The Rolling Stones w/ Solomon Burke @ the Wiltern Theatre, 11/04/02

In Los Angeles, a city where nothing seems to be a big deal, the Rolling Stones strutted into town and took over. During their three-date stint in Hollywood, they demanded their presence be known, launching a clothing line and popping into every swanky hangout for guest appearances with their musician friends.

And after storming gigs at Edison Field and the Staples Center, the Stones made their club gig at the Wiltern Theatre–the biggest deal Los Angeles has known for quite some time.

Even Jagger acknowledged there were “a lot of famous people here,” sarcastically sneering that the hundreds of celebrities in attendance should join them at the end of the show, perhaps to join hands and sing along. But that part about the famous people: It was definitely true. A quick walk to the bar or the bathroom, and you would’ve brushed by Reese Witherspoon, caught a glimpse of Cameron Crowe or admired Anjelica Huston from across the room.

And if the presence of the recording industry’s elite wasn’t enough to convince you the Stones are the greatest rock ‘n’ roll band of all time–seeing as Tom Petty, Neil Young, Brian Wilson, Tom Waits, Paul Stanley, Ray Manzerek, Stephen Stills and dozens of others turned up to pay their respects–then surely you’d be converted with the mind-blowing two-hour spectacle that ensued.

As a live act the Stones proved that indeed they are unrivaled as the best band ever. Monday night at the Wiltern was all about danger and excitement, and the band on display has consistently done it better than anyone we’ll ever know.

After Solomon Burke’s thrilling opening set, which saw him sweat his way through selections from his new record, Don’t Give Up On Me, and a half-dozen soul favorites like “Stand By Me,” the Stones swaggered onto the small stage and launched into “Jumpin’ Jack Flash.” Jagger, clearly the star of the night, was as captivating as he could be, his piercing eyes managing to engage everyone in the room without actually making eye contact with any of the adoring souls.

Keith was in fine form, too, especially on “Live With Me” and “Neighbors,” the latter of which was complemented by the sturdy drumming of Charlie Watts.

When they got to “Hand Of Fate” from Black and Blue, the magnificent Ronnie Wood stepped to the front and tore through some mega riffs while showing how absolutely bombed out of his mind he was.

The Stones slowed it down with “No Expectations,” during which Mick gently strummed his acoustic, made us feel downright sexy with “Beast of Burden,” then sleazy with “Stray Cat Blues.”

Solomon Burke returned for a run through his “Everybody Needs Somebody to Love,” placing a cape and crown on Jagger and proclaiming the Stones the “Kings of Rock ‘N’ Roll.”

After Keith led the Mick-less band for “Thru and Thru” and “You Don’t Have to Mean It,” Jagger returned for a momentous finale featuring “Bitch,” “Honky Tonk Women,” and “Brown Sugar,” plus an encore of the sole Exile track, “Tumbling Dice.”

The most telling moment though, came mid-set when they, appropriately, burned through “Can’t You Hear Me Knocking?” And with Ronnie blazing his way though a ten-minute solo, Mick shimmying his heart out, Keith hamming it up for the front row, the audience screaming, Neil Young and the rest of his peers on their feet and all eyes in the city of Los Angeles on the spectacle that was the Rolling Stones, the answer was all too clear. In retrospect, it was really a stupid question to even ask.

The Strokes @ the Greek Theatre, 11/02/02

Good band, the Strokes. But like Ryan Adams, the Hives, Pearl Jam, Oasis, U2 and the White Stripes, it seems that most people have a hard time admitting they are fans of such visible and successful rockers. These words serve to set the record straight, because despite the excessive hoopla, the rock world is fortunate to have Julian Casblancas and company bringing us some throw-back rock ‘n’ roll.

From the opening chords of “New York City Cops,” the band was together as ever. In fact, throughout the 70-minute show, the Strokes never faltered once, although visible evidence would suggest otherwise.

Dozens of blue Solo cups containing God knows what were placed on top of all the equipment, and the numerous joints handled by the band are enough to make Julian fall into the crowd on a number of occasions. He could barely talk between songs, and drummer Fab Moretti appeared as if he couldn’t lift his sticks, but convincing runs through “Barely Legal” and “Hard to Explain” silenced our observations.

The Strokes and their magnificent record, Is This It, are responsible for the shift in interest from the sports-metal stylings of Limp Bizkit and Korn back to greatness in the form of Black Rebel Motorcycle Club and Queens of the Stone Age. Kids today are imitating the Strokes, and the night’s package of music, dress and personality is so appealing, we know it will suit them just fine.

See, the Strokes look like a band, and oh yeah, sound like one, too. Really, they are role models for a generation that, in terms of coolness, is scraping by. The show also hints towards the band’s future, and we’re proud to announce it looks very bright. In addition to tearing through the entire debut record, the band dropped five new songs. They’re much of the same fodder, but they certainly aren’t any less exciting.

The Strokes, then, are set for being complacent, bringing us record after record of grinding, derivative rock ‘n’ roll.

Don’t know what the people will say to this, but we could sure use 20 more records like Is This It.