SOPAC audience gets two hours of ‘Satisfaction’

SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — They say you can’t always get what you want, but a packed house of classic-rock aficionados may have gotten what they needed on Friday evening, Jan. 13, at the South Orange Performing Arts Center. Celebrating their 16th year of paying, or playing, tribute to the music, look and brash attitude of the Rolling Stones, Satisfaction stormed the SOPAC theater in South Orange and had the crowd dancing in the aisles. The five-man unit led the audience through a two-hour musical and visual salute to “The World’s Greatest Rock & Roll Band,” punctuated by almost 30 of the Stones’ most defining and unforgettable songs.

Lead singer Chris LeGrand was the focal point of the act, energetically embodying the unmistakable strut and swagger of legendary Stones’ frontman Mick Jagger. Beyond the occasionally excessive gyrations, his vocal inflections were eerily similar to and evocative of Jagger’s own unique singing style. In less capable hands, well-intentioned attempts to emulate or mimic music icons can easily veer into the uncomfortable realms of parody or amateur lounge acts, but LeGrand and company have been doing this for more than 2,600 shows all over the planet. Officially utilized for various events and endorsed by the actual band, Satisfaction mostly satisfies thanks to their obvious love, knowledge and delivery of the sprawling Rolling Stones songbook.

After a slightly sluggish opening to “Start Me Up,” the band locked in, loosened up and never looked back. A pop-tinged trip back to the earliest days of the Stones’ original guitarist and founder Brian Jones followed with buoyant versions of “Let’s Spend The Night Together,” “19th Nervous Breakdown,” and “The Last Time.” A majority of the SOPAC ticket holders were aging baby boomers as well as lifelong followers of the Stones. A few mentioned pre-show that they had seen the original bad boys of rock on some of their earliest tours almost half a century ago. Yet regardless of age, Satisfaction’s setlist and tight-yet-ragged musicianship eventually had almost everyone inside the intimate venue rocking. A flurry of hard-rocking hits from the glorious early 1970’s heyday of the Stones’ former lead guitarist Mick Taylor followed in quick succession. “Tumbling Dice.” “Can’t You Hear me Knocking,” “Heartbreaker,” and “All Down The Line” only served to remind even the most casual fan that Jagger and his musical soulmate Keith Richards somehow always knew how to write incredibly catchy and timeless tunes.

A brief intermission gave way to what was undeniably the evening’s strongest musical showcase. Unplugged and seated, the band swept through a solid five-song mini-set that included gorgeous acoustic renditions of “It’s All Over Now,’ “Dead Flowers” and “Wild Horses.” Upon plugging in, Satisfaction unleashed sturdy takes on a half dozen of the Stones’ hugest hits. Although the last 30 years of current lead guitarist Ronnie Wood’s tenure were regrettably sidestepped, the disco-era groove of “Miss You” sounded nearly as funky and fresh as the original 1978 recording. Conversely, their twin-guitar attack on the apocalyptic “Gimme Shelter” captured the raw and ominous dread that has accentuated so many of the Rolling Stones most powerful compositions. A rousing triple shot of “Honky Tonk Women,” “Brown Sugar,” and “Satisfaction” closed out the performance. An enjoyable night of good music and great memories had just ended for those of us in attendance. And that’s alright. We know it’s only rock ‘n’ roll … but we like it. And maybe we can all find some small measure of satisfaction in that simple fact.
David VanDeventer is a frequent contributor to Worrall Media who enjoys reporting on and writing about cool things. He can be contacted at pics@thelocalsource.com.