When rock ’n’ roll legend Stevie Nicks played at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival on May 7, she repeatedly spoke of how it was the first time she had performed live onstage in nearly three years.

Two weeks shy of her 74th birthday, Nicks exuded a vibe that was vibrant yet vulnerable. The nationwide pandemic cancellations, including two regularly scheduled Jazz Fests and two abandoned attempts at autumn makeup Fests, threw performers and fans alike “off their games,” unsure of when or even if they would have a chance to let loose again.