 Bobcats Arena, Charlotte, NC
on Friday, October 21st. 2005. At this brand new opened arena the
Rolling Stones are first band to play.
Set list:
Start Me Up - You Got Me Rocking - Shattered - Tumbling Dice - Oh No Not You
Again - Ruby Tuesday - All Down The Line - Night Time Is The Right Time - Intros
- The Worst - Infamy - Miss You - Rough Justice - It's Only Rock'n'Roll - Honky
Tonk Women - Sympathy For The Devil - Paint It Black - Brown Sugar - Jumping
Jack Flash - You Can't Always Get What You Want (encore) - Satisfaction (encore).
Reviews:
Stones bring more than satisfaction to arena fans
by Courtney Devores The Observer
The Rolling Stones ignited an anxious, sold-out crowd Friday night at the new
Charlotte Bobcats Arena with the predictable, yet fitting, "Start Me
Up."
After a short set by gracious young English soul singer Joss Stone, the audience,
which included many fans who paid as much as $350 per ticket, went wild as
drummer Charlie Watts hit the first beat. A rugged Keith Richards appeared in a
blue satin shirt, picking his guitar, followed by rhythm guitarist Ron Wood and
fitful frontman Mick Jagger. It was a surreal moment for anyone who had only
seen the Stones on television.
Three of them may be in their 60s (Wood is 58 ), but age was evident only on
their weathered faces during the nearly two-hour set. The core four, especially
Wood and tireless frontman Jagger, looked like lanky twenty-somethings from the
neck down. Wood, wearing a fitted green and pink striped CBGB's T-shirt, could
double in one of today's many skinny garage rock bands. Jagger, wearing an array
of shiny shirts and jackets, was ever the energetic, writhing star.
Jagger shimmied across the stage as the group ran through "Shattered"
and "Tumbling Dice." The crowd, crammed onto the floor of the new
arena, had little room to dance, but they bopped in place, clapped and sang
along while a few perched on top of their seats for a better view, sheepishly
grinning to themselves as if floored by the presence of the legendary group.
While most of the crowd looked to have listened to the Stones in high school,
some appeared to be in their teens or 20s.
Music in the arena was loud, but not ear-piercing. The quieter "Ruby
Tuesday" showcased the acoustics of the new venue. Jagger's vocals were at
the forefront, with Richards singing backup. Even soft piano trills were audible.
An early highlight was a tribute to Ray Charles, "(Night Time is) the Right
Time." The band's female backup singer, whose booming voice stole the song,
shared center stage with Jagger as Richards sat smoking on the drum riser with
Wood. Watts, ever the dependable time keeper, simply grinned knowingly in the
background.
"You really didn't have to build a new one for us," Richards, in a
sequined jacket with his black hollow-bodied guitar slung haphazardly over his
shoulder, said of the new arena while taking over lead vocals on two songs.
Later, Jagger, dressed in a tie-dyed red T-shirt and a metallic silver Members
Only-like jacket, returned to the stage playing guitar on "I Miss
You." Expensive stage tricks kicked in at this point, giving listeners at
the back of the arena a better view, with band, including keyboard and bass
players, riding the center section of the stage on a track across the arena.
They stayed there for the new single "Rough Justice," a track true to
their blues rock legacy, and crowd pleaser "It's Only Rock 'N' Roll."
The vibrant crowd appeared familiar with material from new album "A Bigger
Bang," which recently peaked at No. 3, as well as the old favorites like
"Brown Sugar." And outside the arena, uptown was buzzing long after
the Stones left the stage.
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