Five songs into their two-hour set at MSG Friday night, Keith Richards launched into a spare four-note blues intro, Charlie Watts and Darryl Jones came in half a bar later, and the Rolling Stones fell into the dirty, swinging classic Sway - one of my favorite Stones numbers and as Mick Jagger noted to the crowd, a rarity in the live lineup.
It was a strange and wonderful show, worth every penny of the tuition-size admission price: the most stripped-down Stones performance I've ever seen, devoid of fireworks, blow-up dolls and lasers, just a spare stage set and highlights from the greatest catalogue in rock and roll, performed by the greatest band, forty years on and teaching now at the highest university level. In previous shows, I've always felt like one the suckers whom Mick had finagled under the tent - a happy sucker, but a sucker nonetheless - this time, I felt a part of the music. We had great seats, and when the movable stage (propelled by a dozen burly stagehands) rolled Charlie's drum kit, along with the rest of the band, out to the far end of the Garden floor, the video screen went black, and the band was only a few rows away. From that vantage point, it was clear that Richards in particular was in top form, taking all the solos and intro riffs, and communing with Watts and Jones to propel the band's signature chunky rock blues into the rafters. Fellow Stones fanatic (and really, is age an issue in music?) Andy Monfried has a great riff on his blog [courtesy of Fred] about Richards' performance Friday and his role as the architect of the Stones, as opposed to Jagger's role as builder:
I go for the guitar, I go for the MAIN architect.The architect in this corporation, the guy who created the vision, the guy who made the "riffs" -- conceptualized the MUSIC, (not anything else) -- just made good ol' music is, Keith.
But, its also very important to note, for many years -- he was the architect, and NOT the builder. Meaning, although he wrote, and opened all songs with his chords, and riffs (that he created) -- ultimately, and for a variety of reasons it was his builders, Brian Jones, Mick Taylor -- and for the past 30 years, Ron Wood who were the "builders" in the Stones, not to mention the rest of the band.
Going to see them for the past 20 or so years, it was always a treat to see a legend, and watch a architect, and how the music he created, has evolved, but interestingly enough, it was the builders who frequently carried the day, (or the show).
Not anymore.
This was the best Stones show I saw EVER.
You know why?
The archtitect came back (for one night) to be the builder. Early on Mick made reference to Mark Messier's retirement, and how much love he has for NYC and playing here -- saying, "SSShhh dont tell the rest of the world, but this is our favorite place to play..."
An interesting take, but I had to agree on this "best" label - it was for me. Previous shows have been professional spectacles, put on by the master rock businessman Jagger - enjoyable and worthy of respect as a great traveling, portable business. But Friday's show was different - it was a rare transformative experience for this aging, cynical boomer - it swung and it has me thinking about music, about change, about taking some chances, and taking on some new challenges - and it began to swing with Sway.
