Tonight's New Orleans Show Set List Surprise

[MikeInNV]

Originally Posted by PenguinHead

Also, I wish she never dropped the title track. How many times was In Your Dreams performed before it was dropped?

She played it at the Wiltern show and on the first date of the tour. I don't know why she dropped it either. It was made for the stage.

[michelej1]

Ground Report 9/25/2012
http://www.groundreport.com/Business...-Rocks/2948199

New Orleans Rocks

by Betsy Ross September 23, 2012

I had the distinct pleasure recently of attending a concert in New Orleans sponsored by AARP, of all organizations, given the following of the ladies involved.

It was a concert by Melissa Etheridge, Gladys Knight and Stevie Nicks, in conjunction with the National AARP Convention.

It would appear an attempt to change the image of AARP and give it a much "younger" vibe, as the focus of the convention was for those 50 and over.

Melissa Etheridge barely made the cut, at 51, but rocked the house with her soulful guitar riffs and songs. She looks better than she has in years, and made reference to her past battle with breast cancer.

You wouldn't know it to look at her, really.

Next up was Gladys Knight, and the season on Dancing with the Stars appears to have given her more energy and could hardly believe she is over 65.

She has the moves, and her brother (one of the Pips) contribution really made the show.

Then finally, one of my rock idols for many different reasons, Stevie Nicks.

All three of these particular ladies were actually born within a week of each other the end of May. Geminis, all.

Which perhaps makes this review a little biased.

My own birthday is May 30, and connect with their music on almost a spiritual level. The pain, and the angst, and the soul, that is.

Stevie was for many years a resident of my former home state, Arizona, whose father owned a concert venue there for many years, Compton Terrace.

She was absolutely incredible and sounds better than ever with the maturity her age and experience have given her.

Some of the "older" AARP members left during her set, which was a shame but then Stevie is a taste best left to the under 70 crowd, at least. She rocks and makes no bones about it.

She performed a particularly poignant song about New Orleans from her current album, which was well received and appreciated.

She also performed a song "Soldiers Angel" which was written after a visit some years ago to Walter Reed Hospital and speaking with wounded servicemen. She has become heavily involved in this cause, from what it appeared.

It was a more "national" crowd at this show, although the people of New Orleans and the surrounding area right now are pretty hard pressed to offer much in the form of donations - it was a very touching story and song.

As a matter of fact, I had gotten the tickets as a gift from a daughter who knew how strung out her mother was after Isaac and its aftermath, and caring part-time for elderly parents for months on end before that.

And although I had lived in Phoenix for over 45 years and graduated not but a few years behind Stevie, had never seen her live so when I mentioned the concert, sent me the tickets by return email.

But it was Ms. Nicks rock anthems and incredible voice that stole the show.


Rhiannon

Landslide

Stand Back

Edge of Seventeen

All poems set to music, actually, from an incredibly gifted poet.

I guess as a footnote, in order to truly help all those soldiers, and soldiers wives, mothers and families - I hope someday she will lend her incredible voice and support into stopping some of these senseless wars - as she should also know as one from the Vietnam era herself.

Since it does appear that neither party is willing to end one at this point, without shortly beginning another...

How many men have been lost through five decades of war?

Rock on, Stevie....

AARP isn't ready for us...

Not yet, anyway...

[Eponymous]

Thanks for posting that concert summary/review.

[DashingDan]

I admit that I was an early fan of the song "New Orleans" when IYD came out, so I'm a bit biased. However, this song translates very well to the live format. The catchiness of the chorus and the song's overall building-momentum is a bit more apparent in this video...and she sang it really well, and that never hurts.

[Christopher]

Originally Posted by DashingDan

I admit that I was an early fan of the song "New Orleans" when IYD came out, so I'm a bit biased. However, this song translates very well to the live format. The catchiness of the chorus and the song's overall building-momentum is a bit more apparent in this video...and she sang it really well, and that never hurts.

I've been a fan of "New Orleans" from the very beginning as well. I tend to think it sorta got lost on a record with so many great songs. In the beginning most seemed to gravitate towards Stevie's more evocative tracks like "Moonlight", "Annabel Lee" , etc., to no surprise. But I strongly question why Stevie & co. didn't discern the value in this song right off the bat, particularly seeing it as a very viable 1st single. This songs aspiration is arguably sentimental and socially still relevant as New Orleans even now has its challenges, not to mention the positive buoyant message and it simply being a solid & catchy pop/rock song sung beautifully. I also imagine that "New Orleans" would have captured more interest from new or casual listeners than Secret Love did, especially when she did the rounds on television and talk shows performing a song that translates 100% better in one performance than "Secret Love" did all of 2011 & 2012! Oh well, better that she performed it late than never.

[vivfox]

Originally Posted by Christopher

I also imagine that "New Orleans" would have captured more interest from new or casual listeners than Secret Love did, especially when she did the rounds on television and talk shows performing a song that translates 100% better in one performance than "Secret Love" did all of 2011 & 2012! Oh well, better that she performed it late than never.

Agree totally. The sad part is she has continued to tour and is not performing it.

[PenguinHead]

Originally Posted by vivfox

Agree totally. The sad part is she has continued to tour and is not performing it.

It's strange. She made the effort to rehearse and perform the song. It came off great, and the audience clearly loved it, so, in Stevie logic the next thing to do is not ever perform it again!

[sleepless child]

I got to see this on YouTube. So amazing that she did this in New Orleans. It's not one of my favorites of hers, but it really did sound great. I didn't even notice any flubbed lyrics.

[michelej1]

Originally Posted by PenguinHead

It came off great, and the audience clearly loved it, so, in Stevie logic the next thing to do is not ever perform it again!

That's hilarious.

I know nothing about singing, but if it requires a lot of vocal effort, maybe it was more feasible to do it for a short set than for a regular show, where she has to maintain her voice the whole night. I don't know which songs strain and which don't, though.

Michele

[MikeInNV]

Originally Posted by michelej1

That's hilarious.

I know nothing about singing, but if it requires a lot of vocal effort, maybe it was more feasible to do it for a short set than for a regular show, where she has to maintain her voice the whole night. I don't know which songs strain and which don't, though.

Michele

Or maybe since she flubbed a lyric or two (which I didn't even notice on first listen), she lost her confidence and felt that she was not rehearsed enough.

[PenguinHead]

Originally Posted by MikeInNV

Or maybe since she flubbed a lyric or two (which I didn't even notice on first listen), she lost her confidence and felt that she was not rehearsed enough.

Stevie has flubbed the lyrics of many songs. so I don't think she lost any confidence with the minor mistakes she made with this performance. She saw the favorable response the audience gave.