Shine a Light

Last night I got to see The Rolling Stone’s Imax movie, Shine a Light. For music fans, this is a definite must see! The Imax experience leaves you feeling as if you were almost there.

It starts off setting the stage with pre-concert footage of the band and the director Martin Scorsese. They address all the concert details of staging, lighting and how the cameras will affect the audience. But the big decision addressed is what will the set list be? And seeing Mick Jagger review the possibilities from the incredible list of hit after hit is like watching a child struggle when asked to pick just one toy from his many favorites.

Most of the night I sat mesmerized watching Keith Richards play. He is absolutely incredible to watch. I didn’t realize how good of a musician he was before seeing this movie. He is quoted in the movie answering a reporter’s question of “What do you think about on stage?” with the reply “You don’t think on stage, you stop thinking and just feel.” And that is exactly what he does.

As you watch you realize Richards holds a history in his smile. You can actually see the memories he holds within his smile and feel how he connects with his guitar and the song he is playing. You could even argue he has a relationship with the guitar. He embraces one at the end of the concert with more passion then most people would hold their lover.

Richards may hold history in his smile but Mick Jagger seems to hold the world in his. Who could forget his boyishly pure smile after the first time you see it? The movie shows clips of the band from their early years and you are reminded of how young they were when they first arrived in America during the “British Invasion”. The film then flashes back to the band currently on stage and you are in slight shock realizing how old they are now...wrinkles and all. But as Jagger begins to sing the mystical lyrics of the Stones’ version of poetry set in rhythm and riff and blues, that smile comes out and they are somehow transformed into the timeless and ageless icons they have become.

Mick is a conductor of enthusiasm. He brings more stage presence in one song then most new artists seem to do in an entire night. There is a moment in the movie when he is silhouetted by the stage lights, throwing his head back, closing his eyes and smiling as he becomes one with the song. To steal some famous words from Cameron Crowe; he becomes a “golden god” and seems to radiates light for the audience.

One of my favorite parts was when Buddy Guy takes the stage and they sing Champagne and Reefer. Ronnie Wood, Richards and Guy take second stage to their guitars that seem to command the performance and begin to try and out play each other. Their notes duel like trash talk on a court of song. And at the end of the song or battle, Richards happily hands over both his and Wood’s guitars to Buddy as if it was the right and only thing to do.

Since watching the film, I have been asked several times to compare it to the recent U2 Imax movie. And my response to that is the two movies are like David and Goliath. The Stones’ movie resembles the role of David and shows the individualism and personality of the band. This is to the credit of director Martin Scorsese and his ability to capture that during a high intensity concert like the Stones always deliver.

The U2 movie resembles the giant Goliath. It showcased the power of the stage of rock 'n roll in the artistically designed masterpiece directed by Catherine Owens and Mark Pellington. In this movie the audience and the music become characters as you are transported through the screen and swear you can even feel the wind from the speakers blow through your hair.

But the Stones version is just different and really shouldn’t be compared to the other. Among all the highlights of the film, you feel like a voyeur taking center stage being able to be close enough to see the aging hands of Keith Richards, now almost down to just flesh and bone and are left with the haunting feeling that they would still somehow play even after he is dead and gone. And when you take that last deep breath before leaving the theater, you swear you can smell the lingering scent of Mick Jagger, who even after all theses years, still seems to sweat sex and rock 'n roll.

It was an incredible movie and an amazing, fun night for me.

Until next time.

Christy