Stevie Nicks Enchants Philadelphia
An hour before Stevie Nicks was set to play Philadelphia's Wells Fargo Center, Dylan got a phone call asking if we wanted two free tickets to the show.
Was that even a question?
Avid Fleetwood Mac fans and curious to listen to Stevie's new solo work, we jumped in the car and headed back to our city to catch the Gold Dust Woman.
There's really nothing like intimacy in a concert, and that's one thing The Wells just doesn't have. But when you have powerhouse acts like Stevie Nicks rolling through, you can't offer her a place like Union Transfer. You either go big or she goes home. While we were lucky enough to have been given floor seats, I still felt so small in that crowd. I love being able to connect with the artist, but Stevie did her best to make us all feel at home with her in that packed amphitheater.
When we arrived, another iconic '70's act, The Pretenders was in the middle of their opening set, and we walked in just as "I'll Stand By You" was coming to a close. We were both surprised that we knew more than a few of their songs. Singer Chrissie Hynde has an electric stage presence, and one thing we both noticed was that age doesn't seem to stop any of these performers.
But when Stevie finally walked on stage, I'll even admit it was a chills-inducing moment. Her band took the stage one by one, all in various stages of their lives, which I thought was very cool of her to offer such young musicians a place among her talent. Then, clad in all black as usual, she appeared singing "Gold and Braid" off of her newest record, "24 Karat Gold: Songs from the Vault."
The show had a pretty intense setlist. In between breaks, Stevie explained that she wanted to explore all corners of her discography with this tour. She wanted to play songs that never made it on to records, songs that had gotten lost, and songs that of course everybody loves. We heard favorites like "Gypsy," "Bella Donna," "Gold Dust Woman," and a killer finale of "Edge of Seventeen." She also played songs like "Crying in the Night," off of the illustrious "Buckingham Nicks" album, and "New Orleans," a poem she'd written in response to Hurricane Katrina in 2005. She even graced us with her iconic twirls onstage a few times.
Throughout the night, Stevie would pause between songs to tell us a little bit about the story behind each one. Tom Petty was mentioned more than once, and when she sang "Stop Dragging My Heart Around," a song he'd written for her, Chrissie Hynde rejoined her onstage for a duet. Before "Crying in the Night," a fan passed a vinyl copy of "Buckingham Nicks" to her and she talked about the story behind the cover photo. It was so interesting to hear about her life, because I feel like she is such a multi-faceted artist and all-around incredibly unique person. She is incredibly witty in the way she speaks, yet still so eloquent.
I've been listening to Stevie Nicks and Fleetwood Mac for several years, and I truly never thought I'd ever have the chance to see her. I kept joking to Dylan, "If only we could have seen them tour forty years ago!" But Stevie's voice and presence did not disappoint. While it wasn't my usual concert experience, it was awesome to be a part of such a huge crowd and hear Stevie's classic booming, raspy voice all around us.
For a last-minute show, I'm happy it was her's. Maybe Fleetwood Mac will be back one day, and if they ever roll through Philly again, you'll know where to find me.