The Rolling Stones
Mosaic Stadium at Taylor Field, Regina, SK, Canada
Friday October 6, 2006

1. Jumping Jack Flash
2. It's Only Rock'n Roll
3. Oh No Not You Again
4. Let's Spend The Night Together
5. Streets Of Love
6. Bitch
7. Midnight Rambler
8. Tumbling Dice
   --- Introductions
9. You Got The Silver (Keith)
10. Little T&A (Keith)
11. Miss You (to B-stage)
12. Rough Justice
13. Get Off Of My Cloud
14. Honky Tonk Women (to main stage)
15. Sympathy For The Devil
16. Start Me Up
17. Brown Sugar
18. You Can't Always Get What You Want (encore)
19. Satisfaction (encore)

Three Days Grace (warmup) :  6:30 pm -  7:05 pm
The Rolling Stones        :  8:15 pm - 10:10 pm

This town of about 180,000 is totally consumed by the Rolling Stones. A local columnist recalled that the last comparable frenzy occurred back in 1977 when 35,000 people applied for tickets to a KISS concert in a 6,200-seat venue.

The newspapers are saturated with Stones stories, and locals have crowded outside the Radisson Plaza where the Stones Touring Party is staying.

As for the show, everyone seemed satisfied with a fairly standard presentation. I don't know why the Stones have to keep the crowd waiting for 65 minutes between sets. We kept ourselves entertained doing the Mexican wave, while security types got their jollies by confiscating beer from underage drinkers, or threatening to throw "oot" smokers.

I correctly guessed "Jumpin' Jack Flash" would be the opening tune, judging by the tone of the guitar that was being tuned. Afterwards, Mick said, "Good evening, Regina," and was about to say something else until Keith cut him off with the intro to "It's Only Rock'n Roll." Mick just grinned in mock horror, and he went on to sing "bet you think that you're the only pussy in Regina."

His announcement that the next song would be "Oh No Not You Again" was greeted with deafening silence (though "Streets of Love" later on was a hit). Afterwards, he thanked the crowd for making the band feel so welcome, and recalled that the band had been to nearby Winnipeg ("BOO!!!") and Calgary ("BOO!!!!!"). "But we've never been to Regina" ("YAY!!!!")

During "Let's Spend the Night Together," he ran to the end of the ramp on stage left to wave to the crowd in the wings. He thanked opening act Three Days Grace, and joked about the town's name, which rhymes with a female body part. He claimed that a friend had told him, "Regina ... rhymes with -- fun."

By the time "Bitch" rolled up, I belatedly realized that there would be no surprises this show. "Midnight Rambler" was a crowd-pleaser. Charlie missed the drumbeat at the end of, 'Weeell, you heard about the Boston-" At one stage Keith lightheartedly grabbed Mick and they shared a chuckle.

As everyone applauded at the end, Mick couldn't resist a little showing off. "Thank you, home of the Rough Riders. Wish you well on Monday." If I cared, I'd try to find out more details, but I don't.

Things got chilly for him as he prepared to do the intros after "Tumbling Dice," so he put on a silver shirt -- "the warmest thing I've got with me."

He introduced Ronnie as "the prairie dog," and Charlie as "the winsome Charlie Watts. You win some, you lose some."

Keith's turn in the spotlight was cryptic. Watching him shuffle around the stage throughout the show like he�s in shell shock, and look at his guitars like he's never seen them before, you really gotta wonder. He said, "Good evening, ladies. And gentlemen, I presume. I really shouldn't be here. Such is life, isn't it? It's really nice to finally make it to Regina. It's nice to see you all. It's nice to see anyone."

Thankfully, "You Got the Silver" is fast becoming one of the highlights of the evening. Unencumbered by guitar, he really focuses on his voice. During Ronnie's solo, Keith walked around him, surveying him, like a prospective buyer at a used car lot.

As for the small-stage and home-stretch, nothing too extraordinary. The crowd loved it all, and needed no goading to flex its vocal cords on the audience-participation bits in "Sympathy for the Devil," "Brown Sugar" and "You Can't Always Get What You Want."

Sunday will be interesting. The second shows are usually better, but the forecast is for chilly weather, which could dampen everyone's enthusiasm. Will they get away with slotting in a few golden oldies like "Paint it, Black" and "Gimme Shelter"? Or will they go the extra mile with "Sway"-type rarities?