded over their shared love for Nicks’s music. She took the audience on a mesmerizing journey through her life’s music and stories, inviting them to see the world through her eyes for an unforgettable night.

Part of the charm of Nicks’s shows is you get a true feel of her personality. Now 76 years old, if you closed your eyes, you might think you’d been transported back in time. Her voice still carries the same tones and powerful qualities from her youth.

After finishing songs, she would share quirky life stories, from lunches with famous friends to her love for a discontinued pink lightbulb. She could easily do a show just telling stories. She interacted with family members in the crowd, shared jokes, and seemed genuinely enthralled with life, showing off her extravagant shawls with multiple outfit changes and casually named-dropping other legends.

“Dreams,” a timeless classic, made an early appearance in the setlist. Despite being released over four decades ago, in 2020, the song went viral on TikTok, introducing it to a new generation and re-entering the Billboard Top 10. This resurgence proved that Nicks’s music, which speaks to the human condition, will always find a place in people’s hearts.

Nicks shared her long-time love for the song “For What It’s Worth,” explaining how it resonated with her and how she finally got to release a cover two years ago. The song is timeless, and Stevie is a reminder of the rich history behind the song. Making multiple outfit changes throughout the night, she showcased her signature whimsical style. With each extravagant shawl and sparkling accessory, Nicks exuded a magical aura. After the song finished, she shared with the audience that her ring fell off and that it was the only thing she could think about while singing.

Music has opened many doors for Nicks, allowing her to connect with people in extraordinary ways. She recounted stories of her trips overseas to give American soldiers iPods, which had a profound impact on her. This was followed by an impassioned speech supporting Ukraine and a heartfelt performance of “Soldier’s Angel.”

Her longtime vocal coach, Steve Real, joined her for “Leather and Lace,” and the pair shined together. His voice had the classic 80s pop tone, harmonizing beautifully with hers. Still, Stevie’s voice cuts through and soars above all other noise, demanding attention.

Nicks’ longtime friend and guitarist, Waddy Wachtel, delivered the iconic droning guitar riff of “Edge of Seventeen,” adding small flourishes to build the tension. He stood center stage while Stevie stayed out of sight, swiftly re-emerging in a new shawl. As she sang, “Just like the white winged dove/ Sings a song sounds like she’s singing,” the audience echoed back the oohs, creating a push and pull with the guitars and drums. Stevie’s hypnotizing melody over top put the audience into a trance.

The concert concluded with “Landslide,” a performance that made it impossible not to be overcome with emotions. It is one of the greatest songs of all time, and Stevie still performs it just like the day she recorded it. Pictures of Christine McVie and Nicks flashed on the screen, resembling photos any person might have with their best friend — a humanizing reminder that beneath her legacy, she’s just a person. The audience hugged and cheered as the ballad rang out, creating a truly pure and good finale. 

NEW: Lindsey Buckingham "Trouble" video given the HD treatment

Lindsey Buckingham - Trouble (Official Music Video) [HD Remaster]

 

Stevie Nicks "Street Angel" 30th Anniversary

 STEVIE NICKS CIRCA 1994

- Music Voice, July 1994 -

I've never really been an ardent Stevie Nicks Fan. Her voice has never quite done "it" for me, her lyrics seem somehow vain and her reality different than mine. Don't get upset, it's just my opinion- I'm used to pissing people off with my opinion. When "Buckingham Nicks" (the album was released 3 billion years ago, I associated with some of Ms. Nicks' relatives- they thought Nicks was God-head. A few short months later Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks, barely out of the cradle, were drafted into the supper group Fleetwood Mac. Coincidentally, their solo album never "went" anywhere. I never really thought Mr. Buckingham to be a great guitar player either- especially in the shoes of his Fleetwood Mac predecessors, but, so. what!

I don't have to tell you what was in their future, for it is now history, and a tumultuous one at that.

Presently, Stevie Nicks returns with her fifth solo album (not including her best of, "Timespace") "Street Angel". It contains, in my humble opinion, much of what we have grown to expect from her by way of songs. A bit corny, a bit dated-but she likes it and many of you, whom I mean no disrespect for with my opinion, will too.

"I'm totally excited about this new record," says Nicks. "I can't wait for people to hear it. I sit in my living room and crank up the old surround-sound, and it instantly gets me on my feet."

I'm not sure how much objectivity an artist can claim when listening to their most recent work of art. Most I have known may have believed, but have not really been. 

*I feel excited every time I do a new project," she continues, "I look forward to doing something different, meeting new people, making new music." 

Nicks has always been very lucky, possibly to the extent of not really being completely aware how "the other side lives," or how other musicians must survive and what they have to do for success. Though she has undoubtedly experienced hard times, both personal (as seemed obvious with her 1989 release " The Other Side Of The Mirror,") and professional- as with the very well publicized "goings on" during the late Fleetwood Mac years. 

In an interview I did with Mick Fleetwood last year he confessed to how himself and "the band" (not necessarily naming any names) partied very hard with both booze and drugs and whatever may have been available. Fleet-wood admitted never having done one gig sober until with his last band, The Zoo. 

This time around Nicks surrounds herself with some of the finest session rock musicians money can buy. The elite group in question consists of keyboardist Benmont Tench, and guitarist Mike Campbell - both of which have done hundreds of sessions with their own band Tom Petty & The Hearlbreak-ers, Andy Fairweather Low, Bearnie Leadon (former Eagles), Waddy Watchtel, and special guests appearances on the album by Bob Dylan and David Crosby.

Many of these names have appeared on a majority of L.A. recorded and produced albums by a list of "who's who" in the Hollywood rock world. From Joni Mitchell, Jackson Browne, The Eagles, Linda Rondstadt to Keith Richards, Barefoot Servants and literally dozens of lesser known names. I guess you could call it the L.A. Band or the Click.

This group, of course does not include Bob Dylan - though he too has been known to make a guest appearance here and there. Nicks insisted on having the man himself for her rendition of "Just Like A Woman."

"He didn't want to do anything on it... until I begged him. I told him; There's got to be some sort of spiritual connection. A lot of people will have never heard this song, and it's got to have you on it."

The only people more devoted than Stevie are her fans. Ever since it was announced that she would be doing a new album, Modem Records ( a division of Atlantic) has been getting calls regularly inquiring about its arrival. The same goes for many record retailers. It's finally here, but according to Nicks it's been in the makings for a long time. Even when Fleetwood Mac played at President Clinton's inauguration last year.

"I already had the title song in mind, for instance, I wanted it to be about people whose dreams have gone bad. I had an idea of a Charles Dickens-style character, a homeless women who doesn't want to leave the streets, and the rich man who loves her."

Fantasy? I'll say. But many songs start as just that. They metamorphosize into what we end up hearing after many processes, some mechanical, some emotional, some indescribable.

"It started with 40 songs, * she informs us. "We cut it down to about 17, all of which were actually recorded before going through the inevitable, painful process of eliminating the ones we thought didn't fit."

"We spent a lot of time on arrangements. We spent a good six or seven weeks sitting together in a room in my house before we even went into the studio."

Stevie Nicks has approached music as an art, as an affair and finally as a profession- love her or not. She is currently working on a book to be entitled "Dreams, Stories and Poems." Isn't it just like a woman to have a title for a book which is merely a concept.

That certainly is one department where Stevie Nicks has never been challenged. She always remained very representative of feminism. She has always been quite a woman. Nicks plans to include some drawings and photographs in her book.

Just like her music, I'm sure her loving fans will "eat" up her book. To some, Stevie Nicks can do no wrong - which, l guess, is what the world is all about. Isn't it. 

'That's exactly what makes it all worth it, " she comments. "What I get back from those who listen to my music can not ever be measured. It's all about love and trust and acceptance, and it's completely priceless."

Street Angel was released in North America, June 7, 1994. 

2024 marks the 30th Anniversary of it's release. 

Review Stevie Nicks Live in Denver June 1, 2024

Stevie Nicks Review: A Tribute to Colorado and Christine McVie

The legendary rock star shared stories of Tom Petty and delivering iPods to soldiers, and put Ball Arena in a wave of tears with a tribute to Christine McVie.

By Emily Ferguson

Westword.com

After Stevie Nicks opened her set at Ball Arena with "Outside the Rain" and "Dreams," she gave the crowd a wide smile as the spotlight transformed her wild mane into a golden halo. "I've been here many times before, partly because I love to come and play here," Nicks told the packed audience in her signature raspy voice.

"But the second reason is because I have a lot of family here," she continued. "My great-great-grandmother came across in the last...big covered wagon across the Rocky Mountains. I am told she hid in the trunk. So stay strong, we can get through anything, nothing's gonna get us, and we're gonna get in that trunk! So welcome, everybody. Let's get this Colorado party started."

And what a party it was. Nicks poured her heart and soul into the show, filled with hits and personal stories, making it clear she remains committed to delivering a magical experience with her live appearances. This makes her a rarity among many of her classic-rock peers, who tend to phone it in after singing the same songs for decades (though she did seem a little bored during "Dreams"). But her impressive musicianship hasn't faded a bit since she became a global superstar via Fleetwood Mac back in 1975 and penned some of that band's best songs, then kicked off a solo career with her multi-platinum debut, Bella Donna, in 1981.

In return, Coloradans showcased their own commitment to the singer. Women descended onto the venue like a cavalcade of fairies and witches, decked out in outfits to emulate the star in shining shawls embossed with flowers or dripping with fringe, velvet bell bottoms and skirts made for twirling and twirling. As a fellow concert-goer put it: "This would be the best place to meet a MILF."

Fleetwood Mac's Rumours A Force on The Album Charts

FLEETWOOD MAC ON THE WORLD ALBUM CHARTS

The power Fleetwood Mac's Rumours STILL has around the world to continue to 

place on album charts still blows my mind. 

This week around the world below...

 

UK Top 100 Albums Chart

• 9 (9) 50 Years: Don’t Stop (9-9, 5,795 sales) 
• 19 (27) Rumours

UK Official Albums Streaming Chart

• 6 (5) 50 Years: Don’t Stop
• 25 (25) Rumours

UK Official Album Downloads Chart

• 61 (63) Rumours
• 87 (85) Greatest Hits

UK Official Albums Sales Chart

• 18 (33) Rumours
• 91 (RE) Fleetwood Mac

UK Official Physical Albums Chart

• 16 (32) Rumours
• 86 (RE) Fleetwood Mac

UK Official Vinyl Albums Chart

• 8 (26) Rumours
• 30 (RE) Fleetwood Mac

UK Official Record Store Chart

• 13 (RE) Rumours
• 26 (RE) Fleetwood Mac

Top 50 Biggest Tours Include Stevie Nicks and Billy Joel

BILLBOARD BOXSCORE

BREAKING DOWN THE YEAR’S BIGGEST TOURS

Billboard released their mid-year boxscore totals breaking down the biggest tour grosses between October 1, 2023, and March 31, 2024.

The list is a top 50. Stevie came in at 43 based on 13 solo shows reported grossing 25.7 million at the ticket counter playing in front of 150,000 fans.  She performed 19 solo shows, but only 13 were reported. 

As for her joint tour with Billy Joel, based on the 4 shows between October 2023 and March 2024, they came in at number 28 with a box-office gross of 40.1 million playing in front of 202,000 fans. 

Boxscore charts are based on figures reported to Billboard from various official industry sources. Some artists, venues, and promoters withhold data from representation on the charts. All reported shows are eligible for the year-end rankings between Oct. 1, 2023, and March 31, 2024.

 

Stevie Nicks Reschedules May 30th Denver Show

 

Due to illness, the Stevie Nicks concert scheduled for May 30th in Denver at Ball Arena will now be rescheduled for June 1, 2024.  Stevie and her band apologize to the fans for the rescheduling, but they look forward to seeing everyone soon.

Stevie Nicks BottleRock Festival May 24, 2024

NAPA — After dropping from the BottleRock Napa Valley lineup in 2021 due to continued Covid concerns, Stevie Nicks was due to return. That finally came to pass on a breezy day at the Napa Valley Expo on Friday, the opening day of this year’s music, food and wine festival.

By Roman Gokhman

RiffMagazine.com

Photo: Sean Liming

Nicks took to the JaM Cellars stage to Tom Petty’s “Runnin’ Down a Dream” in the waning daylight. Wearing all black, including fingerless gloves and sparkly black boots, she and her band got right to it with a cover of Led Zeppelin’s “Rock and Roll.” The rollicking song allowed the entire band to loosen up and go full tilt.

She kept mostly to the same songs she performed at her last Bay Area appearance, at Chase Center last December, though in a different order. Those songs were primarily from her Fleetwood Mac days and her 1981 solo album, Bella Donna.

“I hope it’s getting dark quick! Bring on the dark!” she shouted. However, it was quite light out until about a third of the way into her set.

The good vibe continued with warm-sounding mid tempo tune “If Anyone Falls,” before turning to more aggressive material with “Outside the Rain,” which melded right into the ever-popular “Dreams.” Stevie Nicks introduced “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around” as a “gift from Tom Petty,” where her silver-haired guitarist, Waddy Wachtel, sang Petty’s parts.

Likewise, she dedicated “Gypsy” to “all the nomads and travelers in the world,” and provided context with short stories about the creation of other songs, such as Stephen Stills’ 1966 tune “For What It’s Worth,” which got a sensual, slinky and slightly psychedelic rendition.

During the hard-driving and synth-pop-tinged “Stand Back,” Nicks twirled around, with her dress in her hands. That was followed by a one-two punch of the poppy “Wild Heart” and the slower, more meditative “Bella Donna.” During this performance, she wore a royal blue cloak she said was the original from the back cover of the Bella Donna album, released in 1982. It was a sweet moment; probably sweeter for those who didn’t see her prior Bay Area concert, where it also made an appearance.

Stevie Nicks’ voice was not as powerful as in past years, which wasn’t unexpected, but she and her band found another gear for the performance’s highlight: a nearly 10-minute version of “Gold Dust Woman,” which began a loud singalong that “Dreams” somehow did not. The simmering 1977 song had an extended intro and outro, beautiful harmonization between Nicks and two backing vocalists, and a rocking release.

Not even the show’s second biggest highlight, “Edge of Seventeen,” matched its level of intensity. The band rounded out its set with the folky “Leather and Lace,” on which Nicks dueted with her vocal coach, Steve Real, before concluding with “Rhiannon” and “Landslide.”

Fleetwood Mac Albums Chart Update May 22, 2024

Fleetwood Mac Has Not One, But Two Albums Rising On The Charts

by Hugh McIntyre

May 20, 2024

Forbes

Decades after they stopped producing new music, Fleetwood Mac still has no problem scoring chart wins. They rarely, if ever, disappear from the Billboard rankings, as Americans have never stopped listening to and buying their art.

This week, Fleetwood Mac is succeeding with two albums. Both titles are climbing–impressively, on every chart they appear on. That shows sustained interest in the projects, and in at least one case, increased consumption.

Unsurprisingly, Rumours is the top performer from Fleetwood Mac. That’s the case this week...and pretty much every week. While it may appear highest on the Billboard charts, the blockbuster release is down a little more than 1% in terms of consumption. According to Luminate, the album moved 18,202 equivalent units last week.

Rumours is up one rung on the Billboard 200, settling at No. 39. On the Top Album Sales chart, it improves from No. 28 to No. 19, even though pure purchases of the project fall by more than 8%. The set also grows on the Vinyl Albums (No. 17), Top Rock & Alternative Albums (No. 7), and Top Rock Albums rankings (No. 6).

As Rumours continues to overperform (for a decades-old title), Fleetwood Mac’s Greatest Hits is also on the rise. That set, which shares some songs with the more traditional album, grows in stature on three tallies this time around. Unlike Rumours, however, total consumption of Greatest Hits is up several percentage points to 8,235 equivalent units.

The band’s Greatest Hits compilation steps up on the Billboard 200 more than 10 spaces. This week, it jumps from No. 191 to No. 180. On the Top Rock & Alternative Albums list, it surges seven rungs to No. 42, nearly entering the top 40 again. On the more-specific Top Rock Albums tally, the title pushes forward from No. 22 to No. 18, returning to the top 20 tier.

Fleetwood Mac Separates Themselves From Other Legacy Acts With Streaming Success

by Hugh McIntyre

May 22, 2024

Forbes

There are many beloved bands from decades past that regularly earn spots on the Billboard charts. They typically do so thanks to continuing sales, with streaming typically being less popular among legacy acts than newer ones. Older audiences tend to continue to listen to the CDs and vinyl LPs they’ve purchased in the past—and to keep buying them—but some groups that have been adored for many years have found a way to remain relevant via platforms like Spotify.

Fleetwood Mac is one such name, as the pop-rockers are not only incredibly popular, but they’ve managed to continue to succeed on streaming sites. The group’s biggest and most successful title, Rumours, proves that millions are listening to them on streaming outlets this week as it returns to one specific Billboard chart.

Rumours is back on the Top Streaming Albums ranking this week. The set reappears at No. 49 on Billboard’s list of the albums and EPs that manage to rack up the most plays on the top streaming platforms in the country, which was established last year.

No. 49 isn’t very high on the Top Streaming Albums chart, as the tally only features 50 spaces. That said, it’s also not very far from the title’s high point, as it once climbed to No. 46 and stalled there.

The Top Streaming Albums ranking is typically filled with newer bands, singers, and rappers. More modern names are the ones that usually dominate all things related to streaming, but Fleetwood Mac’s music remains popular enough that they are able to find a space on this list for only the seventh frame.

As it returns to the Top Streaming Albums chart, Rumours is climbing on several other lists. The title lifts just one space on the Billboard 200, making a home at No. 38. It’s also up two rungs on the Vinyl Albums chart, where it appears at No. 15.

Not everything is looking up for Rumours this week on the Billboard charts, though. The set, which has been out for decades now, isn’t on the rise everywhere. It’s a non-mover at No. 19 on the Top Album Sales ranking this frame. It’s also, surprisingly, down on both the Top Rock & Alternative Albums and Top Rock Albums rosters as well.

Consumption of Rumours is growing, no matter where it lands on the charts. In the past tracking period, Luminate reports that the album moved 18,796 equivalent units. That’s up 3.3% from last time around. Looking only at pure sales, the title sold 3,654 copies–up 3.7%.

Album Charts Around The World This Week:

USA

Billboard Top 200 Albums Chart

(previous week in brackets)

38 (39) Rumours 

179 (180) Greatest Hits

Top Album Sales (full album purchase chart)

19 (19) Rumours

Top Streaming Albums Chart

49 Re-Entry Rumours 

Vinyl Albums Chart

15 (17) Rumours

Indie Store Album Sales

17 Re-Entry Rumours

Top Rock & Alternative Albums

9 (7) Rumours

45 (42) Greatest Hits 

Top Rock Albums

7 (6) Rumours

CANADA

Top 100 Albums Chart

36 (40) Rumours

UK 

Top 100 Albums Chart

8 (7) 50 Years - Don’t Stop (6,278 sales)

26 (23) Rumours

IRELAND

Top 100 Albums Chart

7 (8) 50 Years - Don’t Stop

22 (18) Rumours

SCOTLAND

Top 100 Albums Chart

24 (16) Rumours

68 Re-Entry Greatest Hits

NETHERLANDS

Top 100 Albums Chart

18 (14) Rumours

NETHERLANDS

Top 33 Vinyl

14 (5) Rumours

AUSTRIA

Top 75 Albums Chart

65 Re-Entry Rumours

SWEDEN

Top 60 Albums Chart

40 (40) Rumours

AUSTRALIA

Top 50 Albums Chart

32 (27) Rumours

Review - An enchanting evening with Stevie Nicks in San Antonio, TX May 18, 2024

Concert review: Stevie Nicks casts a spell on San Antonio fans

By Jim Kiest, Staff writer - San Antonio Express News

Photos: Marvin Pfeiffer

She’s still Stevie.

That could be the name of the one-woman show embedded in Stevie Nicks’ concert Saturday night at the Frost Bank Center.

For an hour and a half, Nicks wove solo hits, Fleetwood Mac classics and stories — autobiography, music history and a little fashion — into an enchanting evening.

Some of the stories were as long, and entertaining, as the songs they introduced.

She described “Gypsy,” for example, as a recollection of the happy if impoverished days before she and Lindsey Buckingham joined Fleetwood Mac, a band neither were that familiar with. Fortune and fame quickly followed.

Nicks said sometimes she would drag the mattress off her bed and sleep on the floor, with a coverlet and some flowers, to remind herself that “I am still Stevie.”

The audience on Saturday night ranged from baby boomers to millennials, a much bigger age range than at, say, the recent Heart concert. The most popular fashion choices, though, lived in a gauzy stretch of the '70s: flowing dresses, lace, fringe-lined shawls and bell-bottom slacks.

Nicks said fans actually had complained that she had stopped wearing capes and shawls onstage, so she brought some along on this tour, including the original cape from the back cover of “Bella Donna” and the cape she wore in the music video for “Stand Back.”

Her band didn’t try to replicate the sound of Fleetwood Mac. It was a sleek and strong rock band led by Nicks’ longtime friend and collaborator Waddy Wachtel on lead guitar. The difference was never starker than on “Gold Dust Woman,” which Wachtel and guitarist Carlos Rios cracked open and tore apart as Nicks appeared to be invoking ancient spirits. It was the highlight of the night.

Solo hits came closer to the mark: Wachtel played on the originals, and there’s a keyboard sound on them that’s like a Wayback Machine to the '80s.

Fleetwood Mac was a group project. Nicks' band, as good as it is, is designed to cede her the spotlight — literally, at the end of some songs, when the band members, all dressed in black, faded into the dark, leaving Nicks to take a theatrical bow.

She told story after story in that spotlight.

About how she lived in El Paso for five years and almost learned to speak perfect Spanish before her family moved to Salt Lake, Utah, where there wasn’t so much Spanish spoken.

About how Jimmy Iovine, her producer and boyfriend, brought her a song by another artist he was working with because “Bella Donna” didn’t have a sure winner yet. “Stop Dragging My Heart Around” was the hit her first solo album needed, and she and Tom Petty became lifelong friends.

About how she wrote “Leather and Lace” for Waylon Jennings and Jessi Colter but grabbed it back when she learned they were getting divorced. And how she still sings so well at almost 76 (she does) because she’s been working with the same vocal coach, Steve Real, since 1995. She brought him onstage to sing “Leather and Lace” with her. It was like swapping Don Henley for Raul Malo and absolutely none the worse for it.

A song that wasn’t preceded by a story was the one that ended the concert, “Landslide.” The story was in the montage of photos of Christine McVie, the Fleetwood Mac member who died in 2022, that played on the Cinerama-style screen over the stage.

Nicks said she never looks back at the photos when she sings the song because the loss of her friend is still so painful.

She said her mother once remarked, “When you’re hurt, you run to the stage, Stevie.”

“You are the people who are making me good,” she told her fans.

McVie’s song “Got a Hold on Me” played as they filed out of the arena. Perfect.

Outside The Rain / Dreams / If Anyone Falls

Stand Back

Wild Heart / Bella Donna

For What It's Worth

Leather and Lace

Landslide