Stevie Nicks @ TD Garden 11/24

Photo by Randee St. Nicholas

Review by Callan Harris

Stevie Nicks fans, a multi-generational sea of black lace, velvet, and fringe, packed a jubilant TD Garden on Monday, November 24th, their patience finally rewarded after a summer postponement.

This anticipation amongst the crowd was palpable as Nicks took the stage and launched into a cover of the Crickets’ “Not Fade Away,” a fitting anthem for an artist whose relevance and artistry remain undimmed. Her fractured shoulder (the reason for said postponement) was the first thing she addressed, but it was the last thing on anyone’s mind by the end of the night.

Bubbly country artist Abby Anderson opened the night with a soulful set, tearing up as she sang about her mother, setting a tone of genuine emotion that Nicks would masterfully expand upon for two spellbinding hours.

The night was like an archive of her career, complete with a show and tell of her original, legendary capes. Each time she emerged in a new one— the shawl from the “Bella Donna” cover, the sparkling black cape from the “Stand Back” music video, and the magnificent gold shawl from “Gold Dust Woman”— she’d offer a slight shimmy and twirl, the fabric flowing behind her as the crowd cheered its approval.

Nicks controlled the crowd with conversation, treating the audience to delightfully meandering stories between songs. Before “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around,” she recounted the panic of being told her debut solo album, “Bella Donna,” lacked a single. Her impression of producer Jimmy Iovine presenting Tom Petty’s finished track as a solution was both hilarious and deeply human. She painted a vivid picture of showing up “way overdressed” at Petty’s studio, their quick success in the booth marking the beginning of a cherished friendship.

Friendship became a recurring theme throughout the show. Nicks paid tribute to Petty with a heartfelt cover of “Free Fallin’,” with images of Janis Joplin, Joni Mitchell, Prince, and more musical greats and long-time friends of Nicks projected behind her as she sang. To introduce her 2024 song, “The Lighthouse,” she shared the story of mixing it at Abbey Road, a world-famous recording studio in London, while simultaneously rehearsing with Harry Styles in the next studio over.

She was backed up masterfully by her legendary band, led by the formidable guitarist and musical director Waddy Wachtel. Standing to Nicks’ right, a mass of hair and energy, Wachtel was a constant, fiery presence. His solos, particularly the searing one that closed out “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around,” were essential to complement Nicks’ powerful voice.

The night’s most transcendent moment was “Gold Dust Woman.” It began with drummer Drew Hester, his entire kit glowing gold. The spotlight then found Wachtel, then the backup singers, building anticipation amongst the crowd before Nicks reemerged in her original gold cape. As the song commenced, with visuals of gold dust raining down behind her, she stood with her back to the crowd, slowly lifting her arms like a bird learning to fly, or like a phoenix rising from the ashes. The crowd was going crazy.

Before the encore, Nicks, alongside Waschtel, spoke about their 50-year friendship, referencing the song “For Good” from “Wicked.” “I can honestly tell you that Waddy and I cried all the way through it,” she confessed. “It’s all about friendship and how friendships last.”

She then addressed the crowd with raw gratitude. She compared herself to your grandma, who will always remind you how much she loves you: “If I was your grandma, you’d be like, ‘Oh my god, Grandma, I know, you don’t have to tell me.’ But we want you to know we love you so much. We don’t care how old we are! We’re out here! And we’ll be out here next year, because you give us back so much […] you give us so much gratification that we can’t wait to do this again.” Stevie, the feeling is mutual.

She closed the evening with the incredible one-two punch of “Rhiannon” and “Landslide,” dedicating the latter to her late bandmate Christine McVie amid a touching slideshow of their lives together. It was a sweet, somber, and perfect end to the night. She promised, with determination, to return. After an evening of such potent, preserved connection, no one in the arena doubted her for a second.