Stevie Nicks enchants audience at the X with songs, stories and the spirit of Prince
Stevie Nicks is now 68, but there’s always been a sort of timeless quality about her, like her soul has been kicking around for centuries, wrapping its hosts in shawls, lace and fringe. Remember, this is a woman who crafted the nostalgic, contemplative “Landslide” when she was just 25.
Nicks spent Tuesday night flipping through the back pages of her history at St. Paul’s Xcel Energy Center during an engaging and emotional two-plus hour performance for about 10,000 fans. She took full advantage of not having to share the spotlight with Fleetwood Mac and spent plenty of time between songs chatting with the crowd and sharing the secrets behind her many hits.
While Nicks alone would be well worth the price of admission, she invited the Pretenders to open, coaxing Chrissie Hynde back on the road with the band for the first time in four years. Hynde is 65 on paper, but 15 in spirit and sprinted through an hour-long set with ease. She was every bit as engaging with the rockers (“Message of Love,” “Back on the Chain Gang,” “Middle of the Road”) as the ballads, with “I’ll Stand by You” getting a huge reaction from the audience. Hynde crooned “Hymn to Her” with minimal backing and brought chills with her still-supple voice.
Nicks began her set with what looked like an old-school postcard emblazoned with “Greetings from St. Paul” on the big screen behind her. Her latest solo album, “24 Karat Gold: Songs from the Vault,” features new versions of songs she wrote, but never fully recorded, early in her career. She played selections from it (“Starshine,” “Belle Fleur,” “If You Were My Love”), as well as her solo smashes and a few Fleetwood Mac selections, and told stories about nearly every one of them.
After sharing an anecdote about how Tom Petty gave her the song that kicked off her solo career, “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around,” Hynde popped out to sing it with her. Sparks flew between the two powerhouses, who clearly enjoyed the chance to perform together, and really should do more of it in the future (for real).
Nicks knows what her crowd wants and gave them a good twirl in the middle of “Gypsy” and played the tough rock chick for “Edge of Seventeen.” But she also let her guard down when she unexpectedly dedicated “Moonlight (A Vampire’s Dream)” to Prince. At the end, she started to speak, got choked up and bolted off the stage, as her band began playing “Stand Back.”
Nicks re-emerged to sing the 1983 hit and after it was over, told her familiar tale about how she was inspired by “Little Red Corvette” to write it, and how Prince ended up playing on the track and how he was always with her whenever she sang it. And, believe it, the Purple One’s spirit was in the house Tuesday night.
http://www.twincities.com/2016/12/06...rit-of-prince/