I'll try and make this review not as long as my other reviews. I got ready and I left my house about 11:30 a.m. Since George and I were heading south that meant I had to go to his house for a change but I had to head north first to get my pictures from the Nissan Pavilion show from Wednesday night. You all know the story of how I exposed the film. Well, the pictures did come out but not without error. The colour is sorta bright and the pics lost some of their detail, but they were still worth getting. I don't know if they would scan for you all to see but I don't have a scanner anyway.

So I get the pics and head back south. I make it to George's house around 12:30. I pack my stuff in his car and notice his tamborine (spelling?). I had to laugh because I too brought my tamborine that he had given me as a gift a few years ago. We were definately in a Stevie mood. I also brought with me a picture my Dad drew in 1986 that I never did bring to that concert. I was only 15 at the time and I didn't really appreciate the drawing at the time but now when I look at it, I'm quite pleased. My Dad is not even an artists but he did a good job. So we head south and make a stop at Burger King after we crossed the Potomac River Bridge. Neither of us had eaten so we wanted to get that out of the way. "Two fish combos please, with cheese" Ummm!

So we take 95 south then 85 south. The drive was pretty uneventful. We listened to all of Bella Donna, The Wild Heart and Rock A Little on the way down. When we finally get to Raleigh, we stop at a Hardees' to get a soda. We asked a sweet older lady how to get to the Walnut Creek. She told us somewhat accurate directions. We eventually did find the place but they were turning everyone away because they didn't let people in until 6:00 p.m. We were there at 5:45 and thought it was pretty ignorant that they were not allowing people in. Cars had started to back up on the side of the road. Oh yea, before going in, we noticed people on Jones Saugage Road that were holding up signs saying they needed tickets. I didn't think Stevie had sold out and wonderd why they just didn't see what the box office had. So many people have been getting real good seats that way. So we get in the parking lot area and just sat in the car for a few minutes with the AC on. We knew it was going to be a doozy out there in the heat. Since we didn't know anyone we had more of a laid back time. No real tailgate party. When we finally decided to go in, we stuff our cameras down our pants. This time I bought one of those disposables cameras. We get inside the venue no problem. The security seemed to be more on the ball as opposed to the secruity guards at Nissan. So we were not sure if we would be able to take pictures. We made our way over to the merchandise booth and this time I finally got two shirts. I got the black one with the I Can't Wait outtake pic with the stairs and the one with the head shot from the Enchanted booklet. My guess it is from the RAL era. I also got a button and a postcard. Next we go check out our seats. Great view - 4th row section 2 in the middle. Ok, we watched Boz play his first song then it is time for Travis to get some food. I was delighted to see they had corndogs. So I get a corndog and a bottled water. I'm done with the corndog and decided I wanted another one. George just shook his head. But I got fries instead. We then walk on the other side of the venue to check out the interesting breed of folk Stevie attracted to this show. We come full circle and I go to use the restroom. I come out and there is Torri talking to George. So the three of us talked for a while then we all headed to our seats. Torri lucked out at the box office. She got seats in section 1 (whatever the left side is) and something like 5th row. Way to go Torri! I told myself before the show that I really wanted to get into the music this time. The other shows I got distracted a bit. Well, no I guess I didn't really get distracted in Camden.

The lights dim and out comes Christopher. He reads the definations of Enchant and boom, the music starts. "It's only a dream". 4th row -wow. Stevie looked great of course. I was up most of the time. I don't recall any rare moment at this minute, but I was really enjoying the show. The crowd was a bit different compared to Camden and Manassas. This wasn't a Lynard Skynard concert people. One guy was making this sound that sounded like an animal dying the whole time. Real annoying but I wasn't letting it stop me from enjoying the show. I think Stevie could hear him though. It seemed like she was trying not to loose her place while talking.

Ok, the acoustic set is next. When she gets to Rose Garden, you know the line referring to a small gold band on her finger on her left hand?, well there was this cute little guy in front of us that held up his lighter in front of his left hand which displayed a ring. He was showing it to Stevie and I thought that was sweet. Oh yea, there was a line in Rose Garden (I forget which one) when she turned to Mindy and they sang the line together. I thought it was nice because it made me feel that Stevie was making Mindy feel like she had always been with her just as Sharon has. During all of this I was able to take a few pictures. We did see some people doing it but not nearly as much at the Manassas show. When Stand Back began, the guards let the people up front as if it were Edge Of Seventeen. I turned to George and jokingly said, "I wonder if they know that this is Stand Back and not Edge Of Seventeen". At a live show when everything is going on those two songs do sorta sound the same in the beginning. Stand Back was great. During the guitar solo Stevie and Carlos were really into it. Oh yes, how could I forget to mention Don Boyett. He is so damn sexy. He came out in this white tank top and black sweat pants (sorta like sweat pants anyway) which showed how built he really is. Sorry, had to mention that :-) Oh yea, I'm remembering more things now. At the beginning of the show when Stevie came out with her flowers that she always gives to someone, she ended up giving them to this one woman in the front row who was sitting down the ENTIRE time and acted like she didn't know what was going on. Poor Stevie! What are these people thinking?

So Twisted is now on and I know that is my cue to move closer. I was determinded to get some good pics this time since the film got screwed up of the Manassas show. So I get closer without any problems. Lenny starts his percussion solo. Here comes the White Winged Dove. Ok, now I'm really siked. Is that how you spell that? She starts to make her way over to me (I'm on the right side of the stage by the way) and I'm taking my pictures. She's close and I'm snapping away. I was able to grab her hand but she really didn't grab mine. I take another pic when she is right in front of me then she looks at me, but she keeps smiling. I have to say I feel so bad. I mean, I'm sure Stevie expects it but still, here I am right in her face with my camera. But I just couldn't help myself though. I hope Stevie isn't mad.

Ok, now it's time for the encores. I'm right at the speaker on the edge of the stage when I Need To Know is being played and it is loud. It made me feel like I was drunk or something and I actually lost my balance for a second. I had to move away from the speaker. I did make contact with Frank Sims though. He really seems to be enjoying himself on this tour. Has Anyone Ever Written... is being played. The line when Stevie speaks, "So when they ask her about the men in her life, and they do ask her. She says" then someone in the audience yelled, "Screw them", Stevie smiled and pointed. Stevie was in good humor but I wonder how she really felt. They are really differnt down in the south. Not to make it sound bad but I don't think Stevie is used to that. I know she has had her wild days though.

The show is over and we meet up with Torri. We all enjoyed the show pretty much. I was so thirsty afterwards I stopped to get two waters, one for Torri and I. They came warm. Yuk! But they served their purpose. We walked outside and I asked Torri and George if they were interested in finding out where the tour buses would be coming out. They said sure. We think we found the spot but there were no other fans there. People that we didn't know why they were standing there were there so we just left because it was just a wierd feeling.

So we head back to our cars and say goodbye to Torri. We stayed in the parking lot for a while to let traffic die down some. Right before we left we asked this couple parked next to us what was the best way to get back on 85. They told us. The wouldn't believe we were going all the way back to Maryland. So then we chatted with them about the show. They were there to see Boz Scaggs but they said they really enjoyed Stevie. They must have been in their late 30's or early 40's. They were real nice. So George and I leave and we hit 40 then 85. We only stopped once on the way home to get gas and a soda. I felt so gross I couldn't wait to get home and take a shower. George drove the whole way back. I couldn't belive it. I was tired and feel asleep at one point very briefly. I had put in The Other Side Of the Mirror and I must had dozed off during Rooms On Fire because I woke up during the last song Ghosts. It was my own tape and I put Ghosts as the last song. Whole Lotta Trouble is actually the last song on side 1 on the tape. So we get to George's house around 4:50 a.m. I then head home and get their around 5:20 a.m. It was already starting to get lighter outside. I come home and take a much needed shower and I hit the bed around 6:00. I woke up around 1:30 p.m. today. George and I had made plans to get our filmed developed today. We drop off our film and then we go to lunch. We come back to get our pictures. For the most part, mine are pretty good. I got a couple of close shots. I may mail them to John Kinney of the Nicksfix so he can scan them.

Well that is it fellow ledgies. I don't think I'll get to see Stevie anymore on this tour. The rest of you are in for a treat.

Some general notes-she seemed very HOT and had every reason to because it was like 100 degrees with 100% humidity or something-I have never sweated so much in my life but it was totally worth it-there were many drunk and obnoxious fans and I don't think Stevie has any special liking for the southeast which I understand because I don't like it much(except for the mountain areas) and I've lived here forever. Boz did say something about how he hadn't been down here in a while and he enjoyed it. Stevie was wiping her face a lot and a few times I thought maybe she was crying but I think it was just sweat. The traffic wasn't bad at all-we were back at our friends house in Raleigh by 11:30. Food was way overpriced. A cup of lemonade cost 5 dollars. There was one song near the very beginning where she kind of changed the words and said something with,"Stevie" in it. I liked it but can't remember what it was. Well that is all for my review but it was just so wonderful and enchanting and fabulous and absolutely perfect!

Still on a high from Stevie's June 24 Manassas, VA concert, Travis and I travelled to Raleigh, NC June 26, to do it all over again. The drive was about 4 1/2 - 5 hours, but it really didn't seem that long. With Stevie's music crankin' and an occasional shake of the tambourine by Travis, we made great time on the highway. We arrived at the pavilion at 5:45, only to learn they were not opening the parking lot until 6:00. So, there was a minor traffic jam as cars were pulled off the side of the road waiting to get in. After entering, we sat in the parking lot and drank a couple of beers. It was very hot - 102 degrees according to the radio. We watched the other concert-goers. Many had their shirts off, but probably should have kept them on. I was a little uncomfortable with the people and the atmostphere. I made the comment to Travis, "We aren't in Kansas anymore." After I changed into my concert shirt and carefully placed my camera down my pants, we headed into the pavilion. Travis gave me an empty plastic bag to take inside to carry and protect our tourbooks and t-shirts we would by. The bag was a pink Fashion Bug bag. After entering, I went right to the merchandise booth. I bought three tourbooks and a t-shirt for friends. I placed them into the bag and headed straight to the bathroom to remove the camera that had begun to fall down my shorts. Inside a stall, I placed my camera in the bag. I was now all set.

We made our way to our seats - 4th row center. We were right in front of Stevie's mic. We watched Boz's opening number, but then went out of the pavilion to eat. Afterwards, we walked around the pavilion. I only saw two women the entire night dressed in Stevie fashion. I saw no tambourines and no flowers or gifts. I observed Christopher Nicks and Injun sitting at a picnic table. Travis was going to have Christopher sign his ticket, but we said, "No, we don't want to deal with his ego and attitude." Travis found someone's concert ticket on the ground. We gave it to the pavilion staffer working that section. While Travis used the restroom, I waited outside. A woman, seeing the bag I was carrying, approached me. She asked me if there was a Fashion Bug in the pavilion. I said "No, I just bought this in to protect my tourbooks." Next, someone was coyly approaching me. She said something but I didn't hear her and I thought she was propositing me. Then she said, "It's Torri !" I didn't recognize her. I guess I just wasn't expecting to see anyone I knew. We returned to the pavilion. Torri had a great seat - 3rd row on the aisle, left of the stage. She obtained the ticket when she arrived at the pavilion a couple hours earlier.

The lights dimmed and after Christopher's reading, Stevie emerged on the stage with her flowers. Apparently, no one in the front row has attended a Stevie concert before. No one would take the flowers from her! Stevie motioned for a woman seated center to come forward and she didn't move. The woman and her husband weren't even standing. Stevie finally just tossed them at the woman who seemed confused as to why she was just given flowers. Stevie had to hurry to the mic and made it just in time to sing the first line to "Outside The Rain." I said to Travis, If I had been sitting in the front row, I would have had the flowers right now. Travis and I both had cameras but decided to wait awhile before snapping pictures and to just enjoy the concert. The song set was identical to the previous concert. The only difference were the people. There were lots of hoots and howlers. Men holding up their beers and saying "yeah, baby." As Stevie changed shawls, someone near me yelled "take it all off." Travis and I just looked at each other and made a derogatory comment about the people. I told him to just let it go and enjoy the concert. I noticed in "Gold Dust Woman" Stevie sang, "Pick up the pieces and gome home... and hit it." She hadn't said the "hit it" line since 1986. We stood for the entire concert. I sung along to every song. The triology was great. While singing "Rose Garden," when Stevie says "...roses dangling down to the ground." She and I both made a circular downward motion with our hands simultanously. I think she saw me because she smiled. I loved how "Rose Garden" went right into "Sleeping Angel." At one point, Stevie was faning herself. She was looking to the left of the stage. I don't know if she was trying to signal a stagehand or not. After one song she said "someone please fix this microphone." Stevie also had a small microphone problem at Manassas, but both of these incidences were after she had finished singing. At the beginning of "Stand Back," security allowed the first five rows to rush the stage. I decided not to be apart of that this time and to just enjoy the show. I snapped some good pictures, but some "hands" did get in the way from time to time. I also observed people waving a "Buckingham Nicks" album, a folded tour progam and a Dominos' pizza box. The latter was getting on my nerves. Someone also had a banner that read "Dance Stevie Dance," which the person placed on stage and a stage- hand immediately removed and crumpled it up. During "Edge of Seventeen," Travis decided to go to the stage for a better picture angle. Stevie shook many hands. I saw someone give her a white bear. A few had a single rose which many purchased from a vendor at the pavilion right before the show. After the song, Stevie joked about taking everyone on tour with her.

After the concert Torri, Travis and I exited the pavilion. As we were walking, a woman next to us said "I got the towel." She was referring to the towel Don Boyette threw. I told her that I got the towel at the last concert. Travis, still having film left, motioned for me and the woman to get together for a picture. Heading out, the crowd really seemed to be wound-up. I felt uncomfortable again and was ready to get into the car. At the car, we decided to drive back home since we were both "up." We talked to a very nice couple parked next to us and asked for directions. Travis asked them about being Stevie fans and they commented that they really came to see Boz Scaggs, but they loved Stevie as well. They gave us directions and we were on our way.