An eerie steam rose from the backstage lake at the Post-Gazette Pavilion, and the almost full moon hung as a backdrop. It was the perfect setting for Stevie Nicks, almost as if it was a cover shot for one of her upcoming albums.

This was the opening night of Stevie's world tour, and spirits were high. Joining Stevie on the date, in one of only eight performances on the tour, was singer/songwriter (and one of Stevie's current collaborators) Sheryl Crow, who would perform a number of songs with Stevie throughout the night, including a couple of her own big hits.

The night got a great kick-off from rock-folk singer/songwriter, Jeffrey Gaines, a native of nearby Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, who warmed the crowed up with just the right mix of soulful rock tunes, including his hit cover of Peter Gabriel's "In Your Eyes," from his latest release, Always Be.

Stevie took the stage, which was set-up exactly like the cover of her current album, with a major hit from her catalog, "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around" (a song she co-wrote with friend and duet partner on the original song, Tom Petty, who reportedly had been asked by Stevie to help write some songs for her current album, Trouble In Shangri-La. When he told her that she is a capable songwriter and to do it herself, it turned out to be just the right words of motivation to get her on track to completing her best new material in years). The night continued with "Enchanted," from her second solo disc, Wild Heart, which was the first appearance of Sheryl Crow to the stage. The crowd of 13,000-plus really came alive with the opening notes of the classic Fleetwood Mac cut, "Dreams," which was followed by another great hit "Gold Dust Woman." Sheryl Crow would come out later in the evening to do two of her own songs during the night, "My Favorite Mistake" and "Everyday Is a Winding Road," which Stevie helped out on.

Stevie continued to spark the crowd with some big hits including "Stand Back," "Edge of Seventeen" and "Rhiannon." One of the cool surprises of the night was a cover of Tom Petty's "I Need To Know" which, if you didn't know, you would have thought it to be another Stevie Nicks' hit, it fit her so perfectly.

After the show, Stevie and Sheryl both meet a few lucky fans backstage, including one "Mr. Achy Breaky Heart" Billy Ray Cyrus, who had been performing earlier that evening at a venue next door to the Post-Gazette Pavilion. It was fun to see another celebrity get caught up in the magic of Stevie Nicks, and that it isn't only the public that loves to meet their favorite artists (Billy Ray walked away with an autographed CD). The day we all stop being fans? That will truly be the day the music dies.

SET LIST:
Stop Draggin' My Heart Around
Enchanted
Outside the Rain
Dreams
Gold Dust Woman
Sorcerer
My Favorite Mistake
Everyday
Rhiannon
Stand Back
Planets of the Universe
Everyday Is A Winding Road
Too Far From Texas
Bombay Sapphires
Fall From Grace
Edge of Seventeen
(Encore)
I Need to Know
Has Anyone Ever Written Anything For You

 

--Roy Martin-Smith, SFX/Pittsburgh

Kindly reproduced from http://sfx.com