Willie Phoenix Comfest Set-List Wish-List by Colin G. and Ricki C.

Willie Phoenix will play this Saturday, June 27th, at 5:05 pm on the Bozo (Main) Stage at the 2015 edition of Comfest.  As summer and warm weather bring out the most presumptuous aspects of Colin's & Ricki's personalities, they have seen fit to choose Willie's set-list for him.  They did not confer on their choices and certainly didn't consult Willie.   

Colin G. - Having played and attended countless Comfest shows, I will share my personal philosophy on what kind of set-list works best at the Capital City's biggest festival. Comfest is NOT the show to break out a bunch of new songs or take your crowd on a new direction or a jazz odyssey. Comfest is a show where the crowd consists of:  A) people who haven't seen you in a long time; and B) people who are seeing you for the first time.

So, in my opinion, a Comfest set should be a good representation of your entire career so people get the proper idea of what your band can do best. It's a career-spanning greatest hits list. I'm not saying you can't mix in some new tunes, but don't forget to trot out that old warhorse that your die-hard fans love hearing. Oh, are you are tired of playing that one? Too bad. Just play the damn song and stop being so selfish. Do you think Cheap Trick loves playing "I Want You to Want Me" every single night for 35 years? They play it because the fans love it. It's a two-way street.

Having said that, this is the set-list I would draw up for Willie Phoenix for his Bozo Stage appearance Saturday, June 27th at 5pm.  Ricki is the true Willie expert at Pencilstorm, but here is my two cents.

Fight / My Apartment / Heart Goes Boom / Willie's choice of a new song / She's So Powerful / Hey Little Girl / Willie's choice of a new song / New York Is Burning / Stick with Me / Gasoline

Click here to check out the Willie Phoenix Tribute Machine 

Take it Ricki......

Ricki C. - Willie Phoenix’s Comfest 2015 set begins with rhythm guitarist Kim Crawford knockin’ out the riff to My Apartment on her trusty Fender Tele.  Bassist Myke Rock and drummer Jim Johnson fall flawlessly into the pocket and the band riffs away that way for maybe a full minute before Willie throws in the lead guitar figure while still offstage.  Willie saunters onstage from stage left, knockin’ out the riff, gets to the stage-center mic, throws up his left hand, the band stops on a dime, Willie informs us, “This is my apartment, you can’t tell me what to do, love” and the band is off to the races.  By three minutes later, when Willie is yellin’ “This is my apartment / This is my ROCK & ROLL” the boys & girl have got the Comfest crowd in the palm of their hands, and Willie has once again laid claim to the legacy of Columbus r&r that is rightfully his.

An unseen roadie tosses Willie a harmonica rack from offstage, Willie drops it over his head in one fluid motion and – holy shit! – the band races into Electric Folk Dreamin’ Man from 1990 or so.  They tear through three minutes of prime folk-rock/power-pop, and then – without missin’ a beat – Jim starts poundin’ out a slab of beatdown-boogie and the band snarls into the Z.Z.Top-inspired fever of Heart Goes Boom for ten minutes or so, effortless and rockin’.
 
Willie gives the somewhat stunned & reeling Comfest crowd a little breather after the opening onslaught with that new tune of his that namechecks The Velvet Underground, knocking out taut little lead breaks on his Strat between the verses.  A roadie walks out and switches Willie’s electric for an acoustic and – holy shit, again! – Willie starts singing, “New York is burning, she won’t write / My heart is skipping lunch tonight.”  The Soul Underground falls into line and the four of them bash through an absolutely majestic version of New York Is Burning.  At some point in the song that unnamed roadie sets Willie’s electric out on the stage, on a stand back by Willie’s amp. 

After raving vocally about New York burning, at the end of the tune Willie throws the acoustic to the offstage roadie, picks up his electric and rips into a pyro solo that illustrates & illuminates the title of the tune just like Hendrix did after Dylan’s line “And the wind begins to HOWL” in Jimi’s cover of “All Along The Watchtower.”  Willie solos for three or four minutes; Kim, Myke & Jim bash the song to a close and without any break Willie is off into the inescapable, unstoppable riff to Gloria, and even I have to give him his due and that indulgence after the set he’s pulled off to this point.

Willie keeps Gloria to a taut ten minutes, the band waves goodbye and leaves the stage to a raving response from the Comfest crowd, then Willie walks back onstage alone with a beat-to-shit Ovation acoustic I haven’t seen him use since sometime in the 1970’s.  He launches solo acoustic into a ten-verse autobiographical tune about the decades of his life he’s devoted to rock & roll.  The chorus of the song is “All the places I’ve seen / All the people I’ve been” and it distills all the music Willie has played since the late 1960’s: from The Boppers to Little Eric to Romantic Noise to The Buttons to the A&M Big Band to The Shadowlords to The True Soul Rockers to the unnamed blues bands of the 2000’s right up to and through Blues Hippy & The Soul Underground.

I can’t believe my eyes or ears.  The song is killer. It’s like one of those Rick Rubin productions of Johnny Cash in the American Recordings years.  Willie punctuates the verses with wild harmonica solos from the rack around his neck, and you can’t even keep up with the words & images spilling off of the stage.  There’s no pyrotechnics, no performance, no playin’-behind-his-back, no divin’-into-the-crowd; there’s just a man, his words, his guitar & harp.  It’s mesmerizing.  Willie finishes with a final harmonica solo and the crowd is almost too stunned to respond.  Willie deploys one of his patented grins, flashes a peace sign and walks offstage to rapturous applause.  All the places he’s seen.  All the people he’s been.  I wouldn’t wanna be the act that has to try to follow Willie Phoenix at Comfest. – Ricki C. / June 20th, 2015.    

My Apartment / Electric Folk Dreamin' Man / Heart Goes Boom / Out Of Your Mind / New York Is Burning / Gloria / All The People I've Been 

Below: Willie performing "Heart Go Boom" from the This One's For Andy DVD.

Willie Phoenix - Go Boom. Live from the LC Pavillion in Columbus, Ohio at the Andyman-A-Thon Benefit Concert. November 23, 2010. The first annual Andyman-A-Thon Benefit Concert in November 2010 brought together six of Andyman's favorite local bands for an unforgettable night at the LC Pavilion.

Willie & the Soul Underground performing “Gloria” @ the LC Pavilion, 10/23/2015 (added to blog a few months after Comfest)

Is Owen Gawel the Next Daxx Nielsen? Happy Father's Day from Colin G.

I don't remember the exact date, but I do remember Watershed was opening for Cheap Trick at the Newport Music Hall in Columbus, OH when they were touring behind the under-rated "Woke Up with a Monster" record. We were waiting in the wings to load our gear and the Trick had just fished sound-checking with a thunderous version of "Let Her Go" from said album.

As they finished, somebody mentioned it was Father's Day and each member dropped everything and went to one another and wished each other a Happy Father's Day with a heartfelt hug. And I don't mean briefly: Rick shook Tom's hand and they hugged, Robin shook Rick's hand and they hugged and so on. I think Bun did the same with everybody but I only remember the guys at the front of the stage. 

At this point I was 24 years old, playing 200 shows a year and parenthood was quite possibly the very last thing on my mind. (Unless trying to avoid it counts) Yet, here was my all time favorite band hugging each other in full view and wishing each other Happy Father's Day.  

It was so not rock n roll. It was also one of the coolest things I had ever seen. It was obvious that these guys cared deeply about being parents. Hell, I didn't even know they had kids. To me, they were just rock n roll super heroes who just endlessly roamed the globe playing to packed houses every night. I heard that one of the guys from the Elvis Brothers might have been related to Robin, but that was just a rumor. I digress.......

Anyway, if you have been a fan of Watershed, read the book Hitless Wonder, visited Pencilstorm or chatted with me at Colin's Coffee or a bar, you are painfully aware how big of Cheap Trick fan I am. As such, I couldn't help but notice that while losing an all-time great drummer like Bun E. Carlos is a blow, replacing him with Rick's son Daxx was a masterstroke. Cheap Trick is in his DNA and it shows. Bun E. is a legend, but Daxx has brought a whole new energy to the band. If you need proof, Check out the recent set list from Red Rocks.

Hmmm…..I got to thinking.....drums are a very physical instrument. Sooner or later even the very best wear out and have to stop touring. (Except Charlie Watts.) Never hurts to plan ahead just in case.  Hopefully it's years away, but if Cheap Trick can thrive with Daxx Nielsen on the stool, perhaps Watershed could have a similar renaissance with Owen Gawel in the year 2027? 

Owen is just 11 years old and though he has never had a drum lesson, he has had access to a full-band rehearsal room in our basement since he was four. A couple times a week he puts down the baseball/basketball, picks up some sticks and head downstairs to play along to some AC/DC. This year at the end of 5th grade, some talented girls in his class heard he could play drums and asked him to sit in with them as they played "Faithfully" (Journey ) for a school assembly.

I was thinking, "'Faithfully,' in front of your boys with a bunch of girls? Dude, prepare for beatings on the playground."

O was unfazed. "Sure, I'll do it. It's a gig." 

That's my boy. Now get cracking on "5th of July" And then get those dirty clothes off the floor before Mom gets home.

Below: Owen playing for the very first time in front of his elementary school.

Below that: Daxx playing with his Dad and some of his Dad's friends in front of a bunch of boozed up gamblers. Both are tough crowds.   

Happy Father's Day  from all of us at Pencilstorm. Colin Gawel.

Owen, Eva, Arianna and Rylee perform Faithfully at Wickliffee Town Meeting. 5th grade .Kathy Zelnick directs.

Cheap Trick - Lookout - Enoch, AB 03/26/10

Ricki C. on 614 Cast Talking About Seeing Bob Dylan Electric @ Vet's in 1965. Wow.

If you haven't checked out the new Six One Four Cast it's time to give it a listen. Click the link below to hear Colin asking Ricki C. about seeing Bob Dylan on his first electric tour at the now demolished Veteran's Memorial here in Cbus. This is essential listening for all rock n roll fans. It will be the best 5 minutes you spend today.

Click here for Colin and Ricki C. talking Bob Dylan on the 614 Cast.

Click here to read Ricki's "Dylan in '65" Growing Old With Rock & Roll blog entry

Click here to read "They Are Tearing Down Vet's Memorial Pt 5: The New York Dolls" by Ricki C.

Hard Core Devo Live @ the Gateway Theater Reelin' & Rockin' Movie Series This Wednesday - by Ricki C.

I never really had a lot of fan involvement with Devo.  One Friday night in 1976 a couple of my reprobate Service Merchandise buddies & I made a road trip to Akron to catch ‘em at a bar after I read a feature about them in New York Rocker (my rock & roll Bible after the sad, slow demise into irrelevancy that Creem magazine began in 1975 or so).

The Mothersbaugh & Casale brothers were all right that night, but included a synthesizer in the set, and I think our final conclusion was: “They’re kinda art-y.”  “Kinda art-y” was a kiss of death pronouncement in our West Side rocker eyes.  We were guitars ‘n’ drum boys.  

I will say this, though: in our current era of mega-bands like The Who and The Rolling Stones criss-crossing America playing their Greatest Hits to the classic-rock throngs in gynormous arenas & stadiums, I have to admire Devo for making a film of themselves playing their LEAST POPULAR SONGS from 40 years ago.  It's a pretty interesting and impressive concept.  (Although it is still "kinda art-y.")  

You can learn everything you have ever wanted to know about early Devo – before they became, in Colin’s words “just another pop band on MTV playing ‘Workin’ In A Coal Mine’ and wearing red flowerpots on their heads” – at this month’s Reelin’ & Rockin’ at the Gateway presentation of Hard Core Devo Live, this Wednesday, June 17: happy hour at 7 pm, movie to follow at 8 pm.  Be there or be a mongoloid.  (That is a Devo reference, do not send us PC letters at Pencilstorm.) – Ricki C. / June 13th, 2015

It's not gonna come as a surprise to anybody who reads Pencilstorm that Ricki C. is a grouchy, 62-year old who hates synthesizers (and art) with a passion.  That does not mean this Devo movie isn't great.  Give it a chance. - Colin G.

FIVE THIN LIZZY ALBUMS THAT SHOULD BE IN YOUR RECORD COLLECTION - BY SCOTT CARR

Hailing from Dublin, Ireland and best known for their classic rock anthem "The Boys Are Back In Town," Thin Lizzy has a loyal & passionate fan base, but at the same time they are one of the most overlooked and underrated bands in rock history. Thin Lizzy left behind a catalog of music that spans 12 studio albums from 1971 to 1983. Led by charismatic singer, bassist and chief songwriter Phil Lynott, Thin Lizzy definitely left their mark on the music world, but they should have been huge.

I thought I would take a quick look at the five albums that I think best tell the story of Thin Lizzy and give those who are just casually familiar with their music a reason to look deeper.

1. Thin Lizzy (1971)

The Irish rockers first album was released in April of 1971. The band was a trio at this point with Phil Lynott on bass & lead vocals, Brian Downey on drums, and Eric Bell on guitar. Many die-hard Thin Lizzy fans site this record as one of their best....if not their best, but it is only a glimpse of what the band would eventually become. The album is deeply rooted in heavy blues- rock and it would take a few more records before Thin Lizzy would develop their own signature sound. Several great tracks are on the record, including "Honesty Is No Excuse" which was recently covered by Aimee Mann's new band The Both. This line up of Thin Lizzy would record two more records and scored their first major hit with a rock version of the traditional Irish song "Whiskey In The Jar." Phil Lynott was very proud of his Irish heritage and it can be heard in his early lyrics, most notably in a non-album track from this period entitled "Dublin," Although not loaded with the "hits," Thin Lizzy's debut album is essential listening.

Thin Lizzy 1971.

2. Fighting (1975)

Guitarist Eric Bell left Thin Lizzy at the end of 1973 due to health issues and was briefly replaced by Gary Moore. After Gary Moore left, Phil Lynott decided to expand the band to two guitars: eventually Brian Robertson & Scott Gorham joined and this would become what is considered to be the classic line-up of Thin Lizzy. This line-up's first album was 1974's "Nightlife" but the band really began to hit their stride with the following years' "Fighting." "Fighting" begins with an amped-up version of Bob Seger's "Rosalie" and also features some of the bands strongest material to date, including "Suicide," "Wild One," "Fighting My Way Back," "Freedom Song" and "For Those Who Love To Live". The twin guitar harmony sound that the band is known for began with this record and Phil Lynott's poetic lyrics took a leap forward. With "Fighting" Thin Lizzy finally nailed down their own unique sound and in some ways this album feels like a proper debut album.

3. Jailbreak (1976)

1976's "Jailbreak" became the band's international breakthrough album and would forever cement their place in the history of rock music. "Jailbreak" blends all the elements that make Thin Lizzy special and presents them flawlessly. The album plays like a greatest hits album, not a bad song in the bunch. "The Boys Are Back In Town" became the band's biggest hit and propelled them to arena rock status. The album also features other Thin Lizzy classics, including the title track, along with "The Cowboy Song" and "Emerald."  Unfortunately the band was not able to fully capitalize on the success of "Jailbreak" and its follow-up "Johnny The Fox" as they had to cancel tours due to Phil Lynott's poor health. And to make matters worse, Brian Robertson suffered a hand injury preventing him from playing for a time too. Guitarist Gary Moore was brought in and the band would tour the States with Queen at the beginning of 1977. Robertson would eventually return to the band on a limited basis and the classic Thin Lizzy line- up would release one last studio album - "Bad Reputation" - before officially splitting with Robertson for good. The band would never match the success of "Jailbreak" but continued to tour and made several more great albums along the way. 

Classic Thin Lizzy line up 1976.

4. Black Rose: A Rock Legend (1979)

I would hate to pick just one Thin Lizzy album to own, but if it came down to that I would choose "Black Rose: A Rock Legend" over any of them. By 1979 guitarist Gary Moore had become an official member of the band and "Black Rose" was the first time he was completely involved with a Thin Lizzy record. Gary's presence on this project is evident and made for a very exciting return to form for the band. Opening with pounding drums and Thin Lizzy's signature dual lead guitars, "Do Anything You Want To" begins "Black Rose" in grand fashion. Next up, another classic Thin Lizzy tune "Toughest Street In Town" featuring great soloing from Moore and Gorham. By this time Phil Lynott's lyrics had mostly moved away from his earlier Celtic flavored themes and became much more personal. One of his more personal songs on this record is "My Sarah" which was written for his daughter and the second song he had written with the name Sarah in the title. The first was "Sarah": written for Lynott's grandmother, which appeared on Thin Lizzy's second album - "Shades of a Blue Orphanage." With Lynott's health issues & drug/alcohol use very public the song "Got To Give It Up" hits very close to home, it's almost like self-intervention. Other highlights include "Waiting On An Alibi," "Get Out Of Here," "With Love," and the epic closing track "Roisin Dubh (Black Rose): A Rock Legend," which harkens back to Lynott's love of Celtic themes and is one of Thin Lizzy's most majestic-sounding tunes. This is the first Thin Lizzy album I ever owned and if any of their albums deserves five stars it is this one.

Thin Lizzy with Gary Moore.

"Black Rose" Produced by Tony Visconti.

5. Thunder and Lightning (1983)

"Thunder and Lightning" is the final studio record from Thin Lizzy and the only one to feature guitarist John Sykes. Sykes joined the band after most of the material had been written for the record and replaced guitarist Snowy White, who had replaced Gary Moore in 1980. Most fans consider this to be Thin Lizzy's heavy-metal record and that is mainly because of Sykes' guitar style. Thin Lizzy had expanded to a five piece by this time with the addition of keyboard player Darren Wharton, who had joined on the previous year's "Renegade" album. Heavy on soaring guitar solos and well-written melodic songs "Thunder and Lightning" ends Thin Lizzy's recording history on a high note. Stand out tracks include "Cold Sweat," "This Is The One," "The Holy War," "Baby Please Don't Go," "Bad Habits," and of course the title track. The band would embark on a farewell tour after the album's release and went their separate ways by the end of 1983. Sadly, not long after the final tour, Phil Lynott became very ill from years of drug & alcohol abuse and died at the age of 36, in January of 1986. Lynott had hoped to do one more Thin Lizzy record and even had booked studio time for the project. It wasn't meant to be. "Thunder and Lightning" would be the final chapter.

_________________________________________________

Check out the YouTube links below for some of my favorite Thin Lizzy tunes from the records above. Also check out the link for the Thin Lizzy "Behind The Music" episode, very sad and one of the best in the series.

Once Colin G. gets Cheap Trick inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, I may have to persuade him to start a new band: "Why Isn't Thin Lizzy In The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame" has a nice ring to it......

Scott Carr is a guitarist who plays in the Columbus, OH  bands Radio Tramps and Returning April. Scott is also an avid collector of vinyl records and works at Lost Weekend Records. So...if you are looking for Scott....you'll either find him in a dimly lit bar playing his guitar or in a record store digging for the holy grail.

Honesty is no Excuse from Thin Lizzy's debut album "Thin Lizzy". Video is a collection of early Thin Lizzy photos, some solo shots of Phil and finally his statue and headstone in Dublin. This is one of my favorite songs and the only other version I found on YouTube was poor quality.

Uploaded by Ola J. on 2012-03-22.

Live At National Stadium Dublin 1975 1975 National Stadium Line up:- Phil Lynott - Bass/vocals Scott Gorham - Guitar Brian Downey - Drums Brian Robertson - Guitar

Lyrics & Information Since SHAYMCN2's account has been closed, uploading some of his videos until he gets back for the benefit of all us fans. This comes from the band's 1975 album 'Fighting'. Lyrics : Wild one wont you please come home You've been away too long, will ya?

Incredible Lizzy performance from the Jailbreak tour lineup it don't get much better than this!!! Check out the full 4 song set at http://youtu.be/QreSqOBDPWI

From Jailbreak (1976). I am just a cowboy, lonesome in the trail. Starry night, campfire light, and the coyote calls where the howlin' winds will. So I ride out to the ol' sundown. I am just a cowboy, lonesome on the trail. Lord I'm just thinking about a certain female.

Uploaded by Countdown Chart History on 2014-06-19.

Musica do THIN LIZZY - Got to Give it up Album Black Rose April 1979 Thin Lizzy foi uma banda de hard rock da Irlanda, formanda em Dublin no ano de 1969.

2013 JANUARY 15 Thank you all ! You can watch "Remember Lizzy" The Greek tribute band /watch?v=IfKADk-lWik I like to re-make good old videos , and give you music pleasure . This one is the 1978`s studio version , in a different studio video .

Off Black Rose: A Rock Legend (1979).

Thin Lizzy - With Love My ultimate fav. Enjoy!

Live at the Regal Theatre Hitchin, London 1983

Thin Lizzy - Holy War Regal Theatre, Hitchin, UK, 1983 Enjoy!

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Rolling Stones Cbus Review by Stones Fan Jim Hutter

Click here to read Stones review by non fan Pete Vogel

THE ROLLING STONES
Ohio Stadium
May 30, 2015

By Jim Hutter    

It is a rare occurrence when two iconic ‘60's rock bands play Columbus within two weeks of one another, but that is exactly what happened when The Who and The Rolling Stones came to town in late May.  Many would argue that both bands are far past their prime, with neither having made a genuinely great album in over 30 years.  Also, factor in that founding members of both bands are over 70 years of age, and it is easy to see why even the most ardent fan would have reservations about these British Invasion greats still touring 50 years after their initial breakthrough.  Still, how often do Central Ohio residents get to see these musical legends?  For that very reason, I made a pilgrimage to see The Rolling Stones play Ohio Stadium on May 30, 2015.

I admittedly prefer small nightclub performances to stadium shows, because I enjoy the intimacy of seeing musical performers as human beings.  Sitting in C-Deck of Ohio Stadium, one could see the massive stage setup below.  It included gigantic video screens and a 100-foot runway for singer Mick Jagger to strut his stuff.  With his 72nd birthday rapidly approaching, would Jagger still have the athletic prowess to grace us with his fleet feet and soulful shouting?  The answer came pretty quickly, and it was a very pleasant surprise.

After much fanfare of overblown theme music and a photo montage on the giant television monitors, Ohio Stadium was graced with the sound of Keith Richards pounding out the opening chords of “Jumping’ Jack Flash.”  Jagger leapt to the occasion, dancing down the runway like a junior James Brown while belting some fine British blues.  Close-ups of the singer on the video screens were revealing.  While Jagger possesses an appropriately craggy countenance, his trim build and visible six-pack abs are stunning.  He would be considered in great shape for a man 40 years his junior. The man still has it!

Next in line was a rousing take of “It’s Only Rock ‘n’ Roll (But I Like It).”  If anything, this song is anthemic.  With a seventies-centered set list, the song is symbolic of everything The Rolling Stones stood for during that decade.  Self-indulgent lifestyles aside, the band’s music remained unpretentious, raw, and blues-based.  Jagger & Richards never attempted to write profound or poetic songs, nor did their music ever take itself too seriously.  Instead, The Stones have lived up to the self-fulfilling prophecy of this song for over 40 years.  God bless them for it!

Admittedly, there was a bit of pandering to audience expectations.  Recognizing that he was in the heart of Ohio, Mick Jagger led the audience in a sing-along of “Hang on, Sloopy.”  It was calculated and corny, but not out of character for The Rolling Stones.  Just remember that the original band cut their teeth by almost exclusively recording American rhythm and blues covers.  “Sloopy” was cut from this same cloth.

Some pleasant surprises from the Brian Jones era were in store.  First was the 1967 hit “Let’s Spend the Night Together.”  It was beautifully driven by sideman Chuck Leavell’s boogie piano and Charlie Watts’ four beats-to-the-bar drumming.  Charlie was awfully good tonight - not unlike Mick Jagger’s observation on the 1970 live album, “Get Yer Ya Ya’s Out.”

After rocking “Tumbling Dice” into “Doom and Gloom,” the band swaggered out with the horn-driven “Bitch.”  On this tour, the soulful saxophones were provided by Karl Denson and Tim Reis, who have replaced the recently-departed Bobby Keyes.  “Bitch” was one of three classics taken from the recently-reissued 1971 album, “Sticky Fingers.”  The others were “Wild Horses” and “Brown Sugar,” alternating melancholy with forceful lust.  Ron Wood handled the smooth Mick Taylor solos with warmth and grace.

Another visit to the British Invasion was “Paint It Black.”  It was somewhat surprising to see Ron Wood twanging away on an electric sitar, recreating the same licks played by Brian Jones in 1966.  Propelled by strip-club drums and theatrical organ, the sonic onslaught was no less thrilling than it was some 49 years ago.

After the Charlie Watts’ percussive punch of “Honky Tonk Women,” Keith Richards took center stage and intoned two of his classics, “Before They Make Me Run” and “Happy.”  At 71, the man does not look a day over 95 and rocks with more balls than many musicians under 30.  I am convinced he is the Human Cockroach and will outlive us all.

When Jagger returned to the stage, he launched into the 1968 drama piece, “Midnight Rambler.”  As the seasoned bluesman sang, “Did you hear about the Boston Strangler,” Charlie Watts laid down one of his exploding floor tom attacks.  An avid fan in the audience could be heard exclaiming, “Goddamn!” with timing perfectly matching the tempo on “Get Yer Ya Ya’s Out.”  It was a perfect complement to a near-perfect song.

The band paid homage to the disco years with a funky “Miss You” from the 1978 classic Some Girls.  Sideman Darryl Jones, who has been with Stones for over 22 years, laid down the perfect slapped bass line as he joked and jostled with Keith Richards.  Why isn’t he considered a full-fledged band member?  He is truly amazing on the four-string and deserves to be considered the proper successor to Bill Wyman.

A highlight of the night was “Gimme Shelter.”  As backing vocalist Lisa Fischer broke away from her harmony partner Bernard Fowler, she stole the show by taking the runway and belting the female vocal solo in a manner that was equal parts angelic gospel and Aretha Franklin soulful.  Ms. Fischer received a well-deserved standing ovation.

As fireworks exploded from behind the stage, Mick, Keef, Charlie, and Woody charged forward with “Start Me Up.”  The pyrotechnics continued with “Sympathy for the Devil.”  With hellfire projected onto the video screens, Jagger crooned the tale of ol’ Beelzebub while donning a crimson feather boa.  Keith recreated his dirty slide guitar solo with menace.  The performance was almost frightening.

“Brown Sugar” - with prerequisite out-of-tune Keith Richards’ chording - closed the main set.  The first encore was “You Can’t Always Get What You Want,” augmented by members of The Ohio University Chorale.  The prim & proper choir beautifully contrasted with the dirt and grit of “The World’s Greatest Rock Band.”

Our gentlemen of distinction closed down the night with their 50-year-old signature song, “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction.”  While some would argue that their performance was a clichéd self-parody, there was no doubting the “satisfying” effect upon the crowd.  While the performance was rawer and featured more sophisticated instrumentation than the original British Decca recording, it still sounded great, allowing Jagger, Richards, Watts, and Wood to go out on top.

Much like The Who, The Rolling Stones know very well that their best days are behind them, but they still know how to put on one amazing show.  Wishing for the impossible, it would have been great to see them in 1965, 1969, 1972, or 1978, but I will gladly take 2015.  It was that good.