Even for an event as iconic as New Orleans Jazzfest, scoring the Rolling Stones was a big deal. Then, Mick Jagger needed heart surgery and the band postponed its North American tour. It left Jazzfest with a big hole in the lineup and a scramble to find an act that would stick. Remember when Fleetwood Mac was in the lineup for a minute? The organizers ultimately settled on Widespread Panic; but while that band has legions of fans, I bet even their members would agree they're not quite an equal replacement for one of the three greatest rock bands of all time (my opinion*).
But now the good news: Mick is feeling a lot better now and getting back into touring shape. On Thursday, the Rolling Stones announced rescheduled dates for their North American stadium tour. None of this would mean much for fans on the Gulf Coast, except that the band is making up for missing Jazzfest and has scheduled a brand new date at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.
The show happens this summer, on Sunday, July 14th at 7:30PM. Tickets will officially go on sale to the general public on May 31st at 10AM CT. But as you know, there are always various kinds of pre-sales which you may or may not be able to take part in. There will be a venue pre-sale (Saints season ticket holders, maybe?) and an American Express card member presale, as well.
The Rolling Stones have stood the test of time, and remarkably, they're still surviving and going strong. You never know when your last chance to see an iconic act happens, but since everyone in the band is in their 70s, this may be that last chance.
I'd love to see them again, with different expectations. Back in the 80s, I saw the band in an era of big "light shows" and synthesizers. The Rolling Stones did none of that. The Stones were about showmanship, performance, great rock and roll. It wasn't what I expected, and the high school version of myself was actually disappointed. It didn't help help that it was an unreserved show at a 70,000-seat stadium in an era before cell phones, and I somehow got separated from my friends. No, I never found them again.
But I think part of that disappointment stemmed from the fact that the band was always bigger than life, so I expected the concert to be bigger than anything I'd ever seen before. But as I've grown older, this show stays with me. In retrospect, it probably was one of the very biggest shows I've ever seen. I'd relish the opportunity to see them one more time.
*My 3 greatest rock bands of all time are: (1) The Beatles; (2) U2; and (3) The Rolling Stones. Not necessarily my three favorite, but definitely the three greatest.