50 and Counting

~Sunday, May 26, 2013

“You’re about to have a history lesson,” an enthusiastic fan informed my step grandson before the Rolling Stones concert last Saturday at the Honda Center in Anaheim.  School never looked so promising.  The British veteran rockers delivered a high octane, rock ‘n’ roll experience from the first beat of Charlie Watt’s drum, to the last swagger Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, and Ronnie Woods made together around the lip extended stage that looped around the audience filled “tongue-pit” during the encore.

For me, I don’t know which was more amazing.  The fact that Mick Jagger’s waistline was smaller than mine, or that he’s been entertaining fans in Anaheim since the days they were surrounded by orange groves.  As I watched Mick’s epic dance moves, working every inch of the stage, I also marveled at the rocker’s ability to pull off a wardrobe style just as unique as his dance moves!  I know my husband’s going to read this and think, “Who cares what he’s wearing.”  But I looked at Mick’s shimmering silver and purple blazers—with dramatic coattails to boot!—and beheld rock and roll royalty at its finest.  (Besides, I’m a girl.  Of course I’m going to look at style.  Steven Tyler also gets my vote for best dressed male rock icon.)

Now, about the music. . . I knew it would be a good night when “Get Off of My Cloud” started things off, one of my personal favorites.  Then surprisingly early into the concert Mick Jagger started to sing, “Gimme Shelter,” and the crowd braced themselves with anticipation for back-up vocalist, Lisa Fischer, to shimmy her way to center stage and belt out, “It’s just a shot away, it’s just a shot away, it’s just a shot away, shot away, shot away, shot away yeah ….” That girl can sing!!!  We were then wound down a bit with “Wild Horses,” but not for long.  When Foo Fighters front-man, David Grohl, jumped on stage with guitar in hand to join them, I knew the crowd was in for another high energy ride of their lives.  Grohl’s three-way jam session with Keith Richards and Ronnie Woods was a mind blowing experience of blistering-hot synergy!!—the fans loved it!!!

After the band pumped out a couple more surefire hits, Keith Richards entertained the crowd with, “You’ve Got the Silver,” and “Happy,” reminding me of one of his common greetings, “I’m happy to be here, but then I’m happy to be anywhere.”  (Most likely, he’s not kidding.)  Die-hard fans like my husband knew what was up next when Jagger skipped up to center stage again with his harmonica in hand: “Talkin’ ‘bout the Midnight Rambler, the one you never seen before….”  You could feel your energy rising, higher and higher, as the tempo picked up and Jagger started to wail on his harmonica—69 years old, really?!?!  (Mick Taylor, who was a member of the Rolling Stones from 1969-74, also joined the band on his guitar for “Midnight Rambler.”)

Even though I haven’t been a hardcore fan as long as my husband, I’m onto Mick Jagger now and his wardrobe changes; therefore, I instantly knew when he was taking us into the dark side with “Sympathy for the Devil” when he pranced out on stage seductively whipping around his jet black floor-length fur boa coat.  Yeah, I know what your name is baby!  And I can still hear you in my head, “…woo woo, woo woo….”  Ironically, the demanding encore which followed, featured the angelic voices of the USC Thornton Chamber Singers and their rendition of “You Can’t Always Get what you Want.”  Then Mick and the boys finished off the night with the same searing energy they started it with performing their hit songs, “Jumping Jack Flash,” and “Satisfaction,” Jagger never straying from his signature moves, and conducting us to gladly dance, wave our arms, and sing along with him.

So, I forgot to ask my step grandson after the concert, “Did you learn anything?”  If there ever was a history lesson to teach what it takes to become the greatest rock ‘n’ roll band in the world, the Stones own it.   They just are;  and their '50 and Counting' celebration tour also proving it with rave reviews after each performance, experiencing it for myself how this legendary band can still excite an audience and deliver a rousing two hour performance—and five decades!—of iconic music.  I left the concert thinking, “No wonder Mick Jagger’s waistline is smaller than mine.  That man never stopped moving!”  Undoubtedly, many other concert-goers left that night scratching their heads, perplexed at what they had just witnessed thinking, “Will this really be the last time?”—you know the rest.