Rock A Little Tour Stories...

[nailatixela]

If you went to see Stevie during the Rock A Little tour, post here! Tell us anything you remember from that night...share your stories with us all. RAL is my personal favorite era of live Stevie.

"I wasn't going to talk on this tour. But I have to tell you something very special. They asked me when they were making my tour, where do I want to start. And I said - Houston!"

Here's the opening night setlist, though some stuff was dropped later on. (like Gypsy, Sara, Gold Dust Woman)

Gold Dust Woman
Outside the Rain
Dreams
Talk to Me
I Need to Know
No Spoken Word
Sara
Beauty and The Beast
I Can't Wait
Gypsy
Leather and Lace
Stand Back
Stop Draggin' My Heart Around
How Still My Love
Edge of Seventeen
Rhiannon
HAEWAFY


So please share your stories if you got to see any of the dates on this tour.

[AliceLover]

I wasn't there, but my mother went to the Boston show and she said Stevie was an absolute mess. She doesn't remember much, but she says that Stevie kept tossing her head back during ICW and almost fell off the stage a bunch of times.

[HejiraNYC]

Originally Posted by AliceLover

I wasn't there, but my mother went to the Boston show and she said Stevie was an absolute mess. She doesn't remember much, but she says that Stevie kept tossing her head back during ICW and almost fell off the stage a bunch of times.

I can vouch for that- Mama was a hot mess during her show at the Capitol Center in Largo, MD. From where I sat, she was a blur of chiffon and frizzy hair with all the head banging, even during the slower numbers. And she basically vamped throughout the entire show- every other line had a "well" or "baby" inserted into it. So it was such a surprise to see the stoic, mummified-but-living-corpse of Stevie just one year on the TITN tour.

[CADreaming]

Originally Posted by HejiraNYC

...every other line had a "well" or "baby" inserted into it.

Thought that was normal...

[watchdevil17]

I saw Stevie for the RAL tour in Baton Rouge. I brought a pastel portrait I made of her and gave it to Christopher to give to her and he did. He then said she wanted to meet me. I was only 17 at the time so you can imagine how freaked out I was. I was taken to her dressing room where she sat holding my sketch! Apparently she had an issue with how I had depicted her eye makeup. She then taught me how she did her's by applying eyeliner to me! I swear it was so surreal. She then wrote me a lovely poem on my RAL tourbook. I hugger her and kissed her cheek goodbye. Her managers escorted me out to a hallway where I got to met Waddy and Sharon. Then I was able to hang out and watch the show with Rebecca Alvarez backstage. It was awesome!

[nailatixela]

Originally Posted by watchdevil17

I saw Stevie for the RAL tour in Baton Rouge. I brought a pastel portrait I made of her and gave it to Christopher to give to her and he did. He then said she wanted to meet me. I was only 17 at the time so you can imagine how freaked out I was. I was taken to her dressing room where she sat holding my sketch! Apparently she had an issue with how I had depicted her eye makeup. She then taught me how she did her's by applying eyeliner to me! I swear it was so surreal. She then wrote me a lovely poem on my RAL tourbook. I hugger her and kissed her cheek goodbye. Her managers escorted me out to a hallway where I got to met Waddy and Sharon. Then I was able to hang out and watch the show with Rebecca Alvarez backstage. It was awesome!

Wow, how amazing! And Stevie's eye makeup was interesting on this tour. LOL I think she fired the makeup artist and did it herself. That's really wild that you got to share that moment with her. What did you think of her when you first met her?

Do you mind sharing the poem she wrote for you?

[Bubba Fleetwood]

Originally Posted by watchdevil17

I saw Stevie for the RAL tour in Baton Rouge. I brought a pastel portrait I made of her and gave it to Christopher to give to her and he did. He then said she wanted to meet me. I was only 17 at the time so you can imagine how freaked out I was. I was taken to her dressing room where she sat holding my sketch! Apparently she had an issue with how I had depicted her eye makeup. She then taught me how she did her's by applying eyeliner to me! I swear it was so surreal. She then wrote me a lovely poem on my RAL tourbook. I hugger her and kissed her cheek goodbye. Her managers escorted me out to a hallway where I got to met Waddy and Sharon. Then I was able to hang out and watch the show with Rebecca Alvarez backstage. It was awesome!

Well......I was going to post mine but.......who can top that !!!!!!

[daniellaaarisen]

Originally Posted by watchdevil17

I saw Stevie for the RAL tour in Baton Rouge. I brought a pastel portrait I made of her and gave it to Christopher to give to her and he did. He then said she wanted to meet me. I was only 17 at the time so you can imagine how freaked out I was. I was taken to her dressing room where she sat holding my sketch! Apparently she had an issue with how I had depicted her eye makeup. She then taught me how she did her's by applying eyeliner to me! I swear it was so surreal. She then wrote me a lovely poem on my RAL tourbook. I hugger her and kissed her cheek goodbye. Her managers escorted me out to a hallway where I got to met Waddy and Sharon. Then I was able to hang out and watch the show with Rebecca Alvarez backstage. It was awesome!

That might be the coolest thing ever.

Sigh. I agree with all the other questions posted-- tell us more!

[petep9000]

Originally Posted by HejiraNYC

I can vouch for that- Mama was a hot mess during her show at the Capitol Center in Largo, MD. From where I sat, she was a blur of chiffon and frizzy hair with all the head banging, even during the slower numbers. And she basically vamped throughout the entire show- every other line had a "well" or "baby" inserted into it. So it was such a surprise to see the stoic, mummified-but-living-corpse of Stevie just one year on the TITN tour.

All that vamping and "well" and "baby" just added a spontaneity and passion which made it so compelling. I just wonder why it takes coke and booze to make someone that loose on stage. Is Stevie naturally a performer who holds back, and everything we saw up until 1986 merely an illusion fueled by the chemicals she took?

[wheart]

Originally Posted by petep9000

All that vamping and "well" and "baby" just added a spontaneity and passion which made it so compelling. I just wonder why it takes coke and booze to make someone that loose on stage. Is Stevie naturally a performer who holds back, and everything we saw up until 1986 merely an illusion fueled by the chemicals she took?

I think thefire and passion and downright craziness of Stevie's performances during the RAL tour were caused by a combination of things. She was still suffering from the loss of Robin, her failed relationships with Joe Walsh and Jimmy Iovine, her now out of control drug addiction and lastly, her seemingly boundless rise to fame, first in FM and now as a solo artist. I think the RAL album and subsequent tour were a culmination of all these things, and probably a few more. The Bella Donna touring Stevie seems almost sedate compare to the RAL version. I can't help but think that this was all part of the plan, that Stevie set out to make this tour over the top. She was doing what she loved and her dreams had come true in a big, big way. However, along with that joy she was dealing with a lot of pain and heartbreak. Perhaps she was also acutely aware that her partying days were nearing their end and she wanted to go out "with a bang".