Rolling Stones and Widespread Panic Review: The Legendary Rockers Prove Age Is Irrelevant

When Mick Jagger arrived in Denver for the Rolling Stones show at Empower Field on June 20, he went on a "walk down memory lane" to the Denver Coliseum, where the legendary rock band played its first Mile High concert in 1965.

"There was a weird smell," Jagger told the captivated audience. "I don't know if it's the Purina cat food — or was it Lauren Boebert vaping?"

The Stones have just a few dates left on the Hackney Diamonds tour, which marks the band's 47th tour since it formed more than six decades ago. A few weeks after the tour wraps up, Jagger will turn 81 years old.

Appropriately enough, the concert was sponsored by AARP, whose volunteers could be found at the entrances distributing paper fans. However, the Stones' core three — Jagger, Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood, who is the trio's young buck at 77 — have certainly defied retirement standards. Most people retire after accumulating a large enough nest egg or simply growing too old to work, but the members of this band aren't still touring because they lack money — and as the musicians prove, age is just a number when it comes to rocking out.
The members of opening act Widespread Panic, which formed in the late ’80s, are starting to eclipse age expectations, too. The Southern-rock jam band has played Red Rocks Amphitheatre more times than any other group in history, and will be returning to the venue for its annual, sold-out, three-night run from June 21 to June 23. Like the Stones, Panic is as energetic as ever, with guitarist Jimmy Herring shredding solos throughout a set list of such hits as "Tall Boy," "Surprise Valley" and "All Time Low," as well as two new songs — "Little by Little" and "We Walk Each Other Home" — from the band's latest album, Snake Oil King.

You could definitely tell who bought tickets to this show after Panic announced it was the opener. During "Chilly Water," Stones fans' reactions ranged from amusement to fear as Panic fans literally could not contain themselves: It's tradition to throw beer or water during the song, and boy, did they. Despite her thick Southern accent, the woman next to me had grown up in Colorado and has attended the jam band's annual Red Rocks run for decades; she shot up from her seat like a spring-loaded jack-in-the-box, crushing her Topo Chico tall boy as she vigorously slung its contents with the form of a pitcher in the World Series. It was practically majestic.

"I'm so sorry," she told me immediately afterward, her eyes wide as if snapping out of possession. Of course, there was nothing to be sorry about — I was laughing so hard I was choking on my own Topo — but the folks in the section below us weren't too happy. The security guard they sent up afterward made that pretty apparent. After failing to deny her part (the selzer-soaked neighbors were a giveaway), she shrugged: "It's fuckin' 'Chilly Water.'" (Rachel, if you are reading this: Never stop being you.)
As energetic as Panic was, the Stones upped the ante. From the opener — "Start Me Up" — to the encore, Jagger, Richards and Wood only seemed to get more revved up as the night went on, making the encore of "Sweet Sounds of Heaven" into "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" almost symbolic. While people seem shocked whenever the Stones announce a tour — "They're doing this at that age?" — it's very clear that the band's appetite for playing live music will never be satiated. Meanwhile, I couldn't imagine ever getting tired of seeing them perform: Jagger howled with perfect vocals as he sped around the stage like Usain Bolt, tearing off a silk purple jacket to show off his spry figure in a sparkly black tight top. From my nosebleed seats, I'd lose track of him before discovering he was on the complete other end of the stage from where he'd been seconds before. Richards and Wood, meanwhile, still bow low over their thrust-out guitars while initiating bluesy riffs and solos, nodding their heads with groovy grimaces.

The set list was a jaw-dropping reminder of the band's prolific well of hits, which included fan-voted pick "Let It Bleed." Richards took to the mic for "Tell Me Straight," "Little T&A" and "Happy," his veneers beaming at the audience with the power of high-wattage LEDs. Wood performed on slide guitar for several songs, and Jagger puffed out a captivating harmonica solo for "Midnight Rambler." It may help that they've had decades of practice, but the three musicians showed that their talents have not faded.
The other, relatively newer bandmembers also had their own moments: Vocalist Chanel Haynes's duet with Jagger for "Gimme Shelter" was riveting, as she hit the same high notes Jagger reached in his younger days. Chuck Leavell, known for his work with the Allman Brothers, was — predictably — a master on the keys, which he's been providing for the Stones since the ’80s. Karl Denson (yes, of the Tiny Universe) on saxophone, Bernard Fowler on percussion, Darryl Jones on bass and more all supplemented the boundless vitality of Jagger, Richards and Wood on standout songs like "Honky Tonk Women," "You Can't Always Get What You Want," "Wild Horses," "Paint It Black" and "Jumpin' Jack Flash," which closed out the set.

The evening was a reminder of the life-affirming quality unique to seeing live music. Wide smiles stretched across every face in the stadium as people made their way out to their cars and rideshares, hugging, holding hands, talking about the show. It's easy to see why the Stones have continued to keep sharing their music for so long: The rewards of such a joyful exchange between musician and audience in a packed stadium must be an unimaginable fulfillment. And seeing these legends, who created some of the most innovative music at the ultimate watershed moment in rock history, is a gift only they can give.

At their age, you might think this is the last time Denver will host the band. But then again, they're the Rolling Stones. Their music doesn't age...and seemingly, neither do they.
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