Stevie Nicks delivers powerhouse Orlando performance on eve of her 75th birthday

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The seemingly endless stream of patrons clad in black dresses and shawls, some wearing dark brimmed hats and high-heeled leather boots outside Amway Center, gave an unmistakable sign that Stevie Nicks was in Orlando.

While the dress code was predictable, what varied was the age of the crowd that turned out, suggesting the multi-generational impact of Nicks’ soulful storytelling prowess. In some rows, it appeared there might even be three generations of fans sitting side-by-side Thursday night.

On the eve of her 75th birthday, the seasoned performer took to the stage in all black, her golden locks swaying like the ribbons tied to her microphone stand, while the band found their places as Tom Petty’s “Runnin’ Down a Dream” echoed throughout the arena. Her friendship with the late rock legend came up throughout the show, with Nicks thanking him for gifting her with the third song of the set, “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around.”

Over the course of 15 songs, Nicks wove a tale that took the audience sailing through the changing ocean tides and seasons of her life, from waiting tables to worldwide success with the release of “Fleetwood Mac” in 1975. Her catapult into the spotlight virtually overnight is part of what inspired the song “Gypsy.”

“There was a point in my life where I made it, and it was really good. But I said, ‘Back up, Stevie,'” Nicks said as a way of introducing the song. “I took my bed off the bed frame, put it on the floor, threw some really pretty old-fashioned coverlets and flowers on it. I sat down and I’m like, ‘I’m still Stevie.'”

Her heartfelt cover of Buffalo Springfield’s “For What It’s Worth” hearkened back to the Sunset Strip riots and counterculture of the 1960s, while Nicks’ emotional tribute to veterans, “Soldier’s Angel,” turned the crowd’s attention to current events.

“In my opinion, Ukraine is fighting for all of us. I stand with Ukraine,” she said in between songs. “I stand for democracy. I stand for freedom.”

For all of her success over the last five decades, Nicks recognizes there are some things “money can’t buy,” as she touches on in the song “I Sing for the Things.”

Familiar, relatable concepts of love and loss, personal growth, heartbreak and grief came up throughout the show, even as the band rocked out and closed out her set on “Edge of Seventeen.”

But they were soon back for a few more, covering “Free Fallin'” before closing on two of her band’s biggest hits, “Rhiannon” and “Landslide.” The latter brought home perhaps the most widely accessible theme of all: the passage of time.

Nicks isn’t getting any younger but her performance suggested a timeless quality about her and her work that has persisted for many decades and continues to, even now. It was inspiring to see someone so fearlessly wear their heart on their sleeve and bear their soul in front of thousands.

It also helped that she never missed a note. She’s still Stevie, even as she’s getting older, too.

Find me @PConnPie on Instagram or send me an email: pconnolly@orlandosentinel.com.