Streetfighting Man. Pit Keith side in front

[youtu.be]



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2019-06-22 16:07 by Christiaan.

Mick Jagger in top form as Rolling Stones kick off tour at Soldier Field

Jagger was a whirling dervish on the expansive, no-gimmicks stage, getting in more miles than a marathoner as he took full advantage of an 80-foot-or-so runway leading to a smaller auxiliary stage.

By Jeff Johnson
Jun 22, 2019


KAMIL KRZACZYNSKI/AFP/Getty Images

The signs looked ominous in April when the Rolling Stones postponed their North American tour. Front man Mick Jagger needed a new heart valve, and presumably he’s the healthier Glimmer Twin, with guitarist Keith Richards as famous for his excesses as his bone-crunching power chords.

And in an ironic bit of trivia, the sole sponsor of the band’s No Filter tour is the nonprofit Alliance for Lifetime Income, a retirement planning agency. The four principal band members have roamed the Earth for a combined 300 years, but their IRAs are presumably in good order and looking stronger with multimillion-dollar gates lined up for the current road trek.

When the 15-city, 17-date jaunt kicked off Friday night in Soldier Field, Jagger proclaimed, “We loved Chicago so much we decided to start the tour here instead of Miami.” Presumably Jagger’s comment will be forgotten by the time the curtain closes on Aug. 31 in Miami.

The band never missed a beat during their two-hour (exactly) greatest-hits set, which featured few surprises, no covers, no tunes from their most recent album, 2016’s “Blue & Lonesome” — no blues at all for sweet home Chicago.

But this was no mere walk down memory lane. Even the most iconic numbers sounded rejuvenated, with adventuresome new arrangements that drew on the talents not only of the four mainstays — Jagger, Richards, drummer Charlie Watts and guitarist Ron Wood — but also on the seven associate members. Although the band hadn’t worked together once in 2019, any ragged edges were barely noticeable.

Jagger was a whirling dervish on the expansive, no-gimmicks stage, getting in more miles than a marathoner as he took full advantage of an 80-foot-or-so runway leading to a smaller auxiliary stage. If the Guinness people were in the house, they’ll be erasing Cher’s name from the books for costume changes and replacing it with clotheshorse Mick.

Jagger made much of the fact that the Stones have played Chicago 38 times since 1964, including eight gigs at Soldier Field. The Bears’ home field will also host local concert No. 39 on Tuesday, giving Jagger a three-day hiatus to sample the city’s Italian beef for the first time. “How should I order it?” he asked the crowd. “Hot and wet” was the consensus.

Jagger reportedly had cardiologists on standby for opening night, but the health scare obviously didn’t cause him to dial down the energy. Perhaps he has some divine inspiration, which was on display when he ventured onto the runway during “Angie,” looking to the heavens and imploring, “When will these clouds all disappear?” An hourlong sprinkle appeared ready to devolve into a downpour, but the drizzle stopped for the rest of the show immediately after Jagger’s plea.

Jagger’s longtime running mate Richards was at his best as he tore into his guitar on hard rockers such as “Tumbling Dice,” “Start Me Up” and “Brown Sugar.” His gruff, grumbling lead vocals provided a change of pace with “You Got the Silver” and “Before They Make Me Run.”

Nobody says more with a single chord than Richards, but the guitar duties are more clearly delineated these days. Richards plays mostly rhythm, while “junior partner” Wood, a mere 72, harkens back to some of his finest pre-Stones fretwork with the Faces. Wood’s screaming slide guitar on “Tumbling Dice” offered a perfect counterpoint to Sasha Allen and Bernard Fowler’s backing vocals. Allen also carried the day with her high-intensity take on the vocal that Merry Clayton once perfected for “Gimme Shelter.”

On drums, Watts has always had a jazzman’s improvisational spirit, and with time he has cultivated that sensibility even more. But when the occasion calls for it, as with “Honky Tonk Women,” Watts is still capable of banging like, well, Charlie Watts. In virtuosic bassist Darryl Jones, a Chicago native, Watts has found a rhythmic partner capable of stretching the bottom line to the limit. And keyboardist Chuck Leavell is no longer just the Allman Brothers alum who tours with the band, but a vital contributor to the Stones’ sound.

For the No Filter road show, now in its third year, the Stones have it right. Other members may chafe at Jagger’s tight leash on the set list, offering far-flung suggestions that make it to the sound check before landing on the cutting-room floor. And the sellout streak would no doubt continue even if the band occasionally skipped over perennial encore “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” or the arena-rock staple “Start Me Up.” But maybe the Stones have it right in thinking fans attend their concerts with expectations of hearing certain songs, and their musicianship makes up for any lack of envelope pushing.

[chicago.suntimes.com]

YCAGWYW Pit Keith side in front

[youtu.be]

Here we go, Brown Sugar with Keith definetely enjoying the song!!

[www.youtube.com]

Brown Sugar Pit Keith side in front

[youtu.be]

Well based on recordings they sound better than expected. I expected some kind of deterioration in their capabilities compared to last year but they sound about the same as in Dublin last year.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2019-06-22 16:10 by EasterMan.

Quote
Stonesfan2146
Here we go, Brown Sugar with Keith definetely enjoying the song!!

[www.youtube.com]

Thanks for sharing MY VIDEO!!

Thank you for a great opening show Chicago !

Photo by @KevinMazur

[twitter.com]

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keefriff99
Oh Keith...WHY the hair dye??

I’m pretty sure Charlie is the only member of the band who doesn’t dye his hair

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Christiaan

Quote
Stonesfan2146
Here we go, Brown Sugar with Keith definetely enjoying the song!!

[www.youtube.com]

Thanks for sharing MY VIDEO!!

OMG thats your video??

I just need to tell you thanks for always shooting such great up front footage, I enjoyed your videos from various Stones concerts over the last years, they are always the best and got the best sound too!!!

Keep up the great work, I always watch you YouTube acc to see if there are maybe more vids coming up

Thanks for your compliment. Try to film as good as possible. And you're free to share!! That's why I put them on YouTube! But I'm just a amateur. Some are good and some are bad...….

Still buzzing after yet another incredible show by a group of remarkable old men. Mick was on fire with his voice crisp and clear. Worth every minute of the tortuous journey to get here.

You Gotta Move/Midnight Rambler just a part. Pit Keith side in front

[youtu.be]

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Christiaan
Streetfighting Man. Pit Keith side in front

[youtu.be]

Quite noticeable that Mick gets less out of breath on this than he did last year - nice to hear.

Took in the Chess Studio tour and photo exhibition from 2:00-3:15. Very much worthwhile BTW. Drove over to Soldier Field with two old Stones fans friends and I was pleased/relieved to get a disability spot in the North garage. $50! I had a foot surgery a few weeks ago and didn't want to gimp over from beyond Michigan Ave as I would usually do when the gait is normal.It was worth it to pick up a temporary handicapped placard at the DMV earlier this week. There was some WXRT fueled Stones music being broadcast on the South end outside Soldier field which helped kill some time until the doors opened at 5:30. Hung out in the Club for drinks and eats until 8:00. Weather was cool, but rain held off. A quality windbreaker/raincoat was sufficient.

Stones hit stage at 8:45? I thought they sounded on their game right out of the gate. As per usual at a concert it's all about the sound quality. I can only say from section 214 that there were songs that were really dialed with the mix and a big frontal guitar assault, which is what we want. Then on other songs Keith would wander down in the mix. Bass sound was fantastic last night. Jones was terrific. The entire band was very good. They clunked a change here or there, but so what. It was opening night anyway. Ronnie pulled some guitar licks out of his hat that were stunning. Keith was excellent and when he and Ronnie were up in the mix, the songs soared. Jagger was in outstanding voice.

Setlist was conservative, but since it was the opener why push songs they might not be so comfortable with. I really hope for some blues numbers on Tuesday, but they put together a concert that had to please everyone there. Amazing that these guys still have gas in the tank to perform at that level. They can still find that groove and they know it. Those smiles during songs from the band aren't fake. They still love playing and know when they get it right.

I'm in the front row of section 308 on Tuesday. Closer to the stage and I'm interested to hear how the sound is in that location. The general admission standing area had lots of room for people to move about. Soldier Field was full in the seating area, even in the nosebleed sections all the way in the back.

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Christiaan
Thanks for your compliment. Try to film as good as possible. And you're free to share!! That's why I put them on YouTube! But I'm just a amateur. Some are good and some are bad...….

You're very welcome!!

Thanks for the review Filstan. Very jealous. I did take in a number of the vids from last night, they sound/look awesome, always rocking. SFM for the opener was really cool... Did Keith interact a lot? - didn't seeing a lot of smiles from him, but he sounded good. I'm hoping to make the Denver show.

I really appreciate the pics, videos and reviews! It almost makes up for not being there, at least I have a very good grasp of how this historic opening night went down. From all accounts, the STONES remain on top of their game. I am so happy they are in great form! Looking forward to "my" shows coming up. Its so exciting being a Stones fan for life!

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dcba

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lem motlow
WOW, just fckng WOW-

It’s hard to even find a reference point to use as a tether to allow one to grasp the magnitude of this band.

Finding a reference point is difficult,Muhammad Ali’s career lasted about 20 years,Shakespeare died at 52

Picasso! He died at 82 and days before his death he was still painting good works.
1943 + 82 = 2025. See you then boys!

Picasso died at 91 ..... "while he and his wife Jacqueline entertained friends for dinner."

Any merch pics?

Hello - great sound.. I do vids too when I can.. what camera did you use or was it phone? Panasonic Lumix DMC -ZS50 for me London Stones last year [www.youtube.com]

Quote
MingSubu
Nobody selling bootleg shirts outside? Can't find anybody selling...

Maybe the ghost of Peter Grant was lurking in the streets and lots.

Look at their faces, they love what they do!

Mick and Keith, renewed and razor sharp, sweetness.

Filstan,
I was on that same Chess records tour at the 2:00 hour! Very cool.

Agree with the review, the guitar sound was impressive. I felt like I could really hear Ronnie's contributions better than any show I had ever seen -- though my last show was Salt Lake City on the Bigger Bang tour.

I do think Keith should hand off the solo on Sympathy or simply drop the song; that solo has been painful for years.

All in all a tremendous opening gig. Wow.

T@3

Quote
filstan
Took in the Chess Studio tour and photo exhibition from 2:00-3:15. Very much worthwhile BTW. Drove over to Soldier Field with two old Stones fans friends and I was pleased/relieved to get a disability spot in the North garage. $50! I had a foot surgery a few weeks ago and didn't want to gimp over from beyond Michigan Ave as I would usually do when the gait is normal.It was worth it to pick up a temporary handicapped placard at the DMV earlier this week. There was some WXRT fueled Stones music being broadcast on the South end outside Soldier field which helped kill some time until the doors opened at 5:30. Hung out in the Club for drinks and eats until 8:00. Weather was cool, but rain held off. A quality windbreaker/raincoat was sufficient.

Stones hit stage at 8:45? I thought they sounded on their game right out of the gate. As per usual at a concert it's all about the sound quality. I can only say from section 214 that there were songs that were really dialed with the mix and a big frontal guitar assault, which is what we want. Then on other songs Keith would wander down in the mix. Bass sound was fantastic last night. Jones was terrific. The entire band was very good. They clunked a change here or there, but so what. It was opening night anyway. Ronnie pulled some guitar licks out of his hat that were stunning. Keith was excellent and when he and Ronnie were up in the mix, the songs soared. Jagger was in outstanding voice.

Setlist was conservative, but since it was the opener why push songs they might not be so comfortable with. I really hope for some blues numbers on Tuesday, but they put together a concert that had to please everyone there. Amazing that these guys still have gas in the tank to perform at that level. They can still find that groove and they know it. Those smiles during songs from the band aren't fake. They still love playing and know when they get it right.

I'm in the front row of section 308 on Tuesday. Closer to the stage and I'm interested to hear how the sound is in that location. The general admission standing area had lots of room for people to move about. Soldier Field was full in the seating area, even in the nosebleed sections all the way in the back.