Chris Isaak / Stevie Nicks

Last night I saw Chris Isaak and Stevie Nicks perform at the Concord...er, Sleep Train Pavilion on a cool northern California night. It was the fourth time I was seeing Stevie Nicks live (if you include Fleetwood Mac) and the first time I saw Chris Isaak. In fact, I only knew a few Chris Isaak songs so a few weeks ago I bought his "Best of" disc to prepare. A good thing I did that, because he pulled most of his material from there. The songs I remember are:

Dancin' (I think it was that song)/unknown rockabilly song/Somebody's Crying/Wicked Game/other unknown songs/I Want You To Want Me/Blue Hotel/Baby Did A Bad Bad Thing-Don't Be Cruel-I'm Gone medley/Only The Lonely/unknown rockabilly song/Forever Blue (acoustic)

The Best of Chris Isaak CD showed a tasteful roots rocker with a love of Roy Orbison's haunted crooning and an armful of ballads. The disc had some exciting moments but for the most part was respectable lite rock. It gave me a sense of his music, but gave no warning of his live performance.

Live, Chris Isaak is a different animal. Isaak can sing every bit as well as on disc and he was backed by a crack band of talented musicians. The surprise was in place of the somewhat dull crooner on CD stood a 50's influenced rocker with a true sense of showmanship and engaging personality. Right after sitting down in my seat, Isaak left the stage and ran with his guitar from the front row to the lawn section to rock with the crowd. He joked with his keyboard player after the organ solo in "Somebody's Crying" by singing "I know when...Somebody's Drinking". Before his encore a masked wrestler with a silver cape ran around the stage ranting in Spanish. Isaak joked and told raunchy stories between and during his songs. To top it off, Isaak finished his set in a suit made of disco ball mirrors that projected spots of light in all directions. For a guy who sings torturous romantic ballads he was really funny! By the end of his set, I was wondering why he didn't have a bigger career.

After a set change was the original witchy woman herself, Stevie Nicks. This was the second solo Stevie Nicks concert I attended, the first was about 12 years ago when Nicks was bloated and tired from antidepressants. It was still a good show and a few years later she got herself together for a Fleetwood Mac reunion that was one of my favorite concerts of all time. The set list I think went:

Stand Back/Dreams/If Anyone Falls/Piano Solo/Rhiannon/Enchanted/Gold Dust Woman/I Need To Know/Landslide/Fall From Grace/Sorcerer/How Still My Love/Drums, Percussion & Guitar Solo/Edge Of Seventeen/Rock & Roll (encore)

The show starts with the band revving up "Stand Back" and Stevie Nicks makes a slow entrance from the rear right of the stage to the microphone. When she reaches the mic, Nicks belts out the vocal with a power I haven't heard from her live. Usually, the Bay Area is near the end of her tours so she usually is worn physically and vocally when I've seen her. Not this time. This is the Stevie Nicks that I've heard about but never really saw, the fiery belter and mystical show woman performing with unclouded focus and power.

Smartly, Nicks brought back guitarist Waddy Watchtel along with her usual troupe of background singers to bring back the Bella Donna groove of '81 (only two songs performed came after '83). Ace percussionist Lenny Castro is also along for the ride along with an expert band of talented musicians. Together, they bring together the "classic" Stevie Nicks sound of her first two solo records (basically the Tom Petty sound with studio musicians). Watchtel's ragged guitar playing a central role, giving the songs a harder rock edge and looser feel missing from Nick's later solo work.

The highlights were many, some that stood out: Enjoying "Stand Back" live (never liked the song live, it always seemed flat when played with Fleetwood Mac) including a huge crowd pop when Nicks performed her first spin. An epic "Rhiannon" with a heavier guitar riff thanks to Watchtel and a great guitar solo with Stevie shadowing behind him with her shawl stretched out. Like a lace Batgirl. Fantastic visual effects during "Gold Dust Woman" with a screenful of falling gold. A sentimental "Landslide" with clips and photos of past performances and her family. Lastly, a killer "Edge Of Seventeen" with Nicks trading off the vocals on the bridge with Sharon Celani.

All in all a great show. I went with my Mom who bought the tickets and had a great time. Thanks Mom!