By Brian Tell
It would have been a dream to see Keith, Mick, Bill, Charlie and Brian play Webster Hall, but you Can’t Always Get What You Want. However, Stones fans could still enjoy their music Wednesday night at the first annual Stones Fest. Organized by the Cabin Down Below Band, guests included everyone from Norah Jones to Jon Herington of Steely Dan. The music rambled to midnight and featured more than 25 Stones classics.
Jones was welcomed to the stage for “Torn and Frayed” and "Honky Tonk Woman,” kicking off a country-based set. Jody Porter of Fountains and Wayne had the pleasure of delivering "Loving Cup", at times displaying impressive Jagger-like moves.
The night carried on through “Tumbling Dice”, “Beast of Burden”, “Happy,” and “Jumping Jack Flash.” While songs like “Under My Thumb” and “Start Me Up” were disappointingly left out, I was pleased to hear the rarities “I am Waiting” and “Stray Cat Blues.”
In addition to the headliners, the show featured numerous special guests like The Sheepdogs, Evan Rachel Wood and Hayes Carll, who each performed multiple times to keep the crowd moving. Even Will Forte from SNL jumped onstage to show off his falsetto in “Emotional Rescue.”
Norah Jones returned to lead the crew with the Sticky Fingers classic, "Wild Horses" before closing the evening out with performers sharing mics and verses of “You Can’t Always Get What You Want.”
The night was a fun mix of music and laughs: a celebration, but also a testament to the Stones' music. Everyone in the room has been touched by these songs at some point in their lives, and it proves their music still lives on.
More pics after the jump.
Photos by Kristen Martin