“I have my own life, and I am stronger than you know.”
Those are lyrics from “Leather and Lace,” a song from Stevie Nicks’ solo debut in 1981, which she performed near the end of her show at Enterprise Center in St. Louis on May 7th.
There was no Don Henley to sing with Nicks, but in his place was her vocal coach Steve Real, who, let’s face it, sounded equally impressive. The touching ballad will never get old, no matter who is singing the lines “sometimes I’m a strong man, sometimes cold and scared, and sometimes I cry.” We’re all just here along for the ride.
And Stevie Nicks can still navigate a rollercoaster.
Her entire catalog was on display — solo, and her work with Fleetwood Mac — including a beautiful performance of “Bella Donna,” complete with Nicks’ twirling in her blue shawl, which she remarked after the song was still in “perfect condition.” Later, during “Stand Back,” a more ragged black shawl appeared, to which Nicks explained was fine, too.
Her reasoning made perfect sense throughout the night, that struggles and success go hand in hand.
Before breaking into “Gypsy,” Nicks explained that at some point she questioned if the riches she had found with Fleetwood Mac’s stardom had eclipsed her true gypsy heart. But, no, she learned — it remained.
“When I got rich, I started to miss the old days,” she explained. “And so I wrote this song to try to remember what it was like to be poor.”
To the gypsy that remains
Faces freedom with a little fear
I have no fear and have only love
No fear, only love.
And there’s still a lot of love left for Nicks to give.
Her performance of “Soldier’s Angel” was dedicated to the people of Ukraine, and ended with the screen behind her flashing the bright and beautiful colors of the Ukraine flag. Earlier in the show, Nicks performed “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around,” with guitarist Waddy Wachtel, who was amazing all evening on songs like “Rhiannon” and “Edge of Seventeen,” taking on Tom Petty’s vocals. You got the feeling that the late Petty was on Nicks’ mind throughout the evening, giving him an additional nod in the encore with a surprise “Free Fallin’.”
And then there was Christine McVie.
I just got goose bumps typing her name.
The last time I saw Nicks perform in this building with Fleetwood Mac nine years ago, McVie was by her side, as vibrant as ever. And while we lost McVie in late 2022, her spirit remains close, especially with Nicks.
“My mom once told me, when you get hurt, run to the stage,” Nicks explained before the show-closing “Landslide,” dedicated to McVie.”And I’ve been running to the stage my whole life. Every day it gets a little better.”
“Landslide” is a song about the seasons of life, how they change, and how we all must deal with living with those changes as we grow old. Unlike “Gypsy,” fear and love live together in this song, but its message is similar: time makes you bolder, wiser, and you must live with the decisions only you can make.
And as we headed toward the exits and into the great wide open, we were met with McVie’s “Got a Hold On Me” blasting throughout the arena, leaving many singing and smiling after the heavy weight of “Landslide.” And that decision, like Christine, was ultimately perfect.
(Photo by Joe Puetz/Enterprise Center)
