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There was so much flashy Rolling Stones-wear being strutted around Angel
Stadium in the hours leading up to the act's concert Friday, you'd have
thought the entire crowd of nearly 40,000 was part of the stage crew.
And that was exactly the impression Mick Jagger and his
self-mythologizing sidekicks wanted to impart in a two-hour hits-packed
set that saw dancing in the aisles and singing in the stands as a
multi-generational mix soaked in the sheer professionalism of one of the
concert industry's few sure bets.
The Stones, who move to the relatively intimate Hollywood Bowl for
sold-out dates Sunday and Tuesday, were in stadium mode in Anaheim, and
that meant a combo of guaranteed crowd-pleasers and mediocre new
material that seemed to be designed to give everyone a breather.
Fireworks crackled the moment Jagger, Keith Richards, Ronnie Wood,
Charlie Watts and a select group of ringers kicked off with "Start
Me Up," bringing the baseball venue to an early boil. At four
decades and counting, these guys are still all things rock - even though
top tickets went for $450 and special access was afforded American
Express "black card" holders.
The band hit all the right notes - a fantastic "Tumblin'
Dice," the evergreen "Honky Tonk Women," a
still-compelling "Sympathy for the Devil," and a tribute to
Ray Charles in a cover of "(Night Time Is) the Right Time."
Certainly, a more appropriate Charles tune from the same era would've
been "Greenbacks," but it was obvious enough who the moneyed
classes were Friday in Orange County.
While the majority of ticketholders were grey haired, a number of
fans were far younger, and they were among the most enthusiastic. Others
brought young kids, and by the time Jagger began preening to "Brown
Sugar," a caravan of dads carrying sleeping toddlers was already
moving towards the exits.
It was a sturdy, entertaining show, highlighted by use of a mobile
smaller stage that traveled out onto the arena floor, giving fans a
closer look at the musicians during "Miss You," before the
band returned to the big stage for an encore of "You Can't Always
Get What You Want" and "Jumping Jack Flash."
Good solid Stones concert, but you couldn't help thinking the guys
were saving their A-game for the Bowl.
Review from Don:
I'd
like to take issue with anyone, especially and including Fred Shuster,
whoever he is, who thinks the Stones "saved their "A"
game" last night for the upcoming Hollywood Bowl shows.
This was my eight Stones show, dating back to 1978, the first one
coincidentally also being in Anaheim. I've seen them on 90 degree days,
in the cold, pouring rain at night, and in comfortable weather like last
night (although you couldn't tell that by Ronnie Wood-more later). Last
night's show was the most entertaining and energetic concert I've even
seen from the Stones.
Nowadays, their ages are always in the back of your mind. How much
longer can they keep this up? Why do they still do it? Are we finally
going to see a noticeable slowdown? The answers? For as long as theywant;
because they obviously love it; and their "slow" days are
still quicker paced than anyone else's fast days.
The instant they hit the stage, everything melts away and we're all as
young as we need to be. Last night's show proved beyond a shadow of a
doubt why they've endured longer than anyone else. The difference
between a Stones show and one by Paul McCartney? While McCartney's an
icon in his own right, it's still him with a backing band playing parts
first done by others. With the Stones, THESE ARE THE GUYS. It's still
basically the same bunch who were on Ed Sullivan, kept them waiting
until the wee small hours in Madison Square Garden 35 years ago, and who
once said never trust anyone over 30.
This Anaheim show featured a varied set list that had something for
everyone. From Start Me Up to Tumbling Dice to Get Off My Cloud to Rough
Justice to Satisfaction and Jumpin' Jack Flash, each song was played
with a verve and vigor younger men only dream about. It's as if with
each passing year and tour, the band feels they need to put more into it
than they did the last time out, furthering distancing themselves from
the rest of the pack.
Standout memories among an entire show of standout tunes were the
smaller stage set and Sympathy For The Devil. A seminal moment hit me
during Hony Tonk Woman on the B stage. Here were the Rock and Roll Gods
esconced on a tiny, stripped down stage smack in the middle of everyone,
playing their asses off on a song that defines everything there is about
the genre. Blew my mind, indeed.
I've always wondered why the Stones don't open with Sympathy For The
Devil. Last night, Jagger ascended a staircase located on the side and
slithered over the top of center stage, His image silhouetted on the big
screen as a backdrop, his hat from Devil May Care and the drum beat
rumbling in the background, he rang out the words "Please allow me
to introduce myself, I'm a man of wealth and taste." The crowd went
crazy. What I wouldn't give to hear the crowd reaction to that as it
opened a show.
The show did have a few typical Stones glitches, all seemingly involving
Wood. He either was not feeling well, had guitar problems and/or was
simply too cold. There was definitely something awry with him during
She's So Cold. Wood kept going over to say something to Chuck Leavell,
and Jagger kept coming over to Leavell, too. Wood spent the entire
evening hugging himself for warmth and rubbing his hands together. All
in all though,it didn't stop him from doing his part in making this the
best show I've ever seen.
A word or two about Toots and the Maytals, the opening act. God bless
them, but due to the insistence of the Powers That Be that the show
start promptly at 7:00 p.m., Toots came on to a practically empty house.
The gates didn't open until just after 6:00 p.m., and there were more
yellow jacketed security staff on the floor than paying customers.
Nonetheless, Toots did a great set and the band played as if the house
was packed. They need to either open the gates earlier or have the
opener go on later.
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Angel Stadium,
Anaheim, California on Friday, November 4th. 2005. 