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Posted by WRH on February 18, 1999 at 06:09:40:
http://www.in-forum.com/cgi-bin/artserv/a_get_3.pl?s=17448
Review: Stones give concert-goers 'Satisfaction'
By Tom Pantera
The Forum - 02/18/1999
It was only rock 'n' roll, but a sellout crowd Wednesday at the Fargodome liked it.
Actually, the 22,200 people there loved it. They were carried away on huge, bluesy waves of it.
The Rolling Stones showed why, in a business that often seems dependent on marketing more than art, on glitter more than talent, they have endured for 37 years.
And they did it in front of probably the most varied crowd ever to attend a Fargodome concert. There were people who first saw the Mick Jagger and the boys sing censored lyrics on the Ed Sullivan Show. There were kids who may sleep through grade school this morning.
The Stones took the stage at 9:20 a.m. with an energetic, yet controlled version of "Jumpin' Jack Flash."
The show was a mix of classics and newer material.
At center stage for nearly all of it, of course, was Jagger. He moved in his patented style, sometimes strutting like a dissipated rooster and other times moving with sinewy, serpentine grace.
There was precious little patter between numbers. Jagger said only that he was happy to be in Fargo for the first time.
The show also belonged to guitarist Keith Richards, whose heavily blues-influenced guitar provided an instrumental counterpoint to Jagger's preening.
The other two band members were much quieter. Even in his faster work guitarist Ron Wood seemed deceptively relaxed, sometimes playing with a cigarette stuck between the fingers of his right hand. Drummer Charlie Watts kept up a driving beat that could be felt in the pit of the stomach, but with his poker face and polo shirt he looked like somebody's dad who had wandered onstage.
Some of the relatively new numbers fired up the crowd. A punkish Jagger's singing, dripping with disdain, fit perfectly with the lyrics of "Respectable." And the sarcastic gospel of "Saint of Me" showed how effortlessly the Stones can rock out.
But the most enthusiastic response - and sometimes performance - came on the classics.
A raunchy, sensuous version of "Honky Tonk Woman" gave Jagger a chance for some sexy byplay with backup singer Linda Fischer and had the crowd singing along.
"Paint It Black" showcased Richards' more delicate instrumental technique in the intro, but built to a driving end from Wood's dramatic guitar.
By the time the Stones got to "Tumbling Dice" and "It's Only Rock 'n' Roll" near the end of their two-hour set, they were loose and showed no signs of tiring.
If most of the evening belonged to one of rock's classic acts, the opening belonged to a rising star - Fargo's own Jonny Lang.
Lang is justly famous for his guitar virtuosity. Even a cursory listen shows that his talent is not just a matter of study or technique. It's something more than that, a touch given only to a lucky few people.
But there's more to Lang than talent on the guitar.
He also has a strong voice that isn't overpowered by the instruments underneath it. He might be barely old enough to vote, but when he sings it sounds like he's channeling for some old, delta bluesman. There are more smoke and years in that voice than he should be allowed to show.
And on Wednesday, Lang also showed stage presence beyond his years. He more than held his own against backup band members old enough to be his father.
Much of his set was traditional blues, the form in which Lang already has made his mark.
But there were flashes of other kinds of talent as well, like his acoustic treatment of "Breakin' Me," a pretty number that's probably as close as he'll ever come to pop music. Lang also played an uptempo funk number and a smoldering version of "Lie to Me," the title song from his first CD.
Lang received a warm welcome from the hometown crowd, but they weren't just applauding his origins. He earned the applause with rare talent.
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Rolling Stones roll some bowling balls in Fargo
Jim Shaw
WDAY TV Script - 02/17/1999
Najla/WDAY News:
It's the night Rolling Stones fans have been waiting for for a long time. The band's first ever concert in North Dakota. The concert starts in less than two hours, and many people, including our own Jim Shaw can hardly wait. Jim is live at the Fargodome with the latest. Jim?
Jim/WDAY News:
Marv and Najla what do rock stars do in Fargo before the show? They go bowling. Mick Jagger, his kids, and others in his entourage bowled a few strings last night at the West Acres bowl. These pictures were taken by a security camera there, as Mick and a colleague ordered a pizza. Jagger reserved six lanes, while the rest of the lanes were filled by awe-struck bowlers taking part in their Tuesday night league.
Steve Foss/West Acres Bowl:
When he walked in the door, basically all 32 lanes just stopped. Everybody knew as soon as he walked in his presence, and all of a sudden you could just see the idle hushes and the whispering and electricity just grew from there. It was real exciting.
Jim/WDAY News:
Marv and Najla, we can also tell you that Mick Jagger is not a bad bowler, as his scores were 110 and 152.
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http://www.northscape.com/news/docs/0218/27918BD.htm
Published: Thursday, February 18, 1999
Mick Jagger tells 20,000 fans he's pleased finally to be in Fargo
Jonny Lang performer and Fargo native
By David Knutson
Herald Staff Writer
FARGO -- Keith Richards' opening bars of "Jumpin' Jack Flash" ignited a Fargodome audience Wednesday night as the Rolling Stones took the stage for a night of old and new music before more than 20,000 fans, young and old.
The Stones played about two hours worth of hits from their past, such as "Honky Tonk Women" and "It's Only Rock 'n' Roll," and dusted off some lesser-known gems like "Memory Motel" and "Sweet Virginia."
Front man Mick Jagger, who was spotted bowling the night before with his children, told the crowd he was pleased to be in town.
"I'm very happy for the first time in my life to be in Fargo," he said between songs.
Nod to country
The band moved smoothly through a variety of songs, showcasing their blues roots and their own substantial rock legacy and even offering a nod to country influences.
An animated Jagger worked the audience with energy and sly charm developed over a career that nearly spans the history of rock music itself.
Richards, in a leopard print shirt and with a chain dangling from his belt, hovered dangerously around the stage, holding his guitar as though it were a loaded weapon.
For opening act Jonny Lang, the show was a long way from Griggs Landing, the Grand Forks bar where he played weekend dates only four years ago.
But Lang's performance proved he retains the blues influence of his early days. He delivered a blistering display of guitar-driven blues with material from his current album, "Wander This World," as well as older songs.
With a voice sounding many years beyond his 18, he delivered "It's Still Raining," "Lie to Me," and the acoustic "Breakin' Me" with wrenching soul.
"It's good to be home," Lang told the audience. "Everybody, thanks for coming out."
The crowd itself bore closer resemblance to an NDSU Bison football audience than typical rock fans. Most were middle-aged folks whose memories of the Stones' music went back many years.
Legends
"They're legends," said Jane Porter of Fargo when asked why she came to the show. "And I want to see Jonny Lang."
Porter was accompanied by Barb Anderson, who said her son was a classmate of Lang's in Fargo. Anderson said she began listening to the Stones' music in the 1970s. Her own children like their music.
"My kids even wanted to come tonight," she said.
The show also attracted Wayne and Donna Bosch from Bismarck.
"We really like their music, the variety," Wayne said.
Asked if the Stones were too old to be touring, Wayne shook his head.
"That's what makes them good," he said. "Being older, they have a lot of experience and practice."