In our recent Counting Down feature on the Rolling Stones, authors Tim and Elizabeth Bracy made an especially cogent point about the band, one that I think got lost in the arguments about the list itself. As they noted:

Of the roughly five distinct periods that comprise the epic history of what is perhaps the greatest ever rock and roll band, the current one — in which the Stones as moneyed rock royalty occasionally reunite to milk a seemingly endless cash cow through intermittent reissues and greatest hits albums, just okay new releases, and extortionately priced stadium tours, is by far the longest. It has been 32 years since the band’s last great (or great-ish) release Tattoo You, 35 since its last inarguable bonafide masterpiece, 1978’s Some Girls. How strange this must understandably seem to a certain demographic. For rock music fans under the age of 30, this is the only version of the band they have ever known.

I think that conclusion might be too absolute to hold true, but the modified version is no less incredible: I’d argue that anybody under the age of 40 today has had to overlook and/or wade through three decades of the Stones as embarrassing caricatures in order to appreciate the substantial accomplishments of the Rolling Stones in their early days. Three decades! This isn’t an anomalous late-career breakdown; that’s who the Rolling Stones are. For the better part of the first two decades of their career, the Stones were if not the very best band in the world, then at least in that conversation. Then, for the next (and last) three decades (!) they’ve been cartoonish old aunties increasingly more apt to inspire mockery, patronizing approval, and revulsion than awe. It’s not an age thing — everyone from Dylan and Neil Young to Michael Gira and Scott Walker (for example) have shown us ways old men can continue to be vital rock artists. The Stones are not in that class, yet they probably make orders of magnitude more money than all those guys combined. Remarkable. And I’m not rooting against the Stones! I’m a fan! I’m not going to spend much time with any of their albums released in the post-vinyl era, but I’m genuinely glad they’re still around — doing whatever — as long as they’re happy doing it. I’m just amazed.

Anyway, the Stones will happily further line their pockets this year. Following the news that they’ll headline Glastonbury (and unfounded rumors they were set to headline Coachella), they’ve just announced a short run of tour dates. Dubbed the “50 And Counting Tour” (as in 50 years of the Stones, the breakdown of which we went over earlier), the shows will take the band to a handful of North American metropolises from May to June, starting in L.A. (whose date remains TBA due to hockey and basketball schedules) and omitting NYC, where the band played last December. Dates below, get more ticket info here.

Date TBA – Los Angeles @ STAPLES Center
05/05 – Oakland @ Oracle Arena
05/08 – San Jose @ HP Pavilion
05/11 – Las Vegas MGM Grand Garden Arena
05/15 – Anaheim @ Honda Center
05/25 – Toronto @ Air Canada Centre
05/28 – Chicago @ United Center
06/12 – Boston @ TD Garden
06/18 – Philadelphia @ Wells Fargo Center