On July 17, the Rolling Stones took stage at Levi’s Stadium for an unforgettable performance in celebration of their latest album, Hackney Diamonds. Amongst a crowd of over 50,000, Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, and Ronnie Wood did not disappoint.
The show intertwined the Stones’ classics, from “Gimme Shelter” to “Paint It, Black,” with newer Hackney Diamonds tracks, from “Angry” to “Mess It Up.” The night even marked the tour debut for two songs: “Far Away Eyes” and “Bite My Head Off.” A full list of the Stones’ recent and upcoming tour dates can be found here.
The Rolling Stones Interact Closely With Bay Area Fans
Earlier in the day, the Stones had prompted fans to participate in pre-show voting to select their favorite of four songs: “Far Away Eyes,” “Dead Flowers,” “Let It Bleed,” and “Sweet Virginia.” The winner, “Far Away Eyes,” was the fifth song that the Stones played at Levi’s. A fan-recorded video of the Stones’ performance to the Some Girls track can be accessed here.
Throughout the performance’s entirety, 80-year-old Jagger also made countless comments specific to the Bay Area. He reminisced on the band’s early performances at the Cow Palace in Daly City back in the ’60s, confidently exclaimed the 49ers would win the next Super Bowl (unlike in the 2024 Super Bowl), and even asked fans where they were commuting from to see the show. “Oakland? San Francisco?” Jagger eagerly shouted. “Sacramento?” With each city he inquired about, fans matched his energy with a roar of applause and screams.
Next, Jagger joked about the difficulty he had faced while traveling to the Bay. “I booked a Waymo to come here,” he began, before explaining it was hit by part of an aircraft and later left with yet another surprise: slashed tires. Ultimately, sitting in the stadium myself, I found all of these crowd interactions to help the overwhelmingly large venue feel quite intimate.
The Rolling Stones At Levi’s: Highlights
I was especially pleased to hear the Stones cover the legendary Bob Dylan’s “Like A Rolling Stone,” not to mention it had only been played once by the band so far this year.
Around halfway into the show, guitarist Richards offered Jagger a moment to rest his voice and sang three songs himself: “You Got The Silver,” “Little T&A,” and “Before They Make Me Run.” Immediately afterwards, the band followed with “Sympathy For The Devil,” meanwhile the stage became splashed by deep red lights, and the surrounding screens with gold slithering snakes. Jagger also reappeared during this time in a new jacket, although this wasn’t his only extravagant costume change of the night.
After the show had seemingly ended, the Stones returned on stage for an encore, performing both “Sweet Sounds Of Heaven” off of Hackney Diamonds and “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction.” Thankfully, the Stones left the stage for their second and final time with approximately five minutes to spare before the stadium’s enforced curfew at 11 p.m. Their exit was bittersweet; the entire band thanked the crowd and left the stage, leaving only Jagger, Richards, and Wood to bathe in the applause for an extra moment.
Only one more date remains left for the Stones until their 2024 tour is concluded. Fans who plan on attending the final performance in Ridgedale, Missouri have a lot to look forward to, especially with the tour’s setlist varying slightly from night to night!
