by Matthew Ligrani
UHCLIDIAN STAFF

After 40 years of rock and roll, the Rolling Stones still "like it." On Jan. 25, the Stones' "Forty Licks World Tour" stopped in Houston to perform the first major concert in the Reliant Stadium, home of the new Houston Texans.

More than 45,000 cold Houstonians gathered in the gigantic Reliant Stadium to hear the sounds of Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Charlie Watts, Ron Wood and a nine-piece band of talented musicians.

The Stones kicked off the concert with an explosive version of "Brown Sugar" and then followed with "Start Me Up." During the second song, the stage unveiled four large movable screens that allowed fans sitting far away to see the stage.

Wearing a cowboy hat, Jagger introduced the entire band then left the stage for Keith Richards to sing a couple of songs. The crowd did not seem to enjoy Richard's material and yearned for the return of Jagger's lustrous voice.

The Stones also performed their subtle acoustic hit "Angie," and literally lit the stage on fire with a terrific version of "Sympathy for the Devil." Large torches, located on top of the stage burned as Jagger sang, "Pleased to meet you..."

Half-way through the concert, the Stones stopped playing as the spotlights marched them down a large pathway leading to a second stage, located in the center of the stadium. On this stage, the band played a set of blues songs and their hit "It's Only Rock & Roll." The fans loved it.

The band returned to the main stage and played a version of "Gimmie Shelter" that brought the crowd to their feet. The entire stadium sang along with the chorus sharing one common musical interest.

The Stones ended the show with a bang, playing their signature hit "Satisfaction." During this song fireworks lit the stadium and the crowd watched in admiration as 40 years of experience left the stage.

The overall performance was outstanding; however, the acoustics of the Reliant Stadium were poor. The guitar leads sounded muffled and the vocals not very clear at times.

The size of the stadium also made the concert impersonal, and the price of drinks and souvenirs were outrageous.

"Fifty dollars for a t-shirt; that's ridiculous." said Susan Clothier, a huge Stones fan.

Over-priced drinks and expensive t-shirts are nothing new to devoted concert-goers. They are a small price to pay for seeing legendary bands like the Rolling Stones.

The "Forty Licks World Tour" was inspired by the two-disc greatest hits album released last year commemorating the bands 40 year career.

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