Verizon Theatre, Grand Prairie TX -- 8/12/11

[darklinensuit]

Originally Posted by 1sttimelongtime

She said this?? After lambasting Brittney Spears in an interview, when the reporter mentioned that Brittney complained to the audience about her back or knee pain? I believe Stevie's exact words were "You do not tell the audience about your dumbass problems!!"

In any case this doesn't bode well for her next show, which is tonight? Yikes! I hope she doesn't get sick before she comes to NY.

I wouldn't read much into this. I think she was just trying to be funny/clever. It was right after the scolding over the fans taking pics.

- Jake

[Dodfather]

Noooooo!! I can't believe this! I love In Your Dreams, one of the best tracks on the album I think, and so was so thrilled to see her keep it in.For ayone who was there, how was the crowd reaction to it at the opening show? I thought it would really work live, no?

Replaced with Landslide as well. Now asmuch as Ilove that song, and I really do, I think it's time to give it a rest for a while!

[melacine]

Grr, I know some of these songs would probably be dropped by the time I see her next week. This sucks

[CADreaming]

Originally Posted by darklinensuit

I wouldn't read much into this. I think she was just trying to be funny/clever. It was right after the scolding over the fans taking pics.

- Jake

That's the way I read it too. LOL - she's a funny gal.

[Dodfather]

I hope not - we all deserve to see the new songs! I've just thought, perhaps I shouldnt' have posted this? Apologies if this is a "spoiler" for anyone and maybe makes them worry about the setlist for any upcoming shows. I hope others already knew about this though, since it was from last night. Mods - feel free to remove the thread if you want.

[bluefox4000]

Landslide.......ahow disappointing. She should just retire that damn song.

Mick

[tothegypsy]

I don't mind her adding Landslide, but I really wish it didn't have to be at the expense of a track from the new album.

[Dodfather]

Just noticed that this topic is covered in the thread devoted to the actual show. Mods - feel free to merge.

[mezzoforte]

Objectively, I think adding Landslide in was a good call. When people go to a Stevie Nicks concert, they expect to hear "Landslide." Heck, "Landslide" is probably the reason why half of those people go to a Stevie Nicks concert.
For Stevie's sake, though, I wish they'd dropped "Sorcerer" instead. She was so enthusiastic about playing her new songs...

[Dodfather]

Yeah, I'd have no problem dropping Sorcerer instead on In Your Dreams and repolacing it with Landslide.

[The Catdancer]

The general audience wants to hear Landslide but dropping a new song isn't a smart move imo especially one as catchy as IYD. But hey, she's still out there and I for one am happy about that.

[cliffdweller]

Originally Posted by snicksfan85

I have never had a good experience when it comes to Dallas shows. The crowd doesn't want to stand or they get drunk and obnoxious. TISL tour I had lit cigarettes thrown at me because my friends and I stood during Fall From Grace.

I was at that show and received similar treatment when I didn't sit down. That was one of the most hostile shows I've ever been to! One of the assholes behind me said, "take it off or sit down!". Horrible experience to say the least.

[1sttimelongtime]

As far as I'm concerned, she can replace Dreams. I can't remember a single performance of that song. I just totally tune out for that one.

[MacMan]

Originally Posted by darklinensuit

I’ll try to be coherent, though I’m simultaneously tired & hyper from a zillion ice coffees & sugar foods from IHOP after the show, & I need to take out my contacts soon…Not to mention I'm on the inevitable post-concert-Stevie-high…

This was (I think) my 18th Stevie concert, counting Mac shows. My last four before this, I had front-row seats. Tonight I went with my friend Shellie for the 3rd time in a row. Last time we were front row center in Dallas but (supposedly at Lindsey’s request) security let 12 rows up to the stage from the start of the show & we almost lost our spots at the stage. This time I bought Row C by phone because I did not want to gamble that better seats would come up, & I figured if several rows might go up anyway, what do I have to lose. According to the online map of the venue, our seats tonight would be 2nd row, but the Ticketmaster woman insisted they were 3rd row (made sense, considering this was C!). Either way, the map made clear that these two end seats stuck out at an angle, with no seats in front of us, so if we had to rush the stage, we might not have to hurt/maim anyone. Always thinking of others, I am.

The venue at Grand Prairie is indeed interesting. Once there, we realized that Row A is only in the very center section (of 5 sections). So in our section (next one from center), we were 2nd row (since 1st row is B), but because no seats were in front of us, and our seats were angled, we were as close to the stage as the Row A people of the center section. Score! Nice surprise. Happy dance. Happy text message to Livia. Let the heavenly chorus of Street Angels sing.

This venue has the lowest stage I’ve ever seen at an indoor venue for a Stevie show – about hip-high. As a result, Stevie’s mic was pretty far back from the edge of the stage. The stage was easily climb-able, & perhaps this is why nobody was allowed up to the stage until Edge.

Air conditioning was on high, meaning I was fine, but the TX natives around me were freezing their Lone Star assets off for the first time in all this miserable summer.
Shellie got a margarita for sixteen freakin’ bucks (now we know how they afford the a/c bill). Glad I’m not a drinker. I am, however, a pee-er, so in fairness I will note my appreciation of the clean & spacious men’s restroom.

The official camera people kept filming while standing or kneeling right in front of us (I mean in our ticket section, not the men’s restroom of the last paragraph, just to be clear), which was a bit obnoxious. Hopefully this will not be a problem for people attending other shows. The camera people seemed to want to film Lori & Sharon especially from low angles, and given the two singers’ pleasantly ample frontal curves, I’m doubtful that any camera could ever get a shot of their faces from down there. But I digress from their work, their voices...

As many fans have experienced, normally in the front-pit we can’t hear our own voices for all the noise from the speakers up by the stage, but tonight the volume was not loud at all. Lori and Sharon were almost completely inaudible, at least where we were seated. I could see their mouths moving but heard nothing at all of their vocals during most songs. That was a first for me; if anything, the traditional complaint has been that they sometimes drown out Stevie. Lori turned around to correct the sound people during almost every song, and Stevie did at least once as well. Could not tell if they were part of the solution or the problem. Sound for the whole band was especially off during much of “Annabel Lee” and part of GDW.

Security was probably the tightest I have ever seen at a show, & I’ve seen some doozies. Yes, the pit crowd seemed shockingly tame, but at least part of that seemed to be the result of security pouncing on people to sit or put down their cameras. It was almost comical, with people sitting upright at attention, like they were being graded, at least in the first rows.

Now a lengthy moment for some petty venting that will have little interest to anybody but me, but I'll indulge anyway. Blame IHOP.
As always, I made a point to talk with security before the show to see if & when we might be permitted to get to the stage. They knew nothing about the Edgewalk & whatever, but kindly offered to let us be the 1st to know once anybody was allowed up. Awesome. Then our security people switched spots with another security person, who sat right next to me. She was pretty militant about her job, she soon made clear. I used my camera phone only discretely & sneakily, sort of like that uptight woman in the film Trading Places who sprays perfume on the guy next to her at the police station while pretending to be doing nothing. When Edge was about to start, this security woman told us (when I asked) that we would be allowed up only AFTER this song. The song started, the other sections (to our left) immediately piled up at the stage, and we ran up. Right away, she pulled us back. I argued with her, holding my temper despite the fact that our area (the right third) of the stage was completely empty, while the other side was full of fans. She insisted that SHE made the rules for HER section & that other security staff people were responsible for THEIR sections.

I was furious – why would I pay for those seats if I could not participate in the walk – and why leave that whole part of the stage empty when others who paid what we paid were getting favorable treatment, just because they had lucked out with more docile security people? She & I went back & forth like this several times, with me attempting to be nice while conveying the absurdity of this situation & explaining that the Edgewalk is something Stevie always does to connect with her fans - in other words, it was not just an attempt by me to get close to a rock star who wanted fans kept at a distance.

Finally giving up on banging my head against this wall of a human being, I walked back to Shellie & told her that we would rush the stage once Stevie got to our area for the walk – even if it meant we’d get thrown out before “Love Is”. To add insult to injury, an audience member came from the far left side, stood at our part of the stage, & turned to us with a big grin. Great, now we were losing our own ground to people who were defecting from the lenient security areas. For those minutes I did not enjoy Edge & kept saying to Shellie how angry I was – I could understand if the policy were consistent, but this was bull.

When the actual Edgewalk started, a few people from our section rushed up. We followed, hesitantly, and looked to our dear security person for approval (Stevie was way at the other end & we did not want to get pulled away too soon – our plan had been to rush at the exact moment Stevie was near us). The security woman now just stared off into the crowd, pretending not to see anything that was happening. Smart move, if a little late.

Long story less-long, I got to grasp hands with Stevie again, thank her, & tell her I loved her. (How original. Sue me. My mood had gone from very dark to gleeful in a flash.) This was the first time where I felt that she lingered for a moment to make eye contact with me, so that was a special moment. I also got a smile from Lori (yes, I noticed her face, even if the camera guys apparently did not).

Stevie has definitely lost weight. For those who care, she wore those black boots with the heels throughout the night & I did not notice her having any problems with the dread falling leg warmers. At the end of “Stand Back”, she announced that she has had the red shawl since 1976. Yeah, Stevie fans will applaud anything.

As I have mentioned here in the past, I am a weirdo magnet, especially if not only at Stevie shows. During the opening act, one interesting woman was screaming from several rows back that she loves Michael Grimm. For reasons we may never fathom, our security guy (this was before they switched) let her come up, stand right against my side, & scream (almost in my ear!) at the stage between songs that she loves him & is his biggest fan & even voted for him to win on “America’s Got Talent”. (Yes, she apparently thought she was the deciding vote for this national show. Clearly I was in the presence of greatness.) Michael stopped, looked at her, & then said nothing – just went on to play another song. At the end of his set she made her way back to the front (like I said, security was unreasonably strict only for most of us) & tried to demand that the crew get her an autograph from him because she voted for him on AGT. Fail.

At the end of Stevie’ set, another woman, right next to me, demanded one of the song lists from the crew. Rather than take no for an answer, she called the crew names & then laughingly said that she had cancer (so that she could get a list), smirking at me & Shellie. WTH is wrong with people?

Stevie’s comments about hating the picture-taking came right after she made a point to welcome a guy who had arrived in a wheelchair for that section. She wanted to make sure he was “comfy,” & that the rest of us in the audience were, too. She then said that she wanted the people right there to stop holding cameras up at her while she’s singing because this “throws her off” the words to her songs. She explained how it’s like being filmed while unwrapping gifts on your birthday or something to that effect. Some people clapped. Then she made an awkward transition to “Sorcerer” by saying that this is now how she feels, tired, thirsty, & miserable.

After “Stand Back”, Stevie referred to terrible winds last night at Sturgis. She said she was sure the whole stage would fall over & blow away. Later, after “Rhiannon”, she said she now realizes she kind of misses performing with all the wind from last night.

Now a few thoughts about some of the songs…

Stand Back – I am NOT sick of this as the opener. SO much better than OTR or SDMHA or “Enchanted”.

Secret Love – Unless I missed it, she did not do most of the annoying mime moves. Thank you, whoever has been reading the Ledge & redirecting her in this department.

Rhiannon – I can’t specify what’s different about the mix this time, but it sounded far better tonight than on the last few tours.

Leather and Lace – Decent. The voice teacher sounds a little like George Michael, I think. Then again, the sound was not great, so maybe he sounds like Tiny Tim? Stevie said his mom was in the audience.

Landslide – Gave the old intro about her dad thinking the song is about him. During the song they played family photos & clips from the “Sometimes It’s a Bitch” video.

Love Is – I’ve never been a fan of the song, but she sang it beautifully tonight.

Moonlight – Much better live than I expected. Vocal sounded more nuanced & less hoarse than at the Wiltern or Red Rocks, if Youtube gives any indication.

Soldier’s Angel – This blew everybody away. THE song of the tour. One of the best live vocals I have ever heard from her. She really gave it her all. Lindsey's absence hurt the song not a bit. I’ll be shocked & disappointed if she drops this one from her set. The screen showed photos of soldiers’ graves & coffins draped with the American flag. Afterwards, she asked fans to donate at least five bucks to USO or another charity to help soldiers.

That’s it for now. Thanks for a fun night, Stevie. Your voice alone was worth the price of admission tonight. Your beauty & charm make up for the aggravation of crazy security.


- Jake

Great review Jake, felt like I was there... Laughed out loud a couple of time...

[markolas]

It was a great show. My first time seeing Stevie and my jadedness completely vanished the minute she came on stage. I was indifferent to her dropping IYD in favor of Landslide but if she had to drop a new song that would be the one I would have picked. Loved her telling off the guys filming her. Did not love sitting behind a woman with her hair teased up six inches above her head. Stevie sang the hell out of Soldiers Angel. Also she sounds much better in person than in those YouTube vids.