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Stevie Nicks films Pittsburgh show
By Scott Tady
stady@timesonline.com Apr 1, 2017 Updated 4 hrs ago 0
Stevie Nicks
Robb Cohen/Invision
Stevie Nicks performs Nov. 6 at Philips Arena in Atlanta.
PITTSBURGH -- Don't worry about those camera drones swooshing over your heads, Stevie Nicks told Pittsburgh fans Friday, explaining for the second time on her tour, she had decided to film her performance.
Throughout her 20-song set, and a repeated post-show bonus tune, Nicks paid attention to those crane-attached cameras, thinking ahead to whatever future TV special or DVD that might result from her PPG Paints Arena performance.
Nicks told stories about nearly every one of those 20 songs, in many cases both before and after singing them. More than a few of those stories dragged on too long, hampering the momentum and flow of her show.
When the film crew edits the footage, they'll notice many fans stayed seated for sizable stretches of time. Even given the late-Gen X-to-baby boomer-prominent audience, that's pretty rare for an arena rock concert.
The footage also will prove that Nicks still has an amazing voice and an unassailable bond with her fans, who stood to dance for her biggest hits, including the satisfying set-ending (well, sort of) run through “Gold Dust Woman,” “Rhiannon” and “Landslide” from her Fleetwood Mac days, and “Edge of Seventeen” from her successful solo career.
Nicks doesn't need Fleetwood Mac anymore. She drew a crowd of 14,500, a veritable sellout for the arena's closed-end stage setup.
“This is not the same Stevie Nicks you've seen a million times,” she told them, unearthing from the vault interesting solo selections, such as "Belle Fleur," "Bella Donna" and "Enchanted."
But you couldn't blame anyone too much for missing, at least a little bit, her Fleetwood Mac bandmates, and the joy that comes with watching Mick Fleetwood, and his wild facial gestures, trying to bash his drums to smithereens, and Lindsey Buckingham dazzling with his finger-picking as one of rock's most underrated guitarists.
Sure, Nicks picked a pretty good lead guitarist for this tour, her old buddy and solo career colleague Waddy Wachtel, who has shined with everyone from Warren Zevon to Keith Richards to Linda Ronstadt.
Wachtel got to cut loose and shred on “Gold Dust Woman” and helped with vocals on “Stop Draggin' My Heart Around,” which also featured Nicks singing with fellow rock goddess Chrissie Hynde, whose band, the Pretenders, delivered an excellent warmup set.
Nicks explained how Tom Petty basically gave her “Stop Draggin' My Heart Around” and agreed to duet on what became a huge hit on Nicks' first solo album.
Another solo hit, “Stand Back,” stood out Friday for its flashy keyboard intro, pounding drums and cool behind-the-scenes story of how Nicks began writing it immediately as she heard on the radio for the first time Prince's “Little Red Corvette.” Her melody was sort of an answer to Prince's, Nicks said, challenging fans to pick out the similarities next time they hear “Stand Back.”
Nicks' numerous stories Friday whisked the audience from a recording session in a French castle, to her Santa Monica home overlooking the sea. She talked about hanging with Petty and Prince, and having an assistant, and graduating to limousines (after years in a beat-up Toyota that couldn't travel in reverse gear.) For one segment, Nicks wore on stage the same fringe silk chiffon cape she wore in 1982, which she said originally cost $2,000.
Such is a lifestyle all but a small percentage of people can only dream of, though her female fans still relate to Nicks. Maybe it's vicariously, maybe it's simple appreciation for her days as a strong female rock icon from an era that didn't have nearly enough of them.
Whatever the reason, the Pittsburgh faithful listened patiently as Nicks sang “New Orleans” about the post-Katrina resoluteness of the Crescent City, then her “Twilight” movie-inspired “Moonlight (A Vampire's Dream)." Those fans realized that soon enough they'd get the chance to stand, sing and dance to “Gold Dust Woman,” with all its alluring imagery, menacing bass, drums and guitar, and Nicks' one-of-a-kind sultry rasp.
“Gypsy,” five songs in, earned the first of a few patented Nicks twirls with outstretched arms. Some fans wore frilly, fringe-y capes and gypsy jewelry like Nicks, whose four or so costume changes included a golden shawl and a white fur-ish coat.
As the show reached its end, Nicks thanked the audience for its support and letting her perform deep cuts, like "Wild Heart" and the Buckingham Nicks number “Crying in the Night,” both of which made their live debuts on this tour.
“It's been like starting over for me,” Nicks said, encouraging the audience to follow its dreams, noting hers are still coming true at the age of 68.
Another long story preceded the fan favorite "Landslide," which has been the recent show-closer.
As fans had been advised before Nicks first took the stage a few hours earlier, she came back out and sang "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around" for a second time, as cameras zoomed in to capture more video footage. By then, maybe one-third of the crowd already began heading toward the exits.
So let's salute her career and the fans who gave her the chance to do the tour she's long wanted to do, as we all hope her next visit is back with Fleetwood Mac.
And bring back Hynde and the Pretenders for a headlining show, maybe at Heinz Hall or Stage AE. Their wonderful 45-minute set flew by too quickly, spearheaded by hits "Back on the Chain Gang," "Don't Get Me Wrong," "My City Was Gone," "Middle of the Road" and "Brass in Pocket" and their Kinks cover "Stop Your Sobbing." Hynde's voice sounded strong as ever, and the band, with founding drummer Martin Chambers and terrific guitarist James Walbourne, played their familiar catalog with an ideal mix of faithfulness to the original recordings with a few dashes of fresh interpretation.