Evelyn Alt

Stevie Nicks performing her iconic song, “Gold Dust Woman” at her concert in Van Andel Arena.

In early spring, when Singer-Songwriter Stevie Nicks first released her tour dates and Grand Rapids made the list, I begged my mom to let me go. I used every reason I could think of, from “It’s the day after my birthday; it can just be a belated present” to “If I don’t see her in June, I will literally die,” but unfortunately, nothing worked.

Luckily, however, I did not, in fact, die, and I was alive and well to witness the cancellation of her June show and the subsequent rescheduling for late September. This time, I was able to convince my mom to take me, and the months of agonized waiting vanished from my memory the moment the iconic rockstar walked on stage.

My expectations were set, unfortunately, low in the months leading up to the concert. Anytime I would mention to someone that I was going, they would bring up her age—at the peak of her career, Nicks was in her thirties and forties, and now being 76 years old, everyone I talked to seemed sure that her aging voice would fail to meet my expectations.

This could not have been further from the case. From the opening vocals of “Outside the Rain” to the last line of “Landslide,” Nicks’ powerful, raspy voice astounded me to no end. Obviously, decades have passed since Nicks’ Fleetwood Mac era, and her voice has certainly evolved with them. You can hear the age in her voice, but in my opinion, it only makes the experience more moving and beautiful.

Devastatingly, I was not alive in the 70s and 80s to watch her perform at the peak of her fame, but even now, some 50 years later, it was an otherworldly experience to watch someone I’ve loved since childhood, someone as iconic as the Stevie Nicks, perform my favorite songs in front of me.

One of the most amazing parts of the concert was the immense stage presence Nicks held throughout the night. As she always has, Nicks thrived under the limelight. For the entirety of the two-hour show, I was convinced that she truly was having a fantastic time singing, performing, and doing her iconic twirls—albeit slightly slower than she used to. Nicks commanded the attention of the crowd, and it was rightfully deserved.

Between the flashing lights of her show production, the heavy downbeats of her spectacular band, and the weaving threads of her timeless, draping shawls, Nicks is every inch the rockstar she has ever been. For split-second moments in the show, when she would laugh, flip her hair, or hit a specific note, I was sure that she had not aged a day past 30, and instead, I had traveled back to the past to watch her perform.

The setlist Nicks performed was a spectacular array of both her and Fleetwood Mac’s most well-known songs, as well as a few covers. Some of the most notable tracks for me were “Dreams,” “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around,” “Gypsy,” and the song that arguably kick-started her whole career, “Bella Donna.”

My favorite performance, however, was “Gold Dust Woman.” The energy radiating from Nicks, her band, and the entire audience for the duration of this track was unmatched and unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. The entire seven-minute video that I forced my mom to record for me has already been replayed at least ten times since I got home from the concert.

Nicks also added a few surprises to her setlist for this show. Most notably, bringing her own vocal coach, Steve Real, on stage with her to sing “Leather and Lace,” a song she usually avoids performing. The song was originally recorded in 1981 with Don Henley, and the performance was especially exciting because Nicks usually avoids playing this song due to her lack of a male voice to live up to Henley’s part.

In my opinion, one of the most exciting and personal parts of the concert was Nicks’ storytelling. Obviously, storytelling has always been an integral part of Nicks’ work and life, and for good reason, too. Anytime she was telling a story, always apologizing profusely for making them so long, I was completely enraptured in the plot.

As a fan of Fleetwood Mac, of course, I knew most of their public lore and stories, but hearing them firsthand from the perspective of Nicks while she stood on stage in front of me was something I’ll never forget. From talking about her family to her first time meeting the members of Fleetwood Mac and fangirling over their attractiveness, Nicks’ stories gave the show an extremely personal touch.

Unfortunately, the show eventually came to an end, but the entire night is one that I will forever cherish and remember. As hard as it is to believe, she is mortal like the rest of us; as we all do, she is getting older. Yes, time has changed Stevie Nicks, but no matter how afraid of changing she is, the years have done nothing to erase the spectacular, transcendent rockstar she has always been.