Atlanta show

[SisterNightroad]

Concert review: Stevie Nicks enchants faithful fans at Atlanta show


As women rock stars go, there aren’t many cooler than Stevie Nicks and Chrissie Hynde.

At 68 and 65, respectively, they look refreshed, focused and as if they want to keep making music for several more decades. They also sound robust, with any previously ragged edges to their voices smoothed by care.

This “24 Karat Gold” tour, which packed three-quarters of Philips Arena Sunday night, is Nicks’ solo ride, her (clearly joyful) diversion after spending three years on the road within the confines and endless compromises of Fleetwood Mac.

But by slotting Hynde and The Pretenders for an hour-long opening set, Nicks is also giving fans a whopping injection of female-fueled musical power.

The ageless Hynde, in tight jeans and lightened hair, stalked the stage while speak-singing the new “Alone,” the title track of The Pretenders’ recently-released 10th studio album.

Only drummer Martin Chambers remains with Hynde from the original lineup and he provided plenty of heft from behind his Plexiglas cage as he pumped through “Back on the Chain Gang” and the joyful rockabilly bounce of “Don’t Get Me Wrong.”

But Hynde appeared to enjoy playing off younger players James Walbourne on guitar and Nick Wilkinson on bass – all the while looking as if she could eat them alive.

She strapped on a guitar to toss out the dirty chords that signal “Message of Love” and stripped to a black Elvis T-shirt to unveil the sumptuous opening riff of “Chain Gang.” Her powerful voice rang clearly on the lighters-up power ballad “I’ll Stand By You” and she nimbly snatched a harmonica from her back pocket for the signature break in “Middle of the Road.”

With a pack of solid new tunes to sell – the new melodic rocker “Holy Commotion!” is making noise on the international charts – Hynde re-affirmed that she will never, ever go quietly.

About 30 minutes after The Pretenders’ rollicking set, an amber hue bathed the stage and the goddess Stevie arrived, clad in her uniform of black – jagged-edged dress, vest, boots – and ready to shake her fringe-adorned tambourine to “Gold and Braid.”

She immediately set the tone for what would be a two-hour-plus romp through her lengthy solo catalog – even digging out the Buckingham/Nicks classic “Crying in the Night” for the hardcore fans – by telling the fawning crowd that she realized after the Fleetwood Mac tour, “I have to do something different this time…If I can’t do what I want to do for a change, then why am I doing it?”

Plenty of hits salted the set – from the sublime “If Anyone Falls” with its romantic synthesizers to Nicks-penned Mac favorite “Dreams” (which, she reminded, was the band’s only No. 1 hit) to a disco-lighted “Stand Back.”

Hynde, who barely had time to towel off, returned for a fantastic duet with Nicks on “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around.” The pair gave the song a twist, leaving guitarist – and longtime Nicks accomplice — Waddy Wachtel to handle most of Tom Petty’s verses in a he said/she said face off.

But this show was indeed a love letter to the faithful, to those who thrilled more to the opening notes of “Outside the Rain” than any classic rock nugget and who never thought they would hear the little-played title tracks of her beloved early-‘80s solo efforts, “Bella Donna” and “The Wild Heart” performed live.

Nicks, who was relentlessly warm, gracious and funny (“This is Music 101 and I’M the teacher!” she giggled), also proved an eager historian, sharing stories with fans about the origins of many of her deepest cuts, such as the rootsy poem-turned-hopeful-anthem “New Orleans,” which Nicks wrote for the city in the throes of Hurricane Katrina.

She and her six-piece band and two backup singers – forever friend Sharon Celani and ‘80s powerhouse vocalist Marilyn Martin – performed on a stage framed by lighted panels meant to look like pieces of a photo frame, a video screen behind them showing a combination of ethereal images and vintage Nicks photos.

As she sang, her unmistakable voice galloping through “Starshine” — a song recorded with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers – and soaring on the piano ballad “Moonlight (A Vampire’s Dream),” Nicks subconsciously whipped the sides of her dress or tangled her hands in the mass of ribbons wrapped around her mic stand.

She indeed twirled a bit during “Stand Back” and, as smoke curled across the screen and the telltale cowbell echoed through the arena, worked into a hair-whipping frenzy at the peak of the always-dramatic “Gold Dust Woman.”

Nicks’ well-documented history with Prince was illustrated during a charging rendition of “Edge of Seventeen,” with Wachtel adding even more razor-like riffing at the start of the song. White lights snapped and images of doves flashed across the screen with photos of Prince stamped behind them – nothing else needed to be said about his influence.

Nicks addressed fans several times with genuine warmth, and also wanted to leave them with some hope and what seemed like a bit of motherly wisdom.

“In this crazy world that we live in right now, just remember, when you get crazy, turn on the radio, play some music,” she said before her encore.

Lesson learned.



http://music.blog.ajc.com/2016/11/07/concert-review-stevie-nicks-enchants-faithful-fans-at-atlanta-show/

There are some pretty photos in the original article, I didnt post them because they're huge but go see them.

[Danielle]

Stevie was so ridiculously happy, so many fun and touching moments:

http://i.imgur.com/zezI19L.gifhttp://i.imgur.com/ZZ0H47X.gifhttp://i.imgur.com/YOhfalf.gif

http://i.imgur.com/DHbQB5p.gifhttp://i.imgur.com/rIYn6Ff.gifhttp://i.imgur.com/PetznVi.gif

[Danielle]

http://i.imgur.com/P6CcS7W.jpg

“If my mom was standing here, she would say ’that was a very good choice of fabric, Stevie. Look how long it has lasted’.”

Mary Hannah, @maha7951

***

"My father once said to me, very cool, very calm and collected, “you know the most beautiful in the world come from Atlanta”, and I said “what about me and mom?"

***

“This is Music 101 and I’M the teacher!”

***

"You guys need music as much as I need to make music for you. I’m tired, but I’ll never be tired of this or of you."

[eric51078]

Did Annabel Lee get dropped?

[SisterNightroad]

Stevie was so ridiculously happy, so many fun and touching moments:



“If my mom was standing here, she would say ’that was a very good choice of fabric, Stevie. Look how long it has lasted’.”

Mary Hannah, @maha7951

***

"My father once said to me, very cool, very calm and collected, “you know the most beautiful in the world come from Atlanta”, and I said “what about me and mom?"

***

“This is Music 101 and I’M the teacher!”

***

"You guys need music as much as I need to make music for you. I’m tired, but I’ll never be tired of this or of you."
Yes, she seems reborn on this tour!

Did Annabel Lee get dropped?
This is the setlist posted on setlist.com, it seems that either Annabel Lee or Enchanted have been dropped:

Gold and Braid
If Anyone Falls
Stop Draggin' My Heart Around (with Chrissie Hynde)
Belle Fleur
Outside the Rain
Dreams
Wild Heart
Bella Donna
(Unknown)
New Orleans
Moonlight (A Vampire's Dream)
Stand Back
Crying in the Night
If You Were My Love
Gold Dust Woman
Edge of Seventeen
Encore:
Rhiannon
Leather and Lace

Can anyone who was at the show confirm?

[BlueLight]

Yes, she seems reborn on this tour!


This is the setlist posted on setlist.com, it seems that either Annabel Lee or Enchanted have been dropped:

Gold and Braid
If Anyone Falls
Stop Draggin' My Heart Around (with Chrissie Hynde)
Belle Fleur
Outside the Rain
Dreams
Wild Heart
Bella Donna
(Unknown)
New Orleans
Moonlight (A Vampire's Dream)
Stand Back
Crying in the Night
If You Were My Love
Gold Dust Woman
Edge of Seventeen
Encore:
Rhiannon
Leather and Lace

Can anyone who was at the show confirm?

Annabel Lee was dropped. Enchanted was rocking! Truly amazing show. Stevie was in great voice, and the banter! I could listen to her talk all day.

[wheart]

Annabel Lee was dropped. Enchanted was rocking! Truly amazing show. Stevie was in great voice, and the banter! I could listen to her talk all day.

Ugh. I so wanted to hear Annabel Lee live. It's one of my favs! Was it at least replaced with something else? I thought she wasn't going to talk much on this tour...LOL

[stevierocks87]

Absolutely incredible. For the first time ever I have avoided any show-related threads so I would be surprised by the setlist, and boy I was!!! Realizing she was opening with Gold and Braid was totally surreal, I never thought I would hear that live. No Annabel Lee but since I didn't know the set I didn't know it was dropped, as it was I was astounded the show was a long as it was, she played about 2 hours and 20 minutes. She looked and sounded fabulous, was very chatty, funny, and cute.

I could have cried when she put on the blue Bella Donna shawl, another thing I never thought I would see. Hearing Wild Heart and Bella Donna was incredible of course, though I did think the way Wild Heart just ended was a little awkward, and she didn't do my favorite Bella Donna verse (and the woman may be awestruck....come in out of the darkness). I was just in total disbelief she was doing Crying in the Night, amazing how much it sounded like the original! And a great backstory about Buckingham Nicks, and the moment captured above where someone handed her the album.

One of the coolest moments was the gorgeous piano intro for Moonlight--- I actually thought It was going to be Rhiannon and I guess a lot of people did too because almost everyone was standing up. She comes out in the White fur thing (not crazy about it but so glad to see something different!) and starts Moonlight and everyone STAYS standing! I was amazed. The reception to the new/rare songs was great I thought, a lot of us stood the whole time, the only song I remember lots of people sitting for was If You Were My Love. The response to the rocky songs was great. Loved the effects for Stand Back and some great twirls even in those boots! To be honest I would rather her be more comfortable and loose on stage by wearing different shoes and bringing out the boots for some special songs, but it is pretty damn impressive she is wearing those things for the whole show. Her poor feet!

I had been hoping Gold Dust would be one of the songs she would give a rest, but I've got to say she KILLED it. This has definitely become her showcase song. Lots of intense vocals. The effect on the screen when she is doing her little convulsions at the end was really, really trippy and cool. I know Edge is a shortened version but in concert it works. It is weird she is not wearing any white, it looks like she only put on the white shawl for the first show in Phoenix. It is not much effort to throw a shawl on so I really don't get that. I did notice people holding their hands up and she looked at them like "not this time sorry!". I thought Rhiannon was great as an encore and loved the illustration. Leather and Lace was a sweet way to end the show.

As others have said the effects with the different lights and backgrounds added so much to the show. I loved seeing so many people with shawls and Stevie outfits, so much fun. I wore one too :-)

My companion and I both agreed this was a better show than the Mac show we saw in 2014. More energy and more fun. She really has given us EXACTLY what we have been asking for all these years and I REALLY did not think a show like this would ever happen. NO LANDSLIDE?! Incredible!!!!!! She pretty much said she was sick of singing the same songs over and over and over, and if she couldn't do what she wanted at this point in her career what was the point? YES!

I have completely fallen in love with Stevie all over again. My mom would have just loved the show. Thank you Stevie!

[24karatstevie]

A little disappointed that Annabel Lee was dropped as that is my favorite song from In Your Dreams. However, I'm going to the Nashville show tonight and I'm extremely excited! Can't wait to see Stevie for the first time!!!

[BlueLight]

Ugh. I so wanted to hear Annabel Lee live. It's one of my favs! Was it at least replaced with something else? I thought she wasn't going to talk much on this tour...LOL

Sadly dropped, with no replacement. But the set is still truly incredible - and her energy only grew as the evening went on. I came in with high expectations, and was still totally overwhelmed.

The sheer joy she exudes is palpable - so different than the past two FM tours.

And the banter! She truly can't help herself, and I love it. She shared a story about nearly every song she sang. I love how she incorporates a personal story about whatever she's in at the beginning of her set. And so glad the Bella Donna shawl is back (with even more banter!).

[lulu28]

She was incredible! It's so much fun to watch her perform solo because you can just see how much she loves what she is doing! We were on the floor in section 1 and it was just so surreal. I loved seeing The Pretenders live for the first time too.
The only thing that disappointed me was the dropping of Annabel Lee. I so wanted to hear that one live. She's definitely on fire and in great shape!

[nicolasjz]

A bit disappointed that Annabel Lee was dropped so early in the tour and that it was not replaced.

[MovieStarView]

A little disappointed that Annabel Lee was dropped as that is my favorite song from In Your Dreams. However, I'm going to the Nashville show tonight and I'm extremely excited! Can't wait to see Stevie for the first time!!!

I'll be in nashville tonight too. I cant say im sad about annabelle lee but its strange she didn't replace it with something else, i wonder why not. Maybe its to the point now where her voice is tiring out.

[lulu28]

She admitted to being tired last night, but she still put on one hell of a show.
I can't imagine being 68 and rocking out like that for almost two hours. I'm in my 40's and I was exhausted! lol!

[SisterNightroad]

Thanks for your review StevieRocks, it was very nice!

[olive]

A bit disappointed that Annabel Lee was dropped so early in the tour and that it was not replaced.

maybe that's her idea of an alternative set list anyway .....

That's bs *she was all over the interweb and any media outlet that would have her how all the songs were hand picked and needed to be heard ... if she can't perform a proper set or 65 minutes is too much she should be refunding money and give it up or play shorter set by opening for Pat Benetar or as a package with what ever version of STYX and RE Speedwagon

unless it was a curfew thing with the arena ( doubtful ) even then she should have gone on earlier people are paying a lot of money

[seekerj]

maybe that's her idea of an alternative set list anyway .....

That's bs *she was all over the interweb and any media outlet that would have her how all the songs were hand picked and needed to be heard ... if she can't perform a proper set or 65 minutes is too much she should be refunding money and give it up or play shorter set by opening for Pat Benetar or as a package with what ever version of STYX and RE Speedwagon

unless it was a curfew thing with the arena ( doubtful ) even then she should have gone on earlier people are paying a lot of money

Oh, she should, she should, she should????

What was cut amounts to about 6 minutes.

So should she just cancel the tour?

[bwboy]

Annabelle Lee must be Olive's favorite Stevie Nicks song! She thinks the tour should be canned because Stevie dropped it.

[eric51078]

[QUOTE=seekerj;1195898]Oh, she should, she should, she should????

What was cut amounts to about 6 minutes.

So should she just cancel the tour?[/QUOTE




Well said!

[eric51078]

maybe that's her idea of an alternative set list anyway .....

That's bs *she was all over the interweb and any media outlet that would have her how all the songs were hand picked and needed to be heard ... if she can't perform a proper set or 65 minutes is too much she should be refunding money and give it up or play shorter set by opening for Pat Benetar or as a package with what ever version of STYX and RE Speedwagon

unless it was a curfew thing with the arena ( doubtful ) even then she should have gone on earlier people are paying a lot of money

All you do is complain. You complain about the set. You complain about the tv shows. Stop complaining already. Such a Debbie downer jeez. Why can't you just be happy she is still alive and doing this?!

[SummerlongBoots]

I am in awe of your self-control Stevierocks87!! I admit, I'm a weakling. I was up later than I should've been, waiting for the first set list to be posted!

[SisterNightroad]

Concert Review: Stevie Nicks and Pretenders at Philips Arena

http://www.atlantaintownpaper.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/14947476_10155401299163452_3771733667543148718_n-450x450.jpg

After performing only a handful of her own songs during Fleetwood Mac’s recent 120-date world tour, it was obvious that Stevie Nicks was ready to give fans a full-blown taste of her long repertoire of solo music. Mere months after the Fleetwood Mac tour ended (it made two stops in Atlanta), it was announced that Nicks would embark on a North American tour named after her most recent solo album, 24 Karat Gold. She promised a show like no other, diving deep into her back catalogue of b-sides, rarities and hits. Nicks delivered that to a near-capacity crowd at Philips Arena on Sunday night.

The evening opened with an hour-long set by Pretenders, led by the inimitable Chrissie Hynde. Opening acts are often ignored, but Hynde and company were having none of that. They had the crowd on their feet early performing a string of hits like “Stop Your Sobbing,” “I’ll Stand By You,” “Middle of the Road,” “Don’t Get Me Wrong,” “Back on the Chain Gang” and “Brass in Pocket,” along with new cuts from their recent album, Alone. Hynde’s guitar chops, swagger and vocals were all on point.

Nicks opened her two hour-plus set with an unexpected choice: “Gold and Braid,” an unused session song from her first solo album, Bella Donna. This set the mood for the rest of the night, as Nicks interwove hits like “Stand Back,” “Dreams,” “If Anyone Falls,” “Gold Dust Woman,” and “Edge of Seventeen” (as hard-rocking as ever, but with added gravitas as a tribute to Prince as it was one of his favorite songs). Hynde returned to cheers to fill in for Tom Petty on the duet, “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around.” And while those war horses energized the audience, it was the rarely-performed, lesser-known songs and newer material that were the highlights of the show.

The title tracks from the Bella Donna and Wild Heart albums were welcome additions to the set list, with Nicks only singing the former for a few weeks during a short tour in 1981 and the latter for the first time live. My favorite of the evening was “Moonlight (A Vampire’s Dream),” which began its life as a widely-bootlegged demo called “Lady from the Mountain.” Inspired by the “Twilight” films, Nicks reworked the song into the centerpiece of her In Your Dreams album. Wearing a white-feathered coat and featuring impeccable harmonies from backup singers Sharon Celani and Marilyn Martin, Nicks’ passion for the song came through. Speaking of harmonies, Celani and Martin were also pitch-perfect during the two encores: the Fleetwood Mac chestnut “Rhiannon” and filling in for Don Henley on the countrified “Leather and Lace.”

http://www.atlantaintownpaper.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/14947655_10210738943488008_6912258562226868715_n-450x338.jpg


This was my 10th time seeing Nicks live (starting with the Fleetwood Mac Mirage tour back in the early 80s), and this was unlike any show I’ve seen by her. She was chatty, full of stories and anecdotes (including the fact that her “Dreams” was the Mac’s only number one song) and seemed invigorated to be playing this clutch of tunes before an adoring audience of hardcore fans. Nicks’ trademark rasp seemed especially full-throated, while her iconic shawls, platform boots, ribboned tambourine and stage-twirls even elicited ecstatic cheers from the crowd.

Nicks closed the show by encouraging everyone to vote, remain calm in the face of the calamitous presidential election, and promised to return soon. Fleetwood Mac has hinted at a new album, so expect to hear new music and see Nicks back out on the road again sooner rather than later.



http://www.atlantaintownpaper.com/2016/11/concert-review-stevie-nicks-pretenders-philips-arena/

[SisterNightroad]

Stevie Nicks unleashes time capsule in Atlanta

ATLANTA – Stevie Nicks dusted the floor not with 24-karat gold but with dark cloaks and fur-trimmed coats.

Atlanta was the seventh stop on Stevie Nicks’ 24 Karat Gold Tour, so I was aware Nicks had used the first six to dust off old tracks that usually didn’t get played live. This show was no different.

From the songs Stevie boasted were written in Tom Petty’s basement to the ones that got caught up in the music industry’s red tape, she played underrated songs sprinkled with a few hits. It was a set list homage to those who had heard live versions of Gyspy countless times but never even listened to Belle Fleur.

Before she kicked off the show with Gold and Braid, she explained to the audience that the 24 Karat Gold Tour was meant to be something different. It was what she wanted, for a change, she said.

After a decades-long career as rock’ n ‘ roll’s “good witch,” yes, she finally could do she wanted. The one thing that likely didn’t change from her previous live music performances was the sentiment.

“This is definitely gonna take you down memory lane,” Nicks knowingly said to the crowd.

I’m not sure if it was the middle-aged man yelling, more like begging, for Sara repeatedly or the groups of women rocking top hats with feathers, but she was right. Nicks’ show is like opening a time capsule for people of all ages.

For some in the concert’s crowd, Nicks revives their wild memories of the 1970s and all the feelings that came with them. For others, Nicks is the sound of their childhood, as she now nears the age of their parents.

Whatever category into which the audience members fell, they certainly walked through the memory lane to which Nicks referred. Her performance was as enchanted as all people describe her career.

Although the concert started with a slow pace, Nicks gently reigned in the crowd with If Anyone Falls and Dreams. But, it wasn’t until her emotional versions of Stand Back and Moonlight that she finally had the older crowd on its feet.

She gave brief explanations between songs, deeming herself the teacher of “Music 101.”

The concert was backed by animated pictures of a young Nicks, the moon, the stars, Prince and other engaging images. When “Moonlight,” kicked off with notes from the grand piano, Nicks returned to the stage in a fur coat, standing in front of a realistic moon image.

She sang a raw, passionate version of Moonlight that was only sold short with her explanation it was inspired by the Twilight trilogy. She defended herself well, though, saying you couldn’t help where you got inspiration.

Who could blame her?

Between watching her tangle with the scarf tied around her microphone, wagging her finger back and forth in the sassy songs and whipping the tambourine around, Nicks was unbelievably charming. At one point, she looked up into the crowd and asked the question on everyone’s mind: “Is that a car up there?”

In the Philips Arena, somewhere around Row Y sits a white car, for no apparent reason. Nicks jokingly asked if it would be presented to her at the end of the night.

Although it wasn’t, no one seemed to oppose the thought of her presenting her with a giant gift at the end of the night. After all, she had delved out Rhiannon and Leather and Lace for her encore.

As I left the performance, I heard two women who kept saying, “It was personal.” That is the magic of Stevie.

She can’t not be personal.


http://www.reddirtreport.com/rustys-music/stevie-nicks-unleashes-time-capsule-atlanta

[SisterNightroad]

'Reg's Coffee House' playlist from November 6, 2016

Sorry this is a couple of days late but I had to scoot after the show to get to Atlanta for the Stevie Nicks with The Pretenders show. In a word, it was iconic. So glad I made the trek to see this show.

The Pretenders came out with guns blazing and had the crowd primed for Nicks' set. Chrissie Hynde still has the swagger, the voice and she'll always have the songs to go toe to toe with any and all comers. It was the perfect appetizer for the main course.

Nicks' set was a lovely journey through the career of an incredibly talented artist. She spoke openly about each song and let her fans into her world for a moment. Song after song reminded you of the magnitude of her contributions to music over the years and hearing intimate details about each track tightened your connection to them (and her). She was in complete control, operating on another level but still in touch with her audience constantly giving thanks for their inspiration and for reminding her she can still do this. Her band was flawless, her set was mesmerizing and the music was intoxicating. If you get a chance to catch this tour, don't pass it up.

Was lucky enough to attend shows featuring four talented, strong, inspiring women over the last four days. Nicks and Hynde, of course, plus Bonnie Raitt and Ingrid Michaelson.



http://www.al.com/living/index.ssf/2016/11/regs_coffee_house_11-6-16_play.html

[SisterNightroad]

Preston Frazier’s Best Concerts of 2016: Stevie Nicks, Yes, Hiromi, Dolly Parton + others

<iframe width="500" height="305" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/qc4AluTV7KI" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

No. 1: Stevie Nicks, Phillips Arena in Atlanta, November 6, 2016

– Stevie Nicks has balls. Kicking off this concert with “Gold and Braid,” one of her best rockers, the songstress was in full flight. Her long-term band, led by guitarist/bandleader Waddy Wachtel (fresh off his stint with Joe Walsh), hit every era of Nicks’ career – including Buckingham-Nicks material. For more than two hours, she weaved her magic in fine voice and high energy. Chrissie Hynde of the Pretenders (the opening band) also gave a hand on “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around.” In the end, Nicks proved she still had a passion for her craft and the ability to enchant.



http://somethingelsereviews.com/2016/12/05/best-concerts-of-2016-stevie-nicks-yes-hiromi-dolly-parton/