By Ken Paulson
I thought I had witnessed the final Rolling Stones appearance in the U.S. back in October 2005. The band was wrapping up the American tour in support of the “Bigger Bang” album and there was the usual conjecture that these aging icons couldn’t keep this up. Silly us.
They’ve just announced a summer tour through Europe and the band appears to want to perform as long as they’re upright. That may bode well for “Exhibitionism: The Rolling Stones’ Exhibitionism,” a multi-media presentation now on its own world tour.
The exhibit has just opened in Nashville at the Musicians Hall of Fame and will run through June 30 before being shipped overseas. It’s quite the spectacle, packed with memorabilia, stage costumes, vintage gear, posters and videos. It’s a full two-hour experience for the fan, which it needs to be to justify the adult admission fee of $39.50.
We had the chance to visit with Jay McDowell, the museum’s multimedia curator and former bass player with BR-549 about the Rolling Stones’ ties to country music. Here’s his take:
McDowell wouldn’t name his favorite part of the exhibit, so we’ll share our own. Our five favorite elements of “Exhibitionism:”
-
- The apartment: There’s a recreation of the filthy apartment the Rolling Stones shared at the beginning of their career. There are no photos and it’s based entirely on 50-year-old memories, so I’m not confident of its authenticity, but it is fun.
2.The jumpsuits: There’s an astonishing array of loud and tacky outfits Mick Jagger wore on stage. Some will bring back memories; others may induce nightmares. He wore them all with confidence.
3.The sets: There are models of several of the band’s tour stages from Steel Wheels on. They’re fascinating and presumably were used in the construction of the real thing. I would have traded any of my train sets for these.
4.The Lips: At the entrance to the exhibit is a constantly looping, wildly creative image of the Rolling Stones’ lips logo. You’ll take a dozen photos before you even step into the exhibit.
5.The video: The exhibit begins with a multiple-screen history of the band, running quickly through every chapter, including Brian Jones’ death and the tragedy at Altamont. It effectively foreshadows much of what you’ll see in the rest of the exhibit.