Review by: Right on the Left Coast: Views From a Conservative Teacher
Last night I attended my first Stevie Nicks concert. I saw her once before--in 1981, at a Tom Petty concert, she came onstage and did the two songs, one from her album and one from his, that they'd done together. It wasn't enough.
So last night, almost three decades later, I finally saw her in concert. Sadly, I was less than completely impressed.
AUSTRALIA'S TOP 50 CATALOGUE CHART: WEEK OF AUGUST 9, 2010
Week 14 on Australia's Top 50 Catalogue Chart - places Stevie's 2007 "Crystal Visions The Very Best Of Stevie Nicks" down 9 spots to #46 from #37 last week.
It was a night of classic hits as veteran crooner and multiple-Grammy winner Stevie Nicks wowed fans at the Santa Barbara Bowl on Aug. 4 with a barrage of her popular ballads and rock ’n’ roll jams— all to benefit a young girl battling a rare skin disease.
Nicks, who has been working on her seventh solo studio album, took a break from recording to kick off a five-show mini tour at the bowl. In an interview with The Star last month, Nicks said proceeds from this Santa Barbara gig would go towards paying hospital bills for 8-year old Cecilia, a daughter of a family friend who is fighting rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare soft tissue cancer.
Nicks got the party started early with a spirited performance of Fall From Grace, a rocker from her 2001 Trouble in ShangriLa album that got audience members dancing in their seats. She followed it up with the ballad Outside the Rain. The 62-year-old Nicks looked radiant with her long blond locks and signature bohemian-textured skirts and colorful wraps, which, she joked, are “so old they would disintegrate in front of your eyes.” But they never do, just like me,” Nicks said with a laugh as she launched into “If Anyone Falls.”
Nicks’ cast of talented veteran musicians included longtime lead guitarist and music director Waddy Wachtel, guitarist Carlos Rios, percussionist Taku Hirano, drummer Jimmy Paxton, pianist Daryl Smith and keyboardist Ricky Peterson.
One surprise included the band’s rendition of Bob Seger’s “Face the Promise,” which delighted the enthusiastic audience as Nicks’ raspy voice played off the guitar riffs nicely.
Age is nothing but a number and Nicks proved she still has the vocal chops to hit her notes during a rousing performance of “Rhiannon.” On that 1976 Fleetwood Mac hit, she was ably backed by vocalists Lori Nicks (her sister-in-law) and Sharon Celani.
One of the highlights of the show included a beat master back-and-forth between percussionist Hirano and drummer Paxton, who took turns showing off their skills for more than five minutes before Wachtel appeared on stage and hit the recognizable chords of “Edge of Seventeen.”
The audience jumped to their feet as Nicks belted out the lyrics with strong conviction, while Wachtel and the band also wowed the crowd with their unrelenting energy on stage.
Nicks closed her nearly 90-minute show with an understated but powerful performance of “Love Is,” backed only by her vocalists and Smith on piano.
Before Nicks exited the stage, she thanked the Santa Barbara crowd for helping 8-year old Cecilia and her family, proving that class never goes out of style.
CONCERT REVIEW : Setting the stage for what's next - Veteran pop star Stevie Nicks returned to the Santa Barbara Bowl in fine form, amidst a long-awaited new album-in-progress and with a good cause in tow.
Following a 30-minute performance from Mia Dyson, Nicks opened with “Fall from Grace” and “Outside the Rain.”
A performer for more than four decades, the 62-year-old Nicks sang solo hits and those from Fleetwood Mac, a band with which she once sang. She still has a strong voice and her waist-length blond hair makes her seem some 20 years younger.
The show was part of the Lake Tahoe Summer Concert Series.
Seven musicians accompanied her along with two back-up singers.
Nicks used props, such as a tambourine with streamers attached, Mardi Gras-style beads and flowing scarves.
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