Stevie, A True Goddess

May 30th 1998

On the night of May 30,1998 I attended the Stevie Nicks concert in Chicago (Tinley Park), IL. At the New World Music Theater. Let me just say first it was phenomenal. Boz Scaggs opened for her. With an hour set. Her brother Chris came out and read the definition of enchanted. Then came our beloved Stevie! When she walked out everyone was screaming,and cheering. Everyone stood up. She started with Outside The Rain. By the second song Dreams everyone was singing with her. Then she sung Enchanted and when she finished she asked if we felt enchanted and everyone screamed. Next was Gold Dust Woman and she did her little spinning dance thing it was beautiful! Then she sang Golden Braid. Then she said I dedicate this song to my friend Tom Petty who's not here but should be. Of course the song was Stop Draggin My Heart Around (the guitarist sang Tom's parts) Then it was the acoustic set which was about her feelings on Hollywood (she said) the set was 3 songs After the Glitter Fades,Garbo,and a splendid live version of Rose Garden. Sleeping Angel was next. Followed by Landslide she said she always dedicates it to someone and she said when she does they usually aren't there (laughing). It was dedicated to Steven the first man she loved. Then a moving piano version of Rhiannon dancing around. Then she sang Twisted. During Twisted we got to go up to the stage. Everyone was dancing to Stand Back. I was pretty close. She followed that up with Edge of Seventeen I was snapping pictures left and right and they caught me they took my film I was crying (note i'm only 14 and i was rather upset) then (since i was close) Stevie flashed a smile my way so I thought to myself Its not like i'm going to forget this night so i was happy again. Then they walked in the back pretending to end the show. Of course they came back and we were screaming our heads off! She was really happy! She sang a really good version of Tom Petty's I Need To Know. Then closed the best night of my life with Has Anyone Ever Written Anything For You. Everytime she said that line (Has anyone ever written anything for you) Everyone yelled yes you Stevie! She kept laughing. She recited the poem at the end of the song. It was over she was walking and waving on stage and I threw up a peace sign and she threw me one back! It was the best ever.

Stevie I love you! She is a true goddess!

Notes in the Dark

May 30th 1998

Let me start off by saying I was trying to take notes in the dark, so I'm not positive that the songs are all in the right order. I think I mixed a few up. Okay! I'll try to run through the song list and my input asap. First, Boz was ok, but we were thinking, "Do we know of any songs he's done?" The name is familiar but I couldn't associate any songs with him. But I did recognize 3, 1 of them being from the "Urban Cowboy" soundtrack which everyone will probably remember from the 70's.

Concert started at 8:00, Stevie came on at 9:15.

1.) Outside the Rain. SET IS AWESOME!!!!! I've heard that from the first night, but it was purple and peach colored scarves hanging from the lights and the backdrop was a smoky or iced glass with colors in the middle (changed colors according to song) It was just a girlie set up. I couldn't imagine the FM guys dealing with it, but it was just so Stevie! After this song she says, "This is my time to do all my favorite songs, most of them from my box set." To which I think, "Stevie who the hell picked your song list from the Bella Donna tour on? You're the boss, it's your music, why did it take this long to put your foot down and say, "I don't care if that's a hit, I wanna play it!" Anyway, SHE"S TOTALLY PSYCHED for this tour and SOUNDED F****ING AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!

I think she sounds better than the Dance tour! Even the couple in front of us said she sounded better than they ever heard her on tour. 2.) Dreams 3.) Enchanted (I thought she opened with this the first night, but maybe I was just thinking that because it was the first on the box set) 4.) GDW (Wears her gold shawl, of course. I mentioned this a zillion times during the Dance, but I love this song so much more when she sings it now. When I hear the version on Rumours, I love it, but she still sounds naive to me since it's a lot more potent with everything she's gone through. I also love the way she no longer crouches down at the end, but stands tall and proud. What a woman!) 5.) Gold & Braid. I TOTALLY loved this song when I first bought the White Wing Dove concert video and was pretty ticked when everyone starts to sit down since they don't know it. I was hoping for some high kicks like in 82, but you got to give the woman a break. It is almost 20 years later. So no high kicks unfortunately. We had seats in about the 20th row, and there was only one couple in front of me up until the 4th or 5th row who was standing for the whole concert. I know Jim B went of on this tangent before, but WHO THE HELL ARE THESE PEOPLE THAT GET BETTER SEATS THAN ME AND SIT THERE LIKE A FREAKIN BUMP ON A LOG!?!? I got tickets by phone the first 10 minutes they went on sale and I'm stuck back here!?!?! I should be in the first couple rows! OK, sorry about that.6.) Stevie dedicates the next song to her "good friend Tom Petty" which is of course Stop Draggin. She then mentions that the next couple of songs were written about her ideas of Hollywood when she first got there and how she still thinks about it. 7.) After the Glitter Fades. Let me put in that she begins with the black lace dress with the sweetheart neckline and changes to 3 or 4 different shawls throughout the night. Then purple lights are on all over and 8.) Sleeping Angel begins Brief pause for 9.) Stand Back begins with Stevie in her black & white polka dot shawl/wrap. Of course here the whole crowd goes nuts. I pretty much embarrassed Bill the whole night since I was dancing and singing along the whole night, although he won't admit it. 10.) First chords start up and the woman in front of us says, "That's not Sara is it"? And I get goosebumps and think, "Of course not, but it'll be cool as hell to have her play here"! It is Rhiannon which the whole place sings along for. Her band is REALLY SPECTACULAR!! I have to admit that I missed Lori and definitely didn't miss Waddy (don't start with me there! :-) )

Rhiannon without Lindsey just isn't the same for me, but I really liked this guitarist a lot better than Waddy who massacres the song IMOO. When Rhiannon finishes, Stevie turns away at the end while everyone is still screaming and puts her hands to her head like, "WOW, I can't believe all this is for me!" She was just really gracious and sweet the whole night (as always!) She then says again what a pleasure this is and introduces the band. It was kinda cute cause she says, "On my left, right, yeah, on my RIGHT is...."Then she says something about and my bassist who I just now realized..and I didn't catch the rest. Anyone? 11.) Whole Lotta Trouble 12.) She introduces as a song that takes on a whole different meaning each time she performs it and dedicates it to "someone who of course isn't here, although he's supposed to be, the first guy I ever fell in love with, Steven." At this point my husband Bill asks me "Who"? I guessed some kid in grade or middle school who was her first "Boyfriend" and lives in Chicago.13.) Purple lights come on and then she says, "I wrote this right after the Buckingham Nicks album and was not a happy person. This is Garbo.14.) Next song introduced as a song she wrote when she was 17 and "It's kind of creepy when you think about it." This of course is Rose Garden, my personal favorite on "Street Angel." I'm so glad she included this on tour cause I love it .

15.) Landslide. Really missing LB At this point, but the other guitarist is really good. Sorry I don't remember his name, I know that's really rude, but I kept thinking he looks like Adam Clayton. I know it's the wrong instrument, but the hair looked the same and we were 20 rows back. After the song he picks up a rose off the stage floor and hands it to her, which I thought was really sweet. Let me say at this point, there was no touching or leaning of any kind on this guitarist thank you very much. (And since he was actually wearing a WHOLE SHIRT it wouldn't have grossed me out if she did) 16.) Twisted. I think this version is better than the box set, but not as good as the first version I heard, Off the Soundtrack with LB. She does change the first line to "I think WE are the demons" instead of "you" Then Lenny? has a bongo solo for a few minutes while she is changing. 17.) Edge of 17. This is my all-time favorite Stevie solo song so if I hadn't embarrassed myself enough at this point I now am doing so. Stevie is wearing a silver or taupe colored wrap over her black velvet dress. Sharon takes over at the end during Lori's usual part. Stevie then walks the length of the stage doing the usual hand shakes, flowers, etc. Finishes by saying, "These are the moments I live for..I really appreciate this loyalty."

Encore: She comes back on and jumps around on stage a bit. It looks like she's wearing tux tails over a black silk or satin dress.

1.) I Need to Know. Was very glad to hear this again. I notice at this point when I look up at the large screen above instead of the stage, There is Stevie, but because we're in an outdoor theater, I see the moon right next to her. It would've made a cool picture if I had a camera! She runs off stage to grab a shawl and ends with Has Anyone Ever Written.. She finishes by saying the last part is about the men of her life," They were poets, but they were priests of nothing, but they were legends, etc. and then sings that line. Well, I must say that when you go to a concert you expect a live performance with flaws, etc. It doesn't sound like you are listening to a cd. Let me say that if I hadn't actually seen Stevie, I would've thought it was a cd playing the whole night. That's how good she sounded. And I was very impressed with her bandmates again. I've always thought she picked good musicians for her solo stuff. I really wished she'd played Rooms on Fire and I Can't Wait , since I really love those two a lot. But then I think that these are the songs she wanted to play this time so I should be glad she loved them enough to share them with me. I hope you all have A TERRIFIC TIME at your future concerts. I thought about Toni a lot tonight and wished we had been able to finally meet. But she'll be seeing all the dates now. Sorry again if the songs were out of order. Talk to you all later, Bonnie

What a Night!

May 30th 1998

Wheww......what a night!!! The weather was great!! A little windy but Stevie liked it!! The set was sooooo cool!! Very feminine. Stevie was absolutely beautiful!! She glowed!! Her diamonds were fabulous!!!!!!! Although I did miss her awesome bracelets...but we all know she doesn't need anything to make her sparkle and glitter..she does that all on her own! I swear she looks better every time I see her (this was my 9th time). The set list was the same as the first 2 shows...perfect!!! She rocked during Rosegarden, I'm so glad she included that one....I LOVE it! Rhiannon was awesome...not quite like the Dance version nor exactly like the Enchanted cut...but a killer mix of the two. It totally "smoked"!! Landslide was fantastic!! GO STEVIE!!! Her voice was in "top" form..she sounded absolutely wonderful. I had pretty good seats...25 rows back center stage...but I still had my binoculars plastered to my face for most of the show!! I guess I have to be right UP there! :o) I'm glad I was because during Edge of Seventeen (which kicked a**) when she was taking the flowers and stuff from the fans, she was handed a little stuffed penguin!!!! Hey fellow ledgie!! WAY COOL!!!!! She was almost center stage and she held it in her hand as she walked around the mike...you could tell she liked it by the expression on her face!! KILLER!!!!!! She talked quite a bit to the audience..which was really nice..she was very appreciative and gracious. Has Anyone Ever Written Anything For You really blew me away....it is ONE of my all time favorites...the piano is breathtaking and the lyrics are "enchanting". I had to stand on my chair for the entire song...my body was shaking with emotion...sighhhhhhhhh. As usual Stevie never fails to delight!! What a show!! I can't wait till next weekend...Indy...get ready every one for one HELL of a show!!! She will She will rock you!! "Has anyone ever written anything for you...well I have...I have given this to you...if it's all I ever do...this is YOUR song"!!!

Happy Jill...:o)