The Stevie Nicks Concert Experience.....eh? not so much

[mikephxaz]

A quick question....I have followed the tours of Stevie / FleewoodMac for decades...I've seen her perform in venues ranging from Stadiums to local nightclubs, Las Vegas showrooms to a neighborhood ice hockey areana.
I love Stevie and her music has been the soundtrack to my life. It seems to me that her peers i.e. Tom Petty, Paul McCartney, RollingStones, Rod Stewart and on and on have decided to give their concert going fans more of a theatrical experience. Not all of them have done the Vegas spectacular production of Stewart. Instead, Paul McCartney's simple use of videos was beautiful...nostalgic...it added to the history and depth of the song. Petty's lighting system was stuning. After years of Stevie's concerts, the same ole black dresses and years of safe concert setlists...isn't it time she explores a stage and technology that represents an icon of her status.

[fumidesigns]

Very true! She needs some new funk on that stage....

What could she do? Suggestions?

[BTFLCHLD]

I personally have decided to forgo seeing stevie; indio, vegas, LA and all points in between. All my pennies are now dedicated to Lindsey Buckingham SOLO. I know he brings the good stuff PLUS the new stuff. Stevie and I stress her BAND are stagnant in bringing new music to the stage and I don't anticipate late rehearsals learning then perfecting IYD.

[FM77]

Originally Posted by mikephxaz

A quick question....I have followed the tours of Stevie / FleewoodMac for decades...I've seen her perform in venues ranging from Stadiums to local nightclubs, Las Vegas showrooms to a neighborhood ice hockey areana.
I love Stevie and her music has been the soundtrack to my life. It seems to me that her peers i.e. Tom Petty, Paul McCartney, RollingStones, Rod Stewart and on and on have decided to give their concert going fans more of a theatrical experience. Not all of them have done the Vegas spectacular production of Stewart. Instead, Paul McCartney's simple use of videos was beautiful...nostalgic...it added to the history and depth of the song. Petty's lighting system was stuning. After years of Stevie's concerts, the same ole black dresses and years of safe concert setlists...isn't it time she explores a stage and technology that represents an icon of her status.

For one thing, a Stevie Nicks tour does not generate the revenue of any of the acts you mentioned above. Theatrics and staging all cost lots of money. I think its a big reason you don't see that. Also, she doesn't do a huge setlist like those acts either...it's a smaller show. I agree, she should open up that catalogue and COMPLETELY revamp that tired set list. I've always thought she should do an unplugged segment within her show and do stuff like Long Distance Winner, Bella Donna etc...acoustic. Her fans would faint.

[Phoenix]

Originally Posted by FM77

For one thing, a Stevie Nicks tour does not generate the revenue of any of the acts you mentioned above. Theatrics and staging all cost lots of money. I think its a big reason you don't see that. Also, she doesn't do a huge setlist like those acts either...it's a smaller show. I agree, she should open up that catalogue and COMPLETELY revamp that tired set list. I've always thought she should do an unplugged segment within her show and do stuff like Long Distance Winner, Bella Donna etc...acoustic. Her fans would faint.

I'd LOVE an acoustic version of Bella Donna, I think it could turn out really nice. When she did the acoustic 3 song set on the enchanted tour that was phenomenal

[upontheventura]

I feel bad saying this but I have not paid to see Stevie since 2001.

I find her voice/performances VERY hit or miss. Her band bores me. The setlist bores me. But when she is ON, there is no one like her.

Everything just sounds the same. My memories of 1998 are good enough for me.

[mikephxaz]

Originally Posted by Phoenix

I'd LOVE an acoustic version of Bella Donna, I think it could turn out really nice. When she did the acoustic 3 song set on the enchanted tour that was phenomenal

An acoustical segment is absolutely one of those moments that are never forgotten...I have never been a big Beatles fan but I will NEVER forget the simple videos that Paul McCatney played...the videos told stories of the "times" of the beatles...their history...Stevie has a rich history..her story could be told on the bigscreen....Fritz, BN, Fleetwood Mac, Good times, bad times...her early days in San Fran...images and videos dont cost much but they "fill" an arena and evoke emotions that can enhance a sad song or provactive images can add to a rukus and fun of rock and roll song I don't believe for a second that Stevie cant get creative and create lasting images for very little money. Cher's tour was very effective at telling her story...the concert even started with a video of Cher 's history and the crowd was aching for Cher to come out after the video.... I believe the reason why Stevie doesnt do this is not about money but, instead, the same reason she rarely plays with her set list...shes scared too. Seeing her recently perform with Rod is a perfect example of how she is more rigid and he throws caution to wind....

[FM77]

I get what you are saying...but would a cool video at the beginning of the show make up for a stagnant set-list? Cher is a tough comparison too because not only did she have a weekly TV show with AMAZING guests, she had a movie career too. Her performance history lends itself to that kind of iconic video--like the Beatles. She has played that video during Landslide and I don't think it is that moving. Just my opinion. It could have been done better.

[mikephxaz]

Originally Posted by FM77

I get what you are saying...but would a cool video at the beginning of the show make up for a stagnant set-list? Cher is a tough comparison too because not only did she have a weekly TV show with AMAZING guests, she had a movie career too. Her performance history lends itself to that kind of iconic video--like the Beatles. She has played that video during Landslide and I don't think it is that moving. Juts my opinion. It could have been done better.

FM77 I am in complete agreement about the landslide video...what a missed opportunity....it feels like it was done by chris down in a basement....I don't know that I agree that Stevies iconic history could come up with four minutes of video clips and images of her with as a child, then Fritz, the rarity clips of fleetwood, behind the scenes during bella donna...on oprah, rosie, letterman, leno, Ellen, Midnight special, Saturday night live taco spoof, singing with the president, her and dave stewart, her with bob dillon, her with don henley, her with sheryl crow, her with kenny loggins, her with tom petty, her and rod stewart, her with taylor swift, and on and on and on....she could certainly showcase her "legend" in a four minute video to ramp up the crowd before the concert and come out and kick some butt

[Tango]

Originally Posted by FM77

I get what you are saying...but would a cool video at the beginning of the show make up for a stagnant set-list? Cher is a tough comparison too because not only did she have a weekly TV show with AMAZING guests, she had a movie career too. Her performance history lends itself to that kind of iconic video--like the Beatles. She has played that video during Landslide and I don't think it is that moving. Juts my opinion. It could have been done better.

At NOTS this year, Travis played some great/edited video that was extremely well received on the big screen. People were cheering at the screen as if Stevie was there performing. I don't think it would make up for the stagnant set-list, but such a showing would charge the performance up a few notches. I don't think Stevie has to do an Elton John/Vegas/Red Piano/David LaChapelle stage set up (things "flying in the air'), but she could do something with the stage to promote the new album. (the stage was pretty cool during TISL) Watching the sizzle reel makes it clear someone in the camp has imagination.

[ragandbone]

I really liked the video work in Stevie's set at recent the Hollywood Bowl show. I don't actually recall the lighting, so I guess that means it was...forgettable. I missed the first part of the show, though, and there was a commotion in the seats in front of where I was standing, so that distracted me a bit.

I agree that the Petty shows have great lighting design, and he just puts on an engaging show over all— secular church.

[louielouie2000]

Originally Posted by BTFLCHLD

I personally have decided to forgo seeing stevie; indio, vegas, LA and all points in between. All my pennies are now dedicated to Lindsey Buckingham SOLO. I know he brings the good stuff PLUS the new stuff. Stevie and I stress her BAND are stagnant in bringing new music to the stage and I don't anticipate late rehearsals learning then perfecting IYD.

I agree with absolutely every letter of this. Lindsey will be the only one getting my pennies for live performances from here out.

...unless Christine decides to tour again. But we all know that isn't going to ever happen.

[ragandbone]

Originally Posted by louielouie2000

I agree with absolutely every letter of this. Lindsey will be the only one getting my pennies for live performances from here out.

...unless Christine decides to tour again. But we all know that isn't going to ever happen.

That is how I feel about large concert venues in general; I stopped paying to go to stadium shows decades ago, and I always have the best experiences in small venues. The Petty show I saw at the Greek (with some Ledgies) was the first stadium show I had been to since the 80's. That said, I got an opportunity to visit a friend at the bowl show, and so no pennies were paid.
I really wanted to go to that LB show, but I had to leave LA and get back home.

(thanks so much to the people who taped and posted some of the show at Saban!)

[michelej1]

Looking at Rod's set, my eyes were arrested by the movement and colors, the trumpet heralding the coming of his most famous song, but I didn't think to myself, "I wish the Mac would do something like this!" It was like Disneyland and it was about entertainment rather than the music. Music is and should be entertaining, but Rod showed me the difference between diversion and feeling and he actually made me appreciate the simplicity of Stevie's set even more.

It's not like Do Ya Think I'm Sexy is full of great pathos, but when I listen to the studio version, I do imagine two hesitant, shy people coming together and it's touching. His performance takes any emotion out of the song and he does the same thing with deeper songs, like Downtown Train, breezily stripping it of any meaning.

It feels cheap. Cher touched me with her Vegas show because she used full stage video of Sonny singing It's The Little Things, I was moved and grateful, but that's because it felt so personal. Costume changes, dancers and special effects leave me cold. I didn't feel that way when I was a kid going to see Michael Jackson, but now I do.

The only thing I would like Stevie to adopt are two things from Tom Petty's show:

1. A call and answer sing along with the audience (learning to fly is the hardest part)

2. And the strobe light dance she did, where the on-off flash of the lights made it look like she was frenzily dancing up a storm. I would love for her to do that for one of her own shows.

Other than that, I'm liking it simple. Michele

[Crystal_Elle]

Originally Posted by mikephxaz

An acoustical segment is absolutely one of those moments that are never forgotten...I have never been a big Beatles fan but I will NEVER forget the simple videos that Paul McCatney played...the videos told stories of the "times" of the beatles...their history...Stevie has a rich history..her story could be told on the bigscreen....Fritz, BN, Fleetwood Mac, Good times, bad times...her early days in San Fran...images and videos dont cost much but they "fill" an arena and evoke emotions that can enhance a sad song or provactive images can add to a rukus and fun of rock and roll song I don't believe for a second that Stevie cant get creative and create lasting images for very little money. Cher's tour was very effective at telling her story...the concert even started with a video of Cher 's history and the crowd was aching for Cher to come out after the video.... I believe the reason why Stevie doesnt do this is not about money but, instead, the same reason she rarely plays with her set list...shes scared too. Seeing her recently perform with Rod is a perfect example of how she is more rigid and he throws caution to wind....

So I saw Cher's show in Vegas too many times to count (I'm kinda obsessed with her too). Yes the show had some great videos, staging, and visuals. BUT we saw more video footage than we actually saw Cher onstage. After every song Cher would go change outfits, so we'd see a video. Cher also only stuck to her hits and covers and never really added anything to make us fans go nuts. I kinda see that happening with Stevie's set. I do realize that Cher probably did that because the average person coming to see her at Caesar's was not a diehard fan. So she had to do the songs they would have the best chance of knowing. Thus they would have a better concert experience and leave satisfied. At Stevie's shows she really doesn't have to do this. Most of the time (except for casinos bc they give away so many tickets to non fan high rollers) it's her true fans who are there to see her.

My overall rambling point is that I'd hate for Stevie to start showing a bunch of videos as filler for the show. But, she does need to add to visuals and spruce things up a bit. I'm not asking for dancers or anything crazy, just a few changes. These new shoes are a prime opportunity to show some behind the scenes footage of the recording of her new album. Some people in the audience might not even know she has a new album out.

End rant/novel.