Home » Night of 1,000 Stevies: Originality reigns supreme

Night of 1,000 Stevies: Originality reigns supreme

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Stevie Nicks remains the key inspiration of her largest fan event, but the diversity of its talent and turnout proves you can be her disciple and still go your own way.

Photography by Ricardo Nelson

Tambourines were tossed from the stage into a decadent crowd of hundreds, and ample black shawls were available for sale, but Stevie Nicks’s trademark accessories were hardly a requirement at last Friday’s Night of 1,000 Stevies, the 24th incarnation of the largest Nicks fan event in the world. Held at New York’s Irving Plaza, its sixth—and grandest—venue, the mystical affair attracted fans and performers who each found a way to uniquely channel Fleetwood Mac’s witchy woman.

“At some point, with certain stars, the fans take over and are a bigger entity than the stars themselves,” said Abby Ehmann, one of the evening’s mistresses of ceremonies, and a close friend of event co-founders Johnny Dynell and Chi Chi Valenti (the latter of whom was still recovering from pneumonia, her absence repeatedly lamented).

Among the night’s performers were dancers from Vangeline Theater, whose interpretation of “Rhiannon” involved a ballet dancer evoking “a bird in flight,” and a back-up crew of haunting beauties rocking Kabuki makeup. Also present was Xavier, a four-person group offering a Lenny Kravitz-esque take on “Dreams.”

And then there were epic costumer Machine Dazzle and show-stealer Darrell Thorne, both of whom used Stevie as a launchpad to flaunt their latest fantastical creations. Machine Dazzle donned a pentagram headpiece and a mile-high, scissor-cut wig, while Thorne came fully painted in purple and glitter, with blue dreadlocks and stag horns to match.

“I’m not actually a Stevie superfan,” said Thorne, who’s attended the event 11 times, six as a performer. “But I’d always heard it was this magical celebration, and I’ve come to love her music because of it. This is always a love fest, and it’s one of the most fun events of the year.”

Of course, not everyone took such outré approaches to their Stevie-inspired attire. Drag star Divine Grace sported what he called a “1990s Klonopin” Nicks look, which equaled a lot of blonde and black. “This is the most avant garde year I’ve ever seen,” Grace said. “And I’ve seen a lot. One time there was this giant drag queen with white powder all over her face. She looked like she ate Stevie and then did an eight ball.”

Friday’s no-holds-barred festivities rolled on into the wee hours of 3 a.m., with appearances from the likes of Michael Musto, nightlife honcho Taylor Mac (who came donned in his best Machine Dazzle couture), and drag legend Sherry Vine, who was joined by a quartet of go-go boys for a sexy rendition of “Gold Dust Woman.”

As Musto observed when introducing one of the night’s performers, Nicks is “hotter than ever” thanks to such things as her recent appearance on American Horror Story: Coven, which, according to Ehmann, partly inspired the night’s “Spellbound” theme.

“Stevie always finds a way to stay relevant,” Ehmann said, before observing that, despite the event’s motley crew of attendees, the songstress herself isn’t one to switch it up. “She’s got an extreme staying power and she’s managed to do it without striving to reinvent herself, like Madonna. You know, not to slam Madonna.”

For more info, visit MotherNYC.com/stevie

R. Kurt Osenlund / Out / Tuesday, May 13, 2014

stevienicks

LIVE IN CONCERT (2024)

Stevie Nicks

MAY 3, 2024 – MAY 5, 2024
Lovin’ Life Fest
Charlotte, NC
TICKETS

MAY 7, 2024
Enterprise Center
St Louis, MO
TICKETS

MAY 10, 2024
WinStar World Casino & Resort
Thackerville, OK
TICKETS

MAY 14, 2024
Bridgestone Arena
Nashville, TN
TICKETS

MAY 18, 2024
Frost Bank Center
San Antonio, TX
TICKETS

MAY 21, 2024
Yaamava’ Resort & Casino – Yaamava’ Theater
Highland, CA
TICKETS

MAY 24, 2024
BottleRock Napa Valley
Napa, CA
TICKETS

MAY 27, 2024
Delta Center
Salt Lake City, UT
TICKETS

MAY 30, 2024
Ball Arena
Denver, CO
TICKETS

JUN 4
Gainbridge Fieldhouse
Indianapolis, IN
TICKETS

JUN 9 
Mohegan Sun Casino
Uncasville, CT
TICKETS

JUN 12
MVP Arena
Albany, NY
TICKETS

JUN 15
Hersheypark Stadium
Hershey, PA
TICKETS

JUN 18
Van Andel Arena
Grand Rapids, MI
TICKETS

JUN 21, 2024 (with Billy Joel)
Soldier Field
Chicago, IL
TICKETS

JUL 12, 2024
BST Hyde Park
London, England
TICKETS

^ Non-Live Nation show


Previous 2023 dates

March 10, 2023 – BILLY JOEL
Los Angeles, CA
SoFi Stadium

March 15, 2023
Seattle, WA
Climate Pledge Arena

March 18, 2023
Las Vegas, NV
T-Mobile Arena

May 12, 2023
Raleigh, NC
PNC Arena

May 16, 2023
Knoxville, TN
Thompson-Boling Arena

May 19, 2023 – BILLY JOEL
Nashville, TN
Nissan Stadium

May 22, 2023
Atlanta, GA
State Farm Arena

May 25, 2023
Orlando, FL
Amway Center

June 16, 2023 – BILLY JOEL
Philadelphia, PA
Lincoln Financial Field

June 20, 2023
Toronto, ON (Canada)
Scotiabank Arena

June 23, 2023
Chicago, IL
United Center

June 27, 2023
Louisville, KY
KFC Yum! Center

August 5, 2023 – BILLY JOEL
Columbus, OH
Ohio Stadium

August 8, 2023
Milwaukee, WI
Fiserv Forum

August 12, 2023
Houston, TX
Toyota Center

August 15, 2023
Austin, TX
Moody Center

August 19, 2023 – BILLY JOEL
Kansas City, MO
Arrowhead Stadium

September 23, 2023 – BILLY JOEL
Foxborough, MA
Gillette Stadium

September 27, 2023
Pittsburgh, PA
PPG Paints Arena

October 1, 2023
New York, NY
Madison Square Garden

October 4, 2023
Buffalo, NY
KeyBank Center

October 7, 2023 – BILLY JOEL
Baltimore, MD 
M&T Bank Stadium

October 28, 2023
Memphis, TN
FedEx Forum

November 1, 2023
Savannah, GA
Enmarket Arena

November 4, 2023
Allentown, PA
PPL Center

November 7, 2023
Detroit, MI
Little Caesars Arena

November 10, 2023 – BILLY JOEL
Minneapolis, MN
U.S. Bank Stadium

November 29, 2023
San Diego, CA
Viejas Arena

December 2, 2023
Inglewood, CA
The Kia Forum

December 5, 2023
Palm Desert, CA
Acisure Arena

December  8, 2023 – BILLY JOEL
Phoenix, AZ
Chase Field

December 12, 2023
Sacramento, CA
Golden 1 Center

December 15, 2023
San Francisco, CA
Chase Center

FEB 10, 2024
Mark G Etess Arena
Atlantic City, NJ

FEB 14, 2024
UBS Arena
Belmont Park, NY

FEB 17, 2024
CFG Bank Arena
Baltimore, MD

FEB 21, 2024
Bon Secours Wellness Arena
Greenville, SC

FEB 24, 2024
Hard Rock Live
Hollywood, FL

FEB 28, 2024
Smoothie King Center
New Orleans, LA

MAR 3, 2024
CHI Health Center
Omaha, NE

MAR 6, 2024
Simmons Bank Arena
North Little Rock, AR

MAR 9, 2024
AT&T Stadium
Arlington, TX
Billy Joel

 



2022 Tour

Stevie Nicks

Jazz Aspen Snowmass
Snowmass, CO
Labor Day 2022

Ravinia Festival
Highland Park, IL
September 8, 2022
September 10, 2022

Pine Knob Music Theatre
Clarkston, MI
September 13, 2022
w/ Vanessa Carlton

Sea Hear Now Festival
Asbury, NJ
September 17, 2022

Xfinity Center
Mansfield, MA
September 19, 2022
w/ Vanessa Carlton

Maine Savings Amphitheatre
Bangor, ME
September 22, 2022
w/ Vanessa Carlton

Sound on Sound Festival
Bridgeport, CT
September 24-25, 2022

Ohana Festival
Dana Point, CA
September 30, 2022

Hollywood Bowl
Los Angeles, CA
October 3, 2022
w/ Vanessa Carlton

POSTPONED
Ak-Chin Pavilion

Phoenix, AZ
October 6, 2022
w/ Vanessa Carlton

POSTPONED
Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion

The Woodlands, TX
October 9, 2022
w/ Vanessa Carlton

Ameris Bank Amphitheatre
Alpharetta, GA
October 12, 2022
w/ Vanessa Carlton

Ascend Amphitheater
Nashville, TN
October 16, 2022
w/ Vanessa Carlton

Credit One Stadium
Charleston, SC
October 19, 2022
w/ Vanessa Carlton

PNC Music Pavilion
Charlotte, NC
October 22, 2022
w/ Vanessa Carlton

MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre
Tampa, FL
October 25, 2022
w/ Vanessa Carlton

iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre
West Palm Beach, FL
October 28, 2022
w/ Vanessa Carlton

Orion Amphitheatre
Huntsville, AL
October 31, 2022

RESCHEDULED SHOWS

Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
The Woodlands, TX
November 2, 2022
w/ Vanessa Carlton

Ak-Chin Pavilion
Phoenix, AZ
November 5, 2022
w/ Vanessa Carlton