Just four short months ago, we saw The Rolling Stones kick off their Hackney Diamonds Tour in Houston, Texas with a miraculous performance. Now, the world-renowned band has completed their tour on July 21st in the small town of Ridgedale, Missouri, nestled in the Ozark Mountains with a final show at Thunder Ridge Nature Arena. We had quite the chaotic adventure trying to get from Cincinnati, Ohio to the town an hour south of Branson, Missouri for this concert.
Due to a nationwide IT disruption, my Delta flight to Missouri was canceled at 2 a.m. the day before the final concert. I investigated every airline app and website and could only find flights for thousands of dollars. My next idea was to check out rental cars, which was a success when I found a good deal through Hertz. While I didn’t anticipate having to take a 10-hour car drive to see The Rolling Stones, I commenced my journey to make it to the show before 6:30 p.m.
Finally, with a few hours to spare before the show, we ended up at Thunder Ridge Nature Arena in the Ozarks. The venue sits amongst 1,200 acres of land and overlooks Table Rock Lake. The amphitheater opened in May of this year and seats 20,000 audience members. This beautiful remote performance location was created by Bass Pro Shops Founder and Chief Executive Johnny Morris.
So you may be wondering, how did such a popular band end up in the remote wilderness performing the last show of their tour? It all came down to chance twenty years ago when Morris met Chuck Leavell, a musician who has been performing with the Stones since 1982. The pair went fishing together, and Leavell caught a huge fish and promised Morris that he owed him one for such a great opportunity. This led to Morris making an important call to Leavell years later asking if the Stones would perform at his new amphitheater.
To warm-up the crowd for the big night, guitarist and vocalist Samantha Fish performed some of her hits in an all leather bodysuit with perfectly coiffed blonde hair. Fish is a Kansas City, Missouri native who is always a treat to see live. We never miss her guitar-riff driven performances each year at New Orleans Jazz Fest. It has to be a dream come true for Samantha to open for a band she has always cited as an early influence in her home state.
After the crowd got a taste of some rock & roll, lead singer Mick Jagger came barreling out in an iridescent bright blue jacket, matching button-down, and black skinny jeans. Leaping into the song “Start Me Up,” the crowd went wild as the show had finally began after a 30-minute delayed start at 9:45 p.m.. The fourth song, “Let It Bleed” was the special crowd-voted song, a tradition the band has continued to cater to their fans.
Jagger continued to change his outfits during the twenty-song set-list. By the eighth song of the night, “Mess It Up,” both his jacket and shirt came off revealing an all-black-mesh long sleeve.
Keith Richards, the co-writer and guitarist of The Rolling Stones took center stage in a suede green button down and matching green headband. He performed vocals to “You Got the Silver,” “Little T & A,” and “Before They Make Me Run,” showcasing his lyrical contribution to the band.
In the middle of the set, Jagger talked about it being the first time the band had visited this part of the United States. He told the crowd that the band had gone out to Branson the night before the concert to see some of the live shows in town. Members of the band went to the Dolly Parton Stampede and visited Area 71. Jagger said he even saw a performance by Mick Jagger and asked the crowd if they could tell if he was the real one on stage as a funny anecdote. He gave nothing but praise to the town and the entertainment but I can’t imagine the reaction of a Mick Jagger impersonator in Branson when the real Mick Jagger walks into your show.
After another outfit change or two, Jagger returned to the stage, showing off his classic grandiose moves in a shiny pink button-down for two special encore songs. The crowd sang along to ”Sweet Sounds Of Heaven,” and the Stones’ first US No. 1 hit “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” to close out the Hackney Diamonds Tour on a bittersweet note.
After over 60 years of performing together, the English rockers show no signs of stopping anytime soon and haven’t lost a bit of the energy they’ve carried with them over the years. We hope we get to see them on their next tour with a much less chaotic travel scenario!