Like A Rolling Stone
- Ash Collins
- Aug 13, 2019
- 4 min read
Updated: Aug 23, 2019
At a point in time, we were very uncertain that this show would ever take place? The Stones 76 year old frontman, Mick Jagger, underwent heart valve replacement surgery in New York in April, forcing the postponement of a number of North American dates on their ‘No Filter’ tour. For us that meant our rendezvous in Denver at the end of May would not eventuate! Thankfully Mick recovered allowing the promoters and The Stones to re-schedule this show for 10 August at the Broncos Stadium at Mile High, Denver, Colorado...GAME ON!!!
Living in the US we are almost always spoilt for choice when it comes to domestic airline travel. However, with our quick in & out itinerary, there was only the one option of carrier for return journey from SFO to Denver International Airport (DIA); and that was United Airlines. Suffice to say they are our least favored option and last resort when it comes to air travel based upon previous experiences. With that said, we avoided any flight delays and arrived into DIA on Saturday afternoon in anticipation of a great show.
The weather forecast for Saturday night was grim to say the least. The weather forecasters, complete with their crystal ball, predicted rain and storms in the city with lightening a real possibility. The only thing to be considered real about this forecast was its inaccuracy...the weather conditions above the stadium were near perfect albeit very humid; hence my obvious wardrobe choice for the evening.
Based upon the climactic conditions in the stadium, there was no more appropriate an opening act than the hometown heroes, Nathaniel Rateliff and The Night Sweats. Notwithstanding the obvious irony, there is a science behind the opening acts at each Stones performance. Typically the opening acts on each tour have been personally selected by the members of The Rolling Stones. Some bands are relatively new / up and coming whereas others are more seasoned. Nathaniel Rateliff and The Night Sweats are a local Denver group "whose influences are described as folk, Americana and vintage rhythm & blues". They rocked the audience until around 8.45pm...the stage was set, the sky was dark and grey then lights went out...
It was 9pm and Bronco's Stadium was plunged into darkness...you could almost hear the eerie creaking of the coffin lids opening as each of the The Stones members, all now hovering around their late 70's, arose in unison for yet another performance. The concertgoers jumped to their feet as one when these old men of rock appeared on stage!
The screaming fans did not have to wait long before these geriatric superstars of rock n' roll strolled to their respective places on the stage, grabbed their instruments and kicked off the show. The Stones, flanked by massive LED screens, came out of the gates swinging to a full house as they kicked off the show with one of my favorites 'Street Fighting Man'.
The Stones setlist is somewhat predictable however they do introduce a track at each performance that is voted on by the audience prior to the concert. I couldn't believe my luck as Mick announced tonight's (rare) selection, 'Like A Rolling Stone' ("thank you Bob"). As a wise man once said, "you can't always get what you want"; well I certainly did! Within the first 20 minutes, The Stones had reeled off two my all time favorite live tracks providing me with plenty of satisfaction.
Despite his recent heart issues, Jagger moved and grooved up and down both stages with his famed swagger, while Keef and Ronny strutted their stuff on guitar with sentimental favorite, Charlie Watts, belting the skins and toms on his drums. Of course there were a number of musicians supporting these old geezers on stage: Darryl Jones – bass / Chuck Leavell – keyboards, backing vocals / Sasha Allen – backing vocals / Karl Denson – saxophone / Tim Ries – saxophone, keyboards / Matt Clifford – keyboards, percussion, French horn, show introduction voice / Bernard Fowler – backing vocals, percussion.
One after the other, The Stones belted out classics tunes that have become anthems for multiple generations. As is always the case, Mick departed the stage for a check up and costume change leaving Keith to take the reins on the acoustic stage for a couple of songs. Jagger re-emerged from backstage fresh from his cardio tune up, pacing the length and breadth of the stages getting close and personal with the crowd lapping up his every move. As can be seen from the setlist, the Stones played many of their classic and iconic tracks providing their fans with an awe-inspiring performance.
With a little over two hours down, it was time to close the performance with a massive encore of 'Gimme Shelter' & '(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction'. The fireworks burst upward from the stadium, lighting the grey sky above in a burst of gold and white. Who knows if this will be the last we spend the night together with The Rolling Stones? It does sadden me to think that this might be however I have taken many great Stones memories from all the shows I've attended. Thank you and God bless these four icons of the music world.
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