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Sunday, Oct. 27, 2002 / 1:49 a.m. ~Me At a Rolling Stones Concert!~
I listened to "Let It Bleed", on vinyl, as I was getting ready to go, in preparation, you know. I wasn't sure about bus shuttles from the train station so I decided to drive, to the Stadium, someplace I don't exactly go. I went once, to a baseball game, and I wasn't thrilled. All I could think about was the old Stadium and how they destroyed it to 'put up a parking lot' (kudos to Joni Mitchell). But today I was on my way, I'd found directions online (ask the Interweb!), and I was stuck in traffic, even leaving at 6:00 for a 7:30 show.
Once parked and inside (no less than THREE radio stations were broadcasting live across the street!), I bypassed the flashing tongues for sale for $10, seeing them as far too extravagant a purchase, and found the t-shirt stand. I HAD to have a souvenir t-shirt, I'd already decided. Oy, the line was long and it wasn't moving. I stood. I waited. Time passed. I stood on my toes trying to see the selection available. This couldn't be the only stand. Couldn't be. Finally I walked away, after probably 30 minutes standing there. Crazy, I know.
And I passed another guy selling the flashing tongues, and I decided they were really cool and I would be glad I had it if I bought it, later. So I did. $10. For a flashing tongue. It's a plastic Rolling Stones tongue, and it has flashing blue lights and red lights all over, a strong magnet on the back - see, you take the magnet off, attach it wherever you like, your ear, your hat, your shirt, you affix the magnet in back to hold it in place, and you turn the knob to start the flashing fun. Whee! Yeah, it's cool.
Then� not really knowing the stadium too well, I wandered. I found more t-shirt stands, in fact they were everywhere. I went from stand to stand, looking at the selections, and I tried to figure which shirt I wanted. Still half an hour until No Doubt opened.
There was one really great shirt with a huge sepia toned photo of Keith Richards, from a LONG time ago, maybe '68 or '69, maybe a bit later, one of those with the scarf around his neck, looking really, really cool, and there was some fake sign off to the left saying something about having patience, that we need a drug-free America. Which is funny, in an ironic sort of way, because of Keith Richards' notorious drug use. Or was it always just alcohol?? Anyway, it was really, really cool, but I don't think it was a 'tour' shirt, so I wasn't sure about it.
Long story, right?
Well, I got in one line, and people started forming a line to my left, which was irritating, because we were already a haphazard lot, and one woman was smoking and I couldn't handle it. I left that queue too. I wandered. I got to know that place really well.
One more try and I stuck with it. No Doubt came on, I turned around to look (the field, and consequently the stage, was visible from the concourse) at Gwen Stefani baring her belly on the big screens to the sides of the stage, and found myself moving to "I'm Just a Girl" and one other song whose title I can't remember. I didn't feel badly that I was missing them. I wasn't there to see them. But still�
I finally got to the counter, the Keith Richards shirt, for $40, was only in Extra Large, no thanks, so I settled on my next choice, a gray shirt with tongue, with lyrics to "It's Only Rock 'n Roll" overlaying, and on the back is 'Rolling Stones World Tour 2002-2003'. Done.
I found my seat (up high, but great view!), caught the tail end of No Doubt, and sat to watch people with my binoculars. I love to watch roadies setting up for a show. I've done it at every big arena and stadium show I've attended. Some climb up rope ladders, some are just moving things around, tuning guitars, and to watch the guys move off No Doubt's equipment at lightning speed was amazing.
The Rolling Stones came on around 9:30, or a little after, the old blues we'd been listening to abruptly stopped, and there were Mick, Keith, Charlie, Ron, and sundry accompanying artists. Mick! Keith! LIVE! Wow! No kidding. Sitting outside, in the Stadium, the lights of the city behind the stage, the stage, the STAGE, HUGE!!, all of it was so fucking cool. It was surreal. It was beautiful.
They started with "Brown Sugar", and yes, I took notes. I wrote the set list down, looking like a total geek, no doubt, but I didn't care. I had almost the whole row to myself, just a couple next to me after one seat. People beyond that, but it was not too crowded in my section. The weather was really nice, the rain held off (I'd brought my raincoat�), and it was just perfect, all of it.
Here is the set list, with a comment here and there:
Brown Sugar It ended at midnight. That's not bad, eh? 22 songs in two and a half hours?!!!!
(Windows updated my clock since I've been sitting here writing - I just gained an extra hour!)
After "Sympathy For the Devil" Mick et al traversed a long runway to a second stage jutting out into the audience, and they played three songs there! They shook hands all along the runway, and magically the keyboards and drums were moved there too. I don't know how I missed that, probably happened while I was watching the main stage. While Mick gyrated slowly to "Little Red Rooster" women threw panties, slips, and huge bras on stage. Ron and Keith kicked them up in the air as they played, and Mick took one pair of black panties and hung them from his pocket. He's incredibly sexy, the way he moves, his muscular arms, his lithe back and legs, he's amazing. 59 years old, and he looks better than most 30 year olds!!!! Okay, so his face is wrinkled, the guy works out, practices Yoga, takes care of himself. He's beautiful. And his style has matured. He still dances the same way, but I like him a bit mellower like this.
Not to say he didn't dance all the hell over the place, but he's not as manic as in the movie "Let's Spend the Night Together", nor would I laugh at his body movements now. He's perfect.
However, a bit like Jerry Garcia in the Dead's final shows, Mick fudged on some lyrics. But I didn't mind. Really. I couldn't have cared less. I knew the lyrics, I sang anyway.
And who knew the Stones were such a jam band?! Also like the Dead. "Monkey Man" and "Can't You Hear Me Knockin'?" went on a long time!! I loved it. Mick played harmonica a lot too. And Keith and Ron played really well. The keyboardist too, and though there was an article about him in this week's free weekly, because he's from here, or just south of here, I can't remember his name, but he blew me away!
The plasma screens, or whatever they're called, were really cool too. The whole show was videotaped for instant replay, with a little delay which could be seen if you watched Mick while he sang. There were all sorts of creative touches, different colors overlayed, split screens, and animation, like the cartoon woman with the black hair, white skin and black thong, the perky breasts, riding the tongue sticking out of the mouth. The tongue curls and she flys up in the air, the camera zooms in on her expression of orgasmic ecstasy. I'm not sure what the kids in the audience thought, but it was erotic and very cool. There was a mouth with red, red lips too, and 'she' would pucker up and kiss. It was fun, really.
The crowd? Mostly old farts. Really old. I know I'm old, but they looked really old. Not good like Mick, but old, gray, heavy, you know, old farts. It was funny. The oldest concert crowd I've ever seen!
Oh, and there was a female vocalist on hand, a black woman in a red minidress, long straight hair extensions, black hose with seams in the back. She boogied, she shimmied, she SANG!! Whoa, could she sing! On "Gimme Shelter"� "Rape, murderrrrrrr� it's just a shot away, it's just a shot awwaaaaayyyyyy!" Center stage, legs apart, very Tina Turner, red minidress barely covering anything, singing, belting, blowing us all away.
Something missing???
Remember when I wrote a few weeks ago about Ed Bradley interviewing Bill Wyman, asking him if Mick hadn't told him he'd better get his shit together or he couldn't go on tour, and Bill said that Mick didn't say that, he said he'd better get his shit together. Period.
Where was Bill Wyman????
It was kind of sad at the very end when the four stood for a final bow. Mick, Keith, Ron, Charlie�
Then fireworks. Midnight fireworks. And I wanted more. I wanted "Shattered". Someone in one of the crowd shots could be seen holding two vanity license plates, one reading "Shadoobie", the other "Shattered". It was all I could think about. But no.
On my way in, handing my ticket over for scanning, after showing the security dudes what I had in my bag, the ticket scanner dude says, "Quick, what's your favorite Stones song?!" and I stumbled. I was nervous, I wasn't sure, I was anxious, my mind went blank. This old black guy, asking me for my favorite Stones song. He starts rattling them off! "Ruby Tuesday"! he says. "Satisfaction"! he says. No, no, no. He goes on. It's early, there's no one behind me. "Start Me Up"! he says. Yes, yes, that's a good one. "Midnight Rambler" I say!!! No, he disagrees. Too funny.
I slowly left the Stadium, slowly walked to my car (I knew it would take forever for all those people to leave the huge parking lot that was once the old Stadium), I sat and listened to Stones songs emanate from seemingly every car nearby. Watched the pre-show tailgaters gather to wind down and wait for traffic to clear. No working radio or tape deck in my car, I simply sat.
I got home at 1:15, but it's 1:35 now. It would normally be 2:35. I'm okay with this time change, so far.
What an amazing night. The Rolling Stones, after 40 years. Is that right? Were they playing in 1962? What were they playing? I don't know they've ever sounded quite as good as they did tonight. So tight, so together, and the accompanists, the horn players, that saxophonist, the extra guitar player, the bassist, that singer. All too perfect. And Mick� ahhhhh� Mick Jagger. Wow. And to think I never would have imagined this night, back when I was 10 years old listening to my sister's copy of "Get Your Ya-Ya's Out", singing along to "Jumpin' Jack Flash"... who could guess, 31 years later I'd be there, tonight?
I had to sit here and write all of this, now, while it's fresh, find the titles for the songs I wasn't sure about in Google searches. I found them all. I've never transcribed a set list before, but I used to see people do it at Dead shows all the time. The first few notes would play and they'd start scribbling. Tonight that was me. Hah! I did just fine.
And I went alone, if you haven't surmised. Not a problem at all, in fact much easier than having to deal with someone tagging along.
Five pages in MS Word. I wonder who will read this�
I have a flashing tongue! And I went to see the Stones!! It was worth my $93 ticket, with service charge making it over $100, ordered online. I'm happy. Two excellent evenings, in a row. Wow.
Small negative aspects: constant diesel fumes from idling semis (takes a lot of semis to haul their equipment!) outside the Stadium - coupled with cigarette and cigar and marijuana smoke=cough.
*****Addendum here. I was way wrong about Bill Wyman not playing with the Stones. Thanks to Andy, and this transcript of that Ed Bradley interview I mentioned, for setting me straight. It was Ron (Ronnie) Wood, not Bill Wyman, who had the drinking problem and might not have toured had he not made the decision to sober up. NOT Bill Wyman. Hey, I'm a novice, what do I know?! Anyway, glad to get it right.****** Cost of the War in Iraq
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