Review / Stream / Download / Setlist / Video: Rolling Stones with Sheryl Crow @ United Center 5/31/13

I've heard so much shit talking about The Rolling Stones lately.  Sure, I get it.  They're old (really old), worse for wear, nostalgia-driven, no longer "relevant". The tickets are priced astronomically. They play large, inpersonal mega-arenas. The jokes write themselves.

Honestly, when the 50 and Counting tour was announced I had no intention of coming anywhere near it.  I could easily convince myself that any and all of the above were true.  But when I got a call from a friend trying to put together a group to accompany him to his first Stones show, I was swept up in the excitement.  Touring as septuagenarians aside, the Stones are a band that folks can agree on; they are uniters.  Their music speaks to a large swath of people, and they embody rock-and-roll music in a very pure sense.

In fact, I didn't see anybody complaining at the United Center, which appeared sold out (though how many seats were filled with $85 ticket buyers, we may never know). When the lights dimmed and they projected a reel of celebrities (including Martin Scorcese, Iggy Pop) and regular folks (I think) talking about what the band means to them onto the stage backdrop, it only reinforced these notions.  Fifty years in the business and this band has created immeasurable emotional connections and touched a lot of lives... but could they still put on the arena sized show that they pioneered way back when?

This would be my fourth time seeing the Stones since 1989.  My love of music was fueled by a teenage immersion in classic rock, and my Stones fandom followed a trajectory of pretty much loving everything they did for four or five years; then as I branched away from classic rock, I began zeroing in on one particular era of Stones.  I could just live in the albums between Beggar's Banquet and Exile On Main Street.  With each passing year, my love and appreciation for those albums intensifies and oddly, there always seemed to be something new to discover in records made over 40 years ago.

So, I can't say why it didn't quite click how important it would be to see Mick Taylor join the group on this tour. Sure, it was largely hyped, but I figured one or two songs of a guest spot couldn't exactly make or break a concert.  But the flood came fast and furious with Taylor began his guitar solo in "Cant You Hear Me Knocking" -- the epic sweep and Latin-tinged blues of this piece played by its original guitarist was overwhelming and uplifting. The performance alone was able to put the whole affair into perspective -- it connected me instantly to the peak era of this band in a way that the previous three shows I'd seen had not.

His additional appearance during the set on "Midnight Rambler" was just as electrifying, as the song was broken down into multiple passages featuring turns by Jagger on the harp, Bobby Keys on sax, and another searing, spine tingling guitar solo.  Taylor is reason enough to see this tour.

It was just a shame that he couldn't have stuck around for more, especially for the fan voted "Shine A Light", which played delightfully to the strengths of this band.  I'll declare that a full set of 1968-1972 rarities with this exact band and Mick Taylor on guitar would probably land in one of my top five shows ever (and that's saying a lot).

Because it's true, at nearly 70, Mick Jagger is a wonder - he more than ably fulfills his duty as front man. Though its no surprise why they don't schedule these shows back to back, I'm guessing he needs a day or two of recovery after getting a full cardio workout, winding his way around the tongue shaped catwalk, with the charisma and energy of a true showman.  I'd say those catching their first Stones show in 2013, aren't being ripped off on the pure entertainment and spectacle, and his voice sounds absolutely great, sparring vocally with the night's special guest Sheryl Crow ("All Down The Line") and backup vocalist Lisa Fischer ("Gimme Shelter").  Totally professional and friendly in his banter with the crowd, he paused once between songs to show off a Jagger (#50) Blackhawks sweater and congratulating the city on its hockey team's stunning playoff performance, which wrapped around the Stones' three shows at the arena, even joking that Monday's show may be "Rolling Stones on ice".

That said, the night may just have fallen flat without the contributions of the rhythm section. Charlie Watts cracked and whipped the band through most songs at a tempo that was worthy of a true rock show.  And the unsung hero was keyboardist Chuck Leavell (I'm an unabashed fan) who subtly put his musical stamp on the entire evening, crafting arrangements that kept the songs humming and grooving, and connecting the dots to create a full, arena worthy sound.  Bassist (and Chicago native) Daryl Jones was also a key player, but made a name for himself on two funk tunes, zipping around Jagger's impeccable falsetto on "Emotional Rescue" and taking a legit solo on "Miss You".  And honestly, rhythm is also where Keith Richards and Ron Wood shined as well.  Compared to Taylor's fluid and lyrical solos, their spotlight time seemed perfunctory, but chugging and riffing along to some of the most celebrated guitar hooks in rock history found them right at home.

And despite getting my belly full of tunes sourced from my favorite era of Rolling Stones ("Brown Sugar", "Tumbling Dice"), I found it telling and impressive that the next day, I found myself earwormed and humming along to the big old warhorse hits that I had personally set aside years ago.  Goddamn if there's just not something about "Jumping Jack Flash", even while played by the elderly, that is just the unadulterated sound of joy.

Jokes aside, the Rolling Stones wouldn't be doing this unless they could DO it.  And they proved to me that they absolutely can.

The Stream

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[box type="download"]Download Entire Show (mp3 .zip)[/box]

Setlist

Rolling Stones
United Center - Chicago, IL
May 31, 2013

Get Off My Cloud, It's Only Rock N Roll (But I Like It), Paint It Black, Gimme Shelter, Shine A Light, Emotional Rescue, All Down The Line*, Doom & Gloom, One More Shot, Can't You Hear Me Knockin'**, Honky Tonk Women, You Got The Silver, Happy, Midnight Rambler**, Miss You, Start Me Up, Tumbling Dice, Brown Sugar, Sympathy For The Devil

Encore
You Can't Always Get What You Want***, Jumpin' Jack Flash, (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction**

* with Sheryl Crow
** with Mick Taylor
*** with Roosevelt University Chamber Singers

You can listen or download the full Monday (6/3) Chicago show here.  The prior show (Tuesday 5/28) is available for listening / downloading here.

Shine A Light - first since 2007 and winner of the By Request fan vote

Emotional Rescue

All Down The Line with Sheryl Crow