Aging Rolling Stones continue to cut it

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Take this short quiz.

The Rolling Stones’ concert on Tuesday, May 7, at State Farm Stadium was:

A)   A multi-generational, multi-cultural exposition

B)   A test to determine whether octogenarians could stay up past 11 p.m.

C)   A celebration of rock and roll music hosted by musicians who formed their band in 1962

D)   A contest to see which patrons could spend the most money in one evening of entertainment

E)   All of the above

If you chose E), you are correct.

The evening began with concertgoers paying through the roof for parking lot spaces that were sold on various websites. Starting at around $30, prices soon zoomed past the $100 mark. It’s difficult to determine just how high the last remaining spots cost at the home of the NFL’s Arizona Cardinals.

Tickets for the show on the Hackney Diamonds Tour were priced at $75 and up. Those who found their way into the mosh pit in front of the stage must have paid a pretty penny for the privilege of standing all night.

Once inside, patrons had their choice of paying up to $18 for a beer, $25 for a cocktail or $50 and up for a souvenir T-shirt or cap.

When the music began, Electric Mud from San Diego started the stadium rocking. Band members Matty and Marc Hansen have an aunt, Patti Hansen, who has been the wife of Rolling Stone Keith Richards since 1983. Presumably, that connection was their ticket onto the bill.

Then came a 50-minute set by Mexican singer Carin Leon from Hermosillo, Sonora. His songs were all sung in Spanish.

Among the audience, which numbered upwards of 60,000, were fans in their 80s, some of whom brought kids as young as 2. Just about every demographic in between was represented.

The Stones were on their first tour since the No Filter Tour, which began in 2017. That caravan was interrupted by the COVID pandemic and ultimately finished in November 2021.

Now, the Rolling Stones have gone out on tour to support a new album, “Hackney Diamonds.” It’s their first studio product since “Blue & Lonesome” in 2016.

They played three songs from the new album: “Angry,” “Mess It Up” and “Sweet Sounds Of Heaven.”

Can the veterans still cut it? Yes. It’s a tribute to Mick Jagger keeping himself in good physical shape that he can spend 100 minutes on stage, strutting up and down the 50-foot runway that took him deep into the floor seating. At 80, his voice no longer has great range, of course. But that doesn’t mean he cannot entertain.

At certain points of the show, Jagger did rhythm strumming on both acoustic and electric guitar. And his harmonica part on “Miss You” was killer, as always.

His partner of 62 years, Richards, played guitar as skillfully as ever, making the most of the three-chord riffs for which he has become famous.

And the other guitar on stage? That’s still 76-year-old Ronnie Wood, of course. He shared lead parts with Richards and mugged for the audience at every opportunity. Wood seems like a founding member of the band, although he joined 13 years after if formed.

A key part of the show was during the playing of “Gimme Shelter,” when backup singer Chanel Haynes joined Jagger on the runway to deliver soulful vocals in her Tina Turneresque voice. “Rape, murder – it’s just a shot away,” she passionately belted out repeatedly.

Visually, there is a stark contrast between Jagger/Wood and Richards. Mick and Ronnie choose to dye their hair, but Richards showed a lot of gray sticking out from his bright red knit cap.

Other tour members who on stage included:

·      Chuck Leavell, keyboards

·      Matt Clifford, keyboards and French horn

·      Tim Reis, saxophone

·      Karl Denson, saxophone

·      Steve Jordan, drums

·      Darryl Jones, bass

Drummer Charlie Watts, who joined the Rolling Stones in 1963, died of cancer in 2021. He encouraged his mates to bring in Jordan as his replacement to finish the No Filter Tour.

Founding bass player Bill Wyman retired from the Stones in 1993 when he was 56.

Multi-instrumentalist Brian Jones, who founded the band in ’62, drowned in 1969. He was replaced by Mick Taylor, who stayed with the Stones until December 1974. Wood succeeded him.

With a good 20 minutes left in the show, many patrons began to leave their seats to head home to put their youngsters and themselves to bed to prepare for a day of school or work. Given the fact it was a weeknight, the concert should have begun an hour earlier than the 8 p.m. start.

The Hackney Diamonds Tour schedule had the Rolling Stones traversing the United States before heading into Europe for a conclusion in July 2024.