The opening night of the band's 31st global tour was marked by numerous high points, not the least of which was the guys' indefatigable passion for playing music.
Appropriately, they hit the stage with ''Start Me Up," as plumes of fire shot skyward from the front of the stage. Dressed in blue satin pants and a silver jacket, Jagger jumped about in all his swivel-hipped glory. If his spastic little serpentine dance looks silly performed by a man of 62, well, it looked pretty ridiculous when Jagger was 22, as well.
''People say why start the tour in Boston. Well, Boston is championship city," said Jagger, with a bit of pandering that every performer coming through Boston (or Massachusetts) feels is an obligation.
Richards, looking every bit like Captain Jack Sparrow from ''Pirates of the Caribbean (Johnny Depp based the character on Richards) prowled the stage, both a little oblivious to the audience and also feeding off their energy. The band launched into the feisty ''Shattered," as Jagger tossed aside his jacket to reveal a T-shirt which showed off his eternally taut body. (Has this guy gained a pound in the last 40 years?)
Jagger, who rarely stood still, seemed a little out of breath on the song, and since he blew his nose just off stage a few times, perhaps he was nursing a cold. Whatever the case, it didn't slow him down. The rusty funk of ''Tumbling Dice" was as delectable as ever, especially juiced with three backup singers and a four-piece horn section.
