From Sound on Sound: Stevie Nicks Rings Like a Bell Through the September Night — And We Love to Love Her

“I feel like she’s gonna cast a witchy spell on us,” said one concertgoer as the crowd awaited the arrival of rock ‘n roll legend Stevie Nicks at Sound on Sound Music Festival in Bridgeport, Connecticut.

Needless to say, expectations were high. After a long day of artist performances, the crowd awaited the headlining act to close out the first-time festival’s inaugural day of programming. A tall order in itself, the task’s difficulty was compounded by the nature of the performer herself: recognized by Rolling Stone as one of the 100 Greatest Songwriters of All Time and one of the 100 Greatest Singers of All Time, Nicks’s reputation preceded her.

In all respects, Nicks delivered. Though she is often affectionately considered a representative of all things mystical — witches, crystals, spells, tarot, what have you — unfortunately no spells were cast this night. The experience, itself, however, was quite magical. Nicks’s iconic voice, classic repertoire, strong band backing, and overall charming disposition joined to create something greater than a sum of its parts — a timeless celebration of music, rock n’ roll, Nicks herself, and just good plain fun.

The set began on a more subdued, moody note with Nicks singing her first two songs — “Outside the Rain” and “Dreams” — with no visuals on the screen and little going on behind her on stage. Immediately, then, all of the focus fell on Nicks, the sole spotlight illuminating her long, crimped hair; classic black, flowy outfit; and the sparkling streamers dangling from her microphone stand.

After saying a few introductory words, the energy then quickly began to grow. “If Anyone Falls” onward, Nicks was joined by two backing vocalists, various graphics on the big screen, and a synchrony of lights. Nicks also delivered a diverse setlist, with a healthy mix of tracks from her solo ventures like “Enchanted” and “Bella Donna” but also Fleetwood Mac favorites and covers like “For What It’s Worth” by Buffalo Springfield.

Vocally, Nicks probably could have satisfied the crowd with a less-than-great performance, skating by on reputation and nostalgia alone. Factor in her age (Nicks turned 74 this year), and it would not have been surprising if she had opted for a “let’s-just-all-have-a-good-time” show rather than focusing too much on executing robust vocals.

But she didn’t. Instead, the singer was, all things considered, a powerhouse. Sure, she made some vocal concessions on certain songs, but this was to be expected, both because many of these tracks were originally recorded nearly fifty years ago, and because Nicks has been making these adjustments for years (some can already be heard on Fleetwood Mac’s 1997 Live Recorded album “The Dance”).

And where she saved energy on the high notes, she then used it elsewhere. Aside from her still-powerful signature vocal tone, Nicks created an atmosphere of collective fun and familiarity by simply letting her charm and humility come through. She spoke to the crowd as if to her friends, not only sharing anecdotes about song origins but also speaking about her own self-doubts with a refreshing sense of honesty and informality. At various points throughout the night, she discussed her experiences and struggles with growing older, taking care of her voice, and also with dealing with times when she is not feeling her best mentally: that is, she moves her mattress to the floor. Clearly as lovably eccentric as ever, Nicks also spent the night accompanying her songs with a variety of hand motions, spins, and poses — all of which the crowd absolutely loved and received with whoops of encouragement every time.

This is not to say that Nicks insisted on keeping the spotlight on herself the entire time. Several of Fleetwood Mac’s as well as her own tracks are known to feature a robust instrumental accompaniment, and these were especially showcased live. The drummer and both guitarists were a sight (and a sound) to behold as they carried the integral components of Nicks’s songs through the night with ease, but also shone in solos of their own. In extended plays such as a 10-minute version of “Gold Dust Woman” or a lengthened intro to “Edge of Seventeen,” Nicks’s longtime lead guitarist Waddy Wachtel in particular capitalized on this room to play, jamming out on complex riffs and creating a palpable energetic build-up.

Above all, the night was marked by an unmistakable sense of gravity, a recognition of the timelessness of the figure on stage. Nicks commanded the festival, demonstrating why she, her voice, and her songs remain just as beloved today as they were in the early stages of her career in the ’80s. One needed to have only witnessed the enraptured silence that fell upon the crowd during the beginning guitar melody of “Landslide” to know that Nicks’s appeal has not waned; in fact, time has only seemed to increase her status within the world of music to that of near canonization. Nicks, herself, seems to be a lifelong performer: If she was tired of singing her songs for what must have been the millionth time, she did not show it. And as long as Nicks is able and willing to continue to perform, it seems that there will be demand for it. It is perhaps the sentiment of the set’s final song, “Rhiannon,” that provides the most effective summary of the evening: Stevie Nicks truly does ring like a bell through the night — and we really do love to love her.

—Staff writer Julia Hynek can be reached at julia.hynek@thecrimson.com.