Soulive
Atlantic City Boardwalk Hall presented by The Borgata
Atlantic City, NJ
November 17, 2006

The rumors of their demise have been greatly exaggerated: The Rolling Stones proved that they are still the “world’s greatest rock ‘n’ roll band.” From the first flick of Keith Richards’ right hand on the opening strains of “Jumpin’ Jack Flash,” the sold-out Boardwalk Hall was captivated, enthralled and even exhausted by the energy put forth by men in their sixties.

Mick Jagger is simply a marvel, a wonder of chronological age. His movements, outrageous stamina, pitch-perfect voice and showmanship shame frontmen forty years his junior.

Keith Richards is more than a wonder, he is a miracle. After slipping down a slimy tree trunk and landing on his head and almost killing himself, he has yet another new lease on life and his playing and performance reflected it. “I always said, at this point it’s good to be anywhere. Now, I mean it,” he laughed. Richards was superb, his energy constant and even when he was sloppy, he was fantastic. Who else would you want to deconstruct a Keith Richards riff than Keith Richards?

From the opener “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” through the closing number “(I Can’Get No) Satisfaction,” it was impossible to tell that this was the 122nd show on their “A Bigger Bang” tour.

Starting with the fourth selection, “She Was Hot,” and ending with the seventeenth song, “Paint It Black” the band held the crowd in the palms of their wrinkled hands with not so much of a hint of a letdown, leaving those in attendance who are age contemporaries of the Stones breathless.

Exile on Main St. was brought back to life with a stunning version on the vastly underappreciated “Loving Cup,” thanks to Chuck Leavell’s Dixie-tuned piano playing and the stronger-than-soul sax of Bobby Keys. Richards and Ron Wood took the wheel for a raucous and sometimes teetering-on-the-edge version of “All Down the Line.”

Jagger’s soulful pitch was as strong as ever on the excellently received new cut, “Streets of Love.” His vulnerability was captivating, thanks to his falsetto pleading for affection that matched any lost love song they have ever done. Is it possible for a reed-thin, 63-year-old man to be sexy without it being creepy? Yes, if it’s Mick Jagger. On “Under My Thumb” (done on a platform in the middle of the arena), he was dominant and his grinding of back-up singer Lisa Fischer during “Ain’t Too Proud To Beg”—and the blatant sexual tension of “Start Me Up”—were performed to heroic proportions without the aid of enhancements.

The reworking of the opening of “Sympathy for The Devil,” featuring a new double-time  hip-hop beat laid down by the incomparable Charlie Watts was perfectly complemented by the bass work of Darryl Jones and the direction of Leavell.

Ron Wood, the ying to Richards’ yang, took over guitar duties for Richards, while Keef sang a moving rendition of “You Got the Silver.” The two kindred souls became one on the crunchy, sped-up and modernized version of “Connection.” 

Jagger’s control of the pace and the crowd was comical at times, especially his riff on Atlantic City, home to historic Stones shows in 1965 and 1989. “Atlantic City is the kind of place that you arrive from New York on a private jet and go back to New York on a bus.”

A venue-appropriate run-through of “Tumblin’ Dice” was met with rapid approval and was pushed to the improvisation limits by a stationary Richards, who was lost to playing to his side of the stage, while Bobby Keys’ saxophone kept the band in loose cohesion. By the time The Stones roared through “Brown Sugar” and “You Can’t Always Get What You Want,” it was indisputable that they had not mailed in their performance. As the house lights came on to the riff of “Satisfaction,” string confetti began to fall from the venerable roof of the grand old building on the boards. Looking around the illuminated hall, every single face had a smile on it, totally and completely satisfied.

Soulive’s Big Night

At 2:30A.M., a few hours after the Rolling Stones left the stage, The Gypsy Bar at The Borgata Hotel Casino Spa was going off its face. The funk pounded out from the small stage was being provided by Soulive and their special guest Ivan Neville, who were raising the temperature with “Papa Was a Rolling Stone.”

For Soulive’s Eric Krasno it was a fitting cap to an amazing fall where his band opened for the Stones three times on their latest foray: in St. Louis, Philadelphia and Atlanta. The Atlantic City gig was a last-minute addition because of a re-scheduling conflict when Euro-poppers The Fray cancelled. The Soulive crew came up all aces even with the debut of their new lead vocalist, Toussaint.

Relix spoke to Krasno after had landed in Florida for a much-deserved mini vacation:

“No matter how big you get as a rock star, stay level-headed,” said Krasno. “They are just nice people. If those guys are that cool then there is no reason for any rock star to have an ego, because those guys invented ‘rock star.’

“Their ability to be together as a band for that long and be able to be out on the road doing it and being into it, is amazing,” Krasno continued. “We’ve been together for eight years and we’ve been through a lot and at times I am amazed that we’re together. Multiply that times five and you have the Stones. We realized that we can be their age and still make records and be into it.”

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