235 -- The Rolling Stones -- Friday, May 31, 2019 -- FedEx Field -- Landover, MD

Arriving at the show without artificial tears days after a punishing PRK eye surgery was not a great start.  What was great was Brent, the guy I ended up standing next to.  He had been to more concerts of 80s bands than I had heard of 80s bands!!  His dad also went to Frost-Woodson, and he informed me that there used to be a first-rate Record-Tape Exchange in the shopping center across from Fair City Mall.  I had no clue?!

The Rolling Stones charged out of the gate with “Jumpin’ Jack Flash."  (Texting Evan Davis and Kyle West about a memorable William and Mary version of it added to the fun.)  

The concert had been postponed since Mick Jagger needed to have surgery on his vocal cords.  The surgery worked wonders; he sounded totally clear!  

Aww at the group of 20-somethings behind me flipping out throughout “It’s Only Rock and Roll (But I Like It).”  

“Tumbling Dice” had an easygoing charm to it.  

“You’ve Got Me Rockin’” featured multiple solid solos from Keith.

Awwww, some local requested “Mercy Mercy,” a song they haven’t played live since Hyde Park in 1969!!  Hahaha at the falsetto section — good for Mick!

Mick asks who’s here from so many specific places in the area, including Fairfax?!?!  I would never have pegged The Rolling Stones as a band to do homework?!  There was zero need for Mick to do that, and he did it anyway.  *Respect.*

Hahahaha at the ~23 year old behind me flipping out for “Rocks Off”: “THAT’S MY SONG!” The fact that the band chose it from this online fan vote that they display in a screen wordle makes it even better.

Hahaha at all the (endearingly) bad singers around me during “You Can’t Always Get What You Want.”

“Angie”: not as good Angie Bryl as a person, but it was still nice to hear.

This twinkly version of “Let It Bleed” was tepid.  Was it co-written by Randy Newman?

In retrospect, the last song seemed like a bit of an intentional wingman because “Sympathy for the Devil” had it all!!!  Hypnotizing doot doo at the start and throughout, seven separate ways of representing red......wow.

“Honky Tonk Woman” continued the fun.

“Tomorrow’s the 4th of July.  We used to just have fireworks; now we have tanks on the lawn.” Heh at the mixed chorus of cheers and boos.

Hahaha at the moment Mick trotted out the burgundy-and-gold-clad drummer and said, “Introducing the Redskins’ new mascot, Charlie Watts!”

“Slipping Away” is lackluster.

“Miss You” is better, especially the extended bass and sax sections.

Awww at the guy in front of me leaving an open line on his phone so someone could hear it and the fact that two separate fans grabbed my shoulders to bond during separate songs!!!

I hadn’t expected “Paint It Black” to hang in one place almost the entire song. That said, it was an enjoyably moody place, one well worth going to.

Ugh at having to leaving early since the Metro now closes earlier.  Sad to miss “Gimme Shelter” and “Satisfaction,” but they’re not worth an Uber surcharge worth more than the price of the ticket itself.....  

The irony of “Start Me Up” being the song I leave on...

Still though: definitely glad I went.  They’re pros.  76 and still got it!!

Grade: A-

Update: I ended up making it to the Metro in plenty of time, but that was not the end of my concert experience.  That’s because the person who dashed onto the train next to me was Alejandro Cortes.  Having been to 19 countries and 49 states, I’ve been on a lot of buses and trains.  This has meant a lot of interesting conversations.  Few have been as gripping as this one, though, as we tore through topics like Keith Richards tore through chords. 

Alejandro started by sharing how he waited until the last possible second to leave the concert.  He insisted he could not be denied “Gimme Shelter,” so as soon as he got enough of a hit, he sprinted the 20-minute walk back.  When he arrived, he nearly fainted.  Someone with that level of commitment is someone worth talking to.  It was remarkable the number of things we found out we had in common: Spain, Mexico, Pearl Jam, Bruce Springsteen, his wife is a teacher / he’s a software engineer, I’m a teacher / Hark’s a software engineer, etc.  He also once lived in my building in Crystal City! (He now lives a stop away in Pentagon City.)

After years of bus/train rides, I’ve made peace with the fact that I will never speak to those people again, no matter how gripping the conversations become.  I’ve understood that short-lived connections can still be meaningful ones.  The unexpected difference this time was the connection has actually continued.  He asked for the spelling of Verbicar, we sent each other Facebook messages, and I hope to see his band, Sonic Castaways, at some future show!

Revised Grade: A