One thing that bothers me about Stevies Live Performances

[LiquidBlue5000]

Originally Posted by David

I miss the way Stevie used to stomp like a member of the Jose Greco dance troupe, & then toss her head over forward & then back & then forward again, like a rock 'n' roll Carmen outside the bullring.

YES!!!! that's the Stevie dance i am talking about!!

you described it much better than i ever could

what happened to that??

[AliceLover]

Originally Posted by LiquidBlue5000

YES!!!! that's the Stevie dance i am talking about!!

you described it much better than i ever could

what happened to that??

Is that the thing she does in the middle of stand bacj during the "lalalalalala" on Red rocks?

[Tango]

Originally Posted by David

I miss the way Stevie used to stomp like a member of the Jose Greco dance troupe, & then toss her head over forward & then back & then forward again, like a rock 'n' roll Carmen outside the bullring.

I'm still hoping you hear her cover of "Drill Ye Tarriors Drill."

[LiquidBlue5000]

Originally Posted by AliceLover

Is that the thing she does in the middle of stand bacj during the "lalalalalala" on Red rocks?

she does it during the long musical intro, while the spotlight is on her...

[AliceLover]

Originally Posted by Tango

I thought she showed more than her usual measure of versatility by just doing the TwoVoices tour. She sang along on a couple of Don's songs:
Hotel California
New York Minute
The Last Worthless Evening


And she did the "time keeps ticking, ticking" motions, a few other little gestures. And she pulled out Beauty & The Beast, threw in the Circle Dance and So You Wanna Be A Rock And Roll Star.

That's not bad for Stevie. It's a shame that Henley, for whatever reasons, pulled out on the tour, putting Stevie "on the shelf," as he mentioned in an article. For as much anomosity that some folks have expressed towards Don, they were great shows. I am thinking you don't really care so much about her high kicks/twirls as much as you are expressing dissatisfaction with her set list, yes? The other thing that might be bothersome is that some fans go to not one, not two but a dozen of the same shows on the same tour. And we share bootleg videos, and see the reviews from other fans. Years ago most folks were just surprised when they got to the show. Now a lot of the surprise is gone. People are "phoning in" the set list to websites. It's certainly not "wrong" but it does take away some people's delight of actually seeing the shows for themselves.

We're going to get the "staples": Outside The Rain/Dreams, Gold Dust Woman, Rhiannon, Edge of Seventeen on a solo tour. Yes, with those Stevie predictable moves. More often than not, you'll get Landslide as well. I think the positive thing about this tour is despite having no album to sell, and there were some surprise songs included. If you didn't go to Vegas, if you weren't reading The Ledge, imagine how surprised you'd be to hear Beauty & The Beast?

I'm not disappointed. Not really. I am glad that Been A Long Time was covered on the tour after Don left. It gave the fans and Stevie a much needed jolt of "electricity." She stepped out of her comfort zone. Kudos to whoever gave her the confidence to do that.

In that post I was not one bit referring to the set list at all. The set list had not even come to my mind. All I was thinking about were the dance moves. They are just so planned and I think a little variety would be nice. I'd be surprised if I saw some long twirls on like OTR or something.

[Kelly]

Originally Posted by AliceLover

In that post I was not one bit referring to the set list at all. The set list had not even come to my mind. All I was thinking about were the dance moves. They are just so planned and I think a little variety would be nice. I'd be surprised if I saw some long twirls on like OTR or something.

The hula dancing she is doing during OTR and Dreams is pretty hot and totally new since Vegas. Actually, I see alot of different stuff with Stevie this tour. Her dancing on R and R is so fun. Plus, Sorcerer has become the new "pot" song, Brian is so right. I also call it the "vamp it up" song because she is soooo sexy during almost every performance of it. Tango mentioned "someone" giving Stevie confidence lately. That is soo true. Everything from her vocals, to her outfits, to her set list....just radiates confidence and security in her life.

[HejiraNYC]

Originally Posted by AliceLover

In that post I was not one bit referring to the set list at all. The set list had not even come to my mind. All I was thinking about were the dance moves. They are just so planned and I think a little variety would be nice. I'd be surprised if I saw some long twirls on like OTR or something.

I happen to think this is all intentional pacing. Like the old saying goes, you don't give it all away in the first act; you have to save something for the second act. And that's pretty much why the first half of the show is, for lack of a better term, "smoldering." The trifecta of "Rhiannon," "Sorcerer," and "GDW" are these perfectly gritty witchy women songs that are slow but rock hard in a hippie dippy kinda way. So her movements are kinda languid and dreamy and slow. It isn't until "Stand Back" that the energy level starts to go up. By "Rock n Roll" she is in full-tilt boogie swagger mode (well, in a white chick kinda way ). I think it would be kinda lame if she opened at full tilt and then failed to sustain the momentum.

[Tango]

Originally Posted by AliceLover

In that post I was not one bit referring to the set list at all. The set list had not even come to my mind. All I was thinking about were the dance moves. They are just so planned and I think a little variety would be nice. I'd be surprised if I saw some long twirls on like OTR or something.

My guess is some people have seen Stevie "too often," in any number of forms- Fleetwood Mac, solo. We've all probably seen her in too many reviews, too many bootlegs, too many videos. To other fans, seeing Stevie LIVE is a rare and unique moment even today. "Would you say that to Bob Dylan?" He's almost catatonic up on stage! Once in a great while he'll smile. Think back to a certain Vice Presidential debate: "You're no Jack Kennedy." Likewise, "Stevie's no Paula Abdul," maybe? "Stevie's no Tina Turner?" Stevie's just not a dancer- you've read all those statements from Stevie that people use in their posts: "I came here for a reason. I didn't come here to be a mother. I didn't come here to be a nun. And I did not come here to be a cleaning lady. I came here to be a poet." I don't think we are going to get a lot of change out of her. I'm just glad to see her out there, being happy.

Your criticism of Stevie isn't unfair, and it's not unlike other people have for other performers. I happen to be reading about the Rolling Stones.

Here's just a piece of a review from 1997:

Hold the Ben-Gay: Stones Still Rolling

by Joal Ryan
Sep 24, 1997, 4:20 PM PT

"Mick Jagger was preening; Keith Richards was smoking. Same old, same old for the AARP-eligible members of the Rolling Stones, as the band of fiftysomething rockers kicked off their umpteenth world tour Tuesday in Chicago."

The older rock and roll generation just re-creates what has worked for them; choreography? Never!

Like I said, you make valid remarks. Stevie's just being Stevie. Look at Fleetwood Mac. They have moments of "spontaneity," but mostly it's "all the same, baby, all the same."

[littlecricket2]

I tend to agree with AliceLover's sentiments. Stevie is a little too predictable. My ex is into a lot of obscure rock bands, and I took him once with me to see Stevie, and he even thought the whole "Edge walk" thing was really canned and tacky. He's like, "you mean there's a certain time in the concert where fans know she's gonna come down and shake hands, all the fans know when this is going to take place, so they all make a made dash to the stage right at this time?" As someone who has seen a plethora of bands, this struck him as very calculated and somewhat lame.

Still, I can't complain--as a result of the Edge walk, I got to shake Stevie's hand!

But I agree that Stevie's performances have become too predictable. I was soooooooo glad in Grand Rapids when she busted out "Rock and Roll."

The other thing I think has become way too predictable is her wardrobe. She wears a certain shawl for GDW, a certain shawl for Stand Back, and now it's even a certain hat for "Rock and Roll" and a certain way to do her hair for B&TB. I can't believe the extent to which fans eat this up! I think it's a bit ridiculous. It's the music that should matter; not what she's wearing when she performs. But even if you view the wardrobe as important, seems like it should have more variety--instead of taking the time to do 6 costume changes in one concert (again, how much of this is about the music?), wear the same thing throughout the show and then wear something different to the next show. I realize the fans who only get to go to one show would only see her in one outfit, but should we really care? What are we there to see anyway?

Oh, and am I the only one who doesn't like the feathered "Rock and Roll" top hat? I saw her in Grand Rapids and I'm glad she didn't wear it. She was freer to move around without it on--in pictures it looks silly and cumbersome to me.

[Highwayman]

The feathered top hat is just plain too big for her. When she wears it, she keeps one hand on it to keep it from slipping down over her face...

I wish she would play the tamborine like an instument and not a prop. Like in Gold & Braid.

Having a semi-solo dance number like SOTM.

And were you all blown away and completely captivated when she sat down at the piano and played Rhiannon on VH1's Storytellers?

During the SA tour stop here in Atlanta, during the high point of one song, she pulled the microphone out of the stand, took a few steps away, poured her heart into the few lines and then went back. Blew me away that she moved out from behind the mic stand!

She doesn't "twirl" during Stand Back; she SPINS! Big difference compared to the slow, sensual turns with the graceful hands that she used to do after GDW. Bring us back some ballet!

Hand gestures -- Please, Stevie, take some sign language classes! I spent many years in Rochester, NY, and had many deaf friends who went to NTID. Her hand motions are so graceful, and if they had some real meaning behind them, it would blow us all away. I just cringed when she did the chorus of Say You Will. It could be so much more meaningful and graceful! And send Sharon, Jana, Lori and whoever else is singing backup to sign lessons too!

[David]

Originally Posted by Highwayman

The feathered top hat is just plain too big for her.

Much bigger than her old top hats. What ever happened to her old top hats?

And were you all blown away and completely captivated when she sat down at the piano and played Rhiannon on VH1's Storytellers?

Yeah, but primarily by that gorgeous Yamaha Gran Mal digital she was playing. I was DROOLING.

[David]

Originally Posted by Tango

I'm still hoping you hear her cover of "Drill Ye Tarriors Drill."

Alas, I fear I will not.

Will someone please pass the word along to her brother or Taku or whoever you chat with regularly?

[chiliD]

Originally Posted by Tango

I am glad that Been A Long Time was covered on the tour after Don left.

I dare you find the song "Been A Long Time" on ANY Led Zeppelin album.

The title of the f-in' song is "ROCK & ROLL".

[LiquidBlue5000]

Originally Posted by Highwayman

The feathered top hat is just plain too big for her. When she wears it, she keeps one hand on it to keep it from slipping down over her face...

she needs a string on that hat to wrap around her face, so she doesn't need to keep holding it

[Glittermoondust]

Originally Posted by Tango

My guess is some people have seen Stevie "too often," in any number of forms- Fleetwood Mac, solo. We've all probably seen her in too many reviews, too many bootlegs, too many videos. To other fans, seeing Stevie LIVE is a rare and unique moment even today. "Would you say that to Bob Dylan?" He's almost catatonic up on stage! Once in a great while he'll smile. Think back to a certain Vice Presidential debate: "You're no Jack Kennedy." Likewise, "Stevie's no Paula Abdul," maybe? "Stevie's no Tina Turner?" Stevie's just not a dancer- you've read all those statements from Stevie that people use in their posts: "I came here for a reason. I didn't come here to be a mother. I didn't come here to be a nun. And I did not come here to be a cleaning lady. I came here to be a poet." I don't think we are going to get a lot of change out of her. I'm just glad to see her out there, being happy.

Your criticism of Stevie isn't unfair, and it's not unlike other people have for other performers. I happen to be reading about the Rolling Stones.

Here's just a piece of a review from 1997:

Hold the Ben-Gay: Stones Still Rolling

by Joal Ryan
Sep 24, 1997, 4:20 PM PT

"Mick Jagger was preening; Keith Richards was smoking. Same old, same old for the AARP-eligible members of the Rolling Stones, as the band of fiftysomething rockers kicked off their umpteenth world tour Tuesday in Chicago."

The older rock and roll generation just re-creates what has worked for them; choreography? Never!

Like I said, you make valid remarks. Stevie's just being Stevie. Look at Fleetwood Mac. They have moments of "spontaneity," but mostly it's "all the same, baby, all the same."

I have to agree with this--if we haven't all seen her like 500 times then it wouldn't be so predictable!! Will this stop me from seeing her again if the opportunity arises??? NEVER!!

Amy