Photos: Maggie Vaughn/Shepherd Express
A decade after their last album and more than 50 years after their first recordings, why do The Rolling Stones continue to tour? The cynical answer, of course, is for the money, and nobody would dispute that's a factor. But there's more than just a payday motivating the band as they enter the final chapter of their magnificent career. The Stones lays claim to a library of classic records and immortal songs, and they've permanently shaped the very look and feel of rock 'n' roll, but it's been a solid generation since they released their last indisputably great album. Even this far removed from their prime, however, there's still one last feat they can add to their incredible list of accomplishments: They can go down not only as one of the best rock bands of all time, but also as one of the longest-served. There's some risk involved with that—an embarrassing final act could blemish the legacy they've spent a half century building—but judging from their polished, immensely satisfying performance at the Marcus Amphitheater Tuesday night, the band is still carrying themselves with dignity, even after all these years.
It helps that each band member fell into a familiar role long ago, and by this point they could play them in their sleep. Charlie Watts, more or less, does. He hasn't flashed a sustained smile in decades, and he wasn't about to break that streak Tuesday. Guitarist Ronnie Wood still rocks the mod haircut he's been sporting since The Faces. Mick Jagger, while no longer quite the Dorian Gray-esque curiosity he used to be, is still one of the most youthful septuagenarians on the planet, and he continues to pull off moves nobody else could, including his signature clap-and-strut. He remains a consummate showman; he sprung onto stage with a green, sparkly vest for opener "Jumpin' Jack Flash" and within three songs he'd already worked up a thick sweat. During his periodic stage banter, he plied the crowd with local references, quipping about bratwursts and badgers and sausage races; anything for a cheer.
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Keith Richards, on the other hand, doesn't need to put in that kind of effort; he lets his mere presence generate the applause. He embraced the countless “how is Keith Richards still alive?” jokes when he briefly addressed the crowd mid-show. “Great to be back,” he said, between drags of a cigarette. “It's good to be anywhere, but it's great to be back.” Then he took his only vocal leads of the night on a pair of songs, “Before They Make Me Run” and “Happy,” while Jagger changed into a dry shirt offstage.
The two-plus hour set never went too long between hits, but in the final stretch they piled up one after another, “Miss You” into “Gimmie Shelter” into “Start me Up” into “Sympathy for the Devil” and “Brown Sugar,” before an encore of “You Can't Always Get What You Want,” performed with members of the UWM Concert Chorale, and the requisite closer “(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction.” Even during that final number, a song they've performed so many times that it practically plays itself at this point, Jagger seemed to be giving it everything he had, milking every last ounce of applause from the crowd before taking his final bow. Conventional wisdom holds this will probably be the band's last time playing Milwaukee, and possibly their last tour altogether. Whether that'll be the case remains to be seen—even the band may not know for certain—but judging by Tuesday's performance, it's not all that far-fetched to imagine them going another five years.
