It’s been 60 years since the Rolling Stones first burst onto the international scene, racing up the album charts with their self-titled 1964 debut — which is known in America under the title of “England’s Newest Hit Makers.”
Well, the Stones are far from being “England’s Newest” anything these days, but they still came across as incredibly fresh and vibrant as they brought the Hackney Diamonds Tour to Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara on Wednesday (July 17).
It was an amazing showing by the three remaining Stones — all of whom are age 77 or older — and one that nicely illustrated why AARP would decide to sponsor this roadshow. Because if Mick Jagger is what 80 looks like then, well, sign all of us up.
Jagger, as per usual, was nothing short of miraculous as he worked the full house during a 20-song set that ran approximately two hours. The show began at right around 9 p.m., following an opening set by Canadian rock act The Beaches, and Jagger was still going strong — racing up and down the catwalk that extended from the large mainstage and into the crowd on the floor — as clock ticked towards 11 p.m. (A representative for the 49ers, who operate the stadium, explained that the team had received an exemption to the regular 10 p.m. weekday curfew rule for this show.)
The group — which also consists of longtime guitarists Ronnie Wood (77) and Keith Richards (80) — kicked off the show in appropriate fashion, revving through the “Tattoo You” anthem “Start Me Up,” and then followed up with the first-tier classics “Get Off of My Cloud” and “Tumbling Dice.”
The Hackney Diamonds Tour supports last year’s album of the same name, which is the group’s first collection of original material in nearly 20 years and has earned solid reviews from both critics and fans.
This injection of new material has obviously been great for the Stones, stirring up creative juices that haven’t really been put to use since 2005’s “A Bigger Bang,” and the band members seemed particularly inspired whenever they turned to a “Hackney Diamonds” track in concert.
The first new cut on the setlist was the album’s lead single, “Angry,” which scored a nomination for for best rock song — but ended up losing to Boygenius’ “Not Strong Enough” — at this year’s Grammy Awards. The group was really on a roll as they entered “Angry” territory, having just finished up three straight fan favorites, and the fact that the new song didn’t derail the party one iota is a testament to the strength of “Hackney Diamonds.”
They’d find similar success with the new material a few songs later, offering up a muscular take on “Bite My Head Off” — which is about as punk rock as the Stones get in 2024 — as well as a memorable version of “Mess It Up.” They’d also include a lovely rendition of “Sweet Sounds of Heaven” in the encore.
Jagger was the undeniable bright star throughout the show, operating in full cheerleader mode as he used his moves and vocals to continually push the evening to even greater heights. He also took time to charm the crowd, showing his sports acumen as he gave his blessing to the hometown 49ers.
“Next year, I’m looking forward to you guys winning the Super Bowl,” Jagger said, noting the 10th anniversary of Levi’s Stadium before adding a sports wish that is a bit more personal to his heart: “Maybe England can win the World Cup.”
The consummate front man further bonded with the audience as he looked back at the long history that the band has with the Bay Area.
“We first came here 59 years ago, if you believe it,” “There was no Silicon Valley. But there was the Cow Palace. I can still smell it.”
The biggest difference between this concert and Stones shows of yore was, of course, the absence of Charlie Watts. This was the first time that the group had played in the Bay Area since the acclaimed drummer died at the age of 80 in 2021. And his presence was greatly missed, to the point where — at times — it just didn’t feel like it was the Stones as you looked up at the stage and didn’t see Watts behind the kit.
There’s no replacing Watts, yet that’s not to say that Steve Jordan didn’t do a wonderful job keeping the beat for Jagger and company. He’s a terrific drummer, who adds his own distinct flare, while still honoring those legendary drum parts that Watts originally fashioned.
The rest of the touring band is also splendid, consisting of bassist Darryl Jones, saxophonists Karl Denson and Tim Ries, multi-instrumentalist Matt Clifford, keyboardist Chuck Leavell and backing vocalists Bernard Fowler and Chanelle Haynes.
Haynes got her chance to shine during an fiery version of “Gimme Shelter” late in the set, backing up Jagger with those impassioned lines first set to wax by Merry Clayton on the opening track of the 1969 album “Let It Bleed.”
Wood was on top of game on this night, delivering a steady string of meaty leads on such songs as “Bite My Head Off” and “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” while picking up the slack from Richards’ somewhat diminished role in the production.
The Stones didn’t hold anything back as they approached the finish line, rolling right through “Honky Tonk Women,” “Midnight Rambler” and other favorites before finishing up the main set with the always fun “Jumpin’ Jack Flash.”
Then the group returned to deliver the “Sweet Sounds of Heaven” before closing up shop with — what else? — “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction.” Fans then left the building and made their way out into the night, looking every bit as satisfied as ever.
Setlist
1. “Start Me Up”
2. “Get Off of My Cloud”
3. “Tumbling Dice”
4. “Angry”
5. “Far Away Eyes”
6. “Like a Rolling Stone”
7. “Bite My Head Off”
8. “Mess It Up”
9. “You Can’t Always Get What You Want”
10. “You Got the Silver”
11. “Little T&A”
12. “Before They Make Me Run”
13. “Sympathy for the Devil”
14. “Honky Tonk Women”
15. “Midnight Rambler”
16. “Gimme Shelter”
17. “Paint It Black”
18. “Jumpin’ Jack Flash”
Encore:
19. “Sweet Sounds of Heaven”
20. “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction”
