MY take on Vegas (review)
 

First of all, there are no words to describe what an incredible feeling it is to meet & hang out with so many people who feel the same way that you do about Stevie & Mac. I will never forget this trip, it was one of the best times I've had - ever. I mean that. So great to see Tiff (enchantedsln), Anita, Kelly & Marissa (gardenstategirlie) again, as well as Theresa (bikerchic) - my usualy partner in Stevie crime. ;) If I have to sit next to someone on a plane for 5 hours, I'm glad it was you. :xoxo:

Amber. Roomie. Pal. Love of my...oh wait, that's not quite right. :p I had so much fun hanging out with you. You are a trip, thanks for the cig & forcing me to play that slot machine (making me a little richer!) :D

I met so many new friends, I know I'll forget to mention several, but: Jim (seeker - again, thanks so much for setting up the meet & everything!), Deborah (goldandbraid), Sue (suzequze), Alex (greatdarkwing), Pattie (welshwitchpmd), Nancy (sodascouts), Kristen (can't remember what your screen name is, sorry!), Mariel (xxxmx, ) Mike (poetinmyhear), to name a few. The people I met but can't recall the names is endless. So sorry. :sorry:

OK, so brief summary of personal stuff:

*Pool at Flamingo un-f*cking-believable. Gorgeous. Nice room too.
*Won $200 in one shot, then lost a total of $90 here & there. Still up $100.
*Food at Cheesecake Factory & Nine Fine Irishmen phenomenal. Food at Margaritaville not bad. Food at hotel cafe reminded me of poop.
*Wynn hotel very beautiful. I've seen most of the other hotels before, so I won't get into that.
*Weather awesome - around 80, I would estimate
*Breakfast at Paris buffet sooooooo worth $13. Freshly made crepes while you wait? What more could you ask for?

I will continue more soon, my computer keeps booting me offline & I'm not losing everything I just typed. Be right back with actual show info. :wavey:

Welcome back! :wavey:

BUT I'm SO incredibly jealous lol...I so wish I could have been there sharing in the Ledgie fun-ness!

Anyway - I'm so thankful that all you guys are coming back and sharing your experiences....:nod:

Personal pics:


Sexy airport biker bitch (aka Theresa):
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y19...esaairport.jpg

Amber and the giant Stevie sign:
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y19...berbigsign.jpg

Me drinking at the pool:
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y19.../paulapool.jpg

After eating at Nine Fine Irishmen at NYNY yesterday:
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y19...paulaamber.jpg

View from our room (really):

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y19.../colliseum.jpg

Theresa & I on Margaritaville patio:

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y19...aritaville.jpg

Me (doing me insane drunk smile) with Stevie's video playing above me (near Amber's finger, lol):

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y19...labigsign2.jpg

Paula!!~! It is all about the buffets!!! It was nice to meet you! I am still here just popping in. Hope to talk more later!

Pool at Flamingo (view from the 21st floor):
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y19...amingopool.jpg

World's largest chocolate fountain at Bellagio:

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y19.../chocolate.jpg
ooops, that came out too big. Forgive me? :cool:

The penguin habitat at Flamingo:

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y196/skcin/penguin.jpg

How did I miss a chocolate fountain???!! Cool I will have to check it out!!

Tiff and I apparently missed the chocolate fountain on (we cut through the Bellagio on our pilgrimage to Walgreens). That's awesome though. *marks on list of stuff she needs to see next trip* I still can't believe YOU WON ON THE SLOTS!!! Bitch. ;) I had a blast with you all. We should make this a yearly event :nod:

Easy. We were too busy falling asleep on the table at the Cheesecake Factory :p

Did you go on the roller-coaster at NYNY?

Somebody should plan a big fan convention (like the ones they used to have in Texas). Hundreds of fans could attend from all over the . . . country, I guess . . . & people could sell & trade their wares, share their photos & videos, perform karaoke or play music for one another, & bring in guest speakers. Everybody sets up a booth & just hangs out.

Glad ya had...
 

fun at the shows...I enjoy reading the reviews that everyone post.

OK, just my opinions here. I went Tues & Wed.

First of all. The minor disappointments I felt (return of the Reeboks, not too many costume changes, no Nightbird or Bella Donna like in my dreams) were blown far, far away as I watched the show. I feel nothing but lucky to have been able to see this show. No regrets - not a single one. Really.

*Dreams dance mix intro: We must get our hands on this. We simply must.
*Screen shows her walking from the "I Can't Wait" video & Stevie walks out in black layered skirt, Reeboks with black rouched legwarmers (like the ones she used to wear that were beige) Black beaded fitted top with sweetheart neckline.
*Enchanted: Very upbeat, lively, lost of tambo & dancing. Great "whoa-whoa-whoa I hope you make its" from Stevie. The photos of her on the screen were breathtaking. She twirled at the start of this on Wed.
*OTR: I am one of the people who loves this song, especially live. I have heard better versions, I have heard worse. I was satisfied. Lots of rain on the back screen. She did not go crazy on "isthereanyoneinthiswholewideworldthatcaneverreplaceme." But she did do a few "then take it away. Take it AWAY!"
*Dreams: A good solid rendition of this classic #1 hit from the 70s. :cool: Again, the lighting on the screen was beautiful.
*SDMHA (I believe this was dome before OTR on Tues?): I usually prefer older versions, but she was really on for this one. VERY animated, lots of pointing, yelling "STOP!" dancing around.
*Goes in back, comes out in black flowy low-cut Rhiannon top. Same skirt?
*Rhiannon: piano intro, then rock version. It was similar to SYW shows, IMO. She was really pulling the mike back, leaning into it for "well your dreams unwind and your loves a state of mind..." I think Tues was just a "dream on, silly dreamer" but I could swear that Wed was "dream on, HEY, you silly, silly silly dreamer." I could be mistaken. I did not like the screen for this - weird statues & then those f*cking unicorns. :rolleyes: As if Stevie needs to give detractors more ammunition.
*Sorcerer: great screen, smoky, then fire, then kaliedoscope designs. The ending was awesome! She was way more into this than at the TISL show I saw. Whipping her dress & Rhiannon sleeves around, hands movements all over the place, powerful "wild eyed, tired, thirsty yeah, in my misery's"

To be con't :D

I'm 99% sure it was Bellagio, but it was near the shops, NOT the hotel itself. I want to say it's near one of the entrances, near an escalator?



I did not do the coaster. I didn't do anything that cost $$$ this time (except eat, drink, gamble....) And I would sooooo get together every year with these people!

*Goes in back, puts on new sparkly black shawl. Hair went up at this point on Tues. Wed. it stayed down.
*Stand Back: Oh, how I love this song live. All the time. It cannot disappoint me. Ever. She was right on vocally. She did do a kick on Wed, but I was not expecting one since there wasn't on Tues. No pic, sorry. The back screen was bright, but very cool - high energy. Of course, if someone has seizure disorder, I hope they closed their eyes for it. ;) Also, during the guitar solo, no twirls but she went up behind Carlos & Waddy REALLY close. I didn't know you could freak, Stevie?!?! :thumbsup:

Forgot to say that 1) SDMHA - lots of live shots of her on the back screen (you'll see in the pics I'll post in a minute)
2) We think she came in too early on Sorcerer on Wed. Waddy was going into that little guitar thing before the "I'm tired, I need you badly" but Stevie started singing right over it. Not sure if she screwed up or if he did.

*Landslide: Not the same without LB. But it was good. No footage on screen. The girls sounded pretty. Tues - no dedication. Wed - dedicated "to all of you"
*Goes in back, comes out in new shawl - beigey/goldy/pinky. Pretty.
*GDW: Wed was better than Tues. She did not do a great "go hoooooooome" on Tues - it was like she started low, then switched it up, then tried to change it again? Wed was much better as far as that part. Good ending, both nights, she's still doing the "shadow" thing, covering her face, love it. At the end Tues, I coudn't see the pose well. But Wed. Waddy kind of crouched down & she did the pose kind of hovering over him. A little different than usual, pretty cool, I thought.
*Lori comes out (VERY thin. Shockingly thin, IMO. Was she always THIS thin?) Tues she wore black pants with silver hooks up the sides (some loved, some hated; I loved) and a black leather jacket. Wed she matched Jana & Sharon in tight black sparkly dresses & knee-high boots. THAT must have been what Stevie meant about pulling clothes out of trunks. I think thsoe came from the one labeled "1985." :laugh: Sorry, they are all beautiful, but the outfits seemed dated to me.
*Quick intro by Stevie to If Anyone Falls. Slowed down a bit, but it was good to hear for a change. Pillars dropped from the ceiling & they showed the video on the back screen.

To be con't

*Fall From Grace: High energy, sounded like she was hitting all the right notes. Lots of hand movements, pointing. Back screen purple clouds, lightening, stormy type stuff.
*How Still My Love: On Tues, when I realize what it is, I say "Oh My God" loud enough for the security guy to look at me to make sure I'm OK. I was so surprised, I LOVE this tune live. Tues, it was good but it was like she was being cautious, wanting to make sure it was right. Wed she let loose. The woman had hand on hip, staring daggers, shaking her head for "they say you're not the man for me." She did "well this is ME talking to you" but not very high. She was adorable for this tune, LOTS of attitude. Awesome. Just awesome. Dark blue starry sky on back screen.
*Goes in back, changes into beige/gold layered skirt & long black coat (tux coat?) Did she have on the Edge shawl from the Bella Donna vid too? Did I imagine that? My mind says yes, but my Wed. pics say black jacket. Maybe shawl was Tues?
*Waddy starts Edge intro. Back screen shows his parts from the Sorcerer vid. Tues Theresa & I are 5th row on the side (section 2). We make our way to the front but we are way over on the end of the stage, way too low to reach her. Wed Theresa, Amber & I are 10th row section 5. We run down the aisle & get held back by security. A woman is trying to leave (To pee? Now? Idiot!) So I slide by as she goes through. Amber & Theresa are stuck in his clutches. I am standing right at the stage toward closer to Stevie than Tues. I am shaking as I try to determine if I have a chance at shaking her hand.
*Edge: another tune that simply cannot disappoint me. The energy she always has for this song is palpable to me, gives me chills. Jana starts a whole measure early Wed. No one else sings - just her. Kind of embarrassing. I wonder if Sharon kicked her ass after the show (I'm KIDDING people!) Both nights were awesome, my pics are from Wed. She looked right at me & Theresa on Tues & waved down at us. On Wed, she came down approximately 2 feet too far over for me to reach her. I tried. :( But I'm OK. I guess. Lots of hugs, kisses, handshakes, waves.
At the end, she was going nuts "Somewhere deep in the middle of the night, I still think about you! I know what it sounds like! I know what it sounds like!" Leaning into the mike, pulling it back, pointing at the crowd. At the end on Wed - I swear to God, she just throws the mike forward on its base like "and that's it!" and stares straight ahead for a few seconds. IT WAS SO COOL!!!
*INTK: Good, lively, nice vocal. For the record, she DOES still say "take your violet and blue mornings with you" but she starts it away from the mike so all you hear is "mornings with you!" I saw her sing it. From the bottom of the steps at the Colisseum. ;)

To be con't

The end is near. Tues, I'm figuring she'll end with Highwayman. I hear the piano. My jaw drops. There are hushed whispers in the crowd (I swear I'm geting chills typing this right now.)

This wonderful woman floats out wearing a long black velvet cloak with a collar up high behind her neck, plunging sweetheart neckline. Hair is up. There is a strip of embroidery (or a chain? or rosettes?) running down the back from her lower back down to the ground. Her skin is pale. She is stunning. People audibly gasp (myself included.)

Beauty and the Beast. I am one of those people that can be brought to tears when this song comes on. Even the CD version. I thought I would have a heart attack. Everyone had tears rolling down their cheeks - guys and chicks. Security thought we were nuts.

Tues was better for one reason & one reason only - you could hear a pin drop in the place. Literally. Everyone was shocked into silence. So emotional. I've never seen or heard anything like it. It's like she gave us her heart & soul through her voice. Wed she was spot on, but the screams of "I love you" and "sing it for me" and WWWWOOOOOOOOHHHHHHOOOOOO!" took a little of the magic away for me. But both nights, she was amazing. Graceful hand movements, twirls, looking as if she were about to cry. The entire time, clips from the 1920' French version of the movie (which inspired Stevie to write the song, if you'll recall) played on the back screen. I felt sorrow & pain & loss in the pit of my stomach. I cried.

I captured this on video Wednesday. It is amazing. If someone would like to offer to host it (Tiff already did, but she'll be in Vegas a few more days) I will send it to you if you agree to put it up immediately to share with all the Ledgies. PM me, or reply to this thread. :angel:

A few random observations:

LOTS of dancing. Booty shaking. Seriously - the BOOTY! No lie! It was Wed, can't remember which tune. I thought "Oh my God, she's shaking her ass!" She was running her hand up & down her legs & hips too - during HSML, maybe?

I met Brett Tuggle! A bunch of us saw him at Caesars. He shook our hand, asked our names. He was with a date, so I didn't want to bother him for a pic. Nice guy. Also met Scott Plunkett - also very nice. Saw Chris Nicks, Cory Buckingham, the bass player & one of the percussionists (sorry, can't recall their names) at various times at Caesars. Don't like to bother people when they're gambing, though.

There is a woman that hangs with a guy who seemed to be hanging really close to the band. We have named her mini-Stevie. You do a triple-take when you see her. She really does look just like Stevie, but shorter (if that's possible, lol.) Dressed the same, same hair. Weird.

People seem to think that Stevie called Jana "whatshername" on Wed. She didn't. She was referring to Lori. She intro'd Lori, said "welcome back, baby!" Then she said "and, standing next to......what was your name again? Hahaha, standing next to Lori is our little ball of love, Jana Anderson." Listen to the boot, I'm 100% sure she was joking with Lori about being away so long. Jana didn't look all that sure, though. Poor thing.

I'm sure I'll think of more later. Here are the pics. I will post a few of the pics themselves, but mostly links to avoid taking up too much space.

There are several wide shots so you can see what the screen/stage looked like. The screen changed often, but I tried to get at least one pic for most songs.

Screen for Enchanted

OTR screen

Dreams screen

SDMHA screen


I'll be back in a little bit. I have to do something real quick. :sorry:

Thanks so much for your brilliant and heartfealt review, reading it was like if I was there, it sounded like such an intense experience, and the description of 'BATB, was absolutely beautiful, I'm so looking forward to listen to this concert.

Besides, the chocolate fountain is really great. Is it possible to taste or you just have to look and behave? :D

Romy

You're welcome. To some, it might sound like a bunch of bullsh*t. But it's really how I feel.

And I was unable to break through the glass to get the chocolate. I think it was bulletproof. ;)

SDMHA:

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y19...creenpoint.jpg

SDMHA smile

SDMHA yell

The dress may be a bit more sheer than she thought

Screen at start of Rhiannon

Rhiannon

Rhiannon2

Sorcerer:


http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y19...cerer3crop.jpg

I forgot to mention - most shots were taken from 10th row section 5 with a 4.1 megapixel Kodak digital w/ zoom. Clearer shots were cropped by me later. Edge pics were taken from front row.

Screen for Sorcerer

Sorcerer

More Sorcerer

This is a pic of Stevie blowing me a kiss. Amber bumped my arm, though. :D


Pic of stupid security guy that man-handled us Wednesday. He's right below my email at bottom.

I? LOVE this pic!

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y19...7SB7screen.jpg
Stand Back, btw.

really appreciate your well-written review and fabulous pics...you rock :wavey:

Thanks! :wavey:

Here's more:

Stevie "standing back" from Waddy (teehee)

Stand Back Stevie

GDW screen

GDW

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y19.../9gdw8crop.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y19...9gdw11face.jpg

these visuals make me wanna catch a red-eye...tonight :]

GDW pose w/ Waddy

If Anyone Falls screen

Fall From Grace screen

If Anyone Falls:

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y19...10iaf2crop.jpg

How Still My Love screen

How Still My Love

I wish I had taken more HSML pics, but it was all about figuring out how to get down front at that point. :D

Waddy Edge

Stevie coming out for Edge

Edge start

:eek: :eek: :eek:

Can't believe I made it up front!


http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y19...3edge2crop.jpg

The girls during Edge;

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y19...edge3girls.jpg

Stevie Edge

Stevie Edge 2

Stevie Edge 3

I took the next 6 in rapid succession (you hold the button down & it takes 6 pics in a row, each 1-2 seconds apart) during the Edge scream:

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y19...13edge13-1.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y19...13edge13-2.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y19...13edge13-3.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y19...13edge13-4.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y19...13edge13-5.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y19...13edge13-6.jpg

I thought they came out kind of cool. Looks real good as a slide show.