Thoughts on the "Not-as-Close-to-Toronto-as-I-Thought" Show
 

just back from the show - casino rama is an hour and a half from toronto - two hours+ in friday traffic. who knew?

anyway -

no vanessa carleton. no new songs. she did mix up the order a bit. not to mention a couple of lines in "if anyone falls." :p

show started at 9:10pm, and ended at 11pm. she wore the boots, and did the walk. no tumble tonight. she made a little joke about it, though. most of the audience was likely very, very confused.

is this new? she is introducing almost every song with a little anecdote. i could practically recite along with most of them. the only one that contained any new information (for me anyway) was the intro to sorcerer. she talked about how she wrote it after polydor dropped buckingham-nicks and they were so devastated, etc, etc, but then she said, so this is "sorcerer" or "hollywood is weird!" cute. i had never heard that.

anyway - the intros give it a real lounge act feel. not sure i liked it. found all the pics of her dad during landslide a bit much. too personal. i started to feel uncomfortable. there were also a LOT of, um, not young people at this show. like i'd say the average age was... 50. because there were so many people in their 60s bringing it up! bizarre. and security at this place was evil incarnate. they literally walked everyone to their seats. and there was NO getting into the front section if you couldn't produce a ticket. no getting down there for the edge walk. they were all old and bitter. (can you tell i'm not so fond of this venue yet?)

i had my worst seats in many, many shows. 16th row centre - which was actually quite fabulous. not far back at all (plus there were two giant screens). but when you've stood at her feet at the stage, 3 or 4 times, it's a whole different baby to be back some. so i decided to accept it and experience it as such. i had two very enthusiastic girls on either side of me (one of the REEKED of alcohol) but i just sat back and mellowed out. sat. i don;t think i have ever sat for a stevie or FM show. but it was easy, because to tell the truth, it was a little boring. same clothes, same boots, same choreographed movements, same songs. she looked great and she sounded great. but i'm not sure i'll pay $100+ to see her solo anymore. which makes me sad.

i got home feeling like tonight was a strange night. i think i'm a bit dismayed. my perfect beloved everything-to-me speaks-to-my-heart stevie has stalled and doesn't seem to want to move forwrad anymore. which is entirely her prerogative. it just makes me sad.

WAY Bummer. I am sorry it wasn't "more" for you. I get so much what you are saying. Other threads where people have said SN is tired out, and "am I gonna pay this much $$$ for the same show..." well they say we are bitching and complaining but damnit..it's not that..it's just well, she's a little stagnant and boring anymore. It's always gonna be a good show, full of her great music, and well, it's Stevie. But facing the music (so to speak) that this isn't 70's or 80's Stevie, well it still could be, but I think she chooses not to be. And like you said, that's her choice..but why? Just a bummer all around. I still have a show coming up and am VERY happy as such, but my time of seeing SN is coming to a halt, and it's just so sad. It's just not what it was anymore or what it could be. I hate when a show is weird. :o

For what it's worth, I can completely relate to how you felt post show. I felt a very similiar way after seeing Stevie in Hollywood, FL this past February. The show was fine (except for the technical problems which probably affected Stevie's performance) but I felt an overwhelming sense of "routine" which is one thing Stevie was never guilty of in the past. I left that show feeling like you, a little let down...like something was missing.

you know, it's odd and i don't mean to disagree or discount anyone's concert experiences but....i saw stevie in denver and maybe it was just a good night for her, although there were reviews from that show that she was boring. i have been a fan since '81 and going to shows regularly since '86 (missing a few shows here and there). anyway, i hadn't seen her solo since TISL and i thought her performance at Red Rocks was great. Nothing earth shattering but I failed to see her as "getting tired." I've seen a few videos posted from other venues and she seems to remain as consistent as she's been the past 10 years. Personally, I think these shows are kicked up a bit more than the bunch I saw on the TISL tour.

Again, I'm not bashing anyone for negative reviews. I'm just surprised at some of the reviews I'm reading. Yeah, I definately wish she'd change the setlist but the songs this time around sounded fresher (like they've reworked some of the arrangements) so that made up for it. And I'm a bigger fan of the 70's and early 80's stevie but I'm glad she's still around at this point.

jesus i learned to hate toronto traffic this week. that **** is nuts!

i can absolutely relate to everything you said about the show ... that is exactly how i feel about her.

word.

I have not had time to read all the Stevie reviews thoroughly and obviously I have missed something. Did she trip on stage at an early show?

I'm feeling the same way. The only show that I think I would have wanted to see on this tour so far is Jones Beach for the costume changes. It took the wind to blow her out of her comfort zone. As far as the $100+ ticket price, I think it's wonderful that she gets to live a fabulous life. But I also want to live my fabulous life. And I can't justify the ticket and travel expenses to see her anymore. :shrug: Somehow, I think she'd understand.

i rest my case. :laugh:

yeah, she fell during the edge walk at the thursday night show. and she made reference to it on friday night. but i'm sure only a handful of people knew what she was talking about.

That's really sad to hear. I am a new fan, and cold only imagine the stall in activity and how it makes you longtime fans feel. The once prolific songwriter is in a lull. I am sorry.:distress: