How I Survived: The Rolling Stones Recap
Bucket List Item #66 - Check.
Through some loophole in the fabric of the universe, The Rolling Stones performed. Here, now, in 2013.
Aside from the sheer amazement that this group is a) alive, b) still together, and c) still able to play, was the fact that they chose my hometown for two dates, and that I was actually able to go [MASSIVE THANKS to Josh and Buck Buchanan].
Oh also, it just happened to be the greatest Rock & Roll band of all time. So that too. And I'll tell you what, they've still got it. Rocking out for roughly two and a half hours, it was clear from the second Mick stepped on stage in a silver sequin jacket.
The man did not disappoint - working his way all over the stage in typical peacock style. Watching him do his thing, it was clear why he is the persona of the genre. The Steven Tylers, David Lee Roths, The Freddie Mercurys - the rock & roll lead singer as we know him began with Mick (and Elvis too). Not to mention that (in the words of Josh), he was skinny as hell "before skinny was cool."
As the lights dimmed and the crowd roared, the opening introduction was quickly overtaken by the opening track, Get Off Of My Cloud. Those first chords simultaneously drew an explosive cheer from the crowd and my own sigh of pure satisfaction - after months of anticipation, planning, scheming, trying to be the 25th caller, hoping, biding my time, waiting, wishing, praying, it was actually, finally, incredibly here. Rock n Roll.
The show was unreal. There is no other way to put it. Every song that you heard on the radio had now come to life. Legendary tracks were jumping, dancing and posturing their way out to the audience - enlivened by the very group that created them some 50 years ago. It wasn't a cover band, it wasn't a tribute show, it wasn't even even a solo remaining member with an otherwise new group - this was The band, doing their thing that they've done for 50 years. And it was incredible.
[warning very loud clips]
Sympathy for the Devil closed out the set, the band said their thanks and exited the stage. The arena went dark.
They kept us waiting just long enough to assemble a local Philly choir, The Crossing. And when the lights came up again, and we saw the arrangement, we knew, we were getting exactly what we wanted.
They took You Can't Always Get What You Want into Jumpin' Jack Flash, which shook the stadium upside down. And then, when Keith ripped off the first few notes of Satisfaction, the crowd was thunder. It was a dominant, impressive, adrenaline-fueled encore (with a reprise by Mick Taylor) - fittingly huge for the legendary band. And once the whole song and dance had ended, the group gathered to the front, took their bows and exited the stage - just as classily as they entered.
The lights slowly rose. The house music filtered in and the show was officially over. We sat, stunned, still soaking it up like two kids in Wonka's factory. The thought that we witnessed a group that had been the soundtrack throughout so many different facets of history - well that was pretty surreal. Mick gyrated, Keith shredded, Ronnie took it away and Charlie pounded it home for decades, and it seemed as though all that changed were the faces in the crowd, first framed by barrettes, then flowers, then scrunchies and now the glow of camera phones. But the music is still the same. And the music still rules. It may only be Rock & Roll, but it's here to stay. And I like it.
