The Rolling Stone’s performance during the tour is absolutely remarkable for artists that had been around for six decades
The Rolling Stones kicked off their North America tour six weeks ago at a sold-out venue in Houston on Sunday, with people traveling from various cities to watch one of the world’s most enduring rock bands amid worries that this could be their last tour.
The show was the first of 16 performances, set across the U.S. and Canada through July.
Fans flocked to the NRG Stadium in Houston in Rolling Stones T-shirts showcasing the band’s iconic lips and tongue logo.
The band, formed more than six decades ago, opened with “Start Me Up” with Mick Jagger walking onto the stage in a shiny striped jacket, a gray sequined shirt and black jeans. People immediately started to dance along to the 1981 classic.
Jagger, who is 80, danced, skipped and ran across the stage while showcasing his vocal range.
The 11-piece touring version of the band features longtime sidemen, including keyboard player and music director Chuck Leavell, bassist Darryl Jones, background singer Bernard Fowler, and hornmen Tim Ries & Karl Denson, plus newcomer drummer Steve Jordan in the seat formerly held by the late, beloved Charlie Watts.
It’s a rock and roll machine, a live jukebox filled with Rolling Stones classics and a few new tunes from their highly regarded new album, “Hackney Diamonds,” from which they performed three songs.
A suitability loose & lively “It’s Only Rock and Roll” gave way to “Let’s Spend The Night Together” before a solid reading of the “Hackney Diamonds” lead single “Angry.”
Early on, Wood did much of the heavy lifting on solos, offering some sharp fretboard work on the fan-voted ““Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo (Heartbreaker)” and “Tumbling Dice” and unleashed some tasty slide licks on a low-key funky “Monkey Man.”
Jagger’s onstage energy level is legendary, but Wood was also constantly on the move and was clearly enjoying himself. Like, Jagger, Wood explored the considerable stage space, occasionally walking down the catwalk during his solos, and ensuring that the folks in the nosebleeds and on the sides of the stadium didn’t only get to see him on the massive screens on either side and above the stage while Richards mostly hung out by his Fender amps and Jordan.
