Stevie Nicks - a San Francisco Gypsy?

Rock singer Stevie Nicks grew up in the Bay Area, where she met Lindsey Buckingham. The two lived together for a while barely getting by, before they were eventually discovered by Mick Fleetwood and joined the band Fleetwood Mac, which almost overnight made them household names. Last November, I saw Fleetwood Mac perform (for the second time) in San Jose, where Stevie Nicks told a story about growing up near San Francisco. She explained to the 10,000 people present that before she and Lindsey hit it big, she went to a clothing store in downtown San Francisco called The Velvet Underground, a place where Janis Joplin and Grace Slick bought all of their clothing. She could only stand in the center of the store and look around, as she couldn't afford anything they were selling, but she told herself that if she ever hit it big, she would go back and buy some of their clothing, like her idols did before her. Until then, the spot she stood on the floor was hers. This story ends with Stevie saying that she did hit it big, and the band performs their song "Gypsy," which opens with the lyrics "so I'm back to The Velvet Underground, back to the floor that I love."

It was cool hearing this story, as it provided some context to one of my favorite songs. However, it contradicts other stories that Stevie has reported in interviews about the song's origins, one of which makes more sense (that it reflects her and Lindsey's early relationship and her leaving it behind). When trying to find The Velvet Underground on Google, I came up blank - there used to be a clothing store by that name in Santa Cruz, but it has gone out of business. While I don't doubt that the store existed (or even exists), there is a mysticism to this story that exaggerates it, and likely could be done to glorify both the city and the rock artists that Stevie wants to emulate.

The reason I think this ties into our class is that it reminds me of Janis Joplin's "Mercedes Benz," a song that sarcastically prays for material possessions in order to better one's social appearance. Stevie's story, and thus song, about the Velvet Underground removes the sarcasm but keeps the commodity that Janis sings about, turning San Francisco into a place where, if you have the money, you can turn yourself into one of your idols. It reflects and glorifies the beat and hippie image of Janis Joplin while also portraying the materiality and commercialism that said image fights against, and is if nothing else fascinating to me.
What are your thoughts on the matter? Do you think Stevie Nicks' "Gypsy" reflects the wide range of topics we have discussed in class so far, or am I just grasping at straws? Regardless of the message, it's hard for me to not love this band and all of their music.