June 5 marked 60 years since the Rolling Stones invaded America. The British rock legends played their first show in the U.S. at the Swing Auditorium in San Bernardino, California on June 5, 1964. Six decades later, the “Paint It, Black” artists don’t seem to know the meaning of the word “retirement.” And according to those who attended their Saturday (June 15) show in the Rock n’ Roll Capital of the World, these octogenarians look to have a lot of life left in them.
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The Rolling Stones Have Aged “Wonderfully Ungracefully”
The Rolling Stones took the stage Saturday night (June 15) at Cleveland Browns Stadium in Cleveland, Ohio. And, according to Eric Heisig of the Cleveland Scene, there’s a reason these senior citizens are still fitting stadiums 60 years later.
The crowd heard all the greats, like “Start Me Up,” “Sympathy for the Devil,” and “Honky Tonk Woman.” Frontman Mick Jagger, famous for his frenetic stage presence, lived up to his reputation even at 80 years young. “Jagger in particular is a human specimen that science must struggle to explain,” Heisig wrote.
“I can accept our differences. I respect those who have different political views than me, but if you don’t agree that Mick Jagger is the single greatest front man in the history of rock and roll I may have to fight you,” one awestruck fan wrote on X/Twitter after the show.
Is This Farewell?
The Rolling Stones dropped Hackney Diamonds in October 2023, the band’s 24th studio album and first of original material since 2005. In April, The Stones kicked off the Hackney Diamonds Tour, which wraps up July 21 in Ridgedale, Missouri.
[RELATED: Rolling Stones Announce Final Concert for Hackney Diamonds Tour in 2024]
With co-songwriters Mick Jagger and Keith Richards both in their 80s, many wonder how much longer The Stones can realistically keep this up. After all, the Hackney Diamonds Tour is now sponsored by AARP. However, all reports indicate the world’s greatest rock n’ rollers still take the stage “with the energy of band that was on tour for the first time.”
As cleveland.com put it, “If this is ‘The Last Time’ no one could ask for anything more.”
Featured image by Mike Coppola/Getty Images
