Exactly, how many times was "I Can't Wait" performed live?

[Rod~A~Little]

I know of the following '86 performances:

-Dallas, TX (opening night of the tour)
-an Iowa date
-Long Beach

Any others, friends?

Thanks!

[pattyfan]

I'm 99% sure she played it during the RAL Bay Area tour date (I think it was at the Shoreline).

Kevin

[BWL323]

She performed it at Rupp Arena in Lexington, KY during the RAL tour in '86!

She came in late during the second verse... but it was a smokin' performance...

[Dex]

I know she describes I Can't Wait as "disastrous" to perform live, but I don't see where that impression came from, given the audio available. I'd like her to bring it back into the set, actually. It's much more suited to her modern voice than, say, Stand Back, which she often renders completely tuneless by shout-singing. I think she'd pull it off well and it'd be a great dose of energy to the set.

[StevieNicksfann]

I believe she sang it at every RAL Tour date. I don't think she skipped it once

[vivfox]

I believe she sang it at every RAL Tour date. I don't think she skipped it once

I agree with this. Plus it was a single and you know Stevie loves to perform new radio singles in concert.

[Rod~A~Little]

Thanks friends.

I've also heard the same thing, Dex. All of the live audio sounds awesome to me. She even vogue-danced, and the crowd went completely wild! "I Can't Wait" would be a great addition!

The few videos that I've watched on YouTube, Stevie sounded great and the energy was incredible!

Who knows -- she did bring "Sisters Of The Moon" back (and I thought pigs would fly first). Maybe, just maybe, she will bring "I Can' Wait" back some day ... and while she's at it, have Dave Grohl produce her next album so she can still Rock A Little.
:nod:

[Macfanforever]

I agree .She performed it at all RAL shows.


I would love to here her sing it now on tour.

I love 80's synth pop music.

I got the 12 inch single somewhere here.

[BombaySapphire3]

I can vouch that she performed it at both the Costa Mesa and San Diego show as I attended both..I did not think that it translated well live.:shrug:

[BWL323]

I've read in other posts that she said she always had difficulty performing it live... and others have said her timing was off, but needless to say, It's a Rockin' song.

Maybe one day it will be reborn.

[vivfox]

I've read in other posts that she said she always had difficulty performing it live... and others have said her timing was off, but needless to say, It's a Rockin' song.

I Can't Wait sounded just fine to most audience members. For years she complained that the song SARA did not translate well to the stage. I disagree. It doesn't sound as good as it could with her solo band but with FM it truly shines.

[DashingDan]

I can vouch that she performed it at both the Costa Mesa and San Diego show as I attended both..I did not think that it translated well live.:shrug:

I agree.

Rick Moratta had to follow the tempo, not lead it. That alone made it stick out like a sore thumb during the set. I saw the RAL tour 3 times, and she lost her place 2 out of the 3 show's I saw. It moved around the set at least once, so I don't think neither she nor waddy knew where it should be placed. Also, by the end of the tour she was speaking the "How do I love you...'s"; they're a bit up there, and she wasn't doing too well singing her H's and oohs with that hole in her nose and coke-numbed vocal chords from the big rail she just inhaled at the last costume change. (she claims that post-hole diagnosis she could only do "a little bit" throughout that tour. However, I remember her hands fluttering and shaking SO much during a particular performance of 'beauty and the beast" that even my naive 19 year old self knew what was up). She needed a LOT to get that jacked-up at that point in her life...she wasn't doing no girl-sized bumps on show nights. Also I didn't think her voice fit comfortably in the song...on the record as well.

[FierySequences]

I know she describes I Can't Wait as "disastrous" to perform live, but I don't see where that impression came from, given the audio available. I'd like her to bring it back into the set, actually. It's much more suited to her modern voice than, say, Stand Back, which she often renders completely tuneless by shout-singing. I think she'd pull it off well and it'd be a great dose of energy to the set.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ySDgWajPyPE

I just watched this version and I agree, with the right reworking of the tune (add some Waddy guitar influence and tambo by Stevie) this song Could work!

In this clip Stevie stands (almost comatose) in the clip as if not knowing what to do. Well, if she couldn't dance around crazy 30 years ago....what could she do with it now? Hmmm....mb Rock the (pop) up a bit? I say keep the synthesizers(with a more updated rock vibe) and explore it until it becomes a show-stopper. The new tour could be "Rock A Lot".

Vocals in this vid seems on par given the amount of "recreationals" that were used in full-force at this time. Also, I love the early (4year prior) vogueing that (Madonna re-created later) in the clip. This song could become the next FFG, GAG, or even an Upbeat (not overdone) Stand Back. Although I would Never want her to drop that for this song.

Someone else mention the placing of the song??? Yes I agree with you and Stevie. Where Could it fit in her current (and redundant) setlist? Allow me to rework her opening....

I Can't Wait
(thunder/showers intralude)
Outside The Rain (or even the very Eurthymics-esque Everybody Loves You) (because this song Reminds me of Here Comes The Rain Again)
OR even You May Be the One (for that matter) ;)
Dreams....
and so on

with that thought I can almost hear/see a whole concert featuring Stewart and Nicks with throw-backs to BOTH their eighties roots. Stevie likes to do So many covers, why not a few of the Eurythmics and other EIGHTIES (Prince, hehe) influenced artistists? Has she comepletely forgotten about Belinda Carlisle, Phil Collins, and Marilynn Martin? :laugh:

[chiliD]

{raises hand} I was also at the Pacific Amphitheatre show in Costa Mesa...she definitely played it there.

If I recall correctly, it was the last song of what was kind of a "first set" (it was sort of break for her), after "I Can't Wait", Waddy then did an extended guitar solo (he was the only band member on stage) that EVENTUALLY led into "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around"; as band members came back out one at a time. She was gone much longer than anyone expected, Waddy kept looking backstage to see if she was coming out...she wasn't, so he extended his solo even longer.

That "first set" was nearly FLAWLESS...just incredible...then it seemed like "I Can't Wait" was the turning point and the "second set" she was wobbling around, nearly falling off the front of the stage a couple of times...forgetting where to come in at some point in almost every song that set...slurring nearly incoherently in between songs. Both my buddy I went with & I thought we saw Stevie Nicks' final show...we both were expecting to read her Obit in the newpaper the next morning.

[drzubritsky]

The live clips of ICW that I have heard are all better than I would have expected, though not without some "off" sounding moments. I think the biggest problem is that they tried to replicate the LP version too literally, including that obviously canned "How will I love you..." intro. They could have tried an intro based on the more straightforward intro from the 45 version and gone with a more organic arrangement throughout using mostly live instruments, augmented with selected synthesizer elements to retain some of the feel of the studio version. This approach would have been much more practical.

I agree with the above posts that, given the right arrangement, ICW would be a great song to resurrect for her concert set and would work well with her current voice. Actually, given her frequent statements about new and/or obscure songs not getting a good reaction in concert, it's puzzling why she hasn't put long-dropped hits like ICW back into her setlist. Other ones that come to mind are ROF, "Nightbird", TTM, ATGF...these would get a favorable response from both casual and diehard fans.

[BombaySapphire3]

I particularly agree that Nightbird would be a great addition..A great song that was performed live only on the final leg of the Wild Heart tour..I attended the shows in September 1983 and it wasn't yet even in the setlist yet at that point.

[FierySequences]

Nightbird....hmm well, I'm not in particular fond of this idea unless the vocals/arrangement could be beautifully reworked like How Still My Love.

If so, then I think this is a great addition.

Also to poster drzubritsky: Was ATGF a radio staple that ppl would recognize other than her die-hards? I know it was a single but did it get much air-play? I was around 7yo at the time and I Love the song but didn't know it was a success to the general public.

[BombaySapphire3]

Also to poster drzubritsky: Was ATGF a radio staple that ppl would recognize other than her die-hards? I know it was a single but did it get much air-play? I was around 7yo at the time and I Love the song but didn't know it was a success to the general public.

I lived in San Diego at the time and was 19 and a rabid fan..ATGF got minimal airplay on the FM pop station B100 at the time and some country radio airplay.I never heard it on either of the 2 FM rock stations that played the hell out of BD's first 3 singles.Unlike Nightbird it was performed as recently as the Enchanted tour in 1998.

[Dex]

Other ones that come to mind are ROF, "Nightbird", TTM, ATGF...these would get a favorable response from both casual and diehard fans.

Swap the horrid Talk to Me with the lush Seven Wonders and I agree completely. All of those are familiar enough to go down well, "fresh" enough to please loyal concertgoers, and would translate well to a current Stevie concert. I actually think her live voice now sounds a lot more like the studio version of RoF than it sounded in her late-80s-early-90s concerts. Compare that to something like Dreams, which I know she'll never ever drop, but honestly I don't think she's done a live version that really does the song justice since the 70s.

Unfortunately I think she and her band have all reached a point where they more or less want to just stick to what they know. Oh well.

[wheart]

I particularly agree that Nightbird would be a great addition..A great song that was performed live only on the final leg of the Wild Heart tour..I attended the shows in September 1983 and it wasn't yet even in the setlist yet at that point.

Really? I didn't know NB was ever performed on tour, just TV shows. That's good to hear. I would die a happy man if I heard NB live. It may be my fav SN solo song ever and I think it would sound great sung in her present day voice. But Lori has to walk over to Stevie's mic to sing the chorus. That's the way it must happen!!:D

[drzubritsky]

Swap the horrid Talk to Me with the lush Seven Wonders and I agree completely. All of those are familiar enough to go down well, "fresh" enough to please loyal concertgoers, and would translate well to a current Stevie concert. I actually think her live voice now sounds a lot more like the studio version of RoF than it sounded in her late-80s-early-90s concerts. Compare that to something like Dreams, which I know she'll never ever drop, but honestly I don't think she's done a live version that really does the song justice since the 70s.

Unfortunately I think she and her band have all reached a point where they more or less want to just stick to what they know. Oh well.

In truth, I'm not much of a fan of Talk to Me either. But I think it would get a good crowd response. It would be interesting to hear it with a different arrangement that removes the chugga-chugga rhythm that was inexplicably the rage at the time (e.g. Missing You, Voices Carry, I Get Weak).

I agree that Seven Wonders would be a great choice to resurrect.

It's still a mystery why she omits so many actual hits from her setlist in favor of cover songs (e.g. Rock & Roll, I Need to Know) and non-hits (e.g. Outside the Rain).

[wheart]

In truth, I'm not much of a fan of Talk to Me either. But I think it would get a good crowd response. It would be interesting to hear it with a different arrangement that removes the chugga-chugga rhythm that was inexplicably the rage at the time (e.g. Missing You, Voices Carry, I Get Weak).

I agree that Seven Wonders would be a great choice to resurrect.

It's still a mystery why she omits so many actual hits from her setlist in favor of cover songs (e.g. Rock & Roll, I Need to Know) and non-hits (e.g. Outside the Rain).

Talk to Me is a very fun, rousing song live...at least it was on the Street Angel Tour. It should, in my opinion, be a setlist staple. Obviously, Stevie doesn't feel the same way.

[seekerj]

Talk to Me is a very fun, rousing song live...at least it was on the Street Angel Tour. It should, in my opinion, be a setlist staple. Obviously, Stevie doesn't feel the same way.

From Waddy's Q & A on this website:

Waddy: Hey, it's her show. I do what I can. Like for a while I was saying, "Stevie . . . what I think would be great . . . you know you haven't been out for a while. I think you would ****in' kill people if you opened with "Talk To Me." They would have gone incredibly insane." However, "Talk To Me" is a strain. It is a tough tune for her vocally. Not that she isn't in shape . . . and she's more in shape now than she's ever been. And actually, the funniest thing is that she could do "Talk To Me" in her sleep . . . but she still has this built in fear about it. So she didn't want to do it.

[BWL323]

Okay, my memory of I Can't Wait Live in '86 goes like this...

I was 16 and saw Stevie play Rup Arena in Lexington, KY, my first Stevie show. When ICW came on everyone got to their feet and in particular there were two older girls across the aisle and a couple of rows in front of me and my friends. They had come in late and were dressed in skin tight, full-body sequined outfits with knee length boots... :-) Every guy noticed them when they came in.

So... the ICW comes on and all the guys are watchin' these two girls 'cause they get up and start to shake their you know what's like, well, like strippers... and every guy from three rows in back of me to two rows in front have got their eyes on these girls.... lol.

Until, some older guy in front of me starts harasssing them and they get mad and walk out... Now, at least I can focus on ICW being performed live just in time to hear Stevie rock it out!

It was an amazing show to say the least... for many reasons. :]

[jannieC]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ySDgWajPyPE


I rarely say this about Stevie, but that was a sexy performance. :thumbsup:

I can't in a million years imagine how on earth she could pull off Seven Wonders now. I couldn't figure out how she pulled it off then.

What is ATGF? I've been trying to figure this out for days...EDITED: It's only one of my favorites...hit me as soon as I posted this.

[wheart]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ySDgWajPyPE

I just watched this version and I agree, with the right reworking of the tune (add some Waddy guitar influence and tambo by Stevie) this song Could work!

In this clip Stevie stands (almost comatose) in the clip as if not knowing what to do. Well, if she couldn't dance around crazy 30 years ago....what could she do with it now? Hmmm....mb Rock the (pop) up a bit? I say keep the synthesizers(with a more updated rock vibe) and explore it until it becomes a show-stopper. The new tour could be "Rock A Lot".

Vocals in this vid seems on par given the amount of "recreationals" that were used in full-force at this time. Also, I love the early (4year prior) vogueing that (Madonna re-created later) in the clip. This song could become the next FFG, GAG, or even an Upbeat (not overdone) Stand Back. Although I would Never want her to drop that for this song.

Someone else mention the placing of the song??? Yes I agree with you and Stevie. Where Could it fit in her current (and redundant) setlist? Allow me to rework her opening....

I Can't Wait
(thunder/showers intralude)
Outside The Rain (or even the very Eurthymics-esque Everybody Loves You) (because this song Reminds me of Here Comes The Rain Again)
OR even You May Be the One (for that matter) ;)
Dreams....
and so on

with that thought I can almost hear/see a whole concert featuring Stewart and Nicks with throw-backs to BOTH their eighties roots. Stevie likes to do So many covers, why not a few of the Eurythmics and other EIGHTIES (Prince, hehe) influenced artistists? Has she comepletely forgotten about Belinda Carlisle, Phil Collins, and Marilynn Martin? :laugh:

I've seen that video before. she seems to hold the song together quite nicely and knows what's going on. I love the attempting (and failing) to catch the stuffed animals during the song. Nothing these days would ever lure Stevie away from that mic during the song...she's far more dedicated to giving a strong vocal performance today than she was back then. But it's such fun to watch anything from the RAL tour for me...

[cactusjack]

she was still performing it by the time the tour got to Australia. There's half a soundboard recording from one of the Sydney shows.

[gldstwmn]

Cloaks and Daggers (Weedsport), draw your own conclusions:

http://www.mediafire.com/?t6bgm66dpta33n2

[Phil]

I too am mystified as to why Stevie does not perform all of her solo and Mac "hits" or singles, instead relying upon the staples "Rhiannon", "Landslide", "Dreams" and "Gold Dust Woman", two of which weren't even released as singles.
Imagine a set-list that was actually comprised only of singles?:

Rhiannon
Dreams
Sara
Sisters Of The Moon
Fireflies
Stop Draggin' My Heart Around
Edge Of Seventeen
Leather & Lace
After The Glitter Fades
Gypsy
Stand Back
If Anyone Falls
Nightbird
Talk To Me
I Can't Wait
Imperial Hotel
Has Anyone Ever Written Anything For You
Seven Wonders
Rooms On Fire
Long Way To Go
Whole Lotta Trouble
Two Kinds Of Love
Sometimes It's A Bitch
Love's A Hard Game To Play
Blue Denim
Maybe Love
Everyday
Planets Of The Universe
Sorcerer
Say You Will
Thrown Down
Secret Love
For What It's Worth
Moonlight

If she were keen, some collaborations could also be considered, such as:

Whenever I Call You Friend
Gold
Insider
Needles & Pins

She has so many singles/radio songs to choose from and yet she refuses to perform many of them, despite her insistence that audiences only want to hear the "hits". Strange woman...