So satisfied

The Rolling Stones rock the Ice Palace with a collection of hits as well as lesser-known treasures.

By LOGAN NEILL

© St. Petersburg Times, published March 4, 1999

Mick Jagger of the Stones performs Wednesday night at the Ice Palace. [Times photo: Thomas M. Goethe]

TAMPA -- With the legacy of spending the last 25 years in the ego-gratifying role of the World's Greatest Rock 'n' Roll Band, the prospect of finding the Rolling Stones not out in front of a stadium-size crowd is an intriguing one.

After all, this is the band that wrote a whole new rule book for the rock business, launching tours as famous for their lavish, erector set staging and glossy lighting effects as they were for their record-breaking box office receipts.

That is why the Stones' sold-out show at the Ice Palace on Wednesday night before a relatively small crowd of 18,200 mostly middle-aged fans was so compelling. The whole concept of the band's No Security tour has been to bring the band to medium-size markets that were passed over during the band's extensive stadium itinerary two years ago. But more importantly, perhaps, was the desire to present the Stones in a guilt-free setting, one that for enduring core group members Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Charlie Watts and Ron Wood, hoped would redefine their own focus toward the music they have created for more than 35 years.

Wednesday night's performance showed more than just a cursory interest in keeping the band's characteristic pomp in check. Arriving on a stage free of props save for yellow and black construction flagging, the band launched into one of rock history's starkest statements, Jumping Jack Flash with earnest authority.

At 55, Jagger has seemingly lost none of his zeal for stage performing. Sure, the years are etched in his face, but there is little distinction between the singer who teased and taunted his audiences before the Ed Sullivan Show cameras so many years ago and the swaggering middle-ager who strutted across the stage dressed in a pink button-down shirt, black vest and pants.

Jagger's energized aerobics fed energy into his band mates. Richards, the Stones' grizzled guitarist was all smiles, as was Watts and Wood, as Jagger quickly worked the crowd into a frenzy with familiar favorites such as Respectable and You Got Me Rocking and Honky Tonk Women.

But no doubt the most satisfying moments for longtime Stones fans came with the inclusion of several attic treasures from the band's songbook. Live With Me, taken from the band's late '60s period, sparkled beneath a hearty horn quartet. Some Girls, which has only rarely made it to the stage in the past, got rising approval from the crowd. But Jagger's soulful rendering of the mellow Moonlight Mile showed just how multifaceted the band's material has been over its history.

"They've always been a band that surprises you," said Jerry Gallentine, a Tampa resident shortly before the concert. He considers himself an avid Stones fan, with Wednesday's show being his sixth concert since first seeing them in 1974. "You really never know what to expect, but it's always good."

Following band introductions, Jagger, Wood, Richards and Watts strolled out to a second stage in the middle of the audience to deliver a lively set of rare oldies. The classic Route 66 grooved under the quartet's looseness. But perhaps the best moments came in the bluesy grind of Midnight Rambler, which had Jagger beckoning to fans to join in.

But if it was classic rollicking Stones anthems fans wanted, they got them. The closing trio of It's Only Rock and Roll, Start Me Up and Brown Sugar proved irresistible to anyone who wanted to passively stay seated for the show.

The question of late has been, when, if ever, the Rolling Stones are going to decide when enough is enough and retire. It's a moot point. Judging from the band's enjoyment of playing on stage, it's probable that we could be living in the Stone Age for some time to come.