The Rolling Stones Play Austin and ROCK!

I looked through 8 pages, and didn't see a thread about the Stones in Austin, playing Zilker Park. Still pretty wasted from a very late night, doing various and sundry things a guy my age probably shouldn't be doing, but DAMN, they were good! My only complaints were that we were so far back (although much closer than several thousand people), and depended on the gigantic video screen much more than I care to, and that the concert was too short. Should have been at least another half hour. Other than that, AWESOME!

My biggest concern, Mick's voice, proved groundless, as he effortlessly used the range he still has, instead of trying to hit notes he shouldn't attempt, and sounded fantastic. Keith was a little more reserved than I remember before, musically, and Ronnie Wood stepped up. Wood played as well as I've ever see him. Charlie Watts had his classic, driving rhythm goin', and didn't miss a beat. One of the great rock drummers of all time. All I can say is that I wish I was in as good a shape as the Stones, excepting Keith, lol!

I'll post more, later, after I feel more human. To top the evening off, a huge deer ran full-tilt into our Odyssey van about a quarter mile from our house. Can't even open the driver's side door. Needless to say, it was a capper to the evening we didn't need, but **** happens. I was wondering how others here felt about the concert. In my opinion, those who missed it because they thought the Stones had become too old missed the boat. They've still got it. At least, last night they did.

 

42,000 showed up, which is a really big crowd. My understanding was that they hoped for 50,000, so that's not bad. You're right about there being tickets for sale cheap, but those were from speculators online. To my knowledge, the promoters never lowered their ticket prices.

All I can say is that some people missed an amazing show. A close friend of mine flew down from Boston to see them, and he's a guy who's followed them around the country during past tours (a Stoneshead, lol, with a large disposable income), and has seen them dozens of times, and that it was one of the best Stones concerts he's ever seen. Couldn't believe the set list. He'd seen them in Boston on this tour, and said, "They'll open with Jumpin' Jack Flash, and close with Satisfaction." He was wrong on both counts! They played both songs, but dipped into the well far more than anyone expected. Just a great concert. Damn.

 

Very good. Not loud enough, from where I was at, but good enough that I want to go see him at a local club. Short set, but everything was running behind. I was hoping Ronnie would sit in, but he saved everything for the main event. Damn, he was good! I was wondering what elixir he took, because he dialed back the years! What you mentioned would explain a lot, I guess. Whatever it was, I hope he keeps it up.

 

Bob*, I could see a little better than that, thank goodness! Man, those cellphone videos aren't designed for recording concerts, are they... but even considering the quality, I can tell right away that the song was done much better in Austin. And man, the weather was perfect! Just an incredible sunset, and enough chill to make dancing for 2 solid hours a pleasure.

I thought some folks might like to read the reviews from the Austin rag, the American-Statesman:


Stones sling into Zilker Park
Rarities-packed show provides consistent entertainment

By Joe Gross

Monday, October 23, 2006

In this day and age, your average Rolling Stones fans paya great deal of money to be entertained by one of the most consistent rock 'n' roll acts out on the road. They expect to hear the hits of their youth and maybe the occasional surprise.

The Stones managed to stun a Zilker Park crowd by playing a rarities-packed set in front of 42,000 (not a sell-out by most accounts), including the Waylon Jennings tune "Bob Wills is Still the King," which they had never played live.

Many fans who had seen previous concerts on the Bigger Bang tour were certain the Stones would open with "Jumpin' Jack Flash" or "Paint It Black." Instead, the veteran rockers, now celebrating their 44th year as a band, opened with a propulsive "You've Got Me Rockin'," which surely could be heard in 10-mile radius around the park.

They followed it with the mod-era chestnut "Let's Spend the Night Together."

Guitarist Ron Wood took most of the solos, with the iconic Keith Richards providing his singular rhythm. Decked out in a shiny red shirt and the world's tightest black pants, Sir Mick Jagger bounded around onstage, telling the crowd repeatedly how good they looked.

The set continued with an explosive version of "She's So Cold" and the still astonishing classic "Sway," played slightly faster than its normally narcotic tempo. Now and then, the rarities weren't so welcome, as with the completely uninteresting "Streets of Love." But the Stones made up for it with a Motown cover and the "Sticky Fingers"-vintage song "b****."

The entire evening was compressed by a late gate opening. Austin-based opener Ian McLagan and his Bump Band played a tight 40-minute set of organ-driven R&B and rock.

After acknowledging the greatness of a Stones appearance in Austin, McLagan told the crowd, "They might be your favorite band, but they were my favorite band first." After all, McLagan and Stones guitarist Ron Wood did time in the Faces, England's ultimate bar band.

Although Wood did not join the Bump Band onstage, McLagan mentioned him now and then, mostly when he played one of Wood's old songs, "Cindy Incidentally." McLagan and the Bump Band's most recent album, "Spiritual Boy," is a tribute to late Faces bassist Ronnie Lane.

The band alternated between songs from that record and McLagan tunes such as "Got a Date with an Angel." The band sounded fit and warm, bolstered by guitarist Scrappy Jud Newcomb's bluesy solos and Mark Andes' propulsive bass playing.

The sun setting directly into their eyes, San Angelo-bred Los Lonely Boys peeled off song after song of self-described "Texican rock 'n' roll." This essentially meant blues rock, often en español. Songs were crammed with solos and found the sweet spot between Stevie Ray Vaughan and Carlos Santana.

The three Garza brothers have this power trio thing down cold, even if they were augmented by a keyboard player, whose runs sometimes added texture and sometimes felt superfluous.

But from the opening tune "Heaven" onward, every one of Henry Garza's Stratocaster solos was met with Ringo's hard-swinging drumming and Jojo's intricate bass playing (though Jojo has yet to convince anyone that any bassist needs more than four strings).

The Stones have always chosen their opening acts carefully, and when the Boys' rhythm section concentrated on grooves rather than fills or solos, their songs of love and loss felt more than appropriate for an cool Austin evening.

The coolness extended to the marquee act, who were not content to play obscure Stones songs.

After a brief introductory salute from Keith Richards, for instance, he sang the Buddy Holly obscurity "Learning the Game," a song the band is unlikely to play again.

This was a very weird set. At least before 9:30 p.m., they had not played many hits.

All right, all right, I give. This is very easily the best show of the year.

http://www.austin360.com/news/content/music/stories/2006/10/23stonesreview.html


History is made – with a taste of Texas
Stones' first Austin concert makes an indelible mark.

By Michael Corcoran

Monday, October 23, 2006

"What a fantastic night!" Mick Jagger said early in the Rolling Stones' set at Zilker Park on Sunday night. "It's our first time in your fair city. We're virgins of Austin!"

That condition was rectified with a truly magical show that had 42,000 fans on their feet throughout, chanting "I can't get no!" during "Satisfaction" and singing the middle of "You Can't Always Get What You Want" so loud that they must've heard it all the way to Ben White Boulevard. Meanwhile, pockets of Barton Springs Road, where the massive main video screen could be seen between trees, were packed with fans not wanting to let the chance to hear true rock 'n' roll legends in their hometown pass them by. "The Rolling Stones in Austin!" one young freeloader exclaimed, hugging strangers.

This was a concert for all of Austin, not just those who paid to see it.

Forty-two years after their first U.S. tour, "the world's greatest rock 'n' roll band" seemed on a mission as it came to a music Mecca. But first the Stones made Austinites wait even longer, with a torturous one-hour and 20 minute set break after support act Los Lonely Boys left the stage.

Maybe they were working up Waylon Jennings' "Bob Wills Is Still the King," which Jagger introduced as "a song we've never played in front of anybody before." When Jagger sang, "It's the home of Willie Nelson, the home of Western swing/ It don't matter who's in Austin, Bob Wills is still the king," the crowd hooted and hollered with titanic Texas pride.

Backstage before the show, band members mixed with Austin's elite.

"We've just met Lance Armstrong and Andy Roddick," the uncharacteristically chatty Jagger said at one point. "Not as a couple, mind you."

They also mentioned meeting Mayor Will Wynn, who looked his hippest in a lime green shirt. Maybe they were just buttering up the authorities so they could go over the 10 p.m. park curfew (by 10 minutes).

"This is such a big deal for the city, to host the ultimate rock band," Wynn said backstage. "The economic impact is like a Longhorns home football game — about $25 million — and we're also getting $300,000 (from the Stones) for our parks department. But perhaps best of all is seeing so many people having a great time here in Austin."

There have been concerts in town with larger crowds, from the 1974 ZZ Top show that drew nearly 80,000 to Memorial Stadium to last month's Austin City Limits Music Festival, which played to audiences of 65,000 each day. In terms of lasting influence, there's never been a more notable local concert than 1973's Dripping Springs Reunion, a mix of Nashville superstars and outlaw country upstarts that begat Willie Nelson's Fourth of July Picnic.

There have certainly been tougher tickets — $95 general admission tickets didn't sell out and were going for as low as $30 online. Scalpers did great business buying tickets from fans who unloaded their extras for as little as $10 or $20 and then selling them for $60 to $90, still below face value.

But once inside, fans became part of the most significant concert in Austin history — not just because, at about $4 million in ticket sales, it was easily the highest-grossing local concert. Fans glowed as if they knew they were part of something bigger than the live concert DVD being recorded.

On this "Bigger Bang" tour, the Stones have been playing mostly football stadiums. Zilker is the only city park on the itinerary, but for many Stones fans in their 40s, 50s and 60s, such a bucolic setting was not optimal, especially because general admission ticket holders had to stand or sit on the ground. Many fans, such as Alice Spencer, 45, of Austin, considered selling their tickets after learning that folding chairs were not allowed.

But when Sunday came around, Spencer's attitude changed. "We've decided to just tough it out," she said. "I've never seen the Stones before, and this could be my last chance."

Laura Figueroa, 37, wasn't planning to attend the concert until two hours before showtime. "It just seemed like an odd venue for the Stones," she said, standing roughly five football fields from the stage. "But the day was so beautiful that I couldn't stay away. And it's turned out to be a great situation. I'd like to be closer, but I'm really glad I came."

http://www.austin360.com/music/content/music/stories/2006/10/23stonescene.html



And here's a blurb I found of great interest, at least to this old rock and roll fan, who's lived in Austin since 1980...


Don't expect to see any show like the Stones at Zilker Park in the future.

"The parks department and the neighborhood where only willing to agree to one big music event a year, and that's ACL festival. Everyone was willing to make an exception to make this happen," Lisa Schickel of concert producer Capital Sports & Entertainment said.

http://www.news8austin.com/content/headlines/?ArID=173016&SecID=2


Wow. Well it was the Rolling Stones! Still, Zilker's been used for many events, over the years. I hope more "exceptions" are made in the future, and that this was some promotional hype. I know that they had to pay huge amounts of money to the Austin parks department, and the surrounding neighborhood associations to put this on, so perhaps there's something to it. Austin really needs a big indoor venue, besides the Erwin Center, for concerts. Some place where you can buy a beer, or a glass of merlot, and enjoy a group.

 

Not MOPAC... Escarpment. A big buck, running full tilt. We were actually doing 35mph, which is 5mph below the speed limit. He crashed head-on into our van, between the front wheel and front bumper. His body then swing over and smashed into the driver's side door, and down the side of the van. He hit us. The damnedest thing. If we had hit him, he would have bounced over the hood and into the windshield, so I guess we were lucky. Just came out of nowhere. There wasn't another car in sight, either. Can't open the driver's side door, and it's easily at least a few thousand dollars worth of damage. Just a freaky occurance that we could have done without.