senior Scoops

The Rolling Stones in Atlanta

On June 5th, 1964, the Rolling Stones made their US debut at the Swing Auditorium in San Bernardino, California. Their first song that night was Not Fade Away, a tune written by Buddy Holly and Norman Petty, and first recorded by The Crickets. They played 10 other songs that night.

The original tour lasted 15 days and ended at Carnegie Hall in NYC on June 20th. In the years since those first shows, The Stones have played over one thousand US dates at the largest and most prestigious venues.

Baby boomers were children when it all began. We are now collecting Social Security.

The other night, on June 8th, in Atlanta, I saw the band for the first time. I am only weeks shy of my 70th birthday.

I confess, when my wife, four friends, and I planned our trip from Charleston, SC to see the concert, I was skeptical. After all, Mick is 80 (he’ll turn 81 in July), Keith Richards is also 80, and Ron Woods is 77. I wondered how much energy could they still have? Believe me, they still have plenty left in the tank.

The show

Around 8:30 pm, the staff at the Mercedes Benz Stadium opened the roof to welcome in the beautiful summer like evening. That was a spectacle in itself, a convenience surely not available at the Swing Auditorium back in ‘64.

A half hour later, just after 9pm a hurricane blew through—Ladies and gentlemen—-The Rolling Stones!

Richards played the first two chords of Start Me Up as Jagger made his entrance in his signature black outfit with a pink sequenced jacket. That’s all it took and the house was rocking.

They kept it going with two more old favorites—It’s Only Rock ’n Roll and Let’s Spend the Night Together.

The band settled in and played a couple of new songs. About halfway through the show, Jagger led the more than willing crowd in a sing-along of You Can’t Always Get What You Want. After that, Keith Richards sang three solos, giving Mick a rest.

The front man returned for Sympathy For the Devil.

Then the high point of the night for me. Backup singer Chanel Haynes, with a style reminicent of Tina Turner, joined Jagger for an electric performance of Gimme Shelter. I won’t say Haynes stole the spotlight, but she more than held her own with the superstar. That was immediately followed by a raucous rendition of Honky Tonk Woman. Mercedes Benz Stadium was shaking!

The set eventually ended with Jumpin Jack Flash. Of course they returned for an encore and performed one of their oldest standards, Satisfaction. One encore song was all we got. They must have been exhausted. So was I. It was 11pm, I don’t see that time of the evening very often anymore.

Do you think rock ‘n rollers would ever consider a matinee? —probably not.

Final thoughts

The British Invasion undoubtedly began with the Beatles, closely followed by the Rolling Stones. Petty jealousies and burnout ended the Beatles’ reign less than a decade after their arrival in the US, the Rolling Stones have remarkably sustained for over 60 years. Few acts can claim the level of popularity and influence they have had on our generation— The Beatles, Michael Jackson, and perhaps Springsteen come to mind. Can you think of another?

Nobody can match their longevity.

The Rolling Stones are truly rock ‘n roll royalty. I am glad we took the trip to Atlanta. It was a great show.

If you enjoyed this post, please consider sharing it. Also, I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments.