Baltimore

**SisterNightroad** · #1 03-27-2017, 04:30 AM

Stevie Nicks mints golden performance at Royal Farms Arena

Stevie Nicks told the audience at Royal Farms Arena exactly what she was going to do on Sunday night.

“I hope your ready,” she said. “We’re going on a trip and a journey. Let’s go for a ride together.”

And for the next two-and-a-half-hours, Nicks turned back the clock and took the crowd on a voyage where she unveiled her music, which has transcended generations. Nicks looked refreshed as she performed during the final leg of her 24 Karat Gold Tour, which combines recently recorded, previously unreleased songs with the array of hits that have made the former Fleetwood Mac singer one of rock’s most iconic women.

She also mixed in songs from her first two solo albums – 1981’s Bella Donna and 1983’s The Wild Heart – that were reissued last month into the 18-song show, which proved that the 68-year-old rocker is still very much young at heart.

Her unmistakable voice and mainly black attire complete with her 36-year-old black cape were on full display at Royal Farms Arena, a venue she hadn’t played since 1986. But while the building’s name has chanced numerous times, Nicks has remained very much the same as she belted out all her hits, including Gypsy, Gold Dust Woman and Edge of Seventeen, which like Nicks have withstood the test of time.

Nicks has come full-circle since she last played in Maryland, as she performed at Merriweather Post Pavilion in 2001, 1994, 1991 and 1989. Through her energetic performance on Sunday night, Nicks showed she’s emerged stronger having overcome substance abuse, unhealthy and failed relationships and an industry that seemingly gets younger every year.

Nicks has remained a trailblazing role model who has shined as a solo artist when not touring with Fleetwood Mac.

“It’s all about chasing your dream and never giving up,” she told the audience. “There will be people out there who will tell you that you can’t do something, but they are all jaded in some way. Believe in yourself and chase your dream.”

Nicks really jumpstarted the crowd when she belted out Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around. Her guitarist took the place of Tom Petty, who teamed with Nicks on the original version in 1981 that headlined her Bella Donna album.

“Fleetwood Mac isn’t my favorite band because I was in Fleetwood Mac,” she said. “Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers is my favorite band.”

As she has all tour, Nicks was expected to sing the song with Chrissie Hynde, the lead singer of The Pretenders, who had to cancel as the opening act because Hynde was sick.

While on stage, Nicks spoke of the history of several of her songs. She wrote Starshine, which was released in 2014 on the 24 Karat Gold: Songs from the Vault album, in Petty’s basement, and that her 1983 hit Stand Back was heavily influenced by the late Prince, who helped her record it since it was influenced by his hit, Little Red Corvette.

“There are times when I’m nervous before the start of a concert. It doesn’t happen a lot, but when it does, I look up to the sky and ask Prince to walk with me,” she said of her longtime friend who always remained in touch with Nicks – even while she was in rehab in 1994 – before he died in April 2016. “And he always walks with me.”

Nicks encored with two of Fleetwood Mac’s biggest hits – Rhiannon and Landslide – the latter of which has been covered at least a dozen times, including by The Smashing Pumpkins, Dixie Chicks, Tori Amos, Miley Cyrus and Bush.

“There are some songs that I have played at every show,” she said before closing the shows with the two songs that everyone wanted to hear.

Nicks wrote Landslide in 1973 in Aspen, Colo., shortly before her split with former Fleetwood Mac guitarist and boyfriend Lindsey Buckingham, forcing Nicks to reflect on the changes in her life.

“When I wrote this song, I was at a point in my life where I didn’t know what I was going to do next,” she said. “But this was the song that got me to the mountaintop.”

Setlist

Gold and Braid, If Anyone Falls Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around, Belle Fleur, Gypsy, Wild Heart, Bella Donna, Enchanted, New Orleans, Starshine, Moonlight (A Vampire’s Dream), Stand Back, Crying in the Night, If You Were My Love, Gold Dust Woman, Edge of Seventeen Encore: Rhiannon, Landslide

Even at 68, Stevie Nicks still knows how to impress a crowd, as she rocked Royal Farms Arena on Sunday. (All photos by Chris Swanson)

Stevie Nicks played 18 songs over two-and-a-half-hours on Sunday night, closing with Rhiannon and Landslide.

- See more at: http://baltimorepostexaminer.com/ste....vEYdWcVR.dpuf

**SisterNightroad** · #2 03-27-2017, 04:42 AM

**SisterNightroad** · #3 03-28-2017, 02:15 PM

Live Review: On Stevie Nicks and her dogged tenderness

At Royal Farms Arena on Sunday night, CP's Performing Arts Editor Maura Callahan and I stand among a swarm of people who all look like vaguely different amalgamations of a certain type of person I have known throughout my life—people I grew up going to church with, people I worked for, the friends, parents, grandparents, uncles, and aunts of my peers and myself. A lot of these people are disappointed: The Pretenders, who are supposed to open for Stevie Nicks, had to cancel because singer Chrissie Hynde is sick.

As we wait in line at will call to pick up our press passes, where everyone else is clamoring for a refund—because they had already seen Stevie Nicks a million times and Fleetwood Mac a million times, and what if she sings songs that they don't know so well, and they were really looking forward to hearing 'Back on the Chain Gang' again only this time a little more rough around the edges maybe—an angry white woman behind us says to a Royal Farms Arena worker who is trying to help her, "I know it's not your fault, but this really SUCKS!" It's a bummer to be around all these joyless folks—I was bummed to miss The Pretenders too—but I'm able to transcend my temporary discomfort: We're about to see Stevie Nicks live for the first time, instead of sitting at home watching old recordings on YouTube, which is what Maura and I usually do.

We get into our seats—to the right of the stage, kinda close to the floor seats, and sandwiched between two old-dad-like dudes, one of whom keeps creepily looking over and gesturing at Maura. Soon Stevie and her eight-piece backing band emerge onto the stage, and after a rousing performance of 'Gold and Braid,' she greets the audience and tells us what we've gotten ourselves into.

"It's going to be different than you've seen before," she says, fingering the thick black and silver tassels tied to her mic stand. "I just had to do something for myself." So she went back into her "gothic trunk of lost songs" and pulled some of her lesser known and unreleased songs she wrote throughout her nearly 50-year career as a solo artist, a member of Fleetwood Mac, and as one half of the pre-Fleetwood Mac duo Buckingham Nicks. And then she sequenced them for this tour with the crowd favorites, including 'Gold Dust Woman,' 'Edge of Seventeen,' and 'Landslide,' among others.

Her set is peppered with anecdotes about how certain songs and collaborations came to be. Her stories are lengthy and comprehensive, and it feels as if we're all her grandchildren, as Maura observes, and we ought to listen to her. The second best story is about Prince, who she met in the late '70s at a party. (The best one is about how her song 'Moonlight [A Vampire's Dream]' is "Twilight" fanfiction; Bella was "eclipsed" by Edward—and who hasn't felt that way in a relationship before, she asked. Ugh, you're right.) Stevie's initial meeting with Prince was pretty unremarkable—she told him he needed to talk more, and then she fluttered away. She didn't hear anything else about him until 1983, when she was in a car with her new husband Kim Anderson (who had introduced her to Prince at that party), and 'Little Red Corvette' came on the radio. She started riffing on it in her head while listening to it, and they pulled over so she could write it down. After recording the song in a Los Angeles studio, she said, "Does anyone know how to get in touch with Prince?" (when Stevie gets to this part in the story, Maura shouts "Oh my god, she's gonna do a seance.")

So she called up Prince, and he happened to be in town. He came to the studio decked out in purple and velvet, she recalls. She played the song for him, and he liked it, so he played some synthesizers and guitar. "And then he was like, 'Well I'm out of here, people to see, places to go.'" The song was 'Stand Back.'

For the whole set, with only a minor hiccup here or there, she and her band sound incredible. It doesn't matter that she doesn't really hit the high notes anymore; she's adapted, and her performance is graceful—the crowd goes nuts when she twirls around in her black drapey dress and beaded and tasseled shawls (there are several shawl-changes throughout the set).

Her stories between songs craft a scene of furious dedication; how she built on the momentum of her past work to keep going and making more. After the success of her 1981 debut solo album, "Bella Donna," for example, she went back to make more music and tour with Fleetwood Mac, and then put out "The Wild Heart" two years later, as an almost manic response to her fear of becoming a one-hit-solo-record-wonder.

As she introduces 'Belle Fleur,' which was released in her 2014 album "24 Karat Gold," Stevie describes it as a song that "could be written by Chrissie Hynde or Stevie Nicks or any other girl in rock 'n' roll" in the 1970s—it's about how getting more famous and "successful" meant first-class tickets and shiny limousines, which she realized were both literally and figuratively carrying her away from the comforts of home, stability, love, and from her idea of who she really was. "I missed my Toyota," she says.

"This is no ticket for dreamland/ A garden for fevers to grow in/ As I run through the door of the long black car," she sings on 'Belle Fleur.'

At the heart of some of these explorations and disillusioned views of fame is a woman working it out. "I have no fear, I have only love," she sings with dogged tenderness on 'Gypsy.' And that's where her music hits me, a young woman in my 20's who feels occasionally, almost melodramatically, lost and confused about who and where I am in my life. Maybe that's true for a lot of the women and girls present tonight—and it makes me feel vaguely hopeful and idealistic that there exists some kind of intergenerational knowledge that women have and can use to support and show up for each other.

All of my current troubles have layers, and they co-mingle with one another, but perhaps my most obvious one—the one that's certainly wrapped up in all of the others—is that I'm currently about six months into grieving my dad's death, which happened a few days after my 25th birthday (he would've been bummed for me that the Pretenders canceled, but would've been jealous that I got to see Stevie Nicks). I asked my mom recently if being in your mid-20's is supposed to feel like a second puberty (shout-out to Mitski, whose 2016 album "Puberty 2" I've had in constant rotation since it came out). My mom reminded me that she had already had two babies by the time she was in her mid-20's (she had me when she was in her late 20's), and she did what she thought she needed to do to make things good for me and my siblings. "I did, learned, regrouped, and did," she told me.

And that's a thread I pick up in much of Stevie's music: so many songs about women who are younger, older, wise, lost, and figuring it out all at the same time. And tonight, the teenage girl a couple rows in front of me wearing a sweater with a skull on it is having just as much fun dancing and singing along with her friends as the gray-haired older women in our row who joyously, drunkenly slur to one another, "It's 'Landslide!'" when guitarist Waddy Wachtel starts strumming his guitar.

And at 68 years old, Stevie Nicks is still figuring it out, too. In the very last song of the night which is, of course, 'Landslide,' which she wrote when she was 25 years old, she adjusts a line from the original: "And can I sail through the changing ocean tides? Can I handle the seasons of my life? Uh-uh, I don’t know, oh, still don’t know."

http://www.citypaper.com/blogs/noise...328-story.html

**SisterNightroad** · #4 03-29-2017, 05:45 AM

Photos: Magical night of music and storytelling with Stevie Nicks

Nightbird Stevie Nicks is as enchanting as ever and her performance at Royal Farms Arena in Baltimore Sunday night had all in attendance simply spellbound. This stunning beauty’s aura and unique voice remain a powerful force to be reckoned with. The Pretenders were to perform as well, however Chrissie Hynde was sick with the flu.

“Locked in a bell jar to keep everyone else from getting sick,” Nicks said at the show. Nicks' performance felt very personal, as if she was just hanging out chatting with some friends. The setlist was a combination of her solo work, Buckingham Nicks tunes, Fleetwood Mac classics and songs she’s written that never had a chance to be heard and were relegated to her “dark gothic trunk of lost songs.”

Bella Dona was Stevie Nicks' first solo project and perhaps her highest selling album. Chrissie Hynde would usually sing the title track with her for the show, but since she was recuperating on the tour bus guitarist extraordinaire Waddy Wachtel stepped in. The harmony between the two of them was stunningly beautiful. The entire evening had a storyteller vibe as Nicks shared memories of how different songs came to be.

A particularly heartfelt moment was when she spoke about Prince. Stevie heard his song “Little Red Corvette” on the radio and it inspired her to write one of her greatest hits. She needed him to come down to the studio before they could continue recording her song but she did not know him yet so she called him with fingers crossed. Twenty minutes later in walks Prince in total purple glitter regalia and velvet leggings. He thought the song was great, played some synthesizer in the middle part and did some vocals for an hour or so then he had to leave.

To hear Nicks sing “Gold Dust Woman” in person is an alchemical moment indeed. “Landslide” definitely had the loudest sing-a-long from the crowd, slightly edging out “Lone Ranger.” As always, Stevie closed down the night with her signature song “Rhiannon.” Before leaving, Nicks encouraged her fans, “Dreams come true. I believed it. I acted the part. There was no doubt in my mind that I would be a huge rock star. Your dreams are to be followed. Don’t let people tell you things and stomp on your dreams. They are jealous of your talent and ambition. Go for it! Girl power!”

More pictures here: https://m.axs.com/photos-magical-nig...e-nicks-116660

**SisterNightroad** · #5 03-29-2017, 05:47 AM

Camera Catches Stevie Nicks Stopping Concert To Talk About Her Late Friend Prince [Video]

Stevie Nicks Remembers Her Late Friend

It’s no secret that Stevie Nicks and the late, great Prince were great friends. They were two music iconic who just happened to cross paths and found and instant chemistry. Arguably two of the most eccentric and unique music superstars of their time, Stevie Nicks and Prince are two of the all time greats in all of music.

The two share many qualities. Talent, masterful singing voices, legendary songwriting skills, and a wardrobe selection that would put Cruella de Vil to shame. They are also known to be two of the most humble rockstars you could ever meet. They are two of the best pure and simple.

When in Baltimore, Maryland Stevie Nicks stopped her concert after singing Stand Back to tell a truly endearing story of her good friend Prince. the video you’re about to see is just that. This is truly a heartwarming moment that was fortunately caught on camera. Don’t believe me? See for yourself!

http://societyofrock.com/camera-catc...friend-prince/

**SisterNightroad** · #6 04-02-2017, 02:49 PM

Stevie Nicks Live at Royal Farms Arena – Baltimore, MD 3/26/17 (Part 1)

No need for introductions. Stevie Nicks graced Baltimore with her presence at the Royal Farms Arena a , performance that will definitely remembered by all who attended. Regarded by many as the Queen of Rock N’ Roll, Nicks, almost 69 mind you, showed us why she has earned that title for life. Honestly, the only bad moment of the night was not being able to see Chrissie Hynde and The Pretenders as the openers (Chrissie unfortunately fell ill and was not able to perform). So other than that little setback, Nicks gave a performance I shall remember for a long, long time. A bucket list item of mine for a long time, Nicks started the evening off with “Gold and Braid,” a fan favorite which is not on any album if you already didn’t know. “Stunning” was the word that immediately came to mind. “If Anyone Falls,” off of 1983’s The Wild Heart was next and just as good. Now I had heard Nicks likes to tell stories associated with songs she performs, and those in attendance got a good dose of that, with the first of many tales being how the next song,”Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around,” came to be, with her friend Tom Petty way back in 1980. After “Belle Fleur,” the first Fleetwood Mac song finally was played with the popular “Gypsy” bringing the crowd to its feet for the duration. Towards the end, Nicks began to twirl in a circle just like she did in the video in 1982 and the roar from the audience was deafening. Now this being a solo tour, I was hoping she would play some obscure songs from her immense catalog, and I would get my wish as “Wild Heart,” “Bella Donna,” “Enchanted,” and “New Orleans” all came next in that order. The biggest surprise of the evening was still yet to come in my opinion, but the rocker “Stand Back” was played before that happened. Again the crowd was at attention dancing in their seats. Another story on why the next song was being played on this tour preceded it and then Nicks performed “Crying In The Night” off of the 1973 album Buckingham Nicks. I would have bet money this wouldn’t have ever happened and I would have lost, as Nicks has not performed songs off of this album for a long time, but here I was witnessing this mesmerized. Stevie then saved the best songs for last as she broke out the Mac tunes everyone patiently waited for. “Gold Dust Woman” was first and that lasted twelve minutes. “Edge of Seventeen,” an iconic song for her off of the quadruple platinum Bella Donna, ended the set list before the rest of the Fleetwood Mac songs “Rhiannon” and “Landslide” completed her show as the encores.

Now I wasn’t the only Shockwave representative there as our own Robin Ervolina flew up from her Florida home to see and photograph this incredible show and saw first hand just like me, what we had been missing all these years with not seeing Stevie perform. From a different perspective, here is a brief observation on the show.

***

“I’m usually completely happy photographing a show, then sitting back and enjoying the music without the pressure of writing a review. That being said, I found myself spellbound (yep, I said it) so much so that I went home with a fist full of notes. You can read some of my observations in the captions of the photos below.”

Stevie Nicks ended the concert with an edict. One of the most inspiring people I’ve ever stood in a room with. “People thought I was someone and I acted the part because I believed it. I painted the picture. I built the field. Go out there and get your dream.”

Stevie Nicks was a soundboard shoot, meaning all photographers stood at the back of the arena by the soundboard. We were blessed with a four-song set to shoot, which would have been ample had the audience sat down at any point during those first four songs. I can’t blame them, but they did present a challenge. Here’s Nicks and someone’s blurry head.

At some point this thought entered my head and never left: Now I believe in witchcraft because this is magical.

You will thank me and curse me for telling you that “Little Red Corvette” is the song that inspired “Stand Back.” Stevie states upon hearing she immediately penned her tune, then called Prince to get his permission. He drove to the studio and played on the mix. Go on and play it now. You’ll never be able to unheard it.

**SisterNightroad** · #7 04-02-2017, 02:52 PM

Stevie Nicks Live at Royal Farms Arena – Baltimore, MD 3/26/17 (Part 2)

She is all at once playful, and bewitching. Yep. I said it.

Stevie Nicks performed several classics known by most all in attendance, but one of the real treats was her digging previously unperformed pieces from her “gothic trunk of lost songs.”

Other than hearing this iconic voice live, other than sharing a room with this epic personality, being privy to her stories is one of the reasons you should attend a Stevie Nicks concert.

http://shockwavemagazine.com/stevie-...more-md-32617/

**SisterNightroad** · #8 04-04-2017, 05:26 AM

Even 42 Years Later, Stevie Nicks Sings “Landslide” Like Only She Can!

A Legend At Work!

What more can we say about Stevie Nicks? She is simply one of the best carbon-based lifeforms ever created. If you ask us, she is flawless. With the beauty of a goddess and a voice that suites, Stevie Nicks is without a doubt one of the most beloved rock goddesses of all time, literally. I could just go on and on about her, but to talk about how awesome she is would just be giving you information you already know.

One of the songs that helped launch Stevie Nicks to unprecedented heights is a song called Landslide, you may have heard of it, it’s a bit of an absolute smash hit. But in all seriousness, this is without a doubt of the most iconic songs in music. With just one guitar, and one voice, this song is simultaneously one of the most peaceful and most powerful songs ever. It’s a song that’s been covered a trillion times, but there’s nothing like the original, and the original singer.

What you’re about to watch is a video in which the aforementioned Stevie Nicks takes to the stage in Baltimore, Maryland and sings the aforementioned song Landslide. As you’ll see, there’s nothing like the original singer doing this song justice. Stevie Nicks can do no wrong, and that much is proven in this hypnotizing performance. Don’t believe me? See for yourself!

http://societyofrock.com/even-42-yea...-only-she-can/