Unsung Melody - The Rolling Stones are back! "50 and Counting" Tour Announcement.

The Rolling Stones, who rocked London and New York in 2012, announced today that they will kick off their “50 and Counting” tour in Los Angeles at the Staples Center. (Date TBA pending NBA/NHL playoff schedules.) The tour debut will be followed by performances in Oakland, San Jose, Las Vegas, Anaheim, Toronto, Chicago, Boston and Philadelphia.

“50 and Counting” continues the exhilarating celebration of the band’s first 50 years. Five decades of Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Charlie Watts and Ronnie Wood bringing their iconic music and ground-breaking stage shows to audiences around the globe.

The Rolling Stones were recently crowned the “Best Live Band” at the NME Awards in London, and over the past 12 months have thrilled fans with their release of a greatest hits collection, GRRR!, a groundbreaking documentary film Crossfire Hurricane, a photographic book Rolling Stones: 50, and have taken the stage by storm for their first live shows in many years. The tour is the band’s highly anticipated return to the stage.

“’50 and Counting has been pretty amazing so far,” said Jagger. “We did a few shows in London and New York last year…and had such a good time that we thought…let’s do some more. It’s a good show. Lots of the classic stuff everyone wants to hear…with a few little gems tucked in here and there. The stage is shaped like lips and goes off into the venue so I get to run around in the crowd. It’s great fun to be able to get that close to the audience.”

“From day one at rehearsals it sounded so fresh. You could tell that everybody was dying to get their teeth into it. It was like…open the gates…let us out!” said Richards. “‘Cause man, it is the life and blood of us to play in front of people.”

Tickets for Oakland, San Jose, Toronto and Chicago go on sale beginning Monday, April 8th at 10AM local time and will be available at www.rollingstones.com.

Citi® cardmembers will have access to pre-sale tickets beginning April 5th at 10AM local time through Citi’s Private Pass® Program. For complete pre-sale details visit www.citiprivatepass.com

Mick Taylor, who was a member of The Rolling Stones from 1969-74, will be a special guest throughout the tour.

The band will treat their generations of fans to an evening of classic Stones hits like Gimme Shelter, Paint It Black, Jumping Jack Flash, Tumbling Dice, and It’s Only Rock and Roll, curated with lesser known gems and a cover or two.

The stage design for the tour is based on the band’s ubiquitous tongue and lips logo, which extends out into the crowd, allowing the Stones to interact directly with their audience. Known for their ground-breaking sets and use of cutting-edge technology, the Stones‘ set design will feature video screens and special effects that will enhance the high-octane experience of attending a live Stones‘ show.

The band will also play London’s Hyde Park on Saturday, July 6th following a headlining appearance at UK’s Glastonbury Festival on June 29th.

The Rolling Stones “50 and Counting” tour will be the band’s first venture with worldwide tour promoter AEG Live’s Concerts West.

50 and Counting Tour Dates
TBA – Los Angeles, CA @ Staples Center (TBA)
05.05 – Oakland, CA @ Oracle Arena (On sale April 8th @ 10AM PST)
05.08 – San Jose, CA @ HP Pavilion (On sale April 8th @ 10AM PST)
05.11 – Las Vegas, NV @ MGM Grand Garden Arena (TBA)
05.15 – Anaheim, CA @ Honda Center (TBA)
05.25 – Toronto, ON @ Air Canada Centre (On sale April 8th @ 10AM EST)
05.28 – Chicago, IL @ United Center (On sale April 8th @ 10AM CST)
06.12 – Boston, MA @ TD Garden (TBA)
06.18 – Philadelphia, PA @ Wells Fargo Center (TBA)

A few words from the Stones: