FANS ARE NOW RATING THE SHOWS AS WELL

1-5

5 BEING THE BEST

by Pattie aka "WelchWitchPMD"

I took a half day off from work and headed out to Mansfield from Providence (the one in Rhode Island) which took about less then a half hour.

I got to the box office around 1:15 in hopes of a ticket release. Nothing yet. Meantime I had a little helper who was checking Ticketmaster for me religiously. Sec 3 Row T seemed to be the only thing coming up. I was checking at the box office about every 5 minutes. While I was there I noticed quite a few people coming up to the box office for the ‘residents’ tickets. I asked at the box office what that was about. It seems that residents of the towns of Mansfield and Norton, Ma were able to come up and get a free ticket for the show. They were located in the back of sections 4 and 8, which were not the best, but at least they were free and they were better then lawn seats. They just had to show a drivers license or something and they got 2 free tickets. I swear that everybody and their brother in those towns were there to get their tickets. Most of the people could not even believe it! Most of them thought that Stevie was a guy. LOL

While I was there I also talked with Chuck Nowlan who is a DJ from WZLX in Boston. He told me about the ZLX ticket upgrade were if you had a lawn seat and you go up to an usher and ask them for a ZLX upgrade that you would get a seat in the pavilion area. He was not sure were but it was something that I did consider as a last resort.

I also found out that as of 4 days before the show that only 5000 tickets were sold. I wonder if that was why they were giving tickets to the town people. The clerk told me that she had been there for a few years and that they had never done that before. I waited and waited and it was now around 4:30 and nothing. I met up with Ledgie Tina (Teedee) who was so nice! The poor thing stayed and waited with me. It was now 7:15pm and still nothing. Someone who had a ‘townie’ ticket asked ‘who wants a free ticket?” Luckily someone was right there and said ‘she needs one”. So now I at least had a Sec 4 Row BB ticket. LOL Hey, at least I knew I would be going to see the show.

Ok, there is no denying that I am a spoiled brat so of course I was still waiting for those great seats. I met a nice fan that hooked me up with someone selling a Sec 3 Row J ticket. The way the rows are set up that was actually 5th row. I figured that I should take it so I did. I get in grab a water and sit at a picnic bench because I was so dehydrated. I found out that there was an opening act so I figured that I would stay on the bench for a while because basically I could not walk. I then head to my seat and release that my row is a lot closer then I thought. It was actually 3rd row.

Juliana Ray was finishing up her set. I thought that she had a pretty voice but her type of music just did not appeal to me. Don then came on and opened with ‘The Genie”. I liked the song and thought that it had kind of a funky beat. Witchy Woman was next and is one of my favs. Don said that “Halloween was early this year” I would have really loved to hear Stevie on this one. The place would have gone wild.

Don did “I put a Spell on You” next and that was OK. I was not that excited with that song. Next was “Hotel California”. I heard the crowd roar before I even saw the little blonde emerge from the shadows on the right side of the stage. I did not write down what lines she sang and I don’t remember. Sorry.

New York Minute was the next song. Stevie sang on these verses:

Lying here in the darkness
I hear the sirens wail
Somebody going to emergency
Somebody’s going to jail
If you find somebody to love in this world
You better hang on tooth and nail
The wolf is always at the door

She sang these verses: “If you find somebody to love in this world
You better hang on tooth and nail” with some real strong emotion and she was even putting her arm up and motioning with her hand.
Very expressive on Stevie’s part.

She kind of put her arms out and did this mechanical dance. God I hope that there is a video so that you can see what I am talking about.

The next song was “The Last Worthless Evening”.

Stevie sang on these lines:
I see you around sometimes
And my heart just melts
Your looking like if you had your wish
You’d be somewhere else
And it just breaks my heart
To see you here this way
Someday I’ll get the nerve
To walk up to you and say

That song moved a bit slow I thought. I won’t go into the rest of Don’s set but I did enjoy it.

After a stage change Stevie came on to do her set. She opened with Outside The Rain/Dreams. How original. Stevie said “Welcome Everybody, Hello” Next was Rhiannon. I was too busy taking photos to notice anything.

Enchanted I had to sit down for because I just felt ill all of a sudden. Must have been the hot dog I ate. Gold Dust Woman had a different feel to it with Don but it was still good. Stop Dragging My Heart Around was pretty cool. Stevie was really getting into it but Don’s voice did not fit the song. I think that Don is a great singer but he just was a bit reserved on the song. Circle Dance I have to say is where I enjoyed Don’s vocal’s more. Stevie introduced it as a song that Bonnie Raitt wrote for her father (who was the broadway star John Raitt) and said that it was beautiful and that they loved it. It seemed to hold a special place in Stevie’s heart. Don kissed Stevie on the cheek before he left the stage.

Stand Back was OK. I really am starting to think of it as a Mac song. Yes, I was looking for Lindsey for a split second. Beauty and The Beast was basically the same as Vegas. The person next to me fell asleep.

Edge of 17 people were already lined up at the stage before SB so I did not bother to go up there. I know that they were other people who wanted to touch her and I had already done that twice in Vegas. Leather and Lace was nice to hear with Don. Stevie’s set just seemed to fly right by, however.

I had a great time and I am glad that I went. If you wanted to just hear Stevie do her songs then this might not have been the show for you. Otherwise I would highly recommend it.

Rated "5" by Kate aka "SaraScarlett"

First off, my apologies for the giddiness. I think I am still high from the whole experience.

I can’t remember when I had more fun at a concert. If you are wavering about seeing Stevie and Don, don’t! It’s worth the price of admission. (And that’s saying a lot!)

Without going through the whole show, here are some thoughts:

Don’s set: “The Genie.” An odd choice for an opener, since it’s not familiar to most people, but it still gets the crowd revved. “Witchy Woman” rocks. THAT is a song I think Stevie should be sharing vocals on. (Is there anything more appropriate?) When Don starts singing “I Put a Spell on You,” I turn to my date and say, “Wow, he’s really playing into the whole Stevie witchiness-thing.”

No one stands until “Hotel California.” Stevie comes out and there’s a roar. Every time she steps up to the microphone, the cheering nearly drowns out her singing, and you can tell she’s getting a kick out of it. She’s like a Backstreet Boy! She looks beautiful, thin and really, really happy. The studded pants are HOT. Also, she’s wearing the platforms for Don’s set, but later on it’s back to the Reeboks (with hilariously adorable legwarmers, to boot!). “New York Minute” suits her surprisingly well. I can’t believe how good she sounds and how playful she’s being. “The Last Worthless Evening” is fine—not my favorite. I’ve never been a fan of Don’s late-80s easy listening phase.

Stevie leaves, but Don keeps up the momentum. Honestly, I expected to be underwhelmed by him, but I had a blast dancing to his songs—especially “Dirty Laundry” and “Life in the Fast Lane.” For “Heart of the Matter,” everyone sits down except one couple—smack in the middle of the front section—who slow dances through the whole song. I even catch one of the security dudes singing along! Then, Don’s encore: “The End of the Innocence” and “Desperado.” What’s he thinking, ending with two slow songs? “Desperado” I can understand, but after so much excitement, the encores are kind of deflating.

Time for Stevie! The “Dreams” remix? Not a fan. But then…“Outside the Rain”! People around me are losing their minds. I can’t believe I’m seeing her, standing right there. The first few songs are kind of a blur. “Gold Dust Woman”: here comes Don. WTF? He’s singing on THIS song? Then, at the end, Don slings an arm over her shoulder, and Stevie clamps her arms around him. What—all of a sudden they’re slow dancing. For a long, long time—it’s almost awkward! “Stevie likes Don,” my fiancé says, at the end of the song. And she does seem to be having a really good time flirting and playing around with him. “The Circle Dance” is sweet—Stevie tells us that Bonnie Raitt wrote it for her dad, and that she and Don would like to share it with us. It’s a wistful performance.

Sometime around now, one of the security guys comes around and tells the people in the front row that Stevie’s going to let the first six rows rush the stage for “Edge of Seventeen.” (“Do you know that song?” he says. Duh! lol) I’m in the second row, on the aisle, so I’m waiting for the right moment. Wait—as soon as “Stand Back” starts, a couple people make their move and suddenly there’s a huge stampede toward the stage. I’m the closest I’ve ever been at a Stevie/FM concert. “Stand Back” is off the hook! She launches into a huge series of leaning spins, losing her balance a little. When she comes back to the mike to sing the next verse, her hair is all in her face and she has to peel it back. Then, “Beauty and the Beast”—the biggest surprise for me. By far my favorite song of the night. You really have to see this one to understand, but her performance of it is so dramatic and so moving. I would have paid $150 just to see her sing this song, alone.

“Edge” starts, and I realize this is the moment I’ve been waiting for all night. The final frontier—my last remaining goal as a FM fan: to be at the edge of the stage during this song! Stevie comes out, wearing a beautiful cream-colored, sparkly dress and a black top. I don’t remember much else (except that she gave good “scream,” lol), until the end. Stevie makes her way along the edge of the stage and finally gets to where I’m standing. She grabs my arms (at least, this is what my fiancé tells me—I can’t really tell who I’m touching, with all of the people around me), and looks right at me. I just say, “Stevie, thank you.” And she nods and moves on.

“Leather and Lace”—the only encore—is awesome, but we’re all disappointed when the lights come up immediately after the song ends. The venue staff explain this is because they’ll be fined by the town, if the concert goes beyond 11:00. (I’m still bitter.) But even the abrupt ending can’t spoil my fun. This was a fantastic show!!

Rated "4" by Ryan

I had an awesome time! It was perfect weather for a night out with Stevie!

I had never seen Don before, but recognized some of his songs, which I really liked how they sounded live. But he lacked the stage presence and interaction with the audience.

We had great seats! Bootylicious came on and was soooo excited! She looked great and sounded even better. YAHOOOOO Stevie.

My only complaint, if that's what you would call it, would be that it seemed like a "greatest hits" kind of deal --- Rhiannon, Gold Dust Woman, Stand Back, Edge of Seventeen. I wish it had just been Stevie so we could get the whole package. Beauty and the Beast was so moving, though. The regulars Outside the Rain, Dreams, and Enchanted were great to see live as well.

by Curran Leahy aka "curranl"

Rule: I am not a lucky person.

Tonight was the exception to that rule. More on that later.

Don came out sounding good. His tone was great, the songs were crowd pleasers, but I didn't find him overly powerful. He seems to be a very introverted performer; almost seemed disinterested to me. Despite this, he sounded quite good and his band rocked out a lot! (Am I mistaken or is Don Henley's guitarist "Frank" from Landslide in Stevie's storytellers?)

Hotel California and New York Minute with Stevie were amazing!! I LOVED hearing Stevie sing the verse "mirrors on the ceiling...we are all just prisoners here of our own div-iiii-de." His regular set ended with All She Wants to Do is Dance. His encore was End of the Innocence and then Desperado. Desperado was fabulous. You sing Desperado and Beauty and the Beast and the whole crowd would be crying their eyes out!!

There was a good contingent of Henley fans, but this audience was in the palm of Stevie's hand! When she came out during Don's set, the cheers drowned out Don's singing. The entire crowd stood and stayed standing throughout their three songs together. When Stevie finished that portion of the set, everyone sat for the next few songs.

Here's where my luck begins. Prior to the show I was in a great seat, row 9 center. But, before sitting I talked to security, asked them about edge, etc. After I sat down I saw an old friend from high school sit down in the first row. I swung by to chat and headed back to my seat for the opening act and Henley's set. During the break between Henley and Stevie I went back up to chat with my friends. Luckily, the friendly security guard I'd been talking to was "manning" their area. So, when bootylicious started, I just stayed put and ended up seeing Stevie's set from the FIRST ROW!!!! I couldn't believe it. It was unreal. I'm still not so sure I believe it happened. Anyway, you guys want to hear about Stevie, not me.

Stevie sounded and looked fabulous. For those of you who went to Vegas, expect the same basic wardrobe. All black to start, the sparkle shawl for stand back, the gold shawl for gold dust, the gorgeous coat for beauty, and the white skirt and then dress for edge and the encore. I don't think the boots were out at all tonight, instead she had these adorable sparkly clogs.

Again, she couldn't have sounded any better. She did not miss one note. Enchanted was unreal, Rhiannon gorgeous, Stand Back completely rockin! Lots of spins at the end of SB got the crowd screaming! No kicks that I remember.

I thought Don handled Gold Dust Woman well. However, I have to admit that because it's one of my favorites, it was tough for me to accept another voice signing those lyrics.

This might be a good place to tell you what I thought about the interaction between Henley and Stevie. I read some of the reviews saying that they looked awkward together or that Henley was stiff. I have to agree to a certain extent, but think they're getting warmed up. They just seem to have different performing styles. Stevie feeds off of the audience, Henley doesn't seem to as much. Stevie also seems to directly interact with the band members more than Henley. So, any interaction between Steive and Henley was generally lead by Stevie. However, they certainly seemed comfortable with one another. They were whispering to each other and cracking themselves up. And, I do believe I saw Mr. Henley kiss Ms. Nicks on the cheek during their "Gold Dust dance."

The moment of truth. Edge. Just before BATB, security let the first row up to the stage. So me and my lucky self had my elbows on the edge of stage before BATB really got started. Stevie ROCKED on edge. Then, the fan interaction...I shook her hands twice and thanked her. She smiled and said "you're welcome." Ahh!! I still cannot believe it. Maybe it's my own little fantasy world, but she truly seems to focus on you at that one second, to truly want to acknowledge you. It's somewhat astounding given who she is and where she is in her life and career.

The show ended with Leather and Lace (wonderful, wonderful version). We all expected "So You Wanna..." I'm curious to know whether they chose to take it out or whether curfew dictated.

I just saw Stevie Nicks. I just sat in the front row. I just stood at the edge of the stage. I shook her hands. I spoke to her. Stevie gave the audience every bit she could.

On the drive home, it thundered. And then, as the song requires, it rained.

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