On the Edge of 17 - Still

circa '88 - note the shirt

Last night I revisited my all too brief girlhood when I took in Stevie Nicks at SPAC.  I must admit, I wouldn't have even considered going to this show, but the opportunity arose for me to take some photos for the TU SEEN gallery and it was a beautiful late August night, so to Saratoga I went.

A little history here (as if that photo on the left doesn't tell you more than everything you might want to know), Fleetwood Mac's Rumours album was the first record that pierced my existence.  I have such strong memories of those songs...definitely a desert island album for me.  My first big rock show in 1981 was Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers at the Brendan Byrne Arena.  Imagine my  excitement when Stevie came out to perform Stop Dragging My Heart Around with Tom and the band!  Note to those who may have caught that same tour but weren't fortunate enough to see Stevie: Sorry, it was the only time NJ was cooler than NY.  Ever.

During my teens when Stevie Nicks had a couple of big solo records, the girls and I were avid fans and, as the photo attests, I've got had the t-shirt to prove it.  We wore out a couple of cassette copies of Bella Donna and The Wild Heart doing laps around town in Mary Lynn's Camaro, believe me.  I'll never know if it was the husky voice, the cascading blond hair or the sensitive, yet strong lyrics, but I was hooked.  

Last night's show was simply a blast!  Walking around SPAC with a camera is really fun and the folks I asked to pose were totally into it - thank you all for being so gracious.  And thank you, Sally, for being such an excellent beer holder, I mean assistant. The crowd was small with only amphitheater tickets available in an attempt to keep things intimate.  The opening act, Michael Grimm, was good although we honestly didn't pay much attention because I was trying to catch some photos before the main event.  And Stevie?  Well, she talked a lot and she changed her clothes a few times, something I'm no longer accustomed to.  Guess it's been awhile since I saw a female performer live.  But, her voice?  It was money!  She sounded great - perhaps not hitting every high note as she may have in days gone past, but that beautiful husky quality is still there and she sang with a lot of heart.  Landslide and Dreams were definite highlights for me, and the crowd in general, judging from the sing along I witnessed.  Ok, the sing along I may have participated in.  And, while I have no interest in being 17 again, it is nice to know that my senior high quote, courtesy of Stevie, remains timelessly accurate:  "I have my own life and I am stronger than you know."