Arts/Life > entertainment news
Rolling Stones rock Baltimore
36 years after last show here, time is is still on their side
By Chris Kaltenbach
Sun Reporter
Originally published February 2, 2006, 6:24 AM EST
Thirty-six years have passed since The Rolling Stones last played Baltimore, but Mick, Keith and the boys made time seem utterly irrelevant Wednesday night with a relentless, classics-heavy set of archetypal rock and roll that cemented their reputation as ... well, you know.

For more than three decades, the Stones have been ballyhooed as "The World's Greatest Rock and Roll Band," a tag that has sometimes seemed more like an albatross around the band's neck than a testimonial to the group's collective talent and longevity.



But from the moment Keith Richards took to the front of the stage to hammer out those uniquely explosive opening chords of "Jumpin' Jack Flash" (the set started at 9:18 p.m., for those keeping track), the Stones left no doubt that they had come to play, and to celebrate, and to rock out.

Seconds after Richards set the pace, singer Mick Jagger launched himself onstage, wearing a gold jacket over a black shirt and black leather pants. With his characteristic mix of athleticism and bravado, he quickly introduced his signature persona -- "I was born," goes the song's opening line, "in a cross-fire hurricane" -- and showed that, while the years may have added some lines to his face, they haven't removed a single spring from his step. Would that we could all retain this sort of energy and charisma at 62.

Over the next two hours, the band would play 20 songs, from "Get Off My Cloud" and "Paint It, Black" (with Richards' ringing guitar substituting for the sitar played by the late Brian Jones when the song was recorded in 1966) to "Tumbling Dice," "Miss You" and "Love Is Strong." Jagger, alternately jabbing, pointing, prancing and spinning, may have dominated the stage, but his bandmates had little trouble holding their own as well. Richard, playing the cool, rebellious dark knight to Jagger's court jester, seemed to be yanking sounds out of his guitar, playing with an economy and fluidity that comes of having nothing left to prove, but everything left to give. Playing the role of rambunctious little brother was Ron Wood, who got carried away at times; his playing on "Tumbling Dice," a song about taking chances when that's the only thing left to do, was unnecessarily self-indulgent. And yet, his slide guitar on "Happy" was one of the evening's highlights.

And then there's drummer Charlie Watts, the absolute personification of cool, his strong, steady backbeat a model of percussive reliability.

"Hey Baltimore, we haven't been here for a long time, eh?" Jagger announced after the band's third number, "Oh No, Not You Again," one of only two songs they performed from their most recent album, A Bigger Bang. "Quite a lot's happened since '69. The Colts have bolted. But the Ravens won the Super Bowl in 2001."

The crowd ate it up, glad to have the Stones back in town. For its part, the band played with spirit and vigor, displaying no ill effects whatsoever from having been on the road for more than four months.

Unlike their performances at area shows last year in Washington and Hershey, Pa., the Stones seemed intent on celebrating their legacy. Perhaps consciously recalling the show they played at the Civic Center (as the Arena used to be called) in 1969, the group launched into "Midnight Rambler" about halfway through the set. Thirty-six years ago, the song was a show highlight, Jagger, dressed in an Uncle Sam-inspired black outfit, striking the stage floor with a belt as Watts pounded out one of the group's most scabrous beats. That sort of theater is a thing of the Stones' past, but it was nice to see Jagger saunter across the stage with seeming murderous intent, appropriate for a song that invokes no less than the Boston Strangler.

The band further delighted the crowd by including the hauntingly apocalyptic "Gimme Shelter," an ode to love among the ruins that stands as one of rock's most disturbingly beautiful anthems. It's a hard song to do live, especially without the transcendent backing vocals of Mary Clayton, which made the original song take flight; her successor here, Lisa Fischer, screeched more than soared. But Jagger's strong vocals and Richards' spare guitar solo were things of beauty.

The crowd certainly seemed to like it. As the song rang out, Baltimore Mayor Martin O'Malley could be seen in the audience, playing air guitar.

Of course there were omissions, great songs whose absence couldn't help but disappoint. Where was "Street Fighting Man?" "Shattered?" "It's Only Rock n Roll?" "Angie?" Only the Stones could have a No. 1 song in their canon, like "Angie," and not even perform it.

But with a set that included "Sympathy for the Devil" and "You Can't Always get What You Want" and "Start Me Up" and "Happy"... really, what's there to complain about?

No other band has been responsible for so many songs that are absolutely essential to an understanding of rock and roll. With luck, Baltimore won't have to wait another 36 years for the Stones to return. But if that's what happens, here's guessing they'll be worth the wait.

Of course, both Jagger and Richards would be 98 years old. But I wouldn't bet against them.

it was a great time!
I have never seen so many old people rock so hard! At 38 i'm no spring chicken but The Stones really worked that crowd. Everyone was into the show. I saw no one sitting around. It was kinda strange actually, i saw cops on horses outside, then the cops came and took someone out in the arena. I found the security to be very nice I took pics all night. Everyone had cameras and they didn't wand or pat down. I wondered why in the world would they play this arena. The arena i think is older than them. But i think they like to play places they haven't been to in 40 years.
Also something happened during YCAGWYW. There was this loud bang. I thought it came from Charlies area. Mick was out on the catwalk and turned around very quickly when he heard it. It thru him off a little but he went on.

I was at the Baltimore show last night and I agree with most of what's been written here and on the Midnight Rambler/Paint it Black thread. The show was much better than the D.C. show in October. Better performance, more energy, and a much more varied and enjoyable setlist. The addition of the Brian Jones-era hits that were missing from the D.C. show was a great move. And Rambler was killer! Also worth noting, the placement of PiB in the middle of the show-ending run of warhorses works very well. My only complaint- yeah, there's gotta be one, and it's a big one- only two ABB songs. C'mon guys, show some respect for your new songs!

Agree w/ Roscoe - the shows Ive seen have been fabuluous (including the much maligned Ron Wood), but with all their pride and stated aversion to being seen as an oldies act (the quality of the performances sort of transcend such categorization, but still...), they've gone from 4 to last night's new low of 2 from ABB, and it's no wonder that ABB has dropped off the Top 200. This must be a new record for number of songs from a current album, and it is self defeating and sad considering how strong the album is, and how well the new stuff went over at the Boston shows, where people around my section were dancing to RFD and all the new stuff (what happened to 'Back of My Hand'?) was received enthusiastically.

Did anyone else think Keith's Gimme Shelter intro was weaker than ever? Putting the spotlight on him only made it more painful.