Rock and rent

I saw the Rolling Stones a couple years ago at the United Center in Chicago. If you're not from the area, the United Center is a huge indoor arena; it's a common venue for extremely popular bands to come and play to the masses. I was seated parallel to the stage in the upper balcony. I couldn't see Charlie Watts and I paid way too much for my ticket. But, at that point I justified my attendance because I was getting to see a real rock n' roll band in the flesh before one of them kicked the bucket. And most importantly I was a fan of the band.

Bands come and bands go, but honestly the Rolling Stones aren't going anywhere except up. Read "up" as towards the sky, literally. The stage for their upcoming tour is just ridiculous. See that green wall behind the stage? Yeah, that's the Green Monster, the supposedly overly huge outfield wall in Boston's Fenway Park. But this is what sells. Joe Blow doesn't want to pay all of that money for his ticket and walk into the stadium to just some average setting, right? This is the Rolling Stones and their fans want it big, but preferably not too loud. Those eardrums don't bounce back like they used to.

About 3/4ths of the way through the Stones' set at the United Center they left the stage and reappeared in the middle of the floor's seating area on a hilariously smaller stage that looked, from my vantage point, no bigger than a stage you'd see at a typical bar. They were in the round and the first rows that were surrounding them were flush with the stage with no 15-foot gated barriers to separate rock fan from rock star. The Stones continued their set from there and they sounded better; they looked cooler. I don't know, sound wise maybe it was easier to mix one amp per band member opposed to the usual stacks of equipment needed to fill up a huge arena rock stage? They looked years younger too, like a real rock band should...young and dumb and playing because it's the only thing they really know how to do. It was all pretty amazing and not something that I'll forget.

There's really no final point here to make, no catchy ending that I can give. The Stones still try to play at smallish clubs and steer clear of their hits playing old standards and rare songs for the fans. I guess I've personally lost interest in seeing them live, it happens. But look at that stage, it's got balconies and more square footage than I'll ever own in my life. Mr. Jagger, I'd like a room. I don't require much, just a place to lay my head and wash up. Thanks, this'll do.