[The Nicks Fix]

Stevie Nicks - FAN REVIEWS

08/24/2011 Mystic Lake Casino Prior, MN




Linda
Went to Stevie's concert at Mystic Lake Casino and it was truly "Mystical". The songs were fantastic! Stevie looked fantastic and it was truly the best concert I have ever seen!!. I really believe that playing outside is Stevies most becoming venue. Thankyou thankyou for a truly Mystical experience!

Maggie
It is hard to find new words to describe the magic last night. The weather and Stevie were absolute perfection! She talked a lot and was so funny! I hadn't seen a lot of that side of her in previous concerts. It was a real treat to hear Leather and Lace live!

Kathy/Michelle
It was great seeing Stevie perform at the new Mystic Lake Amphitheater in Prior Lake, MN. The weather was perfect and Stevie performed a very intimate show. She was funny, chatty and rocked the house. When you see her perform, you see someone who is a true singer/ song writer and has a large body of work which is rare to see these days with new artists.

Beth
Seeing Stevie was on my bucket list. I am 63 years old, as is Stevie, and let's just say that not all 63-yr.-olds are alike. She is amazing. I went with my 27-year old niece and was thrilled that we could share such a memorable evening. I think that much of the concert was almost surreal to me...hard for me to grasp that Stevie was actually there, making such beautiful music. I understand why her legion of loyal fans continues to rave about her sincerity, her unique presence, and the way she gives 110% when she performs. Oh yes, then there is her voice, which was strong and clear. When, during "Landslide", she sang the line, "Oh yes, I'm getting older too", it seemed like it is probably taking on a new meaning for Stevie, as it is for me. Very poignant; brought a tear to my eye. Rock on, Stevie. Once in a million years, a lady like you rises. Thank you very much.

Tim
We took in the Stevie concert at Mystic Lake Casino after a 240 mile drive to get there, and was it over worth the drive. She put on an absolutely stellar performance that was matched by the perfect weather for the outdoor evening show. Stevie’s stage presence is absolutely electric and Her vocals were just as beautiful as she is. We really enjoyed the mix of the classic Stevie songs from the past and the new album selections she performed for us. The stories she would tell between songs were fun to hear and gives a much more personal side to each song. Watching Stevie perform onstage, you can really tell she loves to sing and expresses herself so well as a performer. Her band and backup singers were just as outstanding as she was, and the duel between the drummer and percussionist during a changing break really got the audience up and moving. We had outstanding seats in the 10th row in one of the center sections, so we were only 20 yards from Stevie. This was the closest I have been to Stevie during a concert and I never realized how cute this woman is when she smiles. When she smiles, her face lights right up and she just glows. She seems to be so happy and exhilarated to be able to share her songs with all of us fans. Thank you Stevie, for sharing your music with us. The sound system at the Mystic Lake amphitheater is one of the best I have ever heard. When Stevie would sing the songs from her new album, the sound quality was so good, it was just like listening to the CD. All in all, a most memorable experience. My only regret is I should have picked up some roses to give to Stevie as to one else at the show did either. Sorry Stevie, Next time I get that close to you at your next tour I will make sure you get some roses. White ones.

Michael D.
I wanted to write this review the minute I got home two nights ago, but after some contemplation I realized I had to wait. I need to really mentally absorb all of my thoughts and experiences from the show. This was my fifth time seeing Stevie (The Dance Tour, The Enchanted Tour, The Say You Will Tour, The Gold Dust Tour, and this summer 2011 tour being #5), but this performance was the best yet.

First I want to comment on the weather. It's been a very sticky, humid summer here in the Twin Cities (I live in Minneapolis; Prior Lake is about a half hour south). August 24th was beautiful. Clear skies, cool summer air, and a slight mild breeze dominated. As the sky darkened and stars became visible, lightning bugs provided bursts of light throughout the night. It could not have been more perfect for an outdoor Stevie Nicks show. Plus, my four previous Stevie Nicks/Fleetwood Mac shows have been in indoor arenas.

I want to talk about Michael Grimm, her opening act. This is a man with an amazing voice and can really knock songs out of the park. He did some original songs and some covers that he's recorded from his newest record. My favorites were "I Am," which is an original track he wrote and "Simple Man," a cover of Lynyrd Skynyrd (which is performed on the album with Travis Tritt). Another great track on the album, which was not done at the concert, is called "Gasoline And Matches," which is a duet with the vocal powerhouse Ann Wilson (of Heart). Michael put on an amazing show and proved himself to be a classy performer, gracious, and in command of himself, qualities Stevie herself embodies.

When Stevie came onstage, she opened with "Stand Back," always a crowd pleaser. Right from the start Stevie was energized and powerful; the band seemed a tad off in the beginning, but this was corrected before the first verse faded into the chorus. It wasn't dark outside at this point, but the sun was going down. Stevie wore a red/purple shawl over her black dress/pants outfit. In addition to powerful vocals, she was active and obviously very happy. She did a few twirls and her famous kick at the end of the song.

I want to interject, before I continue with my review, Stevie commented on Mystic Lake (it's Mystic Lake Casino, which is in Prior Lake, MN), and mentioned how she enjoyed the name. She was very talkative and friendly throughout the night, sharing stories and anecdotes. She just sort of radiated this warmth over the audience, making everyone feel welcome.

The second song, after Stevie said "let's get this party started!," was "Secret Love." I was amazed at how awesome the band was here; it was like listening to the CD. I know that Stevie has often been hesitant of performing newer songs live in the past, and she's said as much, but this was an awesome live performance.

The third song was "Dreams." Stevie took a moment to mention that this song/record hangs on her wall, and was Fleetwood Mac's only #1 single on the Hot 100 charts. Everyone was standing for this song; a classic Fleetwood Mac staple, everyone sang along to "Dreams." I have to take a moment and mention my boyfriend/partner, Jeremy, who got tickets for this show for us for my birthday, which was July 16th. We both swayed back and forth during this song, and even though he didn't know the words to "Dreams," he caught on and was singing by the second chorus.

Next came "Moonlight (A Vampire's Dream)," my absolute favorite track off the new disc; this better be the third single. It has HIT written ALL OVER IT!!!!! Stevie's vocals were spot on and the back rocked the heck out of it. The thundering beats instantly reminded me of "Planets Of The Universe," from the last album, 2001's Trouble in Shangri-La. (Stevie, in case you ever get these fan reviews, "Planets..." is a thunderously amazing track and would go well with "Moonlight" in a live set.)

As soon as "Moonlight" faded with applause, "Gold Dust Woman" began. I stayed on my feet even though people around me began to sit down. I kept thinking "Um, hello it's a friggin' Stevie Nicks concert and this is GOLD DUST WOMAN and I absolutely will not sit down!" Stevie and the band did not disappoint; I love the version of "Gold Dust Woman" with Stevie and her solo band, but it was so amazing that I could picture Lindsey Buckingham, Christine and John McVie, and Mick Fleetwood on stage.

Other Fleetwood Mac staples included "Landslide" and "Rhiannon." Everyone in the crowd sang along to "Landslide," which of course sounded amazing. "Rhiannon" brought everyone to their feet; you could tell Stevie just poured herself into character for this song.

Other songs from In Your Dreams ...

Stevie brought Michael Grimm back onstage to take Michael Campbell's place on "For What It's Worth," her second single from the new disc. She made a joke about comparing his name to the Grimm Fairytales, and then talked about the video (which I'd seen online earlier that day thanks to Perez Hilton). They were supposed to show the video behind Stevie while she sang (though not in sync, clearly, since Stevie always sings live), but after she talked about the video and turned around to prepare to sing, someone (I think either Sharon Celani or Lori Nicks) pointed out there was no video screen behind her. There was a moment you could tell Stevie was clearly NOT HAPPY about this at all, but she made the best of it, turned around, laughed, made another joke, and then proceeded to sing the song and knock it out of the park.

When I first head "Annabel Lee" on the album, I didn't like it much. It's grown to be a great track, and the live version is phenomenal. The live version, in my humble opinion, was better than the studio version heard on the album.

I knew Stevie was going to talk about the story behind "Soldier's Angel," but hearing her tell the story in person was amazing. As a huge fan of Stevie's, I've heard her talk about her work with the soldiers and giving iPods to soldiers for years now, and how she has frequently gone to Walter Reed and Bethesda to hand out iPods and talk to wounded soldiers. First of all, I can't imagine the raw energy that must come from that. I think this is something that transcends politics and feelings of war; I mean, no matter how we may feel about whatever wars/armed conflicts that may be going on, we all love and support our troops. "Soldier's Angel," which rocks on the album, put chills on me hearing it live. Stevie's vocals were so raw and emotional; you could tell she really put her soul into writing the song. On a side note, my first cousin Beverly was a Marine (I should say, is Marine ... Once a Marine, always a Marine!) and also loves Stevie ... I kept thinking throughout the song that my cousin Beverly would really love to be there live and feel the energy she gave during that performance.

"Ghosts Are Gone" is a song that is meant to be sang live. The album version is great, a bit reminiscent of "Fall From Grace" (from Trouble in Shangri-La), but when Stevie and company perform this song live you take notice of how powerful Stevie's voice still is as she weaves her vocals through the musical storm going on behind her.

An amazing surprise was "Leather and Lace." I saw a YouTube performance a month or so ago where Stevie performed this live with Maroon 5. Adam Levine was a judge on "The Voice," where Stevie appeared and sang "Landslide" with finalist (and winner) Javier Colon. This was not the first time Adam voiced his love for Stevie. When Stevie walked out onstage with Maroon 5, she and Adam (backed by the rest of Maroon 5) gave a stunning performance of "Leather and Lace." Replacing Don Henley on this classic duet, which first appeared on Stevie's 1981 solo debut, Bella Dona, was Stevie's vocal coach (I do forget his name!!!), who sang Don Henley's part amazingly (!!!!!!). Everyone loved "Leather and Lace," and seeing it live with the man of my dreams (Jeremy, mentioned earlier) was a treat!!!!

Another highlight of the night was Stevie introducing her band. She had some funny stories, especially about Sharon Celani, who apparently used to live in actual tree house in Hawaii.

"Edge of Seventeen," a rousingly thumping spectacle, closed the set. Stevie's voice was powerful, her stage presence commanding, her band in sync as the song brought everyone to their feet ... I found myself longing for the violins that were present in the Soundstage DVD concert, but this song is perfect!

In the past, Stevie's encores have been "Has Anyone Ever Written Anything For You" and "Beauty And The Beast," but now she using the closing track from Trouble in Shangri-La, the haunting ballad "Love Is." What a treat!!! She added extra verses to the live version, no doubt included in the original demo but edited from the studio track that went on Trouble in Shangri-La.

Again, the night was perfect. Not only was I watching Stevie Nicks perform live again, not only was the setting magical and perfect, I was with the man of my dreams. He was a casual fan, I think anyway, of Stevie before, but the day after the concert he purchased In Your Dreams on iTunes.

My only gripe (and really, it isn't a gripe because how could anyone gripe about such a perfect show) was the unrepresented. Rock a Little and The Other Side Of the Mirror were not mentioned at all. "Rooms On Fire" is my favorite Stevie song ever, and was secretly hoping she was pop this song out, and it would have been great to hear "Talk to Me."

Thank you Stevie, for a magical, beautiful evening that I will never forget, and thank you Jeremy for this amazing birthday gift!!!!



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