FANS ARE NOW RATING THE SHOWS AS WELL

1-5

5 BEING THE BEST

Rated "5" by Donna

I have went to see Stevie this year alone 5 times. All I can say is I love her, she inspires me to be a better person.

I guess the only thing I wish would be different about her show is I wished the cameras would show her as she sings on the large screens and she would talk to the audience more, fans want to be more connected to their heros. Now I am sure Stevie is doing all she can. I hope that Stevie continues to tour as long as she can. She is a rock icon who will never be replaced or copied. SHe is one of the best.

by Michele Jackson aka "mjackson866"

Well, it ends where it began: Las Vegas!

When I entered the theater, I noticed there was no piano on stage, but it still took awhile for me to realize that Vanessa wouldn't be opening. I was happy. Nothing against Vanessa; I enjoyed her set, but I looked forward to getting right down to business.

The show opens with the video and then we see the real life Stevie striking a pose beneath the screen, standing still with tamborine in hand as "Enchanted" starts up.

Outside the Rain: For anyone who thought that she'd never change, Stevie screams in challenge "you're wrong!" Then, taking it down at the end she shields the mic with her hands as she whispers, "baby, baby, baby. . ."

Rhiannon: She punches the air with her fists, demanding "Don't Leave me now!"

Sorcerer: I was afraid it was gone from the setlist for good. Wonderful surprise. Circle Dance is out and Sorcerer remains. All is right with the world.

Landslide: She dedicates the song to the theater. She says that this tour all began because of that theater. That's what made them want to put together all of the videos from the drawings to the photographs of her dolls. It took hours and hours of work (?) and it all began due to four shows in Vegas. So, Landslide is for the theater. As she sings with the video images of her younger self floating behind her, someone in the audience yells, "you're still gorgeous," to the amusement of everyone nearby.

Gold Dust Woman: Her orange shawl matches the orange-tinged wings of the butterfly on the screen behind her. In addition to crooning "you can't save me, you can't free me, you can't do it now" at the end, Stevie also says, "you should see me now." So, tonight she's not so much the soul lost and beyond salvation that she has acted out during other performances of the song. She doesn't hold her head in mock agony. Instead, her stance is triumphant. You should see her now; look at her now; perhaps, rulers CAN make good lovers after all.

If Anyone Falls is absolutely beautiful, more cherished after its absence. I love the two moments when the music stops and the singers are acapella chanting, "somewhere, twilight, dreamtime . . ." Afterwards Stevie says smiling, "We only sing this song in Vegas. It's a Vegas exclusive."

I didn't notice Lori slipping out of the wings, but she is there for the band introductions. Stevie laughs and says that Lori has had a full two night stand. She said they always miss Lori when she's not around. It's her sister-in-law and best friend, Loretta Nicks. She's been singing with her since 1978. When it comes to Waddy, she wants to thank him since this is the last show they will be doing "for awhile." She says that Sharon teaches them all their parts and grounds them when they get it wrong.

She says that Carlos has always been there when she needs him and hopes that he always will be. Last but not least, she notes that she has known Waddy even longer than she has known Lori, she jokingly waves a dismissive hand at Lori and says that Lori wasn't even around when Waddy and Stevie met. She said he's the man who is responsible for the show. Just today Darrell was saying what a disciplinarian Waddy was and that's just what they need. They all value him so much. She thanks Waddy, the musical director, "from your band."

How Still My Love is sexy and beautiful. Stevie sounds absolutely wonderful, but had a little problem and twiddled fitfully at her earpiece. She turns to the back up singers and mouths the words that she can't hear anything at all. She says this to them several times. Short of walking over to her and singing into her ear, I don't know what she expected them to do about it. Anyway, aside from her fidgeting, the song was flawless. Melodic and so full of soft, sensual moments, especially the "doing what you can for me" and the "it's me that's talking to you" parts. The ending goes on forever, the still of the night broken only by the rush of people flooding the aisles and crowding the stage for the imminent "Edge of Seventeen."

With Jimmy's sticks flying and Taku's hands pounding, they drum out the familiar beat. I love when Stevie does her bird call, "oooooh, ooh, oooooh, ooh, singing come away, come away."

Rock and Roll is just not one of my favorite things. It revs up the crowd and I think it's especially fitting for Vegas where fewer members of the audience are probably focused Stevie fans. Still, the only enjoyment I can get from the number comes vicariously, from Stevie's own enthusiasm for it. She comes out and gives a high kick in Waddy's direction, even before the song commences. She likes to do the chicken leg, waggling her knees back and forth, if she crossed her arm over them, it would be a modified Charleston. Having fun with such abandon on a song that's not her own must make her feel like a little kid, once again, just playing at being a rock star.

The drummers hug as the show, the tour, comes to its close. Stevie says that she'll see us again, winter, summer or fall and thanks the crowd for meaning to her what it does.

Then, with the words of a poet and the voice of a choir, she was gone.

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