Ticket 2 Ride

I had never seen either, so it was a treat when my girlfriend, more recently my fiancé, bought tickets for our anniversary. The only downside was an August, outside stadium concert, where the daytime temperature was over a hundred degrees and humid. The week before had felt like Fall. Go figure. I loved the concert, it was a great night of music!

Arrowhead Stadium was the venue, a place I had not seen a concert in more than forty years. The Beach Boys and the Doobie Brothers. By showtime the stadium was packed, and thankfully the sun was setting, so it was a comfortable 93 degrees. Our seats were great, an elevated side view, not far from the stage, although it would have been a tough field goal for me from that distance. Video screens are the best concert inventions. Stevie Nicks played first, followed by Billy Joel.

Stevie Nicks

The first time ever seeing Stevie Nicks, I came close some years back when a version of Fleetwood Mac came through town. My fiancé loves Stevie Nicks, she’s a bit of a gypsy and enchantress herself.

Nicks tours sporadically, and with Fleetwood Mac, although with the death of Christine McVie last year, it’s a good time to retire the Mac. Touring with Billy Joel guarantees a big, professional production, and Nicks’ part of the show was that. Only a scratchy P.A. speaker marred the first few songs but somehow it got fixed.

Nicks looked and sounded as I expected. She’s incredible for age 75, dressed in her signature black bewitching garb, and although her voice is lower, it was full and clear. Her production team used some visual effects to enhance what you saw on the large video screens. These color and graphic effects added to the dynamics and emotional themes of the songs, without being too attention-getting or distracting.

Her band was solid, but for some reason she failed to introduce any of them. I knew Waddy Watchel, her lead guitar player and musical director. He’s easy to spot with his long, curly hair and thin build. He’s been playing with her for years and has been a top hired gun for decades. The others in her band are: Bass Al Ortiz, bass; Drew Hester, drums; Carlos Rios, guitar; Ricky Peterson and Darrell Smith, keyboards; Sharon Celani and Marilyn Martin, background vocals.

“Runnin’ Down a Dream”
(Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers song) – This was just a snippet of Petty’s recorded version to get the crowd’s attention and set the tone for the evening. There was a close connection between Nicks and Petty. She wanted to be in his band.

“Outside the Rain” – From her first solo album, backed by most of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers on the album track. A song written during the Fleetwood Mac Tusk sessions but not used. Nicks usually plays this song before “Dreams.”

“Dreams”
(Fleetwood Mac song) – Nicks’ big hit from Rumours, the Mac’s popular album from 1977. Slow and thundering, and full of the aching guitars of the recorded version, the song casts a spell over the audience.

“If Anyone Falls” – A single from her second solo album. Great vocals, mid-tempo song that audience sang along to.

“Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around”
(featuring Billy Joel) – This was the only time Joel and Nicks sang together. The song was written by Tom Petty and appeared on Nicks’ first solo album, Bella Donna, which Petty performed on. It’s a hard rocking song that still sounds great.

“Fall From Grace” – From the 2001 album, Trouble in Shangri-La. A staple of her live concert set lists, this might be her hardest rocking song ever.

“Gypsy”
(Fleetwood Mac song) – From the 1983 album Mirage. It was written a few years earlier, but it’s lyrics were influenced by Nicks’ close friend Robin Anderson, who died of leukemia. A song about love and freedom, and one of Fleetwood Mac’s most recognizable songs.

“For What It’s Worth”
(Buffalo Springfield cover) – Nicks introduced this song as one she loved when she graduated from high school in 1966. It’s timeless, she said. Careful not to offend any political insensitivities in the Midwestern audience, she said the song was still relevant, but one could read whatever they wanted to in the song. I thought her redemption was okay, but it pales next to the original.

“Stand Back” – The song that Prince co-wrote and played on, uncredited. The story goes that she wrote the initial part on her wedding day in 1983, and was inspired by Prince’s “Little Red Corvette.” In concert, the song is hard-charging and still has the wall of synths.

“Wild Heart” – The title track from her second solo album, not released as a single, but one of the album’s strongest songs. Upbeat and soaring, indicative of the searching, no holding back sentiments of the lyrics.

“Bella Donna” – The title track from her first solo album, my favorite of her solo work. The song has always sounded bittersweet with a killer guitar riff, and Waddy did not disappoint.

“Gold Dust Woman”
(Fleetwood Mac song) – Truly, one of her most theatrical songs, dense, cerebral, atmospheric – a well-produced live version. Long and entrancing, the video textures brought out the enchantment of the song.

“Free Fallin’”
(Tom Petty cover) – A Tom Petty solo hit that fits Nicks like a glove, and was a great transition from the atmospheric torrent of “Gold Dust Woman” to the hard rocker to close the set. Still, there are many songs from the Nicks catalogue that could have been picked in place of this Petty song.

“Edge of Seventeen” – Also from her first solo album, the song is a hard-rocker, and made it clear that she was not just a ballad singer. An audience favorite and great way to get people on their feet to end the main setlist.

Encore:
“Rhiannon”
(Fleetwood Mac song) – Maybe the most anticipated song of the night, the crowd was on their feet. A soaring version, the prototype Nicks theme song, full of her magic and mystery, and easily transports listeners back to 1975.

“Landslide”
(Fleetwood Mac song) – Nicks chose to end the evening on her most heartfelt and poignant ballad. Dedicated to Christine McVie, with images of the two of them from special times. Accompanied by Watchel on guitar and Smith on keyboards, it was melancholy, yet evoked the good times and glorious mystery of love.

Billy Joel

Joel reappeared in a suit, he’s a classy dresser. He made small talk with the audience and showed his presence in his 50-plus year performing career. His piano rotated so at various times the could face different sides of the audience. During the first several songs he looked uncomfortable, and turned toward the crew looking like he had an irritable bowel or something.

The band backing him were incredible musicians and singers. He gave them plenty of opportunity to shine with instrumental solos and even vocal solos. That’s a very generous performer. The band: Mike DelGuidice, Chuck Burgi, Andy Cichon, Tommy Byrnes, Carl Fischer, David Rosenthal, Crystal Taliefero and Mark Rivera.

Joel picked mostly hits, but overlooked several hits and deeper-meaning works. Why he included several covers is beyond me, no offense to his band who performed them with skill and emotion. Some of his more famous songs it would have been nice to hear: “I Go to Extremes,” “Goodnight Saigon,” “A Matter of Trust,” “Honesty,” “She’s Always a Woman,”

“My Life” – A great opener, bouncy and full of a delightful groove. A number three charting single. From 52nd Street (1978), a very under appreciated album that showed Joel’s growth as a writer and arranger. The theme to the Tom Hanks sitcom Bosom Buddies.

“Movin’ Out (Anthony’s Song)” – The first of several songs from the highly successful The Starnger (1977). Upbeat, a top 20 hit, a showcase for the saxophone.

“Kansas City”
(Little Willie Littlefield cover) – The obligatory cover. I don’t know why entertainers feel required to dust off this song. Enough!

“The Entertainer” – From Streetlife Serenade (1974) and was a top 40 hit. One of his better early songs, but one of the weaker on this set list.

“Just the Way You Are” – Also from The Stranger, this was Joel’s first big ballad success, a top 10 single. An awkward slow dance at the disc. Another good opportunity for one of the horn players.

“Zanzibar” – From 52nd Street. A brooding, jazzy song about a mysterious place. A great song and excellently performed.

“Start Me Up”
(The Rolling Stones cover) (partial) – Totally unnecessary, it added nothing to the concert.

An Innocent Man” – Title track of the 1983 album, a top 10 single. Joel told the audience that he probably couldn’t hit some high notes in the song because of his voice aging. Actually, he did exceedingly well, and he showed the dexterity and character in his vocals all through the night.

“The Lion Sleeps Tonight”
(Solomon Linda’s Original Evening Birds cover) (partial) – Showing off the vocal chops of his band, which I respect, but another Billy Joel penned song would have sufficed.

“The Longest Time” – A top 13 song from An Innocent Man. The song required a lot of vocal help from the band, who all rose to the occasion.

“Don’t Ask Me Why” – From Glass Houses (1980), strongly melodic and representative of shorter, easier to accept pop songs. A top 20 single, light and bouncy.

“Vienna” – Also from The Stranger. More of a mood song, reflective and shifting from somber to upbeat. Live version let’s the band stretch out a bit. One of Joel’s most streamed songs on Spotify. Who knew?

“Allentown” – A 1992 hit from The Nylon Curtain. Still a powerful song about the economic devastation to American cities. Great video effects.

“Only the Good Die Young” – From The Stranger, a top 25 hit in 1977. A real crowd-pleaser with most of the stadium singing along to this rocking beat.

“The River of Dreams” – The title track from the 1993 album. A top three single. Crystal Taliefero is a multi-talented musician and singer and she killed it on this tribute to Tina Turner.
(with “River Deep, Mountain High” interlude sung by Crystal Taliefero)

“Nessun dorma”
(Giacomo Puccini cover) (sung by Mike DelGuidice) This is a famous aria from the final act of Giacomo Puccini’s opera Turandot. DelGuidice sings it in Italian and does a beautiful job. Why it is featured in the concert, I don’t know. It was a breathtaking performance.

“Scenes From an Italian Restaurant” – Another song from The Stranger, a story song of over seven minutes. The song has different sections, something Joel said was inspired by the second side of Abbey Road. The band cooks on this one (pardon the pun).

[We left as “Piano Man”started, to beat the crowd and the sweltering heat. The rest of the review will be from videos and other information.]

“Piano Man” – His first hit, an autobiographical song. Released in 1973.

Encore:
“We Didn’t Start the Fire” – From Storm Front (1989), reaching number one.

“Uptown Girl” – The Christie Brinkley top five hit.

“It’s Still Rock and Roll to Me” – From Glass Houses. Punchy, pop-rock, a number one hit.

“Big Shot” – From 52nd Street, and one of my favorite Joel songs.

“You May Be Right” – From Glass Houses, top 10 hit, another snappy, melodic song that turns into ear candy.
(with “Rock n Roll” by Led Zeppelin interlude sung by Mike DelGuidice)