At Houston, Texas’ NRG Stadium on Sunday, thousands of fans attended to see The Rolling Stones kick off their latest tour and prove that there is no stopping the band anytime soon. Mick Jagger continues to prove he has more energy than I have ever had as he runs and jumps across the stage in a full-on aerobic workout for the two hour set.
This brand-new tour will stop in 16 cities across the U.S. and Canada. The tour is named after their newest album in 18 years, Hackney Diamonds. Other cities included on the tour are New Orleans, Philadelphia, Atlanta, and British Columbia among others. The tour is set to end on July 17 in Santa Clara, California.
With front man Sir Mick Jagger and guitarist Keith Richards now both 80, and guitarist Ronnie Wood 76, you may wonder how they keep up. Despite their age, the trio gave it their all and delivered a stellar two-hour long performance in Houston.
Since the 2021 death of long-time drummer Charlie Watts, the Stones are backed by various visiting musicians including two keyboardists, new drummer Steve Jordan, backup singers and a brass section. Regardless of the changes that passing time may bring, the band has not lost any of its rock & roll spirit.
Texas native Gary Clark Jr. opened the show with a 45-minute set with his version of blues and rock and roll songs. Clark opened his set with “Maktub” from his latest album “JPEG Raw.” He was joined on stage by his co-writer and fellow Austinite Naala for their duet “This Is Who We Are.”
The crowd loved every minute of the guitar driven set and if they didn’t know his name before Sunday night, I am sure they will remember it now.
The Stones took the stage at precisely 9:15 p.m. opening the show with 1981 classic, “Start Me Up” with Mick Jagger decked-out in a shiny striped silver jacket, a sequined shirt and royal blue jeans. The crowd, full of many long-time fans in their 50’s and 60’s, went wild in their Rolling Stones merch. Large screens surrounded the stage, providing accompanying imagery and a live-feed of the performers.
After the second song, Jagger addressed the crowd and said, “It’s great to be back in the Lone Star State to open the tour.”
The band played a 16-song set-list and two encore songs including tunes from older albums, with hits like “Gimme Shelter,” “Paint It Black,” and “Jumpin’ Jack Flash.” They also played several tracks off the new record, including the lead Grammy-nominated single “Angry.”
A unique touch the Stones will give to each of their shows on this tour is a special song that has been chosen by the audience. In Houston, the crowd voted for “Beast of Burden” which Jagger performed with enthusiasm.
Fans had been speculating on what songs the 62-year old band will perform as the tour goes on since there is no shortage of songs to choose from. Here is the complete set-list of old and new songs from Houston, which may give a sneak peek into future performances:
1. “Start Me Up” (from 1981’s Tattoo You)
2. “Get Off of My Cloud” (from 1965’s December’s Children and Everybody’s)
3. “Rocks Off” (from 1972’s Exile on Main St.)
4. “Out of Time” (from 1966’s Aftermath, UK edition)
5. “Angry” (from Hackney Diamonds)
6. “Beast of Burden” (fan-voted choice, from 1978’s Some Girls)
7. “Mess It Up” (from Hackney Diamonds)
8. “Tumbling Dice” (from Exile on Main St.)
9. “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” (from 1969’s Let It Bleed)
10. “Little T&A” (from Tattoo You)
11. “Sympathy for the Devil” (from 1968’s Beggars Banquet)
12. “Gimme Shelter” (from Let It Bleed)
13. “Honky Tonk Women” (1969 single)
14. “Miss You” (from Some Girls)
15. “Paint It Black” (from Aftermath, American edition)
16. “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” (1968 single)
17. “Sweet Sounds of Heaven” (Hackney Diamonds)
18. “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” (1965’s Out of Our Heads, American edition)
Concert-goers in Houston were amazed with the amount of energy that the Stones still had. It was like they were performing their first show all over again. None of the members ever missed a beat and Jagger showed off some of his classic dance moves, strutting across the stage and encouraging the crowd to sing along with him. Fans come from all over the world to see the band perform. I met someone from California who was attending their 77th show in Houston and was heading to New Orleans for their 78th.
Their next performance on the Hackney Diamonds Tour will be at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival on Thursday, May 2, an already sold-out show. We can’t wait to hear what songs they’ll play in the daytime at the historic festival!