Stevie Nicks comes home

What is there to say about an artist as legendary as Stevie Nicks? The Valley native has been in our lives for decades. As a member of the storied rock group Fleetwood Mac, she was responsible for singing parts of some of the most enduring songs of the last 50 years. When “Rhiannon,” “Dreams” and “Landslide” first entered the culture, they’ve been fixtures ever since. How many songs achieve this? Not many. 

Her unique image — an interesting mix of upbeat femininity, hippie vibes and dark energy that was put to good use when she guest-starred on an episode of “American Horror Story” — has also probably made her a lasting cultural icon. Which is why it took me by complete surprise that she managed to somehow — despite her legendary status — to feel completely down to Earth. The fact that she seemed so relatable might be the impressive feat someone of her status can pull off. 

After performing the first tune of the show, she immediately talked about coming home to Phoenix and how she had lived here for more than 20 years. Even though she’s a long-time California resident, she spoke about how people often asked her if she missed the ocean when she was in Arizona. She told them that the desert and the ocean managed to somehow make similar sounds. Nicks also talked about how she often felt inspired by the desert whenever she was in town. The white-winged dove lyrics that open “Edge of Seventeen” were inspired by a menu of a Phoenix restaurant that read “The white wing dove sings a song that sounds like she’s singing ooh, ooh, ooh.” I couldn’t detect an ounce of pretension in her persona or performance. She even twirled a few times during the show — one of her signature moves. I also admired her candor and ability to make a show at the recently renamed Mortgage Matchup Center in downtown Phoenix feel intimate. 

A dynamic image 

Can you think of a better month for a Stevie Nicks show than October? I sure can’t. It was a joy seeing many audience members dressed in Nicks-inspired attire. Think spooky black, lace and her signature long shawls draped over their shoulders. If Nicks were a holiday, she’d be Halloween. Nicks wore all black when she performed behind her microphone decorated with shiny scarves, and her long blonde curls were on full display. Speaking of shawls, throughout the show, Nicks donned a few and took a few moments to explain the significance of a couple of them. 

She started with the dark blue shawl that she wore on the cover of the “Bella Donna” album. She said it was strong and had never been mended. Another was the shawl she wore in the “Stand Back” videos. She jokingly said one was a good video, and that the other was not so good. Finally, she showed off the shimmery gold one that she wore during, you guessed it, the performance of “Gold Dust Woman.”

That song in particular was so dreamy, ethereal and made great use of the show’s screens with “gold dust” seemingly splashed all over the image of Nicks performing. The title was a nod to Gold Dust Avenue in Scottsdale. 

Stellar production and song notes 

Nicks performed in front of massive screens that displayed images that were coordinated perfectly with each tune. Many featured pictures of her from the past, with her big eyes and flowing long hair. Although the images could be a bit on the nose — a flying white dove during “The Edge of Seventeen,” anyone?—they always managed to be effective. I also enjoyed the dark images of lightning and a lighthouse for the track “The Lighthouse.” Written in Chicago by Nicks in response to the fall of Roe v. Wade, it’s impressive that she’s still able to craft powerful jams after all this time. 

My personal favorite vocal performance was “Rhiannon.” Nicks managed to really nail the vocals of this track. It represents so much about what made Fleetwood Mac so great: It’s ethereal, magical and powerful all at once. 

The extended drum and guitar solo that led into “Edge of Seventeen” was also particularly effective. Like a nice long tease before you finally get to that iconic opener of the enduring rock track. 

The version of “Dreams” was nice and slow. I’ve always loved how dreamy (pun intended) that song feels and hearing it slowed down somewhat made it even more ethereal. 

Touching tributes 

The show also included a few touching tributes to Nicks’ musician pals who have passed. Before she took the stage, Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers’ “Running Down a Dream” played in its entirety. Before singing “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around,” Nicks spoke of how the late, great and fellow rock legend Tom Petty wrote this song for her first solo album, “Bella Donna.” The album needed a single. Petty crafted the duet that ended up rocketing up the charts, and the rest is history.  As Nicks sang, pictures of her alone and her together with Petty were displayed on the screen. 

But the tributes didn’t stop there. Nicks performed a gorgeous rendition of Petty’s all-time anthem, “Free Fallin’.” Her vocals soared, and the entire song was such a magical, powerful tribute to such a rock icon. It was a special moment and a reminder of why we all go to live concerts in the first place. She added her own signature vocal flourishes to Petty’s most famous track. As she sang, images of Petty, his bandmates, including long-time guitar player Mike Campbell and Nicks over the years played in the background. It was such a sweet and touching tribute to an artist she had known for decades. Petty passed away eight years ago on Oct. 2, 2017. It’s hard to imagine Nicks having any real, true equal, but he’s probably as close as anyone could ever really get. 

Before she launched into the final song of the evening, she talked about how she was laid up in bed for weeks recovering from a shoulder injury and listened to the opening band while she was healing — a three-piece Austin-based rock act called The Night Traveler–and wished she had never sold her Arizona house 10 or 15 years ago. 

The last song of the evening was “Landslide.” As Nicks performed this touching song that’s largely about what it means to get older, images of her late Fleetwood Mac bandmate Christine McVie splashed across the screen. McVie passed in 2022. Part of aging is about accepting loss, and the images of her with McVie felt heartfelt. 

After “Landslide,” Nicks and all her fellow performers took a few bows. She advised everyone to listen to music, which is her favorite activity. Finally, Nicks told everyone to get home safely. One can only hope that Nicks felt right at home on Tuesday.