At some point tonight, the lights will go down at Lincoln Financial Field in South Philadelphia, and the PA announcer will utter words that have stood as the calling card of the world's greatest rock 'n' roll band for more than half a century:
"Ladies and Gentlemen, The Rolling Stones."
And that is with all due apologies to the E Street Band.
Satisfaction?
It arrives tonight in South Philly.
My introduction to Mick, Keith and the boys occurred in September 1965 via a plastic disc we used to call a 45. Google it, kids.
My brother had picked up a single with what the Stones hoped would be a follow-up to their monster anthem, "Satisfaction."
The song was called "Get Off of My Cloud."
We played that thing on our old record player until the grooves wore out.
To be honest, I was a Motown kid.
It took me awhile to warm up to rock.
I liked the Beatles, but they were a little too "nice" for my taste.
That wasn't a problem with the Stones.
They played off the Beatles wholesome image with a bit more edge. They were the bad boys of rock.
It's something that would follow them the rest of their careers, including the epic free concert at Altamont Speedway in California when the decision to hire some Hell's Angels to handle security backfired in tragedy with a stabbing death.
It's hard to imagine that 54 years later, these guys are still filling stadiums.
Hell, to be honest, it's somewhat stunning that Keith Richards is still alive.
Mick Jagger? Not even heart surgery could keep him off the road.
I won't be there tonight at the Linc. I'm afraid my stadium concert days are over. My brother-in-law will be there, and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't jealous.
I've never actually seen the Stones.
But I did hear them once, as I sat outside Folsom Field in Boulder, Colorado, as the Stones ripped it up back in the summer of '78.
It's nice to know some things don't change.
I'm getting older. But not the Stones.
They're still the world's greatest rock 'n' roll band.
And I imagine tonight will only provide more evidence of that.
Satisfaction? You bet.
Start Me Up, guys.
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