March 29, 2017. Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Indiana
Tonight I felt the beat of the bass in my heart, my gold hoop earrings bopping to the rock rhythm. Tonight I was transported to the 80s, swaying to live Stevie Nicks music, watching her twirl in her shawl and listening to stories from 1973.

Quite possibly the Queen of Rock and Roll, Stevie Nicks is a legendary singer-songwriter who I saw in concert during her 24 Karat Gold Tour. The songs were amazing but between songs came a unique, wonderful twist.

Nicks, usually an enigma, told stories about her life, focusing on the beginning of her career. In between songs, the audience heard the short stories behind her most famous hit songs as if she was telling them to an old friend. Candid, personal, human.

She reminisced about meeting Prince. The first time he was quiet, the second time dressed in purple clothes while approving her song “Stand Back” which she wrote in response to his “Little Red Corvette.”

She shared her journey about her solo career and loyalty to Fleetwood Mac, breaking the unsaid “no girls” rule with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers while recording a song in his basement, and her attachment to her old Toyota that didn’t go in reverse before she traveled by black limousines.

In one story, Nicks talked about her life as a writer. She writes “like a typewriter” in her head and needs spare paper right away to document her words.

Throughout the night I was blown away by how social she was through her stories but then instantly transformed to a living legend while draped in her shawls and sang old hit songs and new songs.

Nicks holding her infamous black shawl, her signature trademark look, that originally cost $2,000 but has persisted for several decades. Therefore, she said, it is "a really good deal!"

She was strong. Cool. Funny. Mystical and enchanting. And had an amazing voice.

Throughout her many stories, there were three overarching messages weaved within them which stood out to me.

1. You can’t do it by yourself, whatever “it” may be. Many of her stories she regaled were about her friendships and collaborations on songs and albums, which were made possible with the help of good people and her loyalty. And “especially to the girls,” she said to not let anyone stop you or bring you down. And fight for your “it,” if you have to.

2. Dreams are important. Dream and follow your dreams. While she was alone in a big house she was renting from in Colorado, she wrote “Landslide.” She wrote the song about her relationship and future. She realized you don’t have anything if you don’t have dreams. They are like hope and freedom, giving you strength for something better.

3. Do it for yourself. For this 24 Karat Gold Tour, Nicks dug in her “gothic trunk” for unreleased songs for the set list. There were songs she wrote 40+ years ago cut from albums or never sang live, but she said she finally felt brave enough and wanted to share them. Aware the crowd would not know them, she sang them because she wanted to. She chronicled her life through songs and decades later, they were still important to sing. She did it for herself. That’s powerful and under emphasized today, doing something for yourself. It is good to help people and volunteer with charities but doing something for yourself is equally important.

While performing "New Orleans," the stage screen transformed to a peaceful likeness of the city.

Nicks understands how powerful words can be. After Hurricane Katrina in 2005, she wanted to contribute somehow after watching the breaking news on the TV from her couch for an entire day.

“Time passes and things fade away if you’re like me, a writer, you want to chronicle and archive it. You’re like a reporter.” She wrote a positive song about New Orleans that was not sad but powerfully hopeful. “A celebration that they won” that could be played years later.

She is still contributing to the world with her music and powerful words, with personal stories and a legendary life, giving hope and happiness and nostalgia, and sharing her wild gypsy heart at 68 years old with fans young and old alike.