(Review) Stevie Nicks kicks off tour at Red Rocks >>

Fleetwood Mac legend takes the stage on Tuesday

Denver Metromix
Josh Barrett, Ignite Images

When someone like Stevie Nicks comes to Denver, the only place worthy of her classic hits to be performed is at an equally legendary venue like Red Rocks Amphitheatre. And so on Tuesday night, the two legends were joined as the former Fleetwood Mac star took to the stage, and played a set that showcased her timeless talent, at a timeless venue.

Stevie played a mix of her classic hits all the way from the 70’s to her latest album “In Your Dreams,” which, not surprisingly, appeared on Billboards charts at number six in July, and has had numerous raving revues. The weather was warm and the skies were clear to make way for a perfect night with Stevie and her fans.

Starting things off was Michael Grimm, winner of season 5 of “America’s Got Talent.” Grimm played a set of soul-filled songs that seemed to warm up the crowd well. Then it was time for Stevie to take the stage, immediately jumping into playing hits like “Landslide” and “Stand Back,” which were surely the crowd favorites of the evening.

But the crowd seemed to enjoy some of Stevie’s new work as well, with songs like “Secret Love,” which is a song the Grammy winner wrote for the Fleetwood record “Rumours” but did not make the final cut for the album.

Fans soaked in the voice many seemed so familiar with, as well as enjoyed a classic night on the rocks.

Check out the Full Gallery of Photos at Metromix Denver - HERE

Stevie Nicks to play Toledo's Huntington Center on Aug. 19th

Stevie Nicks has dreams she likes to sell. Her crystal visions of magic, eternal love and enchanting characters beckon. It’s those poetic fairy tales shrouded in mist set to music — and that voice. 

by: Vicki L. Kroll
Toledo Free Press

As the shawl-wearing rock star twirls through the mystical seasons of her life, fans still cry out for “Rhiannon.” And “Edge of Seventeen,” “Dreams,” “Landslide,” “Stand Back,” “Gold Dust Woman.”

She’s one of the few artists with a successful solo career while in a band. With Fleetwood Mac, she was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998 and received the Grammy Hall of Fame Award in 2003. The group has sold 48.5 million discs, according to the Recording Industry Association of America, and Nicks solo has tallied 10.5 million.

“In Your Dreams,” her seventh solo record, debuted at No. 6 on the Billboard 200 in May, and the music is hauntingly familiar. Dave Stewart, formerly of Eurythmics, co-produced the disc and co-wrote seven songs.

“When you’ve been part of a duo like Dave and I have, the spirit of Annie Lennox and Lindsey Buckingham float with you,” Nicks said during a teleconference with four newspapers, including Toledo Free Press Star.

She talked about what it was like during the nine months when Stewart was at her house working on the record.

“The fireplace is on, and all the moons and stars are on the ceiling, and it’s all totally this magic living room that I live in, and he just starts playing his guitar and he’s like, “Well, come on, let’s go ahead.” And I’m like a deer in the headlights: Oh my God! Does he expect me to sit here and write a song with him? With him in the room? So I did, I just started kind of reciting my words in a sing-songy way, and that song in 15 minutes became the third to the last song on the record, “You May Be the One.’

” Nicks recalled how they talked about poetry — and resurrected a gem.

“I said I wrote a song once that was to an Edgar Allan Poe poem named ‘Annabel Lee.’ And he said, ‘Can we hear it’” And I said, “Sure,” and I went and got the demo out of the vault and played it for he and [co-producer] Glen Ballard and they loved it. They loved the fact that I had written it when I was 17, and they loved the fact that I didn’t even make a demo of it until 1996, so it lived in my head from 1965 until 1996.”

The singer said “Secret Love,” another song from the new disc, was written in 1975.

“When I first joined Fleetwood Mac in the fifth day of 1975, we — both Lindsey and I — already had a ton of songs that didn’t make it on the “Buckingham Nicks” record that were really good, like, for instance, ‘Rhiannon,’ so we would just put the songs away.

“And then you join Fleetwood Mac and you have three writers,” she said. “And you’re writing like crazy because you’re experiencing this new band and this crazy thing — and you only get three or four songs.

“So then two years goes by until you do your next record, and you’re writing all through that two years — you’re on the road, I’m writing in my journal,” Nicks said. “By the time we get to ‘Rumours,’ I’ve got all the songs that didn’t go on ‘Fleetwood Mac’ that also aren’t going to fit on ‘Rumours.’ So I call it the song vault, so all those little songs go into the vault. And then every time I do a record, I peruse through all those songs.”

The songwriter has a few thoughts about casting musical spells.

“You just need to be a good storyteller,” she said. “The truth speaks volumes. So that’s what I always tried to do was be totally truthful, and none of my songs are made-up stories, they’re all real, they all came out of my journals, they all came out of my prose writing, which someday I’ll put into a book you guys all will get to read.”

In the meantime, fans can see Nicks’ “In Your Dreams” tour, which will stop at the Huntington Center on Aug. 19. Tickets for the 8 p.m. concert range from $49.50 to $125.

The 63-year-old talked about prepping for the tour with a show at the Wiltern Theatre in Los Angeles.

“We weeded,” she said. “‘Stand Back,’ ‘Edge of Seventeen,’ ‘Gold Dust Woman,’ ‘Sorcerer,’ ‘Landslide,’ we did the musts, the must-haves, and then we did seven new songs. And the reviews that came back from that show were like the old songs were great, but there was a special light around the new songs that we haven’t seen in a long time.”

Photos >> Stevie Nicks Live at Red Rocks August 9th

Stevie Nicks Live at Red Rocks

Opening Night 'In Your Dreams Tour

August 9, 2011

Photos by: Miles Chrisinger Photography

Link to Gallery

Live at Red Rocks

Photos by: Brandon Marshall

Link to Gallery

Stevie Nicks Opening Night "In Your Dreams Tour" >> Beware of Setlist Spoilers

If you are a fan trying to avoid seeing the setlist prior to your show... Then avoid this...

Stevie opened her 'In Your Dreams' tour at Red Rocks in Morrison, CO tonight to what looked like a sellout or near sellout crowd... She said in multiple interviews prior to tonight that because The Wiltern showcase show back in May received such positive reviews (and it did) she was going to bring that setlist on the road for this tour... and she delivered!  

She kicked off the night with Stand Back, twirled through the song with her platform boots on and never looked back.  A few differences between tonight and The Wiltern were she performed Soldiers Angel without a male on harmony.  Lindsey obviously wasn't there so instead, she performed the song with just her backup singers Sharon and Lori.  Also, Fall From Grace and Cheaper Than Free weren't included tonight like they were back in May.  Dave Stewart as a duet partner on Cheaper Than Free likely makes the song too difficult to perform with out him.  Look for that one in Australia.  Fall From Grace wasn't included but in it's place Leather and Lace was - and from reports it was with her vocal coach Steve Real!

Via the webcam watching the show as it progressed, the stage setup looked similar to her past recent tours... There wasn't a video backdrop tonight, but usually at Red Rocks there isn't - the beautiful surroundings are the backdrop... This will hopefully change for the upcoming shows... She will need a backdrop, video preferably.  

A couple of new costumes were spotted... it looked like she wore the cream coloured jacket seen in the Secret Love Video at one point... and she ended her set with Edge of Seventeen appropriately wearing all white.  The top portion looked new... the bottom looks like the ruffled dress she also has a copy of in black and one in red.  And the boots were apparently back for the full night.

Full Setlist:

Photo by Al Ortiz

01. Stand Back
02. Annabel Lee
03. Dreams
04. Sorcerer
05. Moonlight
06. Gold Dust Woman
07. Ghosts Are Gone
08. Soldiers Angel (w/Sharon & Lori)
09. In Your Dreams
10. Rhiannon
11. For What It's Worth
12. Secret Love
13. Leather and Lace (w/Steve Real)
14. Edge of 17
(encore)
15. Love Is

Photos by Al Ortiz and Rocco Padula

More Photos 
by: Miles Chrisinger Photography
by: Brandon Marshall

"For What It's Worth" Radio Play Update >>

Stevie's newest single 'For What it's Worth' continues to gain at mostly AC radio stations since being serviced to both AC and Triple A outlets in the latter part of July... Currently on the 7 day reports and station playlist chart the song is # 32 moving up from # 39 last week with an increase in radio play on monitored stations that pretty much doubles week over week.  The song was also part of the "AC Most Added List" for the week.  There are a few Triple A stations playing the track, but not enough yet for the song to appear on the monitored stations chart.

Webcam... Stevie Nicks live at Red Rocks >>

Michael Grimm's set is over... Getting the stage ready for Stevie... Follow along visually on the Red Rocks Webcam. You won't see much... but it's still kinda cool to see even this view.  The image refreshes every 15 seconds.

Link to Webcam