Shine A Light

I caught the new Martin Scorsese-directed Rolling Stones concert film at a preview screening this past Tuesday night.

Impressions: I wasn't dissapointed. 'Shine A Light' is Martin Scorsese's love letter to The Rolling Stones. A fantastic concert film which intertwines a potent performance by The Stones at The Beacon theater in NYC with documentary footage of the planning of the event as well as archival footage from many stages of the band's career. The show itself is the thing, with Mick, Keith, Ronny, and Charlie demonstrating that rockNroll is the fountain of youth. Mick sings, hops and dances across the stage so sprightly you'll be wondering how can he keep so fit at his age. Keith, despite his leathery facade, comes across as the consumate musician that he is. Ronnie plays the slide guitar beautifully, and Charlie anchors the band with his quiet demeanor and great performance stamina.

Jack White, Buddy Guy and Christina Aguilera join the Stones on some numbers, and they're all very good. It inspires me on to see people doing what they truly love to do, and The Stones 'started me up' with their energetic performance. Martin finishes up the film with a glorious shot which had people at The Senator theater here in Baltimore clapping.

Bottom line: Highly Recommended. If you wait for DVD to see it, make sure you have a great sound system to enjoy this beauty of a concert film.

*****

And a big thumbs-down to whoever came up with the excretrable idea to have a 'Guitar Hero III' showdown at The Senator before rolling the film. Hearing people mangle The Stones' 'Paint It Black' before the screening wasn't the best way to ramp up the event. Many people were visibly annoyed, and there were loud boos and noos by the time they got to the 5th attempt. I'm a gamer and can tell you that Guitar Hero is best enjoyed in the confines of your own house party, not at a major preview screening. Thank you, The Bay 100.7 for such a craptastic idea! I'll make sure not to listen to your station.