[The Nicks Fix]

July 21, 1998: Fiddler's Green - Denver, CO

from Deanna D.
Thought I'd throw my two cents in about the Denver show last nite. It was wonderful, of course. I had 16th row center seats and attended with me mum. :) I was the redhead in the purple Rockies rain poncho.

I knew it would be a memorable show, and it was. To all the people attending this show who might be reading this...I apologize for the rainstorm..It was my fault. Every time I attend a show, some horrible weather phenomenon happens. Last year at a concert, I got hailed on so hard my head still has dents! I'm jinxed! We've had a dry heat spell for the last two weeks--the concert weather? About 65 degrees and clouds and rain. Hmmm.

During Boz's set (which got rave reviews from mom-I thought he was pretty good) it started sprinkling, so we whipped out the ponchos. It was raining pretty hard by the time Stevie got out (yes, they do get her out there in a hurry--don't go anywhere!). After "Rain/Dreams" she clutched her chest and said "Bless all of you for being out here in this! You are truly blessed." Later she said "I wish I could make this (rain) stop. See..I don't have those powers after all!!!"

During Gold Dust Woman is when the trouble began. During the middle of the song, the massive speaker tower at stage left went crazy with feedback, and went supernova (read: superloud). Stevie could hear this, and swung around to see what was the matter..and shrugged it off with a smile. Then, all of their overhead lights went out. Stevie was standing there in the dark with just a follow spot on her. She smiled and kept on, and the crowd cheered. As the song dwindled toward its close, the lights came on. It was then I noticed that Kevin was throwing a fit about something--smacking the keyboard, looking at the roadies..gesturing wildly...he had lost power to the organ! Actually, several band members lost power. Good thing it's just Stevie and the percussion at the end of this one, because that's all there was left! I have to say that the distractions kind of ruined the mood of the song for me!

After the song ended, Stevie apologized and said that they'd keep going, when someone leaned in and told her half the band didn't have instruments...so she corrected herself and said that we'd have to wait a few minutes until they restored the power. She said that if they didn't get it back up soon, they'd do an acoustic set!! :) We've been having a record heatwave here making power unstable. I imagined the horror if they canceled the show. Yikes.

After about a 10 minute delay she came back and said that they were ready to continue. She went into explaining her "Trilogy" stories, saying she better hurry up and talk in case we lose power again. She handled this whole mess very gracefully. After this the rain stopped completely, and we had no more problems. No other out-of-the-ordinary things to mention, other than that it was a near-sellout, and the whole front section crowd down was on their feet the whole time-except we lost a few people during ?"Twisted" of all songs. ? Only lasted about 1/2 a song, though. The crowd was definitely on the older, more well-behaved side. I'm proud of these people. They cheered and danced happily througout the entire show and didn't make idiots of themselves. Stevie seemed to respond very well to us and seemed genuinely happy. At the shaking-of the-hands, I did notice that not many people gave her gifts. Only 2 if I remember right. Mostly just hands. "Has Anyone" was my favorite. It was so moving to see her up there alone with the breeze blowing through her hair-singing so genuinely. I was touched.

I've read several reviews where folks say she's much better than last year with FM and I didn't believe that was possible. It was. She was absolutely wonderful. I have not heard her sound that good!!!! Needless to say, my mom-just an average Stevie fan-was blown away. After the show she was asking me questions about her the whole way home! If you don't have tickets-keep trying!! The man next to me (thanks for the binocs!) bought his that day! Cheers!


from little16
IT's 12:15 PM,HERE IN DENVER COLORADO,TONIGHT WAS VERY EXCITING.NOT ONLY WAS STEVIE PLAYING BUT IT WAS MY BIRTHDAY. WHAT A WOUNDERFUL ENCHANTING GIFT, ME AND MY BABY SISTER,WHICH I TOOK IN PLACE OF MY HUSBAND,WHICH COULD'NT MAKE IT. IT WAS HERE BIRTHDAY TO,SIX YEARS LATER,THEN MINE.ANY WAY BACK TO THE CONCERT WE ARIVED AT SIXTHIRTY.FOUND HOUR SEATS.THERE IN SECTION 1 ROLL KK EXCELLET SEATING.NOT TO CLOSE TO THE STAGE.11 ROWS BACK .BUT WAS RIGHT IN THEY MIDDLE ABLE. TO SEE EVERY THING GOING ON UP THERE WITH MY NACKED EYE.HAVE HAD BETTER SEATS IN THE PAST YEARS WHITH FLEETWOOD MAC.AND ALSO SOLO.FROM 2ND TO 6TH ROWS.BUT THIS WAS VERY ENJOYING TO.FIRST BOZZ SKAGGS CAME OUT,ABOUT 7:00PM.HE WAS ENJOYING DID'NT KNOW BUT 4 SONGS,NICE GUITER PLAYING GOT DOWN IN MY SENCE OF MINE. ALL THEY MEMBERS WERE GREAT TOO.LENNY CASTRO HELP OUT ON BOZZ GEG.BUT YOU KNOW WHO WE WANTED TO SEE THEY ENCHANTRISTED HERSELF.[STEVIE NICK]SHE CAME OUT WHITH OUTSIDE THE RAIN.WHICH IT WAS RAINING ALL THE WAY TILL AFTER DREAMS.WHICH SHE QUOTED I WHICH IT WOULD STOP SEE I DON,T HAVE THE POWERSTO STOP IT.AFTER DREAMS THEY DID HAVE TO STOP PLAYING FOR A FEW .DO TO LOSE OF POWER.STEVIE WAS VERY SORRY THAT THIS HAD HAPPEND.SHE DID'NT LEAVE THE STAGE AT ALL.SHE STADED THAT SE'LL HANG OUT WHITH US.POWER BACK ON. SHE DID THREE SONG'S THAT WERE DEARING,THE TIME WHEN GOING TO HOLLEYWOOD.BACK WHEN BUCKINGHAM/NICKS.WAS MADE SCARED,NERVIS,DID'T KNOW WHATWAS GOING TO HAPPEN,MAKE IT OR NOT.THEY THREE SONGS WHERE AFTER THE GLITTER FADES,GARBO,ROSE GARDEN.THIS CONCERT WAS VERY DIFFERT FROM OTHER'S SHE WAS MUCH INTO THE CONCERT GOERS,SHE DID ALOT OF TALKING TO US .HAD TO STOP HERSELF.AND GO BACK TOO WHAT SHE WAS THERE FOR.IT WAS GREAT SHE NEVERD DID THIS BEFORE,IT WAS NICE SHE HAD MORE TO DO WITH US.THEN TO JUST GET THROUGH THE NIGHT.SHE ROCKED THE PLACE DOWN.FROM START TO FINISH.FROM THE SLOW TO THE POWERFUL TO SONG'S THAT PEPOLE HAVE'T HERED EXCEPT AT A BLINK OF A EYE.[TWISTED,SLEEPING ANGEL.] SHE WAS GREAT BEAUTYFUL IN EVERY MOMENT,[HER VOICE,MOVEMENT AROUND THE STAGE.]SHOWED THAT SHE CAN STILL ROCK IF NOT BETTER.WHAT WAS GREAT WAS ONCE AGAIN SHE DID SONG'S NEVER DONE BEFORE ON STAGE.AND MOST OF THE GREATS,[STAND BACK,EDGE OF SEVENTEEN,RHIANNON,]REALY EVER SONG THAT HAS BEEN WRITTEN AND SONG,AND THOSE THAT ARE STILL IN WHATING.SHE'LL ALWAYS BE THE GREATIST.THIS WAS THE BEST.WISH IT NEVER ENDED,BUT I KNOW THAT SHE'LL BE BACK.AND IT WILL JUST BE AS GOOD.IF NOT SHE'LL ALWAY'S BE THE QREEN OF ROCK AND ROLL.SHE HAS THE MAJIC TO TURN A GLUMMY NIGHT INTO A BEAUTYFUL,ENCHATING EVENING.
from Roxanna Winslow
We had second row seats and were able to see my Stevie as close as I could ever dream! There was a family in front of us with two daughter,s about age 13 and 3. The thirteen year old had a sign that said "HI STEVIE, MY NAME IS RHIANNON" and the 3 year old had a sign that said "HI STEVIE, MY NAME IS STEPHANIE LYNN, AFETR YOU!" When Stevie walked out she saw the "RHIANNON" sign and walked over to the girl and handed her some flowers. This Rhiannon child cried for the rest of the show. Who could blame her! It started to rain just as the she was coming out so "Outside the Rain" was just too appropriate. During "Dreams" she acknowledged the rain with hand gestures and later jokingly said "See, the rumours are wrong, I don't have any powers to stop this". During "Gold Dust Woman" the sound system wigged out and she seemd to be searching around to her crew and shrugged her shoulders. Then they had to break to correct the problem. She came out on stage and said "They told me I better stay out here with you so you will stay calm, we are working on it". A short time later we were rockin' again and she made it worth our wait. As in the other shows, she did the Hollowood trilogy which was fabulous! She told us stories of what was going on with her when she wrote these songs. She actually spoke to us alot and at one point said, she will stop talking soon and get back to singing! First and Second rows got to go up to the stage during Twisted, Edge of Seventeen and the encore Has Anyone Ever Written Anything for You". When she came to the edge of the stage, she did grab my husbands hand at I got touch her arm at that time but was not lucky enough to hold her hand as so many others did but did get lots of eye contact. Some people n the front row were way too drunk and being loud so she seemed to get to a point where she just wouldn't look our way anymore but I sure do not blame her. All in all the show was great despite the rain and sound problem. Stevie is still the High Priestess and her fans love and adore her in a way I have never seen with any other performer. She looks and sounds better than ever!
from John D. Rosemeier
I attended Stevie Nick’s concert in Denver last night (July 21, 1998). It was awesome!!!!!! Denver has been under a heat wave for the past few weeks. That was not the case last night. The afternoon clouded up and rain began to fall right around concert time. I said to my friends, “she ordered up a storm”. It was truly an enchanting evening. Thunder was crashing all around; lightning lit up the evening sky as the rain fell on all of us. Stevie came out and said thanks to the crowd for being there and enduring the rain storm. Coloradoans are used to the elements. We don’t run for shelter every time the weather turns interesting. We simply stand in it!!

As usual, Stevie looked and sounded fantastic. I have personally been a devoted fan since 1977. I have seen many of her performances. This was truly spectacular. Her stage set had a few problems due to the high winds. However, this did not stop her. She continued to rock Denver!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Many thanks from the Mile High City to Stevie for continuing in music; and, continuing to enchant her Denver audience.


from Purerock77
Way back in 1976, after hearing the first notes of ‘Rhiannon’, I became an admirer of Stevie. I have listened and watched as she has gone from a great Rock n Roll presence to an entity all her own. We love you Stevie and always will... Tuesday, July 21 was a day like any other summer day in Colorado, mid ninety degree weather under partly cloudy skies. Yet there was something in the air (a cold front? No...), a feeling of anticipation, warmth and joy. The arrival of Stevie brought with it all these things and more, with it came the thunder and rain. How cool is that? While Boz’s set was wrapping up it began to sprinkle...lightly. My husband and I had never been to a concert outside of California before, so this was an experience all in itself. Fiddler’s Green was a lot smaller than we expected (7,000-8,000) and we thought that even people on the green have decent seats, not great seats but we’re used to green seating at least 1/4 mile from the stage or farther. We were in the 7th section a little less than half way up, 7 & 8 seats over from the aisle closest to center. I really envy all the people who had 3rd and 4th row tickets! Anyway, after the stage hands began removing Boz’s equipment I wondered how long it take for them to get ready for Stevie’s set. I was amazed it took less than 15 minutes, they just wheeled everything off, up went the black curtain and Stevie’s stage was all set. She came out at exactly 8:30 that evening, as the rain came down steadily. Of course the two opening songs were more than appropriate. During ‘Dreams’ as she sang, “thunder only happens when it’s raining...” the crowd went nuts. She then expressed her sympathy by saying, “I wish I could make the rain stop, see I don’t have those magical powers like they say I do.” We continued getting soaked but we didn’t care. I think one of the worst parts of the evening was having to put up with people who decided to open their umbrellas right in front of you, making it impossible to see Stevie! We moved several times, a row closer each, and of course we were on our feet the entire time. How can anyone sit down anyway? Stevie began talking about how special this tour is and how the songs were taken from her boxed set which includes some of her favorites, “and if you haven’t heard them before you were sleeping or something and missed out.” While she sung ‘Gold Dust Woman’ this amazing feedback poured into our ears as the power went out, luckily it was toward the end of the song...unfortunately we didn’t get to hear that cool ending all the way through like she normally does on stage. We were soaking wet by this point as the rain just did not want to let up. She came back after several minutes to sing ‘Gold and Braid’ one of my favorites, however, I did not hear ‘Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around’, if anyone else did please let me know.... She then went into the acoustic trilogy set talking in between each song and how they came about. Stevie is so personable on stage and so sincere, she really does love her fans. The rest of the show was more than awesome, from ‘Sleeping Angel’ to her signature song ‘Rhiannon’ and her encores. The rain eventually stopped (I think) during ‘Whole Lotta Trouble’, which was awesome! I was really amazed at the lack of flowers and gifts given to Stevie during ‘Edge of Seventeen’ and how people on the right side of the stage were grabbing her instead of just holding her hand like people in the center and left of the stage had done. Towards the close of her set I noticed a lot of inebriated idiots, sorry they kinda got me upset. During ‘Landslide’ instead of singing along with Stevie they were yelling and screaming making it hard to hear her and basically ruining the song. It was also amazing to see so many people out of their seats wandering around to the stands to get alcohol, you could definitely see the change in people’s demeanor as the evening progressed. It’s like, don’t they understand this is an important night and Stevie really gives her entire heart and soul to the audience. I think we should at least do the same in return, by giving her our undivided attention. It just saddens me to see how people behave sometimes. Upon closing (near 10:20), ‘Has Anyone Ever Written Anything For You’ brought tears to my eyes as I stood mesmerized by this incredible woman, who for so many years has spoken to me through her music. No, Stevie we will not forget...you are far too important and mean so much. Truly an incredible evening and one we will always remember. And next time Stevie comes to town we will have better seats down front!
from Pheonix177
Wow, that's all I can say, wow. My first Stevie show, and I loved it, it was fabulous. Boz Skaggs was forgetable. I will NEVER forget Stevie. She looked GREAT! She sounded GREAT! Sleeping ANgel was fabulous, and so was the trilogy. I loved Gold Dust Woman and when she sang Landslide and Rhiannon and Has Anyone Ever Written I almost died, she was FABULOUS! Even though the power failed at the end of Gold DUst WOman and we had to wait for a while as they fixed it Stevie kept her humor and made jokes and did a little dance for us while we waited. During Stand Back (FABULOUS) she got a little freaky with one of the guitarists, Quelle Scandale! The whole concert was the best that I had ever experienced. Stevie was SO beautiful. I could go on forever about how fabulous and how beautiful she was...But words can't describe... We did see a mother with her little daughter, each dressed like Stevie! It was SO cute. I loved it and I loved her. I want to see her again. Hopefully she'll come back soon.
from Paul O'Brian
When Stevie Nicks hit Denver, we had been enduring the most severe heat wave we've had in many years. Temperatures were consistently in the 90s, sometimes the 100s, with no wind, no moisture, and no end in sight; in fact, the newspaper had reported that the hot dry weather would continue for at least another five days. But on the afternoon of the concert, Mother Nature defied expectations. Clouds rolled in, cooling the city, and as my wife Laura and I arrived at Fiddler's Green Amphitheatre, we started to feel the tiniest blessed drizzle on our shoulders. We found our seats (19th row -- not too bad, though not as good as I would have expected considering we were first in line to buy tickets) just before Boz Scaggs started "Lowdown."

A trickle of rain continued to fall, and I thought of the contrast to the other show I attended on the Enchanted tour, the June 27th Atlanta gig. That night was hot and extremely humid, and tonight's cool raindrops made for a nice contrast. It was the first time of many that night that I'd be able to compare the two shows, which was great. I'd never seen two shows on the same tour before -- when you live out West it's quite a road trip to hit more than one stop on the tour -- but this year I was sent to Atlanta on business on the very weekend Stevie appeared there. How's that for luck?

Boz sounded good, and had the people around me tapping their toes through the rest of his set. He then returned to the stage (one of the few opening acts I've ever seen perform an encore) to sing his biggest hit, "Lido Shuffle." Predictably, this was the song that received the loudest cheers from the crowd, and lots of people were on their feet and dancing as the rain sprinkled us all. Boz took his bow, and I took off to buy a sweatshirt and a program from the merchandise booth. I don't normally splurge on concert merchandise (especially compared to when I was in high school and it was the coolest thing ever to be wearing a t-shirt from the previous night's big event), but since Stevie is my favorite artist I always treat myself when she comes to town. I was just finding my way back to my seat when the lights went down -- a very fast transition! Chris Nicks did his "reading from the dictionary" thing at about 8:35, and I got to my seat just as he was finishing. Perfect timing!

Stevie hit the stage looking absolutely gorgeous, and sang the first line of "Outside the Rain" with a smile, knowing how appropriate it was to be singing this song as the rainfall got heavier. It was great to be close enough to see that kind of detail! When she sang "Could you love me only?" my friend Carol shouted out "Yes!", which I thought was pretty funny. Stevie gave a typically excellent performance on the song and on the subsequent "Dreams", and Laura and I smiled at each other, sharing our amusement at the fact that even though these are the songs she would have performed anyway, Stevie was starting out with her two of her most appropriate rain songs! Stevie knew it too -- she held up her hands as if to catch the rain as she sang "Thunder only happens when it's raining..." The sprinkle had turned into a fairly steady shower, but I didn't care. How could I think about a little rain when Stevie Nicks was on stage in front of me? The rain did cloud my glasses though, and made me feel like I was watching the show through some kind of cool distorted lens. Hey, there's an idea for Stevie's next video! After she finished the song she addressed the audience saying "Bless you all for standing out in the rain!" She went on to say "I really would like to stop this weather, but I can't -- see, I really don't have those powers!" I laughed at this little jibe at the Alabama ministers of the world who think she's some kind of magical witch rather than "just" a brilliant poet and gifted singer. She then spoke a little about how this was a different kind of tour for her since she's promoting her box set, and how she was going to do "some songs that I've always wanted to sing for you, but never had the chance." Even though I had seen the show before, these words thrilled me -- you have to understand that this is the kind of Stevie Nicks show that I've been waiting for since I first saw her in 1986 -- over a decade ago!

The band kicked into a rocking "Enchanted", and I danced along with joy. "Enchanted" is a perfect example of a song I just never thought I'd hear Stevie perform live. It's an older song, an album track, never a hit -- and for so long Stevie's live show has concentrated completely on hits, with a few newer songs thrown in. I've often wondered why this is -- I think that maybe she's listened too much to the advice of people who say that her career will stall unless she constantly reminds people of her glory days. Even that remark about always wanting to sing these songs but never having a chance hints at a lack of control over her own set list -- she's the artist but she apparently doesn't feel free to sing the more obscure songs unless she's promoting a record that features them! I hope this tour gives her the confidence to mix it up a bit more in concert -- combine the hit parade with some less famous offerings for die-hard fans like me.

After "Enchanted" was over, Stevie went offstage for her first costume change and the band played the opening bars to "Gold Dust Woman." That signature percussion was rewarded with a roar of appreciation from the crowd, a sound which redoubled when Stevie reappeared in her gorgeous golden shawl. Unfortunately, the song was plagued with sound problems, as banks of speakers would cut out and then blare back to life seconds later. I could see Stevie shrug her shoulders the first time she lost half her sound, then give a startled jump as the volume abruptly leaped a line or two later. I noticed her cringing a few more times as the sound inconsistencies continued throughout the song. After the tune was over, she looked at us and said "Without saying too much about it... if this whole thing," she gestured behind her, "blows up or something... everybody just stay calm!" She smiled at this, then looked behind her to see if things were getting fixed. Again, she said, "Just stay cool everybody..." and waited for some news from the techies. The need to fill time was getting pretty obvious, so she started doing a little dance, shaking her skirts and doing tiny kicks with her platform boots (which had to be *at least* six inches tall, by the way.) She was cracking me up! Finally, someone whispered in her ear. "OK," she said, "I guess we've lost a little more than I thought, so we're going to take a few minutes and get this power working so that we can do this. Sit tight everybody, we'll be right back." (By the way, I may not be quoting her exactly here -- somebody with a tape of the show could probably sit down and find all my mistakes -- but I'm conveying the general spirit as best as I remember it.) Then the stage went dark for about five minutes as her crew frantically scrambled to restore consistent power to the show. It was a bit of a bummer to have the momentum of the concert so rudely interrupted, but it was also neat to see how well Stevie and everyone else handled the crisis -- there wasn't any such problem in Atlanta, and I liked seeing that the group could gracefully take the bad with the good.

They took back the stage with "Gold & Braid," another tune that was awesome to hear in concert. In Atlanta the transition from "Gold Dust Woman" was obviously a lot smoother -- and it was cool then because it reminded me so much of the "In Concert" video -- I often hear that opening guitar line to "Gold & Braid" in my head after GDW since I've listened to that tape so many times -- it was awesome to hear it in concert! In Colorado the song served a different purpose, overcoming the inertia of the unexpected break so that the crowd could get re-energized. Unfortunately, she didn't play "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around", but at least I got to hear "Tom's argument on stage" in Atlanta.

Stevie changed clothes again, and started her "Hollywood Trilogy". Laura told me later that she especially enjoyed these songs -- she likes Stevie and knows a fair amount about her (unavoidable if you hang around with me), but isn't a huge fan like me. She said she felt like the less well-known songs were somehow more available to her, maybe because she didn't feel like she was already expected to like them before she had even heard them. We actually had a great talk about songwriting, fame, and the song "Garbo" on our drive home... but I digress. :) The trilogy sounded great, though Stevie's introduction to "After the Glitter Fades" was a little rushed because she felt like she had to make up for lost time. Her intro to "Garbo", on the other hand, I liked even better than when she did it in Atlanta. There she had only hinted at the humiliation she felt after doing the Buckingham-Nicks album cover, saying something like "You can imagine how I felt coming home from that!" At the Denver show she spoke more explicitly, telling how "in my dramatic, 25-year-old way, I felt like one of the famous actresses of the past, who had to do things they didn't really want to do in order to achieve the spotlight." She nailed the song, too, her voice soaring passionately on the final "Marlene". After she hit that note she hung her head, as if the energy going through her had left her drained for a moment, then lifted her eyes and delivered the last line: "or you could...forget." Finally, she told the audience the story of "Rose Garden," and sang the song beautifully. She said that someone in the audience tonight was there when she wrote it, her friend Debbie from when she lived in Colorado. How neat it would be to be that person, to watch someone you knew as a teenager go on to "dance across the stages of the world!" It also occurred to me that all *three* of these songs about Hollywood and fame were written *before* Stevie joined Fleetwood Mac -- before she was famous! I find it very compelling that this young girl was able to prophesy what would become the story of her life... and I wonder how much of that prophecy was self-fulfilling.

Next came "Sleeping Angel," which was wonderful for me since it's consistently one of my top 3 favorite Nicks songs of all time. I have to say, though, that I think the Atlanta performance was better on this song. For one thing, Stevie flubbed the first line, singing "Take me, sleeping angel" rather than "Take me if you need me." Also, I'm not positive but I think she left out a verse, the one that begins "I need you, because you let me breathe." I may have been so wrapped up in the moment that I just missed it, though. The song still gave me chills -- it really speaks to me in a way that only the best music can. After the song was over, Stevie said "Our luck is holding," referring to the power -- and I suddenly realized that the rain had stopped! We enjoyed a dry night for the rest of the show, which was great since the high energy was just beginning.

As Stevie slipped offstage for another costume change and the band started to vamp the beginning of "Stand Back", I gave silent thanks for another part of her stage show that I think has improved. I remember vividly on the "Other Side of the Mirror", "TimeSpace" and "Street Angel" tours how Stevie would go to change clothes literally after almost every single song, while the band would vamp on and on, sometimes for upwards of five minutes! Now don't get me wrong -- I love the theatricality of all the different gowns, costumes to help her embody her characters; Stevie wouldn't be Stevie without a few costume changes, but once per song was a bit much. Also, I can't help but think that if it weren't for that dress-changing time, Stevie would have had time to sing more songs! I felt like this show struck a good balance with the costumes, providing the various outfits but also allowing her to sing several songs in a row without going offstage to change clothes. When she returned to the stage in the famous gold-spotted shawl for "Stand Back", it rocked! Everybody around me was dancing up a storm -- this was a fine contrast with the Atlanta show, where my seat was further back and everyone wanted to sit for the whole show. There, I got harassed for standing up and dancing (like I can't do what I want in my $55 spot!) -- in Denver, sitting down would have made me the odd one out! Speaking of dancing, Stevie did this great thigh-high kick towards the very end of the song -- haven't seen Stevie Nicks kick like that for a looong time! She is prepared to kick it! :) I just love the way she does this song live, and it also brought back pleasant memories of her excellent performance on the Fleetwood Mac tour.

Those memories continued as she performed "Rhiannon", in a version basically identical to the one on "The Dance." Oddly enough, when I first heard the piano chords, I thought for a moment that she was getting ready to sing "Smile at You", a pretty rare demo, and my jaw dropped in shock. I said "Whoa!" and Laura looked at me like I had lost my mind: "What???" Then I came to my senses and realized what the song was, giving an embarrassed "Nevermind" to my confused wife. I think it must have been just because I was listening to that song on the way down to the show... I think they do have similar intros, though. I thought that Frank Simes' guitar sound was particularly raw tonight, which was cool. Anyway, the crowd really got into "Rhiannon", and I noticed a *lot* of people who were singing along to the pre-song "He still cries out for her" stuff... yet another sign of how many new Fleetwood Mac fans came from The Dance reunion. Good move getting back together, guys. :)

Then came the band introduction, which was cool. I love how Stevie really does seem to have a ton of respect and admiration for the musicians she works with. She introduced her drummer (Land Richards) by saying "When Mick Fleetwood finally understood that I was not going to take him with me on this tour, he told me 'Get a good drummer!'... so I did!" I had to raise my eyebrows a bit at this -- wonder why Stevie wasn't interested in Mick's company for another 40 dates? Perhaps the reunion is still a bit too fragile to endure that kind of one-on-one constant contact? After the introductions were through Stevie and the band did a great "Whole Lotta Trouble," one of the best versions I've ever heard from her. I often have a thing where hearing a song in concert gives me new appreciation for the song itself, and this happened tonight with "Whole Lotta Trouble" -- it's really a terrifically powerful song to sing when you're pissed off.

After this intensity, the band left the stage, and only Stevie, Frank Simes, and Kevin Stoller remained for "Landslide." She said "We always dedicate this song to somebody, and if we don't know somebody in the town we find someone." (I can vouch for this. In Atlanta, she said "OK, we don't know anybody here, so Frank, find somebody." A pause while Frank walks over to the audience, then walks back to Stevie. "Okay, Brittany, this is for you." How would you like to be *that* person? "Yeah, Stevie Nicks dedicated 'Landslide' to *me* one time." What a story for the grandkids!) She went on, "But we do know somebody in this town, and I know she's out there, so Debbie, this is for you. I love you and I hope you're doing alright." I assume she was referring to the friend she mentioned earlier during "Rose Garden", and I found it quite touching. Man, I want Stevie Nicks to be *my* friend! :) She sang "Landslide" very tenderly, and it seemed like the whole amphitheatre was singing along. It was really neat to feel surrounded by the song, thousands of people sharing such an intimate moment. She finished singing, and took her bow, then said "By the way, you know that was written here, don't you? And Rhiannon too! They were both written in Aspen in, like, 1973." Of course this statement got raucous applause. It made me feel so proud to be from Colorado, dorky as that sounds. Hooray for my home state's Stevie connections!

Stevie went off to change clothes while the rain and thunder effects intro to "Twisted" began to play. I had to laugh at the irony -- we had real rain and thunder for half the night, but by the end of the show they still needed the sound effects! Stevie's voice sounded great on this song, which is a tribute to her newfound powers of endurance -- she was at the end of the length of time she performed on her last tour! (If that makes any sense -- in other words, at the time she sang "Twisted" she'd been performing for an hour and a half, which is about how long the total concert was in 1994.) I love "Twisted" more every time I hear it -- I adored the duet version with Lindsey, and then when I heard the demo version on Enchanted I liked that even better. Now that I've heard her do it live, I've decided that I like the live version best of all. I like the lyric changes and additions ("We are the demons" rather than "you are the demon", and "...in this game that you play with God"), and she invests this song with an incredible energy when she sings it live. I think it's one of the best songs she's written this decade.

After this outstanding rendition came, in my opinion, the dullest part of the show -- the endless percussion solo. Now, I know that some people (especially percussionists) really dig this, but to me it's like Mick Fleetwood and his magical drum suit -- cool the first time I heard it, but pretty boring after that. However, I do know that it gives Stevie and the rest of the band (not to mention the audience) a bit of a breather, which is definitely a good thing, and I salute Land Richards and Lenny Castro for being the hard workers they are and shouldering the burden of keeping the concert going while everyone else takes a rest. I've always thought rock drummers were amazing -- they have to put out more energy per song than anyone else, yet they seem to be the ones who are on stage the longest! Finally, the solos wound down and the great riff to "Edge of Seventeen" began. Live performances of this song always give me chills, and tonight was no exception. It's just got so many strengths -- the lyrics are stunning, the tune is catchy, and Stevie always just *rips* in performances of it. That wail towards the end of the song is like nothing else on Earth! I also really loved it tonight when she and Sharon shared a mike for the "Well I hear you" part -- they both sounded sensational! Another thing I think is great is the way Stevie always travels the front of the stage to shake hands with her legions of fans. I don't know of any other artist who reaches out to her fans in such a concrete, physical way, and I admire her for it so much. It's so caring, and so brave... and finding out later that she'd just had a restraining order put on some nutcase who had tickets to the Colorado show makes her seem all the braver to me. At last, she returned to the mike for the cataclysmic ending of the song. "I know what it sounds like... when doves cry! I know what it sounds like... it sounds like you!" I was jumping around like a crazy man at that point. I can hardly describe what it was like -- almost an out-of-body experience! Stevie Nicks' music is transcendent, in the Emersonian sense -- it takes the top of my head off.

The band left the stage to thunderous applause, and returned a few minutes later for the obligatory encore. "What would a Stevie Nicks show be without a Tom Petty song?" she asked us rhetorically, and kicked into "I Need to Know." It's amazing to me how much more energy Stevie seems to have than in years past; she just *tore* through this song like a hurricane (or maybe a twister! :). I don't know if I've ever seen her with this much non-drug-induced vitality. At a climactic point of the song, she did another spectacular high kick, this one even higher than the "Stand Back" kick. The woman is a marvel! Finally the killer ending: "And take your violet and blue mornings with you!!" I love Tom Petty, but Stevie does that song justice in a way that Petty never has.

All too soon, it was time for the last song. "Has Anyone Ever Written Anything For You?" was gorgeous, like a lush carpet of silk pillows. I felt inspired, as always, by the words "Did you ever give it back? Well, I have... I have given that to you... So if not for me, then do it for yourself... If not for me, do it for the world..." It was also really special to be there with Laura, since we used that song in our wedding. As the song was ending, Stevie gave a gentle smile and said "...and when they ask her about the men in her life... and they do ask her these days!... She says well, they were poets... yet they were priests of nothing... and they were legends." I felt full to the brim as she repeated, singing this time, "poet... priest of nothing... legend... priest of nothing..." No better words could be chosen to describe Stevie Nicks herself: poet, priestess of nothing, and most important: LEGEND.

P.S. -- At the very end of the show, she said "One more bit of trivia... Like, half my family is from Colorado, and my great-great-grandmother crossed the desert leading into Colorado to come here... and she was the only survivor of a huge Indian massacre! So now you know that." Wow -- I know a lot about Stevie, but I have to admit I'd never heard that one!


from Fred - fjpbanshee @aol.com
July 21 was a very special day for many Coloradans! Alot of us Stevie fans in Denver have a very special attachment to her as Colorado is where Landslide and Rhiannon were written!

The sky was dark and the rain started to fall about 10 minutes before Stevie took the stage. The atmosphere was a little tense as there had been a situation regarding the infamous stalker in Colorado who had threatened to kidnap Stevie (this appeared on the television news and in the Rocky Mountain News). Not to worry though, they found the guy and locked him up.

Stevie came on stage at 8:20 pm and hit off the set with "Outside the Rain/Dreams". This really set the mood for the crowd due to the stormy weather. Stevie was in great spirits and was in top vocal form. During the set she talked to the audience many times regarding the songs she would perform during the show. It was great to hear such live rarities as "Enchanted", "Twisted" (which was re-worked and featured plenty of tambourine work and dancing by Stevie), "Gold and Braid", and "Sleeping Angel".

I must admit, my favorite part of the set was the acoustic trilogy featuring "After the Glitter Fades", "Garbo", and one of my all time favorites "Rose Garden". This trilogy was very touching and the pre-song tales Stevie told were enjoyed by all!

During the first part of Stevie's set there was a problem with the power at the venue (Fiddler's Green) but it was resolved in a short time and the show went on! Stevie stayed on stage during the whole power failure and even did a little jig on stage which showed her sense of humor.

The show's second half included "Rhiannon", "Whole Lotta Trouble", and of course a great version of "Landslide" and "Has Anyone Ever Written...". What an evening for the fans in Denver!

I was speaking to a lady next to me and we spoke about tours such as "Lilith Fair". She stated and I agreed the she was "so sick of whiny girls with guitars". She said "This is THE GIRL", and I responded, "This is what it is all about". I think most people would agree!

If yu don't have tickets for Stevie in your area, this is a show that you should not miss!! And don't forget to check out the great merchandise!


from Lauren
Well where do I begin? Let me start at the beginning and I will try not to bore anyone! First of all this is the first concert I've ever seen by myself. It was fun though and I would do it again, especially for someone whose music I adore! Save for me not being able to find my car for 45 min after the show (will get to that at the end) it was all wonderful.

Stevie played Fiddler's Green in Denver, CO. It's an outdoor venue in a very residential area. Not too far from my house, actually, which was great. I left my house at 5PM to get gas, mineral water, etc. I brought a plastic bag for my Stevie "goodies" (thanks Blackcat for that recommendation!!). So I get there about 6PM and park and go stand in line with my water, purse and Gap bag (oh and umbrella - just in case!).

I got a tourbook and a teddy bear (they are sooo cute) and I collect teddy bears so it was perfect. I am not a big T-shirt wearer. I have 2 from the Dance tour and hardly wear them so I passed on the shirt but did get one for Ava per her request and one for Gypsy as well. I got my Best Buy Coupon (by the way, does anyone know if there are Stevie songs on this? It didn't say, just a 2-CD Collector's set) and went to find SRhiannon (Brenda). I got to her row and she was not there (she told me what she was wearing but no luck). So I went to my seat in the third row (yeah). It was on the edge, right in front of the stage. I love sitting on that aisle seat (I had an aisle seat for the Mac too - same row but farther left).

Again, I made friends with the security guards. I have discovered this is a great thing to do! Comes in very handy when you want to get close to the stage, too!

Boz Scaggs came on at 7:30 pronto! He was wonderful, but the sound from his keyboardist or drummer was very muted or off. It was bothering my ear and so I got ear plugs from the guard. I didn't need these for Stevie at all so I contribute it to Boz' sound and me being so close to the speakers. But the man is fabulous! His voice is the same as on the records - it has not seemed to have changed. He did "Lido Shuffle," "Love, Look What You've Done for Me" (from Urban Cowboy and my fave!) and some new ones. A new one called "Sierra" was nice. He did "Miss Son" as well.

After Boz I went to look for SRhiannon again - still no one in that seat that matched her description. Oh well. I should have told her what I was wearing and where I was sitting so she could have tried to find me too!

Anyway, Stevie came on right at 8:30! Her brother, Christopher Nicks came out and read to use what "Enchant" meant in the dictionary. Then came Stevie! Everyone went nuts and she started with "Outside the Rain." I did not have the setlist memorized at all like the Dance and that was very positive, the element of surprise was always there. I did know ahead of time what the first two songs were and loved how "Outside the Rain" went into "Dreams." It started to rain on us during this first song too! When she got to "Dreams" and sang the line "thunder only happens when it's raining," she lifted her hands to the sky and smiled at us - we all went nuts as we got soaked (at this point I got my umbrella out!). I don't know the order of all the songs but during "Gold Dust Woman" at the very end, the electricity went out! Some man yelled out in the front row "Stevie, come talk to us!" So she did. She was telling us she was crossing her fingers and it would come back on or they would do the acoustic set! She was so cute. Always talking to us and seemed so happy. Her outfits were just beautiful too!

The acoustic set was great. She told stories in between. She talked about Lindsey a lot, and the Buckingham Nicks cover before "Garbo" and how she wrote "Rose Garden" at age 17. She talked about "After the Glitter Fades" which I just love!

"Rhiannon" was great, but I do feel it was missing something without Lindsey's guitar. I felt that mostly on this song and "Landslide." The musicians and guitarists were great though, and this was her show. Stevie dedicated "Landslide" to Debbie again (the same dedication when the Mac was here in October) who she said is one of her best friends. She told us that both "Landslide" and "Rhiannon" were written in Aspen, Colorado in 1972.

"Stand Back" was wonderful! I think it was before this point that I moved up to the second row. No one was sitting in front of me from my third row seat and I figured "why waste the seat?" "Gold and Braid" was great and I thought of Hayley as I know how much she loves this song. I am not a big fan of "Whole Lotta Trouble" but it was great. I can't recall all the songs or the order, so just mentioned the one's I could recall.

Right before the first encore, the security guard went to the first and second rows and told us "she wants you up front!" (meaning Stevie!) I nearly died as I went up to the stage and stood against it. Me and some others were playing with her tambourine that was on the edge before she came out. Then thunder was rolling and the lights were going and "Twisted" came on. This girl was standing next to me who had moved up front, she was all alone too and real sweet. We were both so excited to be that close! "Twisted" was wonderful - I just love this song. Then we were told to go back to our seats. Not one song later, however, we were told "she wants you guys up there AGAIN" before last encore!!! So back up we went. There was a huge percussionist solo by Lenny Castro which was wonderful and then "Edge of Seventeen" came on! This song rocked!!!! Never seeing her solo live, this was my fave. Sharon came over and sang with her towards the end. The whole place was going nuts! After this she came over and shook all our hands (she missed mine, problem with being short!) but just being that close was wonderful!

She came back out yet again and said "What would a Stevie Nicks concert be like without a Tom Petty song." I thought she was going to do "Stop Draggin..." (my fave) but she didn't. She did the Tom Petty song - which I had never heard called "I Need to Know" and then finished the show with "Has Anyone Ever Written Anything for You." It was just beautiful. I had tears in my eyes - she was so moving on this song. I had never really heard the ending words about "they ask her about the men in her life...they were poets, priests of nothing and they were all legends." Wow, wow, wow is all I can say.

After the show I just followed everyone out and didn't realize there are 2 parking areas. I spent a good 45 min. looking for my car in the wrong lot and freaking out that it was gone or I was loosing my mind! Haha! I finally went back to Fiddler's and asked a security guard and was told there was another parking lot. By the time I got there, most everyone had left, so it was real easy to find my car!

I had a wonderful time. I think Stevie is totally in her element solo. This was her show and she did the most beautiful job on the set, putting the songs together and making the audience a part of her show. Her voice is in top form, she was beautiful and seemed so happy. It was a concert experience I will never forget! I hope everyone else has as good as an experience or gets to see Stevie solo sometime in their lives too, you will never forget it! Thank you Stevie.


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