Exile in Salt Lake

The Beatles split before I was born. I was too young to ever catch Elvis. And, unfortunately, Nirvana never came anywhere close to Morganfield. So, when I heard the Rolling Stones were coming to SLC on their "A Bigger Bang" Tour, I knew I was going to make it a priority to see these living rock legends.
First off, let me say that I'm not really a huge Stones fan. I like them enough to have bought their "Forty Licks" greatest hits album, and I like to listen to it occasionally. But seeing them live is something few people can say they've done, and something I'll be able to brag about long after they're gone (which could be any time, now). As I was walking toward the Delta Center last night, an ambulance came screaming by, and I thought, "Oh, great! Mick has fallen and broken a hip!"
The opener was Jason Mraz. I walked in about half-way through his set, which didn't really bother me. He has catchy songs and stuff, but I seriously doubt anyone will remember his name in five years. I thought it was kinda strange for someone with one and a half hit songs to be opening for a band like the Stones. I would have preferred someone more relevant like The White Stripes or The Strokes. Regardless, Mraz didn't sound too bad, and he seemed pretty grateful to be performing.

Rolling Stones 1
Originally uploaded by currtdawg.

Then, the Rolling Stones came out. They opened up, appropriately, with "Start Me Up." I've seen people imitate them and seen them perform on television, but nothing can really prepare you for the real thing. Keith's swagger. Mick's strut. The energy from these guys was amazing, and the sold-out audience was feeling every bit of it.

Rolling Stones 2
Originally uploaded by currtdawg.

At first, this didn't seem like a really high production show, like, for instance, their 1994 Voodoo Lounge Tour. About an hour into their set, however, they began the familiar, bluesy opening of "Miss You." Suddenly, the center part of the stage lifted up and floated to the middle of the arena. The front stage show became a show in-the-round. It was so cool! They played another three or four songs there, and then the stage went back to its original place at the front of the auditorium.
They ended up playing for just over two hours. Most of their set was the classics (i.e. Brown Sugar, Honky-Tonk Women, Get Off of My Cloud, etc.), but they threw in a few new songs here and there. I guess when your career spans over forty years, you kinda have to pick and choose, not only to please everyone, but also to keep it from getting old. For their encore, they sang "You Can't Always Get What You Want" and a sped up version of "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction." A lot of people left before the encore, but I'm glad I waited. I mean, how can you go to see the Stones and not hear "Satisfaction"? That's just wrong.
So, yeah, I'm really glad I got to see them. It was, by far, the most I've ever paid for a concert ticket, and my seat wasn't that great, but I would do it again. I mean, I was in the same room as the Glimmer Twins! Plus, seeing them live has made me want to expand my record collection to include "Sticky Fingers" and "Exile on Main Street." Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to call my parents and make them jealous.