I first started attending Stones concerts during VL. I was only 20 and always felt like my contemporaries didn't give the Stones the respect they deserved. I was even a little sheepish in professing my passion for the band because I felt (unnecessarily) self conscience about the "old" jokes. In the back of my mind I was always concerned that the Stones would become a parody of themselves and viewed as more of a real life version of Spinal Tap than a great band.

I'm happy to report an observed shift in the general public's attitude towards the Stones. I get the feeling the "old" jokes are a tired cliche and liking the Stones is becoming quite fashionable in a hip kind of way. My observations are primarily based on working with a number of young (22-28) "non-fans"..people who have active social lives but don't otherwise pay much attention to the Stones. I decided to break from my past practice and openly show my passion for the Stones during this tour. I attended the St. Paul show last week and just about every non-fan I told was clearly envious of me. Several even mentioned wanting to go. None of them made any jokes It gave me a good feeling. It was even better when the Stones kicked ass and blew the roof off the joint. I went to the concert with 11 others, 5 of whom had never been before. All of them had the same conclusion at the end of the show, "This was the most fun I've ever had at a concert".

During the concert I came to some other conclusions - the Stones are increasingly counter-cultural and this is part of what I believe is driving an intensified interest by a broader section of the population. By counter-cultural, I mean Jagger didn't bore us with politics (Bono), the band is unapologetic for singing about tits and ass (where more "respectable" acts like Dylan and McCartney have "grown"), the set was basic and the band relied solely on their own talents to make everyone jump (vs. rap or the limited talents in the "new country" movement). Finally, and this is twisted - the high ticket prices further add to the mystique around these guys. They charge that much because they're worth every penny and no one else is. So, take it or leave it.

It cost me about $1,000 for the night (me and my wife at $350/ticket, parking, t-shirts, food, beer, babysitter) and it was one of the best piles of cash I ever spent. There's no better two hours on earth and I can't wait to go again. These guys are playing like they have something to prove and word is spreading. Be prepared for an entirely new and great Stones era.

Well put on allpoints, undermythumb. I've noticed a big increase in teens and twentysomethings at the shows and really getting into it...this is ood because the corporate crowd can dull things out....