Stevie Nicks - Still rocking, still dreaming

Still rocking, still dreaming, enchantress Nicks delivers

By Lauren Carter/ Music ReviewMonday, June 18, 2007 Boston Herald.com

At 59, Stevie Nicks is still enchanting onstage. And she still has really great outfits.

Nicks’ nearly two-hour set at the Tweeter Center last night proved that rock’s goddess has maintained the illusion of youth, but more important, hasn’t lost the fire that fueled her best work.

Fleetwood Mac classics like “Rhiannon” and “Gold Dust Woman” were dark and ominous, giving Nicks ample time to sway meditatively and charm the crowd with dreamy twirls.

Nicks can play the hard rocker as well as the haunting enchantress, breaking out Tom Petty’s “I Need To Know” and a fiery “Stand Back,” making it clear that Nicks’ silk-and-sandpaper voice has dropped in register, but not intensity.

The night included a mixture of Fleetwood Mac classics and solo hits, from the country-tinged “Enchanted” off her debut album “Bella Donna” to “Dreams” and a hard-rocking “If Anyone Falls,” with longtime guitarist and musical director Waddy Wachtel punctuating the song with a driving guitar riff.

Nicks looked the epitome of mystical cool in a black ruffled waistcoat, skin-tight pants - and those boots. There was plenty of time for wardrobe changes, mostly leading to more black ruffled outfits and gauzy shawls.

The show was well-attended but not sold out, with enough women in top hats and black, flowy garb to signal Nicks’ influence on fashion.

The heavy riff of “Edge of Seventeen” officially closed out the nearly two-hour set, with Nicks making her signature walk around the stage only to return for an encore that included Led Zeppelin’s “Rock and Roll” and a poignant “Beauty and the Beast.”

There was no elaborate set behind Nicks, just a giant screen which displayed dreamy shapes, images of mysterious, beautiful women, and during the soft cascade of “Landslide,” a montage of Nicks through the years with her now-deceased father, Jess Nicks.

At the end of that song, opener Chris Isaak, who provided an alluring but overlong opening set on his last tour date with Nicks, surprised Nicks onstage with a bouquet of flowers, thanking her for being as gracious onstage as she is off.

Tellingly, Nicks also included “Sorcerer” in her set, a song about the “netherland time” after she and then-boyfriend Lindsey Buckingham were dropped from Polydor Records - before they joined Fleetwood Mac and became world-famous rock stars - that she wrote in 1973 but didn’t record until 2001’s “Trouble in Shangri-la.” The song, like Nicks herself, has stood the test of time.

Stevie Nicks and Chris Isaak At the Tweeter Center, Mansfield, last night.

Nicks steps onstage and back in time on new tour

Some stars reflect on past mistakes and claim they wouldn’t change a thing. Not Stevie Nicks.

The rock goddess, who plays the Tweeter Center tomorrow with Chris Isaak, may weave layers of ambiguity through her songs, but she’s straightforward about her desire to erase almost two decades of drug abuse.

Nicks battled a cocaine habit from 1977 to 1986, and almost immediately after, an eight-year addiction to the tranquilizer Klonopin. “I would absolutely do it differently,” Nicks said from a tour stop in New York City. “Cocaine almost ruined my life. And if I hadn’t done Klonopin, I would have made two or three more fantastic albums. I lost most of my 40s to Klonopin and that really makes me mad, because your 40s are great. Maybe that’s why I see through 40-year-old eyes, because I lost my 40s, so I’m trying to get a little of my 40s.

If Nicks is making up for lost time, she’s doing it in style. For her Crystal Visions Tour, the singer/songwriter has a girly new wardrobe that helps her slip into the persona of an ageless rock star even as she creeps toward 60.

“I think you really can feel the age that you want to be depending on where you are, what clothes you’re wearing, what boots you’re wearing, how your hair is. You can really keep yourself in a very youthful place if you want to. And I don’t really want to be 59. I want to be like 40, so I look at my life through 40-year-old eyes when it comes to going on the stage.”

Nicks’ tour supports her new “Crystal Visions” CD/DVD, which celebrates her solo work and with Fleetwood Mac.

Though the Mac roared back with 2003’s “Say You Will,” the groups future hangs in the balance with the departure of keyboardist/singer Christine McVie.

“I was very not inspired by not having Christine on the last tour,” Nicks said. “I miss her more than you could imagine, more than I could have even imagined. So I hope that one of these days, Christine’s going to get up in her English castle and say, ‘I’m bored. I’m going to call Stevie and I’m going to do this Fleetwood Mac thing one more time.’ Because I don’t know if I’ll be happy doing it again without her. It just doesn’t seem right to me.

While another solo album is also a possibility, Nicks is also interested in turning the Welsh mythological stories of Rhiannon into a movie, and making a cartoon out of a story she wrote at age 17 - “So that was like 100 years ago,” she said.

But while Nicks pokes fun at her age and escapes into a younger version of herself onstage, she also embraces growing older.

“In my real life I’m very much aware that I’m 59, because my life’s experience is based on 59 years,” she said. “And that part I really like, because I feel like I’m very wise now. I see mistakes coming and I avoid them. When I was 40, I didnt.”

Stevie Nicks - Stand Back (Terranova & Austin Leeds Remix)

One more Stand Back Remix:

Stevie Nicks - Stand Back (Terranova & Austin Leeds Remix)http://www.evilshare.com/1e140066-6c...b-00a0c993e9d6

Nicks, Isaak: Who's the soft-rock champ?

Clearly, Stevie Nicks and Chris Isaak are at the very least on good terms. It's quite possible they're good buds. They definitely don't hate each other, since they're playing a show together tonight at the Tweeter Center in Camden, N.J.

Even still, we feel like it'd be amusing to pit the two soft-rock titans against each other in a Caribbean Barbed Wire Lumberjack Steel Cage Death Match, just to see who is the true champion of soft rock radio.

Plus, there's not much to write about this week, so here goes.

•Songwriting chops. Edge: Nicks, by a mile. After Stevie moved outside the Fleetwood Mac fold, everyone wondered what she could do without Lindsey Buckingham or Christine McVie there to help as a foil, co-songwriter or musical collaborator. The answer was "Stand Back," "Talk to Me," the classic "Leather and Lace" -- which is a killer cut despite the presence of Don Henley -- not to mention "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around," which she didn't write but made awesome by blending her scratchy vocals with Tom Petty's Florida-flavored faux-Dylan lead vocal. Isaak has, er, "Wicked Game."

•Vocal chops. Edge: Draw. If you go for pure pleasantness of voice, Isaak would be the clear winner. His Elvis-meets-Roy Orbison croon and sneer could make almost any tune a hit. But Nicks' now-weathered pipes still burst with personality, and like Jules Winnfield said in "Pulp Fiction," personality goes a long way.

•Previous band. Edge: Uh, Nicks. Isaak was in a rockabilly band called Silvertone in the mid-1980s.

•Versatility. Edge: Isaak. In addition to being a great singer and decent songwriter, the studly Isaak has appeared in several films, including a brief appearance as a cop who gets duped by Hannibal Lecter in "The Silence of the Lambs." Aside from her soap opera-esque moments in Fleetwood Mac footage, Nicks doesn't act.

•Onstage accessories. Edge: Isaak. He brings the sneer and the greaser-style hairdo, but Isaak isn't really a props kind of guy. Nicks loses here for those weird cape/curtain-type things she hangs from her arms to cover herself up. Why? You go girl.
Although it looks close on paper, Nicks slaughtered the California boy.

Nicks and Isaak will be at the center at 8. Tickets are $25, $45, $79.75 and $125 at www. ticketmaster.com.

Stevies Rockin' the Beige Boots!

Stevie played the PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel, NJ last night (June 12, 2007). Below are a few shots taken by Kelly (softsilverchain). The setlist doesn't seem to ever change, but it appears there are quite a few wardrobe changes on this tour.

Soundscan Sales Update for Crystal Visions

Update on the Soundscan Sales for Crystal Visions.

Date / Chart # / Sales / Total Sales
04/14/07 #21 - 33,944
04/21/07 #52 - 20,884 = 54,828
04/28/07 #49 - 13,384 = 68,212
05/05/07 #71 - 9,687 = 77,899
05/12/07 #73 - 9,531 = 87,430
05/19/07 #91 - 7,829 = 95,259
05/26/07 #116 - 7,421 = 102,680
06/02/07 #138 - 5,535 = 108,215
06/09/07 #131 - 5,705 = 113,920
06/16/07 #108 - 6,558 = 120,478
06/23/07 #152 - 5,212 = 125,690

Stevie Nicks Stand Back EP Released on itunes

A total of 9 Remixes of Stand Back which was a top 5 hit for Stevie Nicks back in 1983 have been released on a 4 track EP and also as single downloads on itunes. The following is available now:

EP: $3.96
1. Morgan Page Edit - 4:30
2. Ralphi's Beefy Retro Radio - 4:30
3. Tracy Takes You Home Mixshow - 6:54
4. Tracy Takes You Home Radio - 3:51

Singles: (sold seperately for 99 cents each)
1. Ralphi's Beefy Retro Mix - 11:11
2. Ralphi's Beefy Retro Edit - 7:30
3. Tracy Takes You Home Dub - 11:32
4. Tracy Takes You Home Mix - 11:26
5. Morgan Page Vox Mix - 7:01

Lindsey Buckingham Live on KLOS 95.5 FM June 5, 2007

Lindsey was interviewed on the Mark and Brian show on KLOS in Los Angeles today. He was interviewed from his home about his current tour in support of Under The Skin and the upcoming shows in the LA area.

http://www.sendspace.com/file/s1t4ik

Stevie Nicks "Vision Quest" Performing Songwriter Article

Daniel over at Stevie-Nicks.INFO typed out the entire article from the June, 2007 edition of Performing Songwriter. Click the picture to be taken to his site and the article...

Stevie Nicks Houston Review June 2, 2007 - Woodlands Pavilion

June 03, 2007
Nicks sends Woodlands fans into a frenzy

Stevie Nicks' book of spells hasn't changed much since her halcyon days as a gypsy rock goddess. But there's a good reason--actually, several decades' worth--why scores of fans still turn out for shows. Nicks' alluring mix of mood and music still weaves considerable magic.
The faithful were there Saturday night at the Woodlands Pavilion. Some in lace, some in shawls and still others in khaki shorts and polo shirts. Several brought flowers. Many scooped up several souvenir shirts and posters as they waited for their queen.

Nicks appeared soon enough, looking trimmer than usual in the requisite black, her blonde hair (still) cascading down her shoulders. She charged through opening number Stand Back and began twirling early in her hour-and-40-minute set, inciting rapturous cheers from the sizable crowd.

The song packed a glossy punch despite being more than two decades old, and it has recently resurfaced via fresh club remixes from DJ Tracy Young. (Coming soon to a dance floor near you, no doubt.)

Fleetwood Mac classics (Dreams, Gold Dust Woman) flowed seamlessly into solo hits (1983's If Anyone Falls) throughout the evening. Nicks has an easy, unfussy grace with her material. It's a familiarity that can only come with time and extensive touring.

She made slight changes to arrangements, and stretched some songs out into formidable showcases for her band and singers.

And for all the otherworldly gypsy drama that marks her image, Nicks comes off surprisingly warm and accessible onstage. Kind of like a really groovy aunt. She thanked the crowd repeatedly for its enthusiasm and chattered casually with her ten-piece band.

A lovely piano intro preceded Rhiannon, which also made time for a quick outfit change. (More flowy black, of course.) Enchanted was a nice change of pace--a jangly, rootsy gem that inspired the title of a 1998 box set.

Nicks introduced Sorcerer as a tune she had written (and demoed) more than three decades ago. It eventually found its way onto 2001's Trouble in Shangri-La, Nicks' last studio disc. The song required more vocal punch than much of the evening's material, and she proved up to the task.

The sly gallop of Gold Dust Woman was like welcoming back a mischevious friend. Images of mystical women and dancing lights flickered on the backdrop.

Nicks described the ubiquitous Landslide as simply being "about family." It still shows no signs of age, and accompanying photos of her late father only added to the tune's bittersweet shimmer.

Extended drum and guitar solos gave way to the sexually charged groove of Edge of Seventeen, the evening's unofficial closer. Nicks disappeared backstage and returned in what looked like schizophrenic wedding wear--a white dress and black tails with fringe. She did her usual meet-and-greet at the foot of stage, making off with several bouquets of flowers and cards.

Led Zeppelin's Rock and Roll was the first of two encores, and a top-hatted Nicks played it like a freewheeling karaoke number. Better was Beauty and the Beast, a dramatic ballad accompanied by arresting black-and-white images from Jean Cocteau's 1946 French film. The stark beauty was matched by Nicks' own soaring vocals, and it proved a captivating closer to a familiar, feel-good set.

Show opener Chris Isaak was crooning and cutting up well before the announced 8 p.m. start time. Many were still mulling over Nicks merchandise and standing in line for beer and nachos.

His 70-minute set teetered toward alt-country, but it was peppered with rock, blues and plenty of wry comedy. He tore the front of his pants early in the evening and jokingly tried to cover the hole with his pink jacket and a stage towel. "The kids are getting scared," Isaak cracked. "Mommy!"

Moody breakout tune Wicked Game drew cheers of familiarity, its guitar still sexy and evocative. And Baby Did a Bad, Bad Thing (famously used in Stanley Kubrick's Eyes Wide Shut) should have been--but wasn't--another monster smash.

Isaak's voice is a wonder: low and smoky one minute, high and piercing the next. He played up the Roy Orbison influence with a sincere take on Only the Lonely and had the crowd singing along to Cheap Trick's I Want You To Want Me. (Both are on a recently issued Best Of collection.)

He tempered the noirish Blue Hotel with a light touch--literally. As his band Silvertone started the song, Isaak sauntered onstage in a discoball suit that reflected light from every angle. It was the perfect encapsulation of Isaak's crazy-sexy-cool credo.

NEW Date added to Stevie's Tour

A new date has been added to the Crystal Visions Tour:

Thursday - July 26th - Paso Robles , CA - Mid-state Fair

Stevie Nicks - Red Rocks Review (Denver Post)

In Nicks of time, Isaak pulls double bill into 2007

By Ricardo Baca
Denver Post Pop Music Critic
The Denver Post
Article Last Updated:05/30/2007 03:21:09 PM MDT

Stevie Nicks - the rock star of few facial expressions - is nowhere near her prime.

The singer-songwriter who gained fame via Fleetwood Mac and furthered her career through a successful solo outing can't help being a little bit of an anachronism.

She's a legend from another decade, and while some of her music stands the test of time, most of it falls into the category of so-1980s. It doesn't help that her witchy wardrobe, including the free-flowing, black get-up she wore Monday night at Red Rocks, looks like something out of an episode of "Electric Company" or "Charmed."

While Nicks has refused to conform to many modern trends, don't ever let her rabid fans hear you call her anything but a goddess. Her fan base is one of those notorious groups - not all that unlike Jimmy Buffet's "Parrotheads" - known for their unconditional love. And as they applauded and worshiped their way through Nicks' co-headlining set Monday night, they failed to recognize the singer's main fault, which is her inability to move into the contemporary realm.

Nicks was one of the great American songwriters, but then she failed to evolve. Songs like "Landslide" and "Stand Back" remain powerful tracks. But as she sang "Stand Back" at the beginning of her set Monday night, the song's aged sentiment was obvious. About an hour into her set, "Landslide" encouraged an impressive singalong, but it was the only song of the night that resonated with any honesty in 2007.

And even then, it was obvious she was just going through the motions.

More entertaining was the always-effervescent Chris Isaak, who co-headlined the evening. His songs "Wicked Game" and "Somebody's Cryin"' were thoughtful meditations on love in the 21st century.

He later covered Cheap Trick's "I Want You To Want Me" and Elvis Presley's "Don't Be Cruel," but they weren't nearly as exciting as his own "Bad Bad Thing" and the humor that littered his set. Isaak, sporting a hot-pink suit and later a mirror suit on Monday, stole the show with his very modern charm and affability.

Nicks, with a ribbony mic stand that looked as if it had been through a long Mardi Gras weekend, was left telling stories about the early '80s. The most modern element of her time on stage was the set-opening intro of a Destiny's Child song that heavily sampled "Edge of Seventeen." That actual song ended up unimpressively closing her set.

Contact pop music critic Ricardo Baca at 303-954-1394 or rbaca@denverpost.com.