By Lucas Camacho
Inglewood, California (The Hollywood Times) 12/04/2023
As if it was a wish granted by Cinderella’s Fairy Godmother: it was only for one night. That was the feeling on December 2nd at the Kia Forum. The featured performer was someone just as magical as a fairy godmother: Stevie Nicks. The famed member of Fleetwood Mac had only one night at the legendary former home of the Los Angeles Lakers before it returned to the proverbial pumpkin. In this age where the news cycle is dominated by news of Taylor Swift (from both her Eras Tour to her relationship with Tight End Travis Kelce), it turned out one night was more than enough. One night was all we needed to experience. From that one night, one thing was absolutely clear: Stevie Nicks still has a firm grip on her Rock and Roll crown.
The Forum was the perfect stage for Stevie to work her mojo. When Dr. Jerry Buss took over the Forum years ago, it was his daughter Jeanie that told him that if they wanted to make more money…they needed more than just sellout nights watching the showtime Lakers led by Kareem Abdul-Jabar and Magic Johnson. They needed big musical acts. The very first was Aretha Franklin, and the list of who performed after her gets more and more impressive: the Rolling Stones, Elvis Pressley, Led Zeppelin, Prince, Nirvana, Coldplay, Neil Diamond, and much more. Back in the present day, the Forum is being revived by Los Angeles Clippers owner Steve Ballmer. Following in the footsteps of Dr. Buss, Ballmer also needs more than just the Clippers to fill seats at the Forum. He, too, needs big musical acts to bring in the fans. Enter Stevie Nicks.
Photos taken by Lucas Camacho (The Hollywood Times)
The dazzling and bewitching Stevie Nicks, the first woman to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice, descended on the Forum. Stevie showed an amazing energy and passion that rocked the Forum to its foundations. Between songs, she regaled the audience with stories from her past (stories that Nicks herself admitted had a screwball charm to them). She also showcased some memorabilia from her past, including showing off her original cape from her Bella Donna album. While they were charming and funny, Stevie’s stories also had a down-to-earth feel to them. She talked about being poor and visiting soldiers at Walter Reed Hospital.
Her set list was what you would expect. She sung several of her biggest hits such as “Rhiannon” and “Gold Dust Woman” from her days in Fleetwood Mac. She also sang songs from her solo career such as “Edge of Seventeen.” Several songs, however, stuck out from this legendary playlist. In one of her stories, Stevie told the crowd of her being around during the Sunset Strip curfew riots in Los Angeles in November of 1966. She then proceeded to sing her own rendition of “For What It’s Worth”; a song written by fellow two-time Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Stephen Stills for Buffalo Springfield. After her story about visiting Walter Reed, Nicks performed the song “Soldier’s Angel” as pictures of the war in Ukraine played in the background ending with a passionate plea to continue to support Ukraine relief efforts. She also sang “I Sing for the Things” in another callback to her humble beginnings.
Enjoy the videos we took at the concert:
Nicks also had a loving tribute to the late great Tom Petty, with whom she collaborated with several times which includes the famed song “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around.” Aside from that song, Nicks also sang one of Petty’s more famous songs, “Free Fallin”. The night ended with a loving tribute to fellow Fleetwood Mac bandmate Christine McVie, who passed away in August 2022. Nicks admitted she wanted to always be honest with her audience and admitted that she was still in grief over a year since McVie’s passing. With pictures of her time with Christine McVie in the background, Nicks finished the night with one of her most famous songs, “Landslide.” It was a loving and moving tribute to McVie, who was just as important as Nicks was to elevating Fleetwood Mac as one of the best-selling bands in the world.
As previously mentioned, we live in an era where many different new artists of this generation dominate the news cycle. Fans of these singers all claim they are the best. The night of December 2, 2023, put those claims to bed. Stevie Nicks continues to bewitch and dazzle her audiences and fans with her famed singing voice. The Forum came alive as fans hung on to her every word and danced with each other in the aisles. There can be no doubt that Nicks is still the Reigning Queen of Rock and Roll, with no indication of anyone knocking her off her throne. As Nicks moves on with her tour, the fans she leaves behind will wait eagerly for her return hungry for more of her Stevie Nicks brand of showmanship and magic.
Check out the cool T-Shirt my cousin bought for me at the concert:
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