Rolling Stones Perform With Irma Thomas in New Orleans: Concert Review

“We haven’t done a matinee show in years,” Mick Jagger observed drolly, halfway through The Rolling Stones’ first appearance at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival on Thursday evening. As usual, the Stones began their set with “Start Me Up” — but shortly after 5 p.m., launching into an early but enthusiastic 18-song set of old hits and new numbers from 2023’s “Hackney Diamonds,” and a couple of local surprises in honor of the occasion.  

Jagger began the evening wearing a glittery turquoise jacket with a red tuxedo shirt underneath, but the jacket didn’t survive past the second song, “Get Off of My Cloud”: The New Orleans skies were overcast — there was a 40% chance of rain that cast sporadic drops throughout the Stones’ performance — but it was warm and very muggy out at the fairgrounds, and the Stones’ stagewear became a casualty of their unconventional appearance. Jagger soon stripped down to a long-sleeved black t-shirt, guitarist Ronnie Wood abandoned a layer of sparkles, and drummer Steve Jordan had to give up on his elegant suit jacket. There were a lot of water bottles visible, and Jagger called for a towel more than once. 

All of these external factors meant that although it wasn’t the tightest set the Stones have performed in recent years, it still was special. Jagger headed out to the catwalk during “Out of Time,” determined to get the crowd to wave their arms in time along with him. “Angry,” the first single from “Hackney Diamonds,” saw Jagger donning a guitar and announcing that we were going from old to new. “So we finally made it,” he noted at the song’s conclusion, referring to the trials and tribulations it took to finally get the Stones to New Orleans for the Fest, beginning with their originally slated appearance for the festival’s 50th year in 2019. But then Jagger needed heart surgery and an entire leg of that tour was postponed, including Jazz Fest. Their appearance was rescheduled for 2020, only to have that derailed when the festival was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The fact that they were able to make this appearance happen in 2024 is some form of kismet, but it’s also a testimony to the band’s enthusiasm towards the festival itself. Jazz Fest producer Quint Davis told Variety, “This gives you an idea of how badly they really wanted to do it. But all these things had to coincide: they had to be going back on tour; they had to be going on tour in America, which they don’t always do; they had to be going back on tour in America in April, and able to start in the south. All those things had to line up together to make Thursday happen.”

For “Let it Bleed,” the Stones welcomed Dwayne Dopsie, the self-proclaimed “King of Accordion” and leader of the Zydeco Hellraisers. It was hard to figure out who was having more fun with this particular arrangement, him or the individual Stones. The ever-reliable Ron Wood — who covered many bases during the evening’s performance — moved to lap steel and the band gave Dopsie the solo spot; Keith Richards seemed to just barely graze his guitar strings (not that the song needed more) while beaming at their guest. Jazz Fest always welcomes a crowd from far beyond New Orleans, but there were still plenty of locals in the crowd, and there was a palpable feeling of pride at watching one of their own onstage with the international superstars. 

But that particular “one of us!” vibe would ratchet way up with the next guest, none other than the “Soul Queen of New Orleans,” Irma Thomas. Thomas originally recorded “Time Is on My Side,” a song the young Stones turned into one of their earliest hits. “We heard this great song in 1964,” Jagger said, confirming the worst-kept secret in New Orleans, as Thomas was escorted onto the stage and took her place alongside the band. It was one of those rare moments where Mick Jagger was not in control of his stage. Thomas is a Jazz Fest regular, with her shows at the Gospel Tent always a must-see and a highlight of any festival weekend. At 83, she is still a poised and commanding presence, and nothing about that changed because she was now onstage with the Rolling Stones. Jagger mostly provided vocal support and harmony for Thomas’ vocals. Their version of “Time Is on My Side” was pretty much a note-for-note cover of her version, but in a sadly common syndrome of the era, theirs was the hit. At least some karmic balance was achieved on Thursday. 

The “Hackney Diamonds” songs hold their own throughout the set, probably because the Stones are at the point where they’ve finally accepted that they don’t have anything left to prove and can just have fun. The catchy “Whole Wide World” followed “Time Is on My Side” and the first encore number was the beautiful, gospel-tinged “Sweet Sounds of Heaven.” It’s a song that a New Orleans audience would have welcomed had it been in the middle of the set, but sequencing it in the end between the massive hits when half the audience is packing up and getting ready to leave didn’t give it a fighting chance, although it is further enhanced by participation of new backing singer Chanel Haynes, a New Orleans local, filling Lady Gaga’s role on the studio version. Haynes’ solo spot in “Gimme Shelter” earlier in the set was one of the more memorable ones in recent years, with a passionate delivery and strong control of a formidable instrument. She also has fantastic chemistry with Jagger and the two stalked the catwalk and engaged the crowd during one of the best moments of the set.

The crowd was audibly excited when the french horn began the intro to “You Can’t Always Get What You Want,” and Mick complimented the audience on their participation at its conclusion. This was the moment when he began talking about how “We’re a welcoming crowd, aren’t we?” and then segued into a comment welcoming Louisiana governor Jeff Landry. “We want to include him too, even if he wants to take us back to the Stone Age,” he quipped, then immediately segued into introducing the ancillary musicians onstage with the Stones. (Mick, next time, consider “Street Fighting Man.”)

Next up was Keith Richards’ nightly solo spot. On this night, that honor went to “Little T&A” from 1981’s “Tattoo You,” in a version that included the horn section. It wasn’t the crispest version of a song that’s already fairly laid-back, but it was late in the set and was likely a casualty of the heat. Keith Richards was one of the few musicians onstage who remained in his full regalia of long-sleeve satin shirt (in various colors) as well as a red knit beanie all night. Richards was grinning ear to ear all night long, even if his contributions weren’t as strong as they’ve been in recent years.

“Sympathy for the Devil” is always a powerful moment in a Stones show, but its intensity unquestionably suffered by being performed in broad daylight. Jagger donned a ringmaster’s jacket that shimmered with blue and green sequins like a mermaid’s tail, but he only wore it as long as the moment demanded. “Miss You” fared better, even though Jagger would have been better off eschewing the electric guitar he dons for the briefest of moments for the harmonica he picked up at the end, at least in New Orleans where a large majority of the audience has genuine appreciation and respect for a good harp player; there was audible applause when he finished. Darryl Jones executed a colorful bass solo on command, with Jagger punching him playfully in the shoulder in approval when he finished. 

Despite the heat and daylight, the band found its second wind in the back half of the set. “Honky Tonk Women” was sharp, less raunchy than celebratory. “Paint It Black” felt fresh and vibrant, and Richards was absolutely dominant during “Jumpin’ Jack Flash.” He always seems to find a new way to hit those unmistakable chords and they rang out with authority across the fairgrounds. It was a moment where you realize you are hearing the person who wrote the song that you have heard hundreds, even thousands of times, play the chords live and in front of you. The show ended with “Satisfaction,” which was full of verve and genuine excitement both onstage and in the audience. It’s the song that everybody wants to see the Rolling Stones perform, even if they don’t consciously know it walking into the concert; there’s always such a collective sigh of, well, satisfaction when it’s performed. 

The ensemble bowed and then the three core Stones came to the front for a separate acknowledgement. Of course, the band sorely misses the late Charlie Watts, the band’s original drummer and its true jazz aficionado (he visited the New Orleans Jazz Museum when the Stones were in town back in 2019), who passed away in 2021. They usually begin the show with a video tribute to their fallen comrade but it was absent here, probably due to time or production constraints. But on this day in New Orleans, as ever, his spirit was unquestionably with them. 

Setlist: Start Me Up / Get Off of My Cloud / Out Of Time / Angry / Let It Bleed / Time Is On My Side / Whole Wide World / Tumbling Dice / You Can’t Always Get What You Want / Little T&A / Sympathy For The Devil / Honky Tonk Women / Miss You / Gimme Shelter / Paint It Black / Jumpin’ Jack Flash / encore: Sweet Sounds of Heaven / Satisfaction