The concert was amazing and my friends and I managed to get to the very front pressed up against the barricade to see the show!!! I have been crying all night since I was so shocked to be able to be so close to see Stevie sing Gold Dust Woman. OK HERE ARE THE DETAILS......I will get right to the good stuff......

My friends and I got to the meadow at around 4 pm, we had to show our tickets to get in, and we were then searched to make sure we weren't carrying video cameras, still cameras were allowed and BOY DO WE HAVE PICTURES!!!!!!! My friend Dennis had a telephoto camera and he got pictures close enough to see Stevie's individual eyelashes!!!! Anyway, while we were waiting for the concert to begin, we sat on towels and hung out while the newspapers were walking all around interviewing people. They were very impressed with the amount of Stevie fans at the concert, in fact, everyone they spoke to seemed to be mainly interested in seeing Stevie. So, the New York Post decided to write an article on how loyal and devoted Stevie's fans are and were interviewing everyone, including all my friends!!! IT WAS SO EXCITING!

Then they began playing some music while equipment was being set up, and all of a sudden, Rhiannon came on..well, there had to be about 10,000 people there by that point and so many people started clapping! I was so happy to see how many Stevie fans were there..and I couldn't wait for the concert to begin ;-)

At about 6pm, my friends and I decided to go stand in front of the stage so that we would be as close as possible. We knew once the show began, everyone would rush the stage, so we went to the very front and remained there for the entire show. While there, we met many other Stevie fans ,..INCLUDING Elena from MTV's Fanatic, and her friend, they were both so nice and cool, we had a great time!!!! They had sunflowers and I asked if they were a reference to "sunflowers and your face fascinate me" and they said yes ;-)

WELL 8PM THE CONCERT BEGAN. Sheryl came out and sang by herself and with some guests, including the Dixie Chicks and we were all screaming and dancing, but everyone seemed to be anticipating Stevie..I mean everyone!!!! There were people holding Stevie signs everywhere and screaming out her name.

The first hour was not live, but when it came close to the second hour, they announced Bill Murray and he came out and spoke, and then named the performers, and I think everyone who watched on TV must have noticed how Stevie got the MOST SCREAMS AND APPLAUSE!!! Sheryl then sang another song, "Winding Road" I believe, then the Dixie Chicks sang Strong Enough with her and THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN WE HEAR THE OPENING CHORDS TO GOLD DUST WOMAN!!! I think I went into another zone at the point..everyone went crazy!!!! I was screaming at the top of my lungs and holding up my Nicks Fix bumper sticker so that she could see it! There was also a woman next to be with a top hat on with chiffon hanging from it and a Nicks Fix sticker across the front.she was awsome. ;-) Anyway, back to Stevie..she came out wearing the gold shawl and SHE WAS STUNNING!!!!!!! I AM NOT KIDDING! OH MY GOD..she must have lost even more weight, she was so tiny and she was absolutely beautiful!!!!!! She looked angelic, her hair was layered a little more and her face had glitter near her eyes, she kept smiling and she was radiant. The entire crowd was singing along, every word, screaming at the top of their lungs. I am sure I list my voice during that song. Then when the song was over she seemed to run off, I think she seemed embarrassed or just overwhelmed at the pandamonium she caused. People were screaming her name even 20 minutes after she left the stage. I don't know how all the other artists felt about this, but Stevie's name was being screamed even when she wasn't on stage. NO WONDER the Post wanted to do a story about her fans! I was so overjoyed to see how many people loved her there. After GDW, she didn't sing anything else, she did come out at the end to dance with her tamborine when everyone was singing together at the end. BUT she seemed to stay behind Crissie Hyde..at this point my friends and I were sure she was trying to downplay all the attention she was getting..I mean Sheryl was singing and everyone in the first 10 rows were screaming at Stevie and holding up signs..she never looked in our direction, I think she was trying to avoid it a bit since we were causing such a scene, but we couldn't help it, we LOVE her and couldn't control ourselves. At one point Crissie Hyde came forward to see what was on my bumper sticker and when she read it she smiled at us and went back to playing. Sheryl even looked at us and smiled and then looked over at Stevie..I think they were all laughing at how they were on stage singing and playing, and Stevie, who was dancing on the side, was getting all the attention. Towards the end of the song Stevie glanced at all of us and smiled and looked away very shyly....I am sure she was overwhelmed at the attention she was getting ;-) She was so adorable!!!!! After that last jam everyone left the stage and Sheryl came out for an encore. I don't know how I am still awake right now!!!! I am on SUCH A HIGH!!!!!!!!! I watched the tape of the concert when I got home and you can see my friends and I in the audience and we were also on the news!!!! ANYONE in the New York area who watched the Channel 5 news, the group of people holding up the Nicks Fix bumper sticker was me and my friends!!! OK I need to get some rest now ..sorry is this is all jumbled, but I couldn't wait to tell everyone!!!!
LOVE YA GUYS!

So our group met, got to Central Park, and got in the front row!! A little off to the right side (if you're looking at the stage), but nonetheless it was in the front row and we were very close.. binoculars were not even needed!

I'm sorry, I cannot remember the exact order of songs, etc. LOL But after the opening bands, sheryl came out, and she was really very very good. She sounded great, her band sounded great. She had on this really pretty red outfit (as I'm sure all of you have seen from the pictures already!! :) ) Sarah came out to do a song with Sheryl before the broadcasted segment started. They sang "Angel" together! I think they sound so beautiful singing that song as a duet! It was really touching. Shortly into her performance, Sheryl stopped and let us know that we were going to be on air in 5 minutes. I think everyone there got really excited at that point! It was the funniest thing b/c EVERYONE was cheering and screaming like crazy... a lot more than we were before we knew we were on TV! Even Sheryl seemed to be more peppy and enthused!

So Sheryl played and played, singing all the songs she sang on Lilith this summer, and then the guests started coming out. (sorry I can't remember the order!!) I just remember being in such awe as all of these wonderful performers and true legends performed... I could not believe Eric did White Room!!! Wow!!! Keith Richards was really great, Chrissie Hynde was good, Sarah was great, and the Dixie chicks were good too! Surprisingly enough, the Dixie Chicks sang "Strong Enough" with Sheryl rather than Stevie! This occured before Stevie had come out, and at that point, all of us freaked because we thought maybe Stevie did not show up! Luckily, the best part of the night was soon to follow......

The stage grew quiet, the lights that were just dimmed turned an enchanting shade of orange, and the beat of the drum began... that beat that we all know so well as the beginning of the infamous "Gold Dust Woman." After about four counts of that beat, we all knew that it was finally her turn... We all went crazy... It is no joke when I tell you that Stevie had to have had the biggest amount of fans at that show, and that she got the most applause out of anyone there... So out she walked "in her long black dress" and her beautiful orange GDW shawl. Her voice was impeccable, and she looked beautiful. She just radiated on that stage. She really did steal the show... So many of her fans crowded to the front, we were all screaming the loudest we could for her! I am still in awe... Most of the legends who performed that night sang one of their own songs with Sheryl singing at least one verse in it. This was not the case with Stevie and Sheryl... Sheryl played quiet guitar, and sang only backing vocals... It was like Sheryl left those 4 or 5 minutes of stage time for Stevie and Stevie alone... she did not touch her music, I think Sheryl was actually standing back, smiling, and enjoying Stevie's performance... And Stevie is her idol, it's so nice that she is getting to work with her.. Oh my God, but Stevie looked healthy, her hair was beautiful, her make-up was donely so nicely, and she just sounded so good... as I said I am still in awe...

I made this banner/poster and I really wanted Stevie to see it! but to the best of my knowledge she did not. I know Sheryl did though! you know that feeling that you get when you KNOW someone is looking at YOU and not just the area you are in... well that's what I got from Sheryl at one point whenI was holding up the banner! She looked and smiled over at it! So maybe she told Stevie about it! And then at the end of the show, the very very last song they did, EVERYONE (including Stevie) came out of Stage... even Bill Murray was snapping his fingers on stage! (Oh yes and Bill Murray was about 5 feet away from us when eric was doing White Room, so that was cool) Anyway, Stevie was out with her tambourine, and of course again we tried to get her attention, but it didn't work! BUT Chrissie Hynde looked over and it looked like she was trying to read what it said (I painted "Stevie Nicks" in the writing that is on TimeSpace in the center and then wrote out 'you're the poet in our hearts...we love you' and put a bunch of pictures on it, and bunches of long strands of ribbon on the top two corners).... but she looked like she was trying to read it, and then once she got it, it looked like she said something to the effect of "oh ok.." and looked over at stevie.. maybe she said something to her!! :) Stevie didn't really look around at the audience too too much. I think maybe she was nervous that it was being taped live on tv, broadcasted to millions of viewers, or maybe she was a little nervous, not knowing how the crowd would react to her... it's not like it was an actual Stevie concert, you know? Most of the people there won tickets for the show, not for her, you know? So it wasn't like her usual crowd... but it's funny.. it's like it doesn't matter if you're a die-hard stevie fan, the most dedicated one, if you like her music a little bit, or you are not really a fan at all, when one is lucky enough to be in her presence at a show, (especailly something like this b/c like I said, it was not a crowd FULL of Stevie fans, although I think we out-numbered other fans), it's like everyone is a fan.. you can't help but be one... I don't know how to describe, but it's like the feeling that all of us huge fans get when we hear her on the radio, or when there is some coincidence that occurs with something we are doing that is Stevie related and her song comes on the radio... it's like everyone gets that feeling when they see/hear her... I've just noticed it too much not to say anything... i saw it in so many people's faces at the concert.. it was beautiful... i wish stevie knew that.....

I thought I'd give it a try and see if I could get one of the pictures autographed by Stevie! But I didn't have as much luck with that as I did with my flower and other things at Woodstock '98!

Oh yes and she didn't go crazy on the scream in the song! She did it the way that it is on Rumours.. I've never heard it that way live! Even though I live for that scream in that song, I LOVe this version too!!!

well that is basically it!! It was so incredible to be there, and I wish all stevie fans could have been there! It was truly one of her best performances that I've seen, even though it was limited to one song!

SONGBIRD SHERYL FLIES HIGH WITH HER FRIENDS

By DAN AQUILANTE
MOST summer nights, there's no place like Central Park to see stars. But sometimes, like last night, it's superstars that shine brilliantly there.

Sheryl Crow, who became a citizen of Skyscraper Park last year, threw a housewarming party for 25,000 of her neighbors.

The free outdoor event at the East Meadow featured Crow in a two-part program. After appearing solo for the first set, she invited friends such as Sarah McLachlan, Stevie Nicks, Chrissie Hynde, Keith Richards and guitar-god Eric Clapton to join her.

Crow was hot in her opening set, wearing a midriff-baring halter-top and red slacks.

Although she was good in that early set, playing hits such as "A Change Will Do You Good," "Leaving Las Vegas" and "Can't Cry Anymore," the set was treated as a warm-up for the second half, which was broadcast on Fox TV.

The later portion of the show was pure star power, complete with song breaks for TV commercials.

Joining Crow first were country stars, the Dixie Chicks. They got a good response, but it was Nicks, Crow's second guest, who rallied the fans.

Of Crow's second-set solos, her version of Dylan's upbeat and very-un-Dylan-like "Mississippi" scored big with fans.

The mostly female guests were given a testosterone cocktail by unannounced player Richards of the Rolling Stones. On stage, Richards, reprised "Happy," with guitar aid from Crow and Hynde. Cadaverous Richards hit his peak during the second tune, "Sweet Little Rock 'n' Roller," in which he did a top-notch Chuck Berry impression.

Crow's duet with McLachlan, on the vocally demanding "Difficult Kind," was OK. But the mix from the sound man was a little too shrill.

The response to everyone who joined Crow on stage - even Richards - was polite, by comparison to the cheers and applause garnered by Clapton.

His two song mini-set opened with the Cream classic, "White Room," followed by a version of Hendrix's "Little Wing." The arrangement for that tune was the same with which he ripped the Garden apart earlier this year. Unfortunately for Crow, while Clapton was on stage, he totally dominated, only using her to hit the notes he no longer can.

Crow reclaimed the stage with "There Goes the Neighborhood," a good song, but hardly the evening's best, followed by a jam from all of the evening's guests. This all-star jam was better than most. It featured Dylan's "Tombstone Blues," one of his best. Hynde was the top singer during that set, and Richards made the best moves during the song as he tried to pick up one of the Dixie Chicks during his guitar solo.

The real finale came when Crow, freed from the watchful eye of television cameras, did her signature song, "All I Wanna Do (Is Have Some Fun)."

And it was here, she and her fans did.

The first hour was mostly Sheryl Crow tunes, except for Angel, which she performed with Sarah Mc Lachlin, which was great.

The televised show began at 9:00 p.m.sharp, as they were announcing the "friends" names there were cheers for all of the performers, but the crowd went wild when they announced Stevie.

The first of the "friends" were the Dixie Chicks and was it to my surpirse when they sang "Strong Enough" . I thought they they were definately going to perform "If you ever did believe" . But to my surprise right after the Dixie Chicks, Sheryl broke into Gold Dust Woman.

Then Stevie strolled on to the stage, the audience started to cheer loudly, she looked incredible and her voice was strong. She seemed to project a presence that everyone took notice of. She sang with such passion, it was so refreshing to see such a performance by Stevie or any performer.

What I happened to take notice of was that Sheryl took a second seat to Stevie, she let her perform her song. With her other "friends" she certainly seemed to have a more active role. She really just accompanied Stevie. If this performance is any indication of what is to be expected on Stevie's new release, it will be great.

What was funny was that the weather forcast called for showers and there has not been a time yet when I've seen Stevie perform in NY (indoor or outdoors) when it has not rained. I was very happy to see that "tradition" was unbroken.

Cheers & Jeers

CHEERS to setting the woods on fire. What can we say about American Express Central Park in Blue? Ugly title, gorgeous music. Sheryl Crow's concert on Fox (September 14) from Manhattan's sylvan sanctuary was a pure delight. Crow tore through her hits with an inspired roster of guests: the Dixie Chicks, Stevie Nicks, Sarah McLachlan, Chrissie Hynde, Keith Richards and Eric Clapton. There was more great music in this one hour than in three days of Woodstock '99.