On a cold December Tuesday evening, the Xcel Energy Center was warm with passion and soul as Stevie Nick gave an outstanding performance. For more than two hours, the near capacity audience was on their feet, being treated to stories of how and why songs were written along with an masterful selection of songs that went way back to Stevie’s early days.
Many of the deep tracks have been rarely played live like “Crying in the Night,” a song she wrote in 1971. At one point, Stevie even let the audience know that “tonight, we are going to open the trunk of gothic musical mysteries.” Performing with her superb six-piece band, led by guitarist Waddy Wachtel, along with a pair of backing singers, Nick’s husky but pure voice was at its finest and she was engaging and often funny telling her stories.
Through the evening, we learned that the lead track of the new album, “Starshine”, was written in Tom Petty’s basement, that “Moonlight (A Vampire’s Dream)” was indeed inspired by Bella and Edward and is her favorite song. We also learned that both “Stand Back” and “Edge of Seventeen” were responses to songs by her “strange little friend” Prince.
The audience roared as Stevie’s jumped into her first huge hit “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around,” on which she was joined by Chrissie Hynde, who along with Wachtel did Petty’s part on the duet. Hits were again played at the end, with “Gold Dust Woman,” “Rihannon” and “Landslide” that brought the show to the close.
The show definitely had a beautiful warm vibe. Stevie’s presence on stage was ever magical and the tone and clarity of her voice remains everlasting.
