On August 5th, 2019 , The world's greatest rock band The Rolling Stones closed their second night at Metlife stadium in East Ruthford , NJ with a bang . I was fortunate to be in that crowd that night and the result was the greatest night of my young life. I went with my father, who without his taste in music this blog would of never been created.
It truly astonishes me that in their 70's, the bands playing is so tight and professional , it's as if they never aged . The band kicked off with "Jumpin Jack Flash" and it was like being in a time machine and jumping back into the late 60's . Keith Richards tone, timing , and volume was flawless . Charlie Watts makes the drums looks easy, and at the age of 78 (as of now, he's the oldest member not including Bill Wyman , and Mick Taylor respectfully) he never missed a beat. His secret ? It's the way he holds his drum sticks . Charlie uses traditional grip, which is commonplace among jazz drummers with the hand being underneath the stick and can make "ghost" notes when keeping a beat .
Mick, well what's there to say abut him? He's the greatest front man in rock n roll history , and he proved to us again why (not that he didn't have to) with his sexually , gyrated legendary dance moves, his lip movements, and vocals, he can capture anybody's presence .
Ronnie Wood has to be given credit where credit is due . He is a top notch guitar player in his own right and he played killer solos and excellent slide guitar which I will get into more later .
As for the set list , hardcore and loyal fans (including myself and my father) were in heaven . They played everything from the hits to deep cuts .
Four songs I want to analyze from the concert are "Paint it Black", "Midnight Rambler", "Monkey Man", "You Can't Always Get What You Want", and "Dead Flowers"
"Paint It Black' wasn't only musically satisfying but also visually . To start off with , Keith played the iconic opening lick flawlessly . Mick and the rest of the band were of course on par . Visually , it was a sight to be hold . With different designs and images flowing from the two side screens, the band decided to shoot the entire song in black and white to give it that old vintage feel . It was a treat to hear this song live because aside from it being a staple for the band, it was really incredible to hear a song they had recorded with Brian Jones , the creative and the reason why the band exists at this very moment .
The Rolling Stones got their name from the Muddy Waters song "Rolling Stone." They were raised on the blues , and it's the bands bread and butter . "Midnight Rambler" is the most bluesy Rolling Stones song recorded to date that is all their own and to see it live was a sight to behold . Keith's chugging , dirty and so wonderfully nasty blues groove in B kicked it into high gear . Ronnie Wood played amazing slide as always . Mick stole that performance though . Aside from singing , he is a gifted and killer harmonica player . How he balances singing , dancing and able to play the harmonica in unison is astounding . They cranked the tune to it's limits and it was worth every minute . Mick interacting with the crowd along with those sweet harmonica improvisation was blissful .
Midway through the show, the band picked a song that the audience was allowed to vote for prior to attending the show. The vote went to Monkey Man off of 1969's Let it Bleed, and the crowd and myself couldn't be happier . The song is a standout from the 1969 album masterpiece and was surreal to hear it live . To note, everything the Stones played that night was in it's original key. Most bands their age now a days need to change the key of the song in order for the song to be played smoothly . Not the Rolling Stones baby. Monkey Man was played with such finest and professionalism it was as if it was the studio recording . Chuck Leavell played the opening piano melody. followed by the great drum fill from Charlie ,and what followed was just legendary . Monkey Man is my favorite Keith Richards riff and to see his fingers move with such finest was amazing .
Dead Flowers was such a sweet surprise .A deep cut for the fans that was all acoustic . The Stones at their country style best and it was a dream to see it live .
People are always ragging on the Rolling Stones because of their age. Well, they should put their foot in their mouth. 57 years after they formed , they are on top of their game physically and musically. If you haven't gotten the chance to see them live , don't wait any longer.
