Rolling Stones Coming to Buffalo?
The Stones were the first band that I really loved. They were also the first band that I saw in concert and I paid $15 for the ticket, 34 years ago.
The Stones were already being called dinosaurs back then!
I believe that if the Stones come to the stadium in July, as rumored, the ticket is going to be way more than $15 clams.
But I still wanna' go.
Back in '81 the Stones opened with Under My Thumb and ended it with Tumbling Dice. How in the hell can that be a bad show?
It was actually a great show.
It's Jagger and Richards and Wood and Watts.
They are legends.
Jagger might be the most famous person on the planet.
Which brings me to another story.
I was living in New Haven, Connecticut back in the late 80's. The Stones were going out on the road, after a long layoff, to promote the great Steel Wheels record. I was thinking about getting tickets for that show.
I was living alone then, working on a big job. I was putting in long hours and drinking a lot of beer.
Young and fired up and ready to roll.
During the course of one day the radio station kept talking about the mystery guests who would be performing at Toad's Place - the Yale University bar.
I had to work late, but I figured I'd swing by and see what the fuss was about. The club was already packed and there was no chance of getting in...but folks in the parking lot were excited.
"Who's coming?" I asked one college kid.
"No one knows, dude," he said. "But rumor is they're big stars."
Suddenly a bus pulled up.
There was great anticipation as the doors remained closed and security worked to clear people out of the way. They were setting up a walkway. I was able to inch close and with a bunch of slick moves I was right up front. I might not get into the club, but I was gonna' see who it was.
The bus doors opened and down the steps came:
Hall & Oates!
Those guys were huge back then, but everyone groaned!
Hall & Oates was the big surprise?
Some folks started walking away and I got even closer to the rope.
I must admit that I was a little disappointed, but they were still great songwriters. I was still trying to shake their hands. Hall, in fact, slapped my palm on the way into the club.
And then the door opened again:
And I saw him.
The skinny body. The big lips. The strut.
Mick Jagger.
It's so weird, but right then I knew why all those women passed out when seeing the Beatles live.
"Mick f&*$ing Jagger!" the guy next to me screamed.
Mick didn't wait around to shake hands. He was just about running into the club.
He passed about 10 feet from me. I'm not sure what I yelled at him.
Then I saw the doors open again:
Wood and Richards came bounding down the steps.
Keith had a cigarette dangling. Wood was holding a bottle of Jack Daniels. They had their arms around each other. Nothing weird. Just two buddies, perhaps with buzzes going, hanging out. They were a bit more fan-friendly, but I couldn't get a hand on them.
Charlie Watts ambled out slowly next. He hardly looked up.
About a half an hour later...the music started.
The doors were wide open.
The band was practicing. The power of the music was overwhelming. The four men were inside. Together they didn't look like much. On the stage they were:
The Rolling Stones...the greatest rock and roll band of all-time.
We all got a pretty good show.
Everyone was singing along.
Yeah...I gotta' get to that show this summer!
The Stones were already being called dinosaurs back then!
I believe that if the Stones come to the stadium in July, as rumored, the ticket is going to be way more than $15 clams.
But I still wanna' go.
Back in '81 the Stones opened with Under My Thumb and ended it with Tumbling Dice. How in the hell can that be a bad show?
It was actually a great show.
It's Jagger and Richards and Wood and Watts.
They are legends.
Jagger might be the most famous person on the planet.
Which brings me to another story.
I was living in New Haven, Connecticut back in the late 80's. The Stones were going out on the road, after a long layoff, to promote the great Steel Wheels record. I was thinking about getting tickets for that show.
I was living alone then, working on a big job. I was putting in long hours and drinking a lot of beer.
Young and fired up and ready to roll.
During the course of one day the radio station kept talking about the mystery guests who would be performing at Toad's Place - the Yale University bar.
I had to work late, but I figured I'd swing by and see what the fuss was about. The club was already packed and there was no chance of getting in...but folks in the parking lot were excited.
"Who's coming?" I asked one college kid.
"No one knows, dude," he said. "But rumor is they're big stars."
Suddenly a bus pulled up.
There was great anticipation as the doors remained closed and security worked to clear people out of the way. They were setting up a walkway. I was able to inch close and with a bunch of slick moves I was right up front. I might not get into the club, but I was gonna' see who it was.
The bus doors opened and down the steps came:
Hall & Oates!
Those guys were huge back then, but everyone groaned!
Hall & Oates was the big surprise?
Some folks started walking away and I got even closer to the rope.
I must admit that I was a little disappointed, but they were still great songwriters. I was still trying to shake their hands. Hall, in fact, slapped my palm on the way into the club.
And then the door opened again:
And I saw him.
The skinny body. The big lips. The strut.
Mick Jagger.
It's so weird, but right then I knew why all those women passed out when seeing the Beatles live.
"Mick f&*$ing Jagger!" the guy next to me screamed.
Mick didn't wait around to shake hands. He was just about running into the club.
He passed about 10 feet from me. I'm not sure what I yelled at him.
Then I saw the doors open again:
Wood and Richards came bounding down the steps.
Keith had a cigarette dangling. Wood was holding a bottle of Jack Daniels. They had their arms around each other. Nothing weird. Just two buddies, perhaps with buzzes going, hanging out. They were a bit more fan-friendly, but I couldn't get a hand on them.
Charlie Watts ambled out slowly next. He hardly looked up.
About a half an hour later...the music started.
The doors were wide open.
The band was practicing. The power of the music was overwhelming. The four men were inside. Together they didn't look like much. On the stage they were:
The Rolling Stones...the greatest rock and roll band of all-time.
We all got a pretty good show.
Everyone was singing along.
Yeah...I gotta' get to that show this summer!
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