My first thought after my husband’s text that he got us tickets for The Rolling Stones concert in four hours was bewilderment.
He is a middle-aged, stressed, corporate-American man who buys his wranglers at Walmart. He never treats himself.
In the spirit of empty nesters, I was game.
The Rolling Stones tour was rescheduled in Charlotte, North Carolina, because of COVID-19. It was the second stop of their “No Filter” tour.
The atmosphere on the streets was contagious, with trumpeters and drummers set up under overpasses. The vintage T-shirts and diverse walks of life made you wonder if you were transported to the 60s or somewhere in between now and then.
The air had the feeling that this may be the last Rolling Stones tour. It was the perfect spring evening for a celebration.
The performance of the band members and the production of the tour sucked you in. It created an aliveness and had moments of introspection. Who knew an item on my husband’s bucket list could have so many spiritual aspects?
Here are the five spiritual experiences that I thought the Rolling Stones tour validated:
1. Find your right livelihood.
Follow your dharma, find a way of life that feeds your soul. Mick Jagger did not stop moving. This 78-year- young man controlled the arena. The stage took up the whole end zone and had a 100-foot plus catwalk. The band has set up on a stage paled in comparison to the four huge video screens. With the enthusiasm and energy of a 20-year-old, Mick Jagger ran, jumped, fist-pumped—all while vocalizing or playing the harmonica for almost two hours straight.
That is stamina; that’s breath. Yep. Mick Jagger meditates and does yoga. That’s why the Rolling Stones are still here, they are all in.
“You have the sun, you have the moon, you have the air that you breathe—and you have the Rolling Stones!” ~ Keith Richards
2. Love what you do.
The talented musicians and singers on the stage loved being there, especially Keith Richards in his bright, yellow hat. Every single moment the cameras captured and projected him on big screens, he oozed pure joy. The interactions between the band members were genuine, heartfelt, and loving. The exchange of their energy the entire evening buzzed through the Bank of America Stadium and it was electrifying.
3. Be completely present.
Time stood still from the minute they stepped on stage until the last explosive firework. Not only was every band member in the zone, so was every member of the audience whilst swaying, singing, celebrating.
Music can do that to the soul. This was much more than music; it was being alive. It was the experiences of The Rolling Stones from their first tour in the United States in 1964—signed, sealed, and delivered in the concert of a lifetime.
If they jammed, you jammed. If they had a moment of silence or a sip of a beverage, so did you.
“A good thing never ends.” ~ Mick Jagger
4. Explore, be intuitive.
Mick Jagger had a beer the evening before the show at The Thirsty Beaver in the artsy Plaza Midwood. His picture went viral in the days that followed. He had a story to tell on stage—a connection to Charlotte. Mick Jagger unnoticed? Who would have thought? I like to think he had a pretty good night out on town doing his thing.
You do you. Listen to your heart if you are called to have a beer in an iconic dive bar. Go!
5. Remember those you love.
A pin could drop during the remembrances of Charlie Watts. His light will shine on forever. This is Namaste.
The energy of this late spring bucket list experience began in the early-80s. My husband had just had his wisdom tooth removed and convinced his mother to stand in line with him after his minor surgery. The tickets sold out within minutes of his arrival.
There was so much loving-kindness (bonus spiritual attribute) of a mother toward her son.
If he hadn’t waited in line with a painful jaw all those years past, would he have listened to the intuitive spark within and completed this purchase with the tap of a finger?
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