Stevie Nicks brings tour to Tweeter

By LAUREN CARTER / SUN CHRONICLE STAFF

For those of you that haven't heard, Miss Stevie Nicks will be
joining Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers for their show at the
Tweeter Center on June 21. That's next Wednesday.

This is not just good. This is very, very good.
Trey Anastasio of Phish will be opening the show, and Miss Nicks
will join Tom & Co. onstage for a few songs in the middle of their
set, according to Petty's publicist.

To say I'm excit ed would be a major understate ment.

First off, let me say that I first got this information through a
good friend that is probably as much of a Stevie Nicks fan as I am.

Said friend enjoys teasing me with made-up tales of all the times
she's met Stevie backstage at some concert, traveled cross country
to attend one Stevie show after anoth er, touched Stevie's hand at
the end of a set, or felt her velvety five-inch platform heels while
standing in the front row of some concert I wasn't able to attend.
That friend's name is Stacey. I've come to disregard most of
Stacey's tales as outright lies, or at least highly embellished
truths. It's easier that way.

So when Stacey told me that Stevie would be appearing at Tweeter, I
naturally didn't believe her. I viewed it as yet another chance to
toy with my fragile emo tions.

Then I consulted the Internet. And the Internet said it was true--
Stevie would be joining Petty for nine dates on his tour, the show
at the Tweeter Center being the last.

Since I had already signed up to review that show, this would be an
added bonus. A GIGANTIC added bonus.

At this point all shades of pro fessional office decorum flew out
the window and I began expressing my excitement through a variety of
leaps, fist pumps and exclama tions.

Have I mentioned that I love Stevie Nicks?

I've been a fan since sophomore year of high school, when I discov
ered her as one-fifth of the pop/rock supergroup Fleetwood Mac. I
loved the group as a whole but to me Nicks always stood out, and
almost immediately she became my favorite music artist.

I considered her a paradox--straight out of a fairy-tale yet
simultaneously down to earth. And I love paradoxes.

I own most of her solo CDs as well as most of Fleetwood Mac's
albums, post-Peter Green, and have been to many of her shows. I
can't remember the exact number of times I've seen her live because
the surreal nature of the experi ences makes them all blend togeth
er in my mind. You scoff, but I'm serious.

As far as this particular show goes, the union between Nicks and
Petty is a natural one. They've already teamed up on songs like ``
Stop Draggin' My Heart Around,'' the lead single off Nicks' debut
solo album `` Bella Donna,'' as well as `` I Will Run To You,'' off
Nicks' follow-up record, `` The Wild Heart,'' and Petty and the
Heart breakers played the music on Nicks' moody `` Outside The
Rain,'' one of my favorites.

The pair are longtime friends and Petty's blues-tinged rock seems to
be the perfect counter point to Nicks' ethereal folk-rock goddess.

Unfortunately, the show at the Tweeter Center is sold out. I'm not
even sure if any local radio sta tions are having contests to give
away tickets. Maybe try eBay. This is a show you won't want to miss.

I'm happy to say I'll be taking Stacey along with me to the con cert.

Happy for two reasons. One, it'll be great to share the experience
with someone who's as big a Stevie fan as I am.

And two, I won't have to listen to any post-concert lies about
backstage conversations over bot tles of champagne, because I'll be
there to dispel them, or at least take part in the festivities.

rdrtrdrsrdrw15rsp160 LAUREN CARTER can be reached at 508-236-0339,
or at lcarter(at)(at)thesunchronicle.com
*********************************************************************
Q &A TOM PETTY
Rocker digs into catalog of old gems
Wednesday, June 14, 2006
Nekesa Mumbi Moody
ASSOCIATED PRESS

FILE PHOTO
Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers: 30 years and counting


Tom Petty


NEW YORK — Each week, Tom Petty selects musical gems that have
fallen into obscurity and beams them out on his satellite radio
show, hoping to expose fans to classics that deserve another listen.

The 52-year-old rocker plans to apply a similar philosophy to his
vast catalog in the coming months, as Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers
celebrate their 30 th anniversary as a band.

Along with guests such as Stevie Nicks, who will perform with the
group tonight in Germain Amphitheater, and supporting acts such as
Pearl Jam and the Allman Brothers, Petty is making the tour
something special by playing some rarely heard Heartbreakers tunes
from the first album.

He is also dusting off songs he hasn't presented in concert for many
years — although he wouldn't divulge which ones.

In a recent interview, he did discuss why the new tour could mark
the last blowout for the Heartbreakers and why he agreed to let
cameras follow his and their every move for the past year.

And, of course, he talked about the future.

Q: Through the years, acts have proclaimed final tours but then
embraced the road again. Do you see your new tour as probably your
last?

A: Never say never. It might be the last really extended one.

Q: What is it about extended tours that you're leery of? Some people
can be on tour all year long.

A: I've done that all my life. I'm not weary of playing music, I'm a
little weary of traveling that much, but it's not even that. It's
just that I have so many recording projects I want to do, going out
for half of the year really eats into my time.

Q: Being that your catalog is so vast after three decades, are there
any songs you wish you could retire — or are there songs that you
wish you could play more of?

A: You always want to play as much new stuff as you can, though it's
hard for an audience . . . to take in a lot of new music, so I don't
try to put a lot of those in. But if we get really tired of
something, we just retire it and replace it. Maybe if we want to
bring it back later, we do.

Q: You also have your radio show. What kind of release does that
give you to play what you want?

A: It's a real joy. I'm really pleased that it's gone over so well.
XM (satellite radio) tells us it's one of their top shows, and we
get a lot of response, a lot of e-mails from listeners. . . . I had
a girl write in who never heard of Chuck Berry. And she was in her
teens and was thanking me for discovering Chuck.

Q: Do you have any advice for your good friend Bob Dylan as he does
his own radio show?

A: No, he's going to be fine. He's doing a different kind of
writing; it's very hard for me to write on the road. . . . But I
don't get tired. We're in such a nice position right now, things
have gone so well. I have people approach me on the streets and
say, "Thanks for writing the soundtrack to my life." I can't tell
you how good that makes me feel as a songwriter.

Q: Peter Bogdanovich is doing a documentary on the Heartbreakers.
Has he been following you around with cameras?

A: We've given him a lot more access than we've ever given anyone.
He does follow us around with cameras, interviewing us, talking to
lots of people. He's also filming some concerts. He's spent a great
deal of time going through footage of the last 30 years. There's
just a show from what I do.

Q: Looking back at your 30 years, what achievements blow your mind?

A: That it's gone on so long is kind of mind-blowing.

Q: Does it ever get old? Do you need time off to recharge?

A: I think it's about time to do that because, if you stay on the
road all the time, it's not the most creative place as far as
truckload of film that's been shot in 30 years, as you can imagine.
So we have high hopes for the movie.

Q: Does being under such close scrutiny ever get uncomfortable?

A (laughing): It's a little scary sometimes. . . . I told him early
on, I'm just going to give you total carte blanche here. I'm going
to trust that you'll make the movie you want, because what I don't
want is for me to make the movie. I don't want it from my point of
view. . . . Sometimes we're miked all day and it's a little nerve-
racking, but I'm really glad that somebody of that caliber wants to
get this story down — because it is quite a story and I think it
deserves to be archived.