An amazing 45 years later, Saturday night's Ohio Stadium show proved the Stones - at least live - still wear that crown.
The concert exploded with history and hysteria throughout.
Jumpin' Jack Flash - the same opener as 'Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out!' - kicked off a 20-song set pulled almost exclusively from the 1960s and 1970s by a band whose principle players average 70+ years old (Mick Jagger 71, Keith Richards 71, Ronnie Wood 68 on June 1, and Charlie Watts 74 on June 2). Only 2012's Doom And Gloom had a "recent vintage" with 1981's Start Me Up as the next "youngest" number at 34 years old.
The complete run through Sticky Fingers that was rumored to be among the possibilities before the 15-stadium tour began didn't happen. But, the set list included Bitch, Wild Horses and Brown Sugar from the album with its expanded reissue coming on June 9. Surprisingly, the extended jam of Can't You Hear Me Knocking was not part of the show.
Robert Johnson may have made a deal with the Devil to play guitar, but Jagger's sympathy earned him an even greater prize. The "King of All Rock Stars" still looks and sounds nearly the same as he did decades before, running and singing up and down a catwalk that extended to midfield.
Line up Jagger against his still-performing contemporaries - Paul McCartney, Bob Dylan, Roger Daltrey, Robert Plant - and there's no doubt about who presides over the class reunion. Put him up against his younger competition and the results are no different.
Jagger invented the modern front man prototype and still sets the performance bar.
The other half of the Glimmer Twins dynasty - guitarist Keith Richards - remains the soul of rock 'n' roll even as he turned most of the leads and solos over to Ronnie Wood. The two played off one another with a seamless ease provided by 40 years together.
Meanwhile, the senior member of the band, drummer Charlie Watts provided the non-stop piston power rolling the Stones.
The monstrous stage - which takes a week to set up and three days to tear down - made the entire band's star power burn even brighter with high resolution images that turned the Stones into giant sized super heroes all night long.
Think Godzilla with a silver skull ring.
This also provided plenty of spotlight for backing vocalists Lisa Fischer and Bernard Fowler, bassist Darryl Jones and keyboardist Chuck Leavell, among others. Fischer brought all to their feet with her soaring singing on Gimme Shelter.
The Ohio University Singers hit the guest shot of a lifetime as they provided the choral backing on the You Can't Always Get What You Want encore sing-along.
All the while, Jagger cheerfully lorded over the festivities. He even made reference to Ohio State's national championship in football, surprised all with a rendition of Hang On Sloopy, and gave the crowd an "O-H!"
Even if it was just solid advance scouting or downright hometown pandering, it worked and The Shoe erupted.
Unlike Dylan in his recent Ohio Theatre performance, the Rolling Stones celebrated their most popular songs and the audience of 60,000 there to love them.
The Stones closed the night with Satisfaction and fireworks. Their legion of fans left satisfied that Mick and the boys still rule the concert throne after all these years.
No comments:
Post a Comment