No one rocks like The Rolling Stones: Mick Jagger, band thrill on Hackney Diamonds Tour

HOUSTON − It’s not only stunning, but it's somewhat miraculous that more than 60 years after their first tour, the Rolling Stones are still filling stadiums.

It’s even more head-spinning to realize that along with their treasured hits, the Rolling Stones are enhancing their set list with a trio of songs from last year’s well-received “Hackney Diamonds” – their first album of original material in 18 years and the impetus for this 16-city tour.

We’d call it a victory lap, but frontman Mick Jagger is better suited for marathons.

At the kickoff Sunday at NRG Stadium in Houston, the core triumvirate of Jagger, Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood – along with their supporting cast of exceptional musicians and singers – hit the massive stage to the sounds of Richards’ slashing out the riff of, fittingly, “Start Me Up.”

Jagger, the nimble CEO of Stones Inc., peacocked in a silver shimmering jacket, his elastic legs a mere pedestal for his rotating torso.

Richards, still owning his disheveled pirate look with a knit cap and multicolored scarf dangling from his hip, and Wood, grinning continuously and occasionally scampering down the lengthy catwalk, retained their roles as faithful consiglieres.

There isn’t a patch of smooth facial skin among them (Jagger and Richards are 80 and Wood is 76). But with the energy to plow through an 18-song, two-hour set – yes, shorter than previous Stones shows, but still fulfilling – no one is looking to crown them pageant winners.

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While the band needed a couple of songs to fully find their groove – the striding cadence of a reworked “Get Off Of My Cloud” and a ramshackle “Rocks Off” felt curious rather than robust – Jagger compensated with his riveting presence and still-supple vocals.

Along with the “Hackney Diamonds” songs plucked for their major live debuts (the band played a few of the new tracks at an intimate New York club gig in October), including the feisty “Angry” and encore of gospelized “Sweet Sounds of Heaven,” the 1966 tune “Out of Time” also received its U.S. debut. The band revived it last year during some performances for the overseas Sixty tour.

“I don’t think you really knew it, but you got to know it,” Jagger said with a smile after leading the nearly full stadium through the arm-waving chorus.

As typical for a Rolling Stones production, the stage ran the width of the stadium, blanketed with screens beaming images of the band with magnificent clarity. Close-ups of drummer Steve Jordan, who assumed rhythm duties after the death of original drummer Charlie Watts in 2021, joyfully thundering through the gem “Paint It, Black” and birthday boy Chuck Leavell ripping out a fleet-fingered solo on his Yamaha keyboard on “Honky Tonk Women” offered fans a peek at the magic happening a few feet behind Jagger and Co.

During the always-visceral “Sympathy for the Devil,” as serpents and fire crawled across the screens, Jagger prowled through the sinister groove, augmented by percussion provided by background vocalist Bernard Fowler and chunky bass lines from Darryl Jones.

Keyboardist Matt Clifford added French horn to “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” as Jagger, playing an acoustic guitar, strolled through the message of acquiescence that escalated into a gospel throwdown.

The horn duo of Karl Denson and Tim Ries coated many familiar anthems – “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” and “Miss You” among them – with their rich brass sounds. But, as fans have realized over the decades, the ominous “Gimme Shelter” remains a centerpiece of any Rolling Stones concert, and Jagger has a new onstage playmate in powerhouse background vocalist Chanel Haynes.

The woman who starred as Tina Turner in the West End musical of Turner’s life and officially became part of the band last year steamrolled through “Gimme Shelter” with a voice blaring attitude and vigor. As she and Jagger strolled the catwalk, sharing vocals and chemistry, Jagger wisely backed off a couple of times, allowing Haynes to unleash her theatrical verve.

But this is still Jagger’s circus, and whether he’s bobbing like a jittery prizefighter or wiggling his shoulders like the world’s most slender Chippendales dancer, he is an octogenarian who captivates.

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The band has enlisted various openers throughout the tour. In Houston, blues-rock guitar ace – and Texas native – Gary Clark Jr. landed the opening-night slot and for 45 minutes enchanted the mostly full stadium.

With a large band – five musicians, three background vocalists – behind him, Clark was the epitome of cool in dark shades and a bandanna as he took the stage with “Maktub” from his recently released fourth album, “JPEG Raw.”

Clark is a big name for an opener (then again, it is the Rolling Stones) and he used his time well with massive licks on the crunch rockers “Bright Lights” and “This is Who We Are,” with singer Naala joining him.

The soul-inflected “Feed the Babies” seared as a set highlight as the singer/guitarist displayed sizzling playing and a breezy vibe for the crowd.