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REVIEW: Stevie Nicks at Heritage Bank Center
by Courtney Phenicie
Photo Tony Bailey
Stevie Nicks is one of the most significant feminist icons in rock history. Her entire career is a testament to what it means to be an independent, complex, and powerful woman thriving in a hyper-masculine industry. I am endlessly inspired by her unwavering commitment to take control of her own narrative.
Despite a shoulder injury this summer that forced her to postpone her scheduled August 23rd date at Heritage Bank Center, the 77-year-old songstress, Stevie Nicks, returned to the spotlight, twirling in her signature shawls and delivering her classic hits. The evening at Heritage Bank Center was less a standard concert and more an immersive experience, part musical performance, part "An Evening With Stevie Nicks," where extended, sometimes self-deprecating, anecdotes formed the evening’s rich tapestry.
As the powerhouse singer-songwriter for Fleetwood Mac and a monumental solo artist, Nicks deliberately crafted her ethereal, bohemian stage persona, marked by flowing lace and iconic shawls, as an act of self-assertion. This look was a magnificent refusal to conform to the masculine or overly sexualized uniforms often demanded of women in music, instead choosing to articulate a deep, potent feminine power visually. She taught me that embracing your femininity is an act of strength.
Nicole Atkins opened the evening. Atkins delivered a performance she called the "best 30 minutes of my life," a truly remarkable feat given she received the call to open for Stevie Nicks just three days prior. A captivating old-school torch singer for the modern world, Atkins got the audience up on their feet to participate in a unique Ted Danson slow dance contest. The coveted prize for the winner? A picture of Ted Danson himself! Atkins is certainly no stranger to the spotlight, regularly earning high praise on year-end "best of" lists from major publications like Rolling Stone, NPR, and The New York Times. Her impressive list of collaborators spans musical giants such as Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, David Byrne, Chris Isaak, Spoon, and Elvis Costello. Her performance perfectly showcased why she was chosen by Nicks to open the evening.
One of the evening’s many highlights for the Cincinnati audience was the thoughtful anecdotes Nicks shared before each song. A definite crowd favorite was her retelling of the story behind her classic duet with Tom Petty, "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around," which appeared on her 1981 debut solo album,Bella Donna.
Before playing the tune, Nicks recounted how her producer, Jimmy Iovine, delivered some difficult news when the album was complete: she didn't have a single. Nicks recalled the moment, stating, "There is nothing that anybody can ever say at the beginning of your solo career that can be worse than that, because writing a single is just not that easy.” To solve the problem, Iovine connected her with Tom Petty. Petty generously offered not only to give her a song but also to sing it with her.
She fondly remembered how she laughed about showing up “way overdressed,” she “dressed to the nines” for her first studio session with Petty. She was so nervous and then, of course, knocked the song out of the park in a single take. Nicks offered a heartfelt "Thank you, Tom," before launching into an energetic performance of the song. For the live rendition in Cincinnati, she was joined by her longtime guitarist and music director, Waddy Wachtel, who sang Petty's vocal parts
Later in the show, Nicks recounted recording at Abbey Road for the first time with Harry Styles, switching between memories she’s carried with her all these years. Her emotional tribute to Petty during “Free Fallin'" hit especially hard with the Cincinnati fans.
Nicks' iconic shawls were central to her stage presence and the stories she shared last night. She rotated through her original collection, letting them flow dramatically behind her as she twirled. Nicks has famously described these shawls as "magic." The power of these garments was clear; at one point, when it appeared she was handing one down to the audience, the way I almost dove down to grab it would have shocked you.
As she closed the night, speaking intimately to the Cincinnati crowd at Heritage Bank Center, Nicks acknowledged this profound connection: "As an entertainer, I try to entertain you, but it's like you are also entertaining me at the same time. I have loved being here... you were great, and I appreciate it so much, every minute of it." Offering a heartfelt sign-off that spoke to her timeless spirit, she urged the audience, "Stay well, stay warm, be careful, take care of yourselves. And hope for a new world. A happy world where we can all have fun and laugh and have music, and do all the things we love to do. And dance. Dancing is very important. If you dance, I swear to you that you won't get old."
This final, deeply personal benediction proved that the reigning Queen of Rock and Roll isn't just a legend; she's a luminous spirit still actively sharing her magic. Stevie Nicks is the embodiment of artistic integrity and self-possession, continually showing us all how to command the stage and "stand up and be counted" without compromise
Stevie Nicks wrote 'Landslide' when she was my age. Hearing it live changed me
by Kaycee Sloan
Stevie Nicks has been making music longer than I've been alive, but she has single-handedly gotten me through the most pivotal moments of my life. It's only fitting I got to see the "Gold Dust Woman" herself after hitting my most recent pivotal moment yet...turning 26.
The 77-year-old singer and songwriter returned to Cincinnati, where she "feels very at home," for a sold-out show on Nov. 30 (four days after my birthday). Nicks was originally supposed to play at the Heritage Bank Center on Aug. 23, but the show was rescheduled after she fractured her shoulder.
"Me and my ex-broken shoulder are here to entertain you," she told the crowd. And she did exactly that.
Nicks had the arena spellbound from the moment she stepped onto the stage. Dressed in all-black with a flowy, lace skirt, Nicks glided and twirled across the stage as she sang hits like "Dreams," "Stand Back," "Rhiannon," my all-time favorite, "Edge of Seventeen."
Old or young, it didn't matter. Everyone in the crowd was dressed in Nicks' aesthetic: velvet, fringe, hats with veils and feathers, lace, long flowy skirts, crimped hair and, of course, shawls. It was like I had time-traveled back to the 1970s. Even Nicks' voice seemed to transcend age and capture the angst of her Fleetwood Mac and Bella Donna eras.
Nicks ended her nearly two-hour-long concert by reminding fans to dance because if you dance, you won't get old. Her words, much like her songs, struck me. Getting older is truly a mind trick. Your body ages, sure, and you might not be as quick as you once were, but you're moving, and that's keeping your spirit young, which is exactly what Nicks' concert embodied.
Stevie Nicks revisits classics, pays homage to friends
The "Gypsy" singer performed 13 songs, concluding the show with two encore songs, which happen to be among my favorites, "Rhiannon" and "Landslide."
During the show, she paid tribute to her old friends and musicians. She covered Tom Petty's "Free Fallin'" and performed their duet "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around." As she performed, a slideshow of Rock 'n' Roll's best played behind her. Images of Prince, Tom Petty, Jimi Hendrix, Bob Dylan and more danced across the screen
Although Nicks was playing for us, the concert felt like she was paying homage to her friends and collaborators, and it was evident during "Landslide."
I wasn't around when the song was released, but Nicks gave this performance and the entire concert her all. As she sang the final tune of the night, photos of Nicks and her longtime friend and former Fleetwood Mac bandmate Christine McVie cascaded across the screen (it was the third anniversary of McVie's passing), and I found myself thinking of all the women in my life, especially my mother's side of the family. I've always associated Nicks with them. They're always playing her music and have loads of Fleetwood Mac and Nicks' vinyls (which I now possess).
It doesn't matter what I'm doing, "Landslide" could come on and I will stop in my tracks. The song hits different for me and I'm sure it's a shared experince among most music listeners, especially women, but hearing it live was otherworldly.
It was honestly one of the most impactful moments of my life.
So, 'Can I handle the seasons of my life?'
"Well, I've been afraid of changing 'cause I've built my life around you." Those lyrics alone cause my throat to tighten and tears to well in my eyes. I listen to "Landslide" on my birthday every year as a reminder to embrace myself.
Every year, except this one.
So, it's perfect that the final song was none other than "Landslide," which Nicks famously told The New York Times she wrote in 1973 when she was just 27. Only a year older than I am today.
"I did already feel old in a lot of ways," Nicks told the outlet. "I'd been working as a waitress and a cleaning lady for years. I was tired."
I'm tired and getting older, too, and it seems like no matter what, whenever "Landslide" comes on, I stop. I listen (and most likely sob) and reflect on all that's changing and will change. There are a lot of uncertainties and changes in your 20s, and even though everyone says this is what these years are for, it is exhausting.
It's exhausting not knowing where you'll end up or where life will take you. But you must remind yourself to slow down. There was no particular reason why I didn't listen to "Landslide" on Nov. 26. It didn't happen on purpose, but it might be because this is the first year I felt like my life was bountiful and viewed it as something to be cherished, not discarded.
"Can I handle the seasons of my life?" Hearing these words leave Nicks' lips left me grappling with my own reality. I'm entering a new season of my life. Twenty-six is the age I'll get married, obtain my master's degree (and receive my own health insurance). It's a big change, and to me, this feels like the age adulthood truly begins.
I had grown quite comfortable with the life I was living, but if there's anything Nicks and her songs have taught me, it's that we must change to evolve, and like her, I, too, will not let a landslide stop me.
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