Rolling Stones Tickets, Rolling Stones San Francisco

As always, I was unable to get any decent tickets at Ticketmaster, so I went to eBay to get my Rolling Stones tickets where I can always find great seats at great prices.  I am going to be sitting about 25 rows from the stage, about at 2nd base.  I wonder if Manny Trillo or Robby Thompson will be there with me.

I am only 33, so I guess the Rolling Stones have been touring long before I was born.  Before eBay, before the internet, before lite beer, hell was it before Hawaii was even a state?  Regardless, I am going to be seeing them for the first time this week at SBC Park, home of my beloved San Francisco Giants.  I have seen dozens of games there including the Red Sox, Dodgers, Cubs, Angels, etc and even a few concerts (Green Bay, Brice Springsteen and Dave Matthews come to mind.  But I have never seen the Stones.  This is my Dad's band!

The Rolling Stones are currently touring North America in support of the recently released CD "A Bigger Bang." On Nov. 11, the band will release "Rarities: 1971-2003," a set that consists of 16 remixes, rare b-sides and hard-to-find live recordings.  I am sure I will not buy it, but I had to plus it.

They appear to have several remaining shows in the US remaining on their tour, so maybe you can enjoy them where you live.

This was the set list from the Hollywood Bowl show earlier this month:

Start Me Up
Shattered
She's So Cold
Tumbling Dice
Rough Justice
Rain Fall Down
It Won't Take Long
Bitch
Night Time Is The Right Time
Slipping Away (Keith)
Infamy (Keith)
You Got Me Rocking (front stage)
As Tears Go By (front stage)
Get Off Of My Cloud (front stage)
Sympathy For The Devil
Paint It Black
Honky Tonk Women
Brown Sugar
Satisfaction

You Can't Always Get What You Want (encore)
Jumping Jack Flash (encore)

Also, please find a review by Dean Goodmann from IORR.org, a Rolling Stones Fan Club that I thought was a great read!  Enjoy the show and good luck with tickets!

Two days after Los Angeles Times pop music critic Robert Hilburn declared that U2 were the greatest rock n’ roll band in the world while bemoaning the decline of the Rolling Stones, Mick, Keith & Co. reclaimed the title at the Hollywood Bowl on Tuesday, delivering a set that could be described as extraordinary and possibly edgy. 

Hilburn's caustic review of the Stones’ woeful Anaheim show, which was mostly on the mark, possibly stirred the ever-so-conservative Stones to take risks. When was the last time they played three songs in a row from their latest release, including a world premiere? And let’s not forget the belated unveiling of “As Tears Go By,” a tune they had been performing in soundchecks for a good month.

I must admit the show was special for me, marking my 150th Stones gig, just 1.6 miles from my house (though parking was still a challenge), so I was hoping for something just a wee bit memorable.

Out of the gate, Mick was on fire, sprinting to the end of the catwalk during “Start Me Up” as if he were about to dive into the audience. Thankfully, he braked in time, because otherwise Johnny Depp would have had to catch him, and Depp spent most of the show seated, staring impassively at the proceedings. Seated next to Keith’s manager, Jane Rose, who performed the difficult task of singing along while taking photos, Depp did loosen up a little for Keith’s set and the “b-stage” portion, but he split before the encore. Other celebs included Jack Nicholson, Michael Keaton, DreamWorks honcho Jeffrey Katzenberg, Jimmy Rip, and Lauren Graham of “Gilmore Girls,” who I think I’ve seen before at a Stones show. I tried to catch her eye, but it’s difficult competing with a 62-year-old grandfather.

Mick noted that a lot of famous people were in the crowd, but “too numerous to mention. But they’ll all be up on stage for the big finale.”

His performance was flawless, apart from “You Can’t Always Get What You Want,” when he missed his line about “I went down to the demonstration.” He was incredibly relaxed, particularly trading jokes, and giggles with Ronnie. When Charlie’s riser was being rolled back after the b-stage set, Mick gave a hand by pushing it with his leg. And after Mick introduced Keith to the crowd, Ronnie whispered something in Mick’s ear, and Mick looked as if he were about to pee his pants. He embraced Ronnie and they both stared at Keith, trading schoolyard snickers.

“Rough Justice,” “Rain Fall Down” and “It Won’t Take Long” was a difficult combo for anyone unfamiliar with the new album. This was a pointed response to Hilburn’s complaint that the Stones need to challenge the audience by playing more new material. This argument has its merits, though I’m surprised that so many legitimate fans appear to have been lulled into expecting and wanting just the hits. After some suspicions, I can more or less confirm that the dominant guitar part of “Rain Fall Down” is approximated on stage by Chuck, which means that Mick is essentially wearing his guitar to look good. He introduced the next song as “Won’t Take Long,” which confused me for a good second or two, and he kept close to the TelePrompTer. For a world premiere the performance was spot on. It’s not the most memorable song on the album, but I relate to the vitriol.

During the introductions, Charlie ventured a few feet in front of his riser. Keith introduced “Slipping Away” as “the same ol’, same ol.” A few pals who were seeing the Stones for the first time were appalled by his set, and it’s hard to defend with other than a “Keith is Keith” comment. His “Slipping Away” guitar solo took him to the edge of the catwalk, where he may have been showboating for the benefit of Mr. Depp. Either way, it was the best performance to date.

And then we move along to “As Tears Go By,” which found Mick in a rare nostalgic mood, recalling that it was “very, very ancient,” and one of the first tunes he and Keith ever wrote, and that they gave it to “someone else” to record first -- poor Marianne, not even deserving of a shout-out. Keith propped himself on a stool, playing acoustic along with Ronnie, who was in cheerleader mode for the benefit of the people on his side of the pit. Mick was really digging the words, totally focused on the task at hand. It truly was a mindblowing occasion, not exactly “Gomper,” but still a much-needed addition to the set list.

They followed with “Get Off Of My Cloud,” with Mick reading from a simple cheat sheet containing the words “LIVE,” “PHONE” and “SICK.” The crowd loves this song, any excuse to wave fists in the air, Nuremberg style.

After the home stretch, songs that possibly rescued the show for audience members not as hardcore as long-suffering fans, it was all over by 10:45 p.m. Johnny Depp was safely in bed with his hot chocolate and teddy bear, but the rest of us were basking in the realization that we contributed to a historic occasion