My WSA Vegas Show Experience
 

Hey Everyone! :)

I was able to go to this invite-only show because my girlfriend Kim was able to get credentials for the show convention as a buyer. Anyway, we got really great seats - 2nd row!! We were right between Stevie and the back up singers. :thumbsup:

I was a little concerned that this show would be a bit subdued to say the least, but the crowd actually got into it. Hall and Oats opened the show and played for about an hour. They were very good. I actually thought they were a better opener than Chris Isaak was. They played all their hits (and a couple obscure songs) for about an hour. After that, there was about a 10-15 minute break when the stagehands came on to change over the equipment. During that time, Bootylicious and Stevie's other pre-concert tunes played. I asked/explained to security about the edge walk, and they told me tonight's rules were that only the front row was allowed up. Incidentally, there was a guy with a video camera in front of the front row filming for the big screen. Anyway, I was cool with that - but more about that later....

Stevie came on opening with Stand back, and she was really on fire! (Seriously- I was surprised) The crowd immediately got into it, and some of them even STOOD! So Kim and I had no problems standing - no one complained behind us. Stevie wore these sparkly black pants with a long, pleated-like shirt (that she normally wearts with a skirt) when she came out. She seemed genuinely happy to be there. She was VERY talkative - probably the most talkative I've seen her, which was weird. Again, I expected more subdued, but hey I'll take a talkative Stevie any day! She did mention that this was her "last show" of her Crystal Visions Tour (again, weird - it's not) and thanked us for sticking with her all these years. But the WEIRDEST thing she said was during her introduction to "Dreams" - something along the lines of, ' the producer had these "special keys to a special place" to record music, and that ended up being Sly Stones place' and then she said, ' Hmmm, what kind of song can I write to really piss off Fleetwood Mac, and then I wrote "Dreams" and brought it to them and they loved it!' :confused: Not sure what she meant by that, but it sure was funny! :laugh: Kim and I looked at each other like, "huh??" My educated-Stevie-guess is that she was in one of her hyper/talkative moods and her thoughts just kind of got away with her. I just want to make it clear that she didn't seem "high" or anything.

Anyway, the setlist was the same, minus HSML, Sorcerer, FFG and BATB. The crowd really got into Stevie's songs - more than they did for Hall and Oats. I was pleasantly surprised and happy for Stevie. I hate the thought of her playing for uptight people, you know? Stevie looked over at us a few times, and even gave us a little point and kicked her foot out towards us as she sang . :thumbsup: (can't remember during which song that was though)

Ok- Edge. There was no Edge Walk cause no one went to the stage! Waddy even motioned to them, and they still didn't get it! :rolleyes: I saw Waddy look over to the back up girls and say, "No Edge?" and then he shrugged. The asian guy that helps Stevie along the way was waiting off to the side, in case he was needed, but he wasn't. So Stevie just danced around during the solo. What a waste, huh? Oh well. If security wasn't so tight I'd have gone up. All in all it was a GREAT performance and I feel lucky to have been able to attend. When we left Vegas today we heard "Rhiannon" on our way out of the hotel - a perfect ending. :woohoo:

~jamie
oh- I did get some pics, but they really don't express how close we were cause the camera I used backs the image up even on zoom.

Thank you so much for the review. Could you please tell me the order of the setlist?

I'm glad you enjoyed yourself. I'm a bit stunned that no one up front knew to go up during Edge. If only they all held a banner reading: "We'll wake up, rush up & grab at you when you change the set list," I'd understand these folks.

- Jake

She mentioned that same story @ the MSF. Since when was "Dreams" a song to "piss off" FM? I mean I take whatever she says w/ a grain of salt, but the whole lead up until that point was like "ok, cool, new story." But then the addition of ticking off FM, seemed far fetched to say the least. That it may have ticked them off later, ok I get it, but surely the song was not written as a lead up to frost of the rest of her new band? c'mon?!?:confused:

Stevie and Hall & Oates all in one night. How kick ass. It would've been spectacular if Stevie showed up in their set or visa versa. Once can dream.

Eh, no. Before she has always said that Dreams was a "hopeful" song whereas GYOW was the "mean" song.

I think she was joking with the pissing FM off comment. I think she was laughingly referring to the fact that they did not take her very seriously then and they likely considered her demos silly. So, and she has said this before, when they heard her play Dreams for the first time, they were hooked on it being a hit, which they thought it would be. To me, that has nothing to do with the song having hope as opposed to her interpretation of GYOW.

I really can't give you an exact order, sorry. But if I had to guess, it'd be:

Stand back
If Anyone Falls
Dreams
Rhiannon
I Need to Know
Landslide
Gold Dust Woman
Edge of 17

Encore-
Rock and Roll

She played about 1 hr and 15 minutes.

Of course, but I still don't think she actually sat down with the intent to come up with a song, any song, to piss the rest of the band off. Especially not considering what the song is about. In my head the two are a little related. When you are in a 'pissing off' mood you generally don't write beautiful lyrics about rain washing you clean and crystal visions. I do think that now, looking back on it, she might have thought that makes a pretty funny story and them not taking her seriously then definitely ways into it.

Either way, I don't even freakin' care. This discussion is rather pointless. :laugh:

i am glad that you had a good time.

thanks for the review. sounds like a great way for Stevie to end this tour (or not :lol: ).

Okay. I'm definitely envious... yes Hall and Oates are my favourite male group. I always prefer the songstresses to the blokes, but I've mournfully missed those guys everytime they come to the big apple. Wish I was there! Thanks for recounting.

Your welcome to you all!

One more note of minor importance - Stevie flubbed the lyrics at the end of Rock and Roll - she said, "Baby let my love come..(pause)..runnin' thru!" then her eyes got all big as she f*cked it up. :lol: It's so funny when that happens.

Oh I love Hall & Oates, they put on a great show when I saw them years ago...great opener for Stevie, I would love to see that combo!
Thank you for the awesome review!

Oh, Snap Yeah! that would be awesome!
Like the whole Todd Rundgren/H&O and Stevie thing in the 70s.
I wonder what H&O set list was this time?
Do they have a new cd out???