When I caught the Rolling Stones at Soldier Field five years ago, I felt certain it would be the last time. The set was loose, including a false start of one song in the wrong key quickly abandoned for another hit, and Keith Richards was playing in mostly short, noisy bursts. Charlie Watts locking into a jazzy groove behind the kit was the highlight that night.
But Thursday’s show at Soldier Field, the first of two in Chicago on the current tour and the band’s 40th overall stop in Chicago, found the Stones rejuvenated. They played with precision and purpose in support of their fine new album, Hackney Diamonds, from which they performed four songs.
After a lackluster opening salvo on “Start Me Up,” the band locked into a mostly stellar set. This was my ninth Stones show, including their legendary performance at the Double Door, and they still managed to surprise.
Ronnie Wood punctuated “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” with a searing guitar solo, for instance. At the end of the song, Mick told the audience, “You sang fucking beautifully.”
And then there were Keith’s ragged harmonies coming in strong on “Wild Horses,” a song usually dominated by Mick’s vocals. Throughout the show, Keith was sharper in his playing than I’ve seen in years, putting all of the notes on beautiful display. His tastiest solo of the night came on “Sympathy for the Devil,” but he was a joy to listen to top to bottom (except, perhaps, for his vocals on “Tell Me Straight,” his number on Hackney Diamonds and the weakest of the evening’s three Keef songs, which included “Happy” and a nastily revved-up “Little T&A”).
Speaking of “Sympathy,” the band has refreshed this warhorse by kicking it off with a gorgeous keyboard opening by Chuck Leavell, accompanied only by the “woo-woo” of the backing vocals. Leavell is an often-overlooked gem in the touring unit. His crisp playing on the evening’s fan-vote song, “She’s a Rainbow,” saved it from sinking into sing-songy torture. (Don’t blame me; I voted for “Fool to Cry.”)
The highlight of the evening was “Midnight Rambler,” which featured a blistering arena-rock solo from Ronnie and a plaintive harp excursion by Mick. He also channeled Muddy Waters in his repeated refrain of “Oh, Yes” in the middle of the number before dropping in a chorus of “Sweet Home Chicago.” Mick spoke fondly of the band’s first trip to Chicago in the Sixties, when they met several of the blues players, including Waters, they had idolized as teens. Chicago is clearly their spiritual home and the comfort they feel here is evident.
Mick’s vocals were strong and he raced up and down the thrust stage into the audience throughout the evening, his energy never seeming to flag. At one point, his loose-limbed, arm-waving shimmy brought to mind the inflatable tube men auto dealers place on their lots to lure customers in.
Charlie, my favorite Stone, is gone. His loss was keenly felt throughout the evening, especially on “Paint It Black,” though Watts has been capably replaced by his hand-picked successor, Steve Jordan.
Other than the Keith misfire, the songs from Hackney Diamonds held their own. “Mess It Up” brought the Disco Stones back to glorious life and featured some of that killer Mick falsetto, while “Angry” showcased the guitars and proved a catchy addition to the usual stadium suite. But it was “Sweet Sounds of Heaven,” played at the beginning of a two-song encore, that made a compelling argument to be considered an instant Stones classic. It’s a gorgeous ballad, and backup singer Chanel Haynes, who starred in Tina, the Tina Turner Musical, killed on the part Lady Gaga sang on the album version. (Haynes also performed a superb duet with Mick on “Gimme Shelter.”)
The final song of the night, “Satisfaction,” featured one of the evening’s best examples of “the Weave,” that legendary intermingling of Keith and Ronnie’s parts. Watching them work their magic shoulder to shoulder while Mick engaged with the crowd made for a satisfying ending to the band’s stellar Chicago return.
The Rolling Stones play the second Soldier Field show of their Hackney Diamonds tour Sunday June 30.
Photo by Frank Sennett
