Energized Stones close U.S. leg of tour in LV

Spencer Patterson

Monday, Feb. 10, 2003 | 8:20 a.m.

Three songs into the Rolling Stones' Saturday concert in Las Vegas, Mick Jagger took a moment to mark what might be a significant moment in the band's illustrious touring career.

"We're going to Sydney (Australia), so this is the last show we're doing in the U.S.," Jagger told a sold-out MGM Grand Garden Arena crowd of nearly 14,000. "We're going to make this a real good one."

Jagger didn't say whether he meant the last scheduled U.S. date on the Stones' 40th anniversary tour or the band's last show ever on U.S. soil.

But if Saturday's performance does turn out to be the Rolling Stones' final stateside appearance, it will certainly be remembered as a fitting way to say goodbye.

Backed as always by a collection of fine musicians, the Stones kept the audience singing for nearly 2 1/2 hours with a set packed full of old favorites.

Though occasionally ragged, the Stones themselves provided more instrumental brilliance than in either of November's Las Vegas shows (at MGM Grand Garden and The Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel), or the recent "Live at Madison Square Garden" concert on HBO.

The band also corrected the sound-mix problems that plagued its November visit, rightfully turning up guitarists Keith Richards and Ron Wood and thankfully turning down a horn section that overpowered the ensemble in its previous Las Vegas visit.

The Stones also recognized that many fans might be attending their second MGM performance in three months, altering the set list enough to keep it fresh for everyone.

Last time around, the band featured songs from its 1971 album "Sticky Fingers." This time, the album of the night was "Let It Bleed," with the Stones including five songs from the 1969 landmark: "Gimme Shelter," "Midnight Rambler," "Monkey Man," "You Can't Always Get What You Want" and the title cut.

Once again, Jagger was Mr. Energy. Eschewing most of his onstage clothing rack for a simple light-blue Liberty Bell T-shirt, the singer performed aerobics that would likely exhaust many performers half his age.

And if anybody needed proof that a man five months short of his 60th birthday can still be considered a sex symbol, they got it when Jagger began sauntering his way down the runway toward the band's smaller "B stage."

Hordes of women, ranging in age from early 20s to late 60s, stampeded toward the center aisles. Later, one female fan actually held hands briefly with Jagger, handing him her scarf before collapsing into her date's arms.

Richards appeared in high spirits all night, wandering the stage to share laughs with his bandmates. Wood shared in the jovial mood, occasionally giving the crowd the thumb's-up sign and smiling behind his trademark cigarette.

Jagger even coaxed Charlie Watts out of his seat briefly during his band introductions, as Richards and Wood worked a smile out of the generally stoic drummer.

Musically, the show featured more breathing room than its November counterpart, as the instrumentalists soloed and jammed together longer on several occasions.

This was especially true during "Midnight Rambler," the concert's highlight. As Jagger pumped new life into his harmonica and Richards and Wood stood back-to-back wrapping blues riffs around one another, Watts did a masterful job of keeping the number's ever-changing tempo from getting away from the band.

A cover of Bob Dylan's "Like a Rolling Stone" provided an unexpected touch during an otherwise lackluster B-stage segment, while Richards' "Thru and Thru" -- a song best known for being featured in an episode of "The Sopranos," -- achieved supreme creepiness.

"Can't You Hear Me Knocking" continued to be another conduit to great things for the Stones. Among other goodies, the 10-minute workout features more intense Jagger harmonica work, a grandiose closing solo by Wood and saxman Bobby Keys.

Added to the live show for the first time last year, "Knocking" offers hope for continued bursts of creativity from the aging legends.

It only remains to be seen whether Las Vegans will have an opportunity to witness those magical moments onstage again.