Stevie Nicks at Tweeter

Great to see Stevie Nicks come back so strongly at the Tweeter Center this week. She fronted a 10-piece band -- including familiar guitarists Waddy Wachtel and Carlos Rios -- and ripped through a set of her solo material and occasional Fleetwood Mac tunes such as "Rhiannon,'' which she probably had to sing or fans would have blocked her exit.
Nicks will always be best-known as a member of Fleetwood Mac, but her solo career is not to be underestimated. Right from the first song, the power-churning "Stand Up,'' she reminded the audience that her solo repertoire has sometimes rocked harder than her Mac output. This was arguably her finest solo tour since her "Belladonna'' era -- and that's saying something. She was more confident (no problems with her voice this time), and more personal, telling stories that climaxed with a Father's Day dedication on "Landslide.''
She even did a dervish twirl or two -- evoking the agility of her younger days -- and pleased the diehards with a crunching version of Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers' "I Need to Know,'' which she sang as a guest on Petty's tour last summer. To hear her belt out that song was exhilarating.
Nicks also graciously shook the hands of many fans in the front rows during the instrumental vamps on "Edge of Seventeen,'' always a show-stopper. She radiated good will and warmly reflected the devotion of fans who have stuck with her since the '70s.
The night was further peaked by opener Chris Isaak, whose rockabilly-edged music continues to be first-rate, sandwiched around hit ballads like "Wicked Game.'' He also showed his Roy Orbison roots by performing Roy's "Only the Lonely'' in a magnetic manner. And while Isaak's on-stage shtick has gotten hammier and more Vegas-like through the years, he still delivers when he has to.
STEVE MORSE