Stevie Nicks takes a spin at Chaifetz

[vivfox]

Stevie Nicks takes a spin at Chaifetz
By Daniel Durchholz
SPECIAL TO THE POST-DISPATCH
06/15/2008


Midway through her concert Friday night at Chaifetz Arena, Stevie Nicks showed a side of her persona rarely seen during her decades onstage as a member of Fleetwood Mac and as a solo star: that of barroom rocker.

Nicks cut loose with a rip-roaring version of Bob Seger's "Face the Promise," a song she identified as a "highway driving song."

Such a tune wouldn't be that much of a stretch for most singers. But consider that only moments before, Nicks, clad in a lacy shawl, was twirling with abandon in front of a giant video screen depicting gamboling unicorns.

That was Nicks' two-hour, 15-song set in a nutshell: It dealt with things both earthy and ethereal, from love and loss to the singer's dreams and "crystal visions."
Nicks is the third Fleetwood Mac principal to visit here in recent times. Lindsey Buckingham packed the Pageant last year, and Mick Fleetwood brought his blues band to the Sheldon a few months back.

But Nicks remains Fleetwood Mac's biggest solo star, and she got to play the biggest room, even though the place was far from full.

That didn't stop her from performing a crowd-pleasing greatest hits revue that included Fleetwood Mac hits "Rhiannon," "Gold Dust Woman," "Dreams" and "Landslide," plus solo smashes "Stand Back," "If Anyone Falls in Love" and "Edge of Seventeen," among others.

She paused after "Dreams," which contains lines about rain and thunder, and wondered aloud how she could perform that song in Iowa, given the recent floods there.

"I'm serious," she said. "Pray for 'no rain.'"

Meanwhile, "Landslide" contained a nice twist, with harmonies added by two of her backup singers transforming Nicks' version of the song into the Dixie Chicks' countrified cover.

An even better moment was equally unexpected: Nicks did a lovely take of Dave Matthews' "Crash into Me," gesturing expressively as she lost herself in the libidinous lyrics.

The singer brought the show home on a heart-tugging note, performing "Has Anyone Ever Written Anything for You" in front of video images of American soldiers.

As the band took a final bow, Nicks asked that her audience look to music for peace and solace in a time of war.

Pianist/vocalist Peter Cincotti opened the show with a brief set that tried mightily to turn his naturally jazzy and pop-oriented material into arena rock. But even his successes, such as "Goodbye Philadelphia" and "Make It Out Alive," were pyrrhic victories at best, as they trod the same path worn deep decades ago by Billy Joel.

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/ent...7?OpenDocument

[BombaySapphire3]

Can't help but notice that each of these official reviews mentions her playing to a half empty house..I guess she is so much in denial that she would never dream of playing a midsize hall of 3,000-5,000 seats which she could handily sell out..this is the same kind of Norma Desmondesque thinking that is preventing her from making any more solo albums IMO.

[michelej1]

Originally Posted by BombaySapphire3

Can't help but notice that each of these official reviews mentions her playing to a half empty house..I guess she is so much in denial that she would never dream of playing a midsize hall of 3,000-5,000 seats which she could handily sell out..this is the same kind of Norma Desmondesque thinking that is preventing her from making any more solo albums IMO.

I've wondered about that and why it's still up to her. I mean, once you establish a record of not selling out a venue several times, shouldn't the tour promoter or someone step up and say that, like it or not, they aren't going to put you there anymore? She can go smaller and obtain intimacy and better acoustics which would never leave anyone with the impression that she had lost any ground.

So, she's into "highway driving songs" now, heh? How about "Life is a Highway?"

Michele

[vivfox]

Originally Posted by michelej1

I've wondered about that and why it's still up to her. I mean, once you establish a record of not selling out a venue several times, shouldn't the tour promoter or someone step up and say that, like it or not, they aren't going to put you there anymore? She can go smaller and obtain intimacy and better acoustics which would never leave anyone with the impression that she had lost any ground.

So, she's into "highway driving songs" now, heh? How about "Life is a Highway?"

Michele

Connecticut shows have always been near sell outs. She can count on us New Englanders for a nice, packed house.

[petep9000]

Originally Posted by BombaySapphire3

Can't help but notice that each of these official reviews mentions her playing to a half empty house..I guess she is so much in denial that she would never dream of playing a midsize hall of 3,000-5,000 seats which she could handily sell out..this is the same kind of Norma Desmondesque thinking that is preventing her from making any more solo albums IMO.

I was thinking the exact same thing. First time I read that was in '94 for the Jones Beach stop of the SA tour, the review I read (I think it was NY Newsday) the first paragraph mentioned the "far from sellout" crowd.
Then they added like 10,000 more seats to that venue making it absolutely impossible for Stevie to ever sell it out. Smaller spaces, much better. Like, our 'Westbury Music Fair' here in NY, on Long Island. It's a theater in the round. That would be so nice.

She's only going to make herself more and more bitter with her hopes of platinum sales and sell-out shows.

tsk.

[MacMan]

Originally Posted by michelej1

I've wondered about that and why it's still up to her. I mean, once you establish a record of not selling out a venue several times, shouldn't the tour promoter or someone step up and say that, like it or not, they aren't going to put you there anymore? She can go smaller and obtain intimacy and better acoustics which would never leave anyone with the impression that she had lost any ground.

So, she's into "highway driving songs" now, heh? How about "Life is a Highway?"

Michele

I think where she plays or where she hasn't played in a long while has less to do with whether she's selling out or not and more to do with what venue the promoter (live nation) and possibly her management company have stakes in or own outright... She might not have much choice if she's promoted by them all the time.

[David]

Originally Posted by MacMan

I think where she plays or where she hasn't played in a long while has less to do with whether she's selling out or not and more to do with what venue the promoter (live nation) and possibly her management company have stakes in or own outright... She might not have much choice if she's promoted by them all the time.

She should play the Universal Amphitheatre again. It's the perfect venue for her.

[michelej1]

Originally Posted by David

She should play the Universal Amphitheatre again. It's the perfect venue for her.

And I was wondering if she could do the Hollywood Bowl. I saw Sting and Annie Lennox there once and wished I could see FM there.

Michele