Why I Saw The Rolling Stones on their Zip Code Tour (2015)

The Rolling Stones played Comerica Park in Detroit last Wednesday for the first time in 10 years. There's no denying the gravity of that fact. For some, that was reason enough to attend. For others, like me, it needed to be something. It needed to be a show worth seeing.       

In all fairness, I will concede that there is seemingly no good reason to see The Rolling Stones live in 2015. Or so I thought, until about a month ago.

See, I'm a big, big fan. As a throwback Millennial, I understand and honor the legacy — and perhaps most importantly, the historical significance — of a band like The Stones. I grew up with the catalog hits. All of them. From "Gimme Shelter" to "Wild Horses," I was conditioned with a solid awareness that The Rolling Stones were "a great band." And, while I acknowledge the awesome and overwhelming power of their position in modern music, I cannot accept this as a good enough reason to see them perform.

But something about The Stones changed for me, and at just the right time. Suddenly, they were no longer "the band that plays Sympathy for the Devil," or "Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, and others." They became for me what they've always been for the rest of you: The Rolling Stones, creators of an iconic and game-changing style of writing and performance. They became the artists behind "Torn and Frayed," "Salt of the Earth," "Monkey Man," "Ventilator Blues." In other words, I finally got it. So, we picked up some last-minute tickets, and off we went.

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As a great, big rock 'n' roll band still active 50 years from their debut, The Stones run the risk of becoming musty dusty museum relics, fit for nothing more than bragging rights. "Yeah, I saw The Rolling Stones before they all died." Aging is inevitable. Aging with dignity, in their world, is a choice. Sadly, as we all know, some monumental acts refuse to let go (The Who, anybody?). And so we witness the long and ugly death knell of The Decline.

I'm happy (and quite relieved) to say that, with The Stones, this is not yet the case. If you were at Comerica on Wednesday, you saw something raw, mysterious, and emotional. An ancient power, blasting through its likewise ancient arsenal with ferocity and verve. It was, in a way, a shocking event. It was exhibitionism if ever I saw it — a perfect complement to their gallery exhibition set to appear in London in April of 2016. Swan song or not, it was a fantastic show, and a loud-and-clear reminder that The Rolling Stones are alive and well and better than ever, and will not go gentle, etc., etc.

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I enjoyed the concert, and I'm glad I went. It wasn't a chance to see The Rolling Stones before they burn out; it was a chance to see a seasoned group of musicians who know exactly what the hell they're doing. And they do it well.

I'll end with a quick top 10 of my favorites. Enjoy!

1. Torn and Frayed

2. Gimme Shelter

3. Sweet Virginia

4. Loving Cup

5. 2000 Light Years from Home

6. Stray Cat Blues

7. Soul Survivor

8. Street Fighting Man

9. Miss You

10. Salt of the Earth    

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