It's official: Rolling Stones playing (Indianapolis) track on July 4

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

Source: IndyStar



Following weeks of speculation, the Rolling Stones confirmed today a July 4 performance at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Band members Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Charlie Watts and Ron Wood will perform at night in the track's infield northeast of Pagoda Plaza. Tickets, priced $77 to $302 (with VIP tickets sold for $995 each), go on sale at 10 a.m. April 13.

During today's announcement at the track's famed yard of bricks, Indianapolis Motor Speedway President Doug Boles showcased an IndyCar boasting a "checkered tongue" Rolling Stones logo to advertise the event. The modern car was positioned in tandem with Rodger Ward's winning car from 1962, the year the Rolling Stones were founded.

(...)

In a week in which touring performers such as rock band Wilco and comedic duo Nick Offerman and Megan Mullally canceled Indianapolis performances and cited the state's Religious Freedom Restoration Act as the reason, Boles said he doesn't believe the legislation will impact the Stones concert.


Read more: http://www.indystar.com/story/entertainment/music/2015/03/31/rolling-stones-indianapolis-zip-code-mick-jagger-keith-richards-speedway/70710890/

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With $995 a seat price gouging, no less.

Guess we can count Mick out as an advocate for equality. Worth bearing in mind the next time his pal Jan Wenner tries to sell him as some great liberal in a fawning Rolling Stone piece.

[NoJusticeNoPeace]

1. dammit

[yeoman6987]

12. Good for Rolling Stones! They know that Indianapolis already

Passed legislation stating equality for all so no use punishing the city because the state messed up which is changing the legislation too by the way.

[pnwmom]

14. Good point. Indianapolis is a justifiable exception. n/t

[ghostsinthemachine]

16. No legislation, a resolution

which has no bearing on the law.

http://www.tristatehomepage.com/story/d/story/indianapolis-officials-pass-resolution-opposing-rf/11890/Na10lKpdJUWu1I8_u22t7g

[NoJusticeNoPeace]

19. Exactly...Indiana is stink filth until they clean up the horrid act of the TeaParTY PRICKs

[marym625]

2. Last time I listen to the Stones

Shame on them. Of all people!

[former9thward]

45. I am sure they will lose sleep over your decision.

[marym625]

48. What is your problem?

[LanternWaste]

54. No doubt people will lose as much sleep over your response...

No doubt people will lose as much sleep over your response...

(six of one, half a dozen of the other and both as petulant as the other.)

[msongs]

3. oh, burn all your digital downloads asap :-) nt

[Kelvin Mace]

4. Next up: Backlash

Followed by mealy-mouthed justification and lame excuses, followed by offer to "donate" token amount of proceeds in hope it will go away.

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

6. Or they'll just pull a Cosby, refuse to talk about it and keep going

That's how they dealt with the widespread backlash over ticket prices on their last tour.

I notice they dropped prices a hair this time around. Guess those empty seats they had to rush to fill last minute at the kickoff last time were a bit embarrassing.

[DinahMoeHum]

5. I dunno, they may be gambling on this law being struck down. . .

Just my guess.

[khankiso]

7. I never

never did like the stones anyway so now I have even more reason not to.

[gordianot]

8. They should have waited to see if there is going to be "satisfaction" by the end of the week.

Maybe they could reschedule in Arkansas.

[NoJusticeNoPeace]

20. I am pissed, but you were the first to do the "joke" and it was well done, so kudos

[YOHABLO]

9. They are oblivious to to current issues. Probably could care less.

[mimi85]

31. I'm afraid you're right.

And I saw them on their first tour of the US in 1964 with my still best friend of 50 years. Most of them live here though - hopefully Keef turns on the news occasionally.

[irisblue]

10. hell with that.....

RLY ...you need/ the jingle/green that much?
Shame on you.....

[Mr.Bill]

11. I would imagine

that contractual obligations would make it rather difficult and expensive to not do the show. But who knows, I'm no expert in this area.

[jberryhill]

13. Your imagination would be accurate

[SoapBox]

22. Well...sometimes you have to take a stand, even if it means money.

Glad also that I never liked them...so now that they are going ahead with this, without even a threat of cancellation, I'll think of this when stations use their music.

[Mr.Bill]

24. Mick Jagger is all about money.

When the band was formed he was a student at the London School of Economics. He's a businessman first and a musician second. For him to cancel he would have to believe the band would lose money in the long run.

[JohnnyRingo]

44. Until the mid '80s Jagger personally signed every check...

...right down to the roadies. He was the Rock & Roll star accountant, bar none.

Mick Jagger didn't want to tour the US for (I think) the Steel Wheels album, but a major corporation (telecom?) made him an offer that was beyond belief at the time, something like $50m.

Since that day all Rolling Stone tours were undertaken by people who are much more business savvy than the Glimmer Twins. They now strut onto the stage under contract as salaried performers. I'm no lawyer, but I don't think telling the likes of Time Warner, Coke, or Viacom that they want to cancel a show for a social protest is an affordable proposition. These tours require months of logistics by hundreds of people.

It's a nice gesture that Wilco rescheduled a concert club date though. I suspect those here who swear they'll never go see The Stones didn't like them to begin with.

It's like me boycotting Donny Osmond. It's easy.

[marym625]

51. No. I actually like their music

Prior to 1978. I planned to see them at Milwaukee Fest. But, not now.

Angie is actually my favorite song.

Just sad. The fact it was announced when it was. Almost like a fuck you to people who can be hurt under the law.

[JohnnyRingo]

53. For what it's worth...

...the Stones themselves didn't schedule that date or venue. I'm not sure how anyone can expect Jagger to cancel a date at will when doing so represents a full 7% of the tour income. That would likely make the entire tour a no-go for the sponsor and it's not his money to protest with. Mick & Keith get paid up front.

While I'm letting you down gently, don't expect WalMart to close Indy stores or NASCAR to cancel the Brickyard 500. Though both entities have expressed reservations with the law, the financial commitment is not on a par with signing an online petition and penning an angry letter to the editor.

You can skip the show and it'll be your loss. There will likely be no empty seats, and it's absolutely ridiculous to assume they will be occupied by bigots there to see a show by homophobes.

[Tom Ripley]

56. +1000

[Gman]

15. You have to book it before

You can make a spectacle about canceling.

[Brother Buzz]

18. That's my thinking, too

[ghostsinthemachine]

27. Mine too....

Time waits for no one....

[Brother Buzz]

29. Points for the song reference

[Brother Buzz]

17. Am I missing something? A track official announced it....

yet no quote or statement from the Stones. I wonder if the shoe might just be poised to be dropped.

[NoJusticeNoPeace]

21. Hoosierdaddy

[mimi85]

33. Love it...

[jalan48]

23. It's about money with Mick J.-always has been.

[Tom Ripley]

57. "You know maybe we could make a few quid playing this music"

-the young Keith Richard(s)

[mahannah]

25. If they gave me a ticket and paid me to go I'd say no.

[DreamGypsy]

26. Maybe they will play a three and a half hour jam..

...of You Can't Always Get Want

...honoring Indiana's current bigotry.

[ghostsinthemachine]

28. Petition to the Stones to cancel the Indy date here....

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/992/432/767/tell-the-rolling-stones-to-boycott-indiana-stop-the-july-42015-indy-show/
They are scheduled to play July 4th at Indy Motor Speedway. They can't.

[mimi85]

34. Thanks - signed...

[dbackjon]

30. Fuck them all

Not another dime, jackasses

[PSPS]

32. I suspect the law will be 'fixed' one way or another long before July 4th.

By the way, Indianapolis already has a non-discrimination law on the books that includes sexual orientation/identification. So the religious-freedom law is no shield for businesses that discriminate.

The problem here is that there is no such statewide law so, outside large cities that have such anti-discrimination laws, one could use this new law as a shield. The real fix here is for Indiana to enact an anti-discrimination law that includes sexual orientation/identification as a protected class just like race and gender.

[davidpdx]

49. You think it will be fixed at the state level?

[mimi85]

35. My husband had a good point when I told him.

It's not fair to lump all the citizens of Indy, just as it's not fair to blame everything on PBO.

[NaturalHigh]

36. I was never a big fan of the Rolling Stones anyway.

They did maybe two or three songs that I liked. I've always hear that Mick Jagger was kind of an asshole, by the way.

[JohnnyRingo]

37. I don't think I'd take it personal.

I know emotions are high in the days since Indiana's discriminatory bill was signed, but I don't think it's fair to demand everyone follow suit regardless of personal cost. Cancelling 7% of a multi-million dollar national tour to protest is not the same as signing an online petition and penning an angry letter to the editor.

I give Wilco much credit for making a proper stand, but rescheduling one small concert club show is not in the same logistical ballpark as changing such a major event as a Stones tour that involved hundreds of people and months of venue negotiations. It's worth noting that the Stones handed off concert arrangements to corporations decades ago. They basically do salary work for the company that promotes them now.

As for Jagger "gouging" fans: Supply & demand. It's likely many of those high end tix will end up at StubHub for multiple times the price.

[ghostsinthemachine]

40. Like hell they don't

they set the tone for politics and have since the forever. Woody guthrie, the temptations, CSNY, Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, Spearhead, Steve Earle, hell the Grateful Dead created a culture unto itself, The Stones made many politically charged recording and songs. Hell the last album was full of anti Bush rhetoric.

"I'll get on my knees and pray, We Don't get fooled again"......

[ghostsinthemachine]

41. “You call yourself a Christian, I call you a hypocrite/

You call yourself a patriot, well I think you’re full of shit…” Sweet Neocon.... http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/rolling_stones_sweet_neocon_criticizes_bush_policies/

[Initech]

42. Really? They trashed the Bush Administration on their "A Bigger Bang" album.

I'm surprised they didn't see this coming but I understand the logistics required of moving out of Indy.

[Cha]

43. If they do play.. it seems like it would really stand out that all these stand up people against

bigotry are boycotting Indiana until they "FIX THIS".. and the Stones play there as if nothing was amiss.

We'll see.

[brett_jv]

46. Yet, Elton John and Queen played Sun City ...

Which was kinda worse if you think about it.

Just like the reputations of Elton John and Queen, The Stones will probably survive the fallout from doing this show ...

Now, if Rage Against the Machine refused to cancel an Indiana show ... I might be a bit traumatized ...

[rizlaplus]

47. Mick's right to be money-wise ...

,,, after all the band was mercilessly ripped off during their early (some say best) years - as were the Beatles.

Only real quibble I have ... should this band play another Speedway concert?

[davidpdx]

50. Have never been a RS fan

But fuck'em anyway. Most concerts are so expensive these days that going is too costly.

[Travis_0004]

52. Should be a great concert

Im going to see If I can get tickets. Indy is only about an hour away from where I live.

[olddots]

55. fuck em