HOUSTON (AP) 鈥 Time marches on and all good things must come to an end. But don鈥檛 tell that to The Rolling Stones.
What many believe to be the greatest rock 鈥檔鈥 roll band in the world showed no signs of slowing down anytime soon as they kicked off their latest tour Sunday night at Houston鈥檚 NRG Stadium.
The Stones have been touring for more than 60 years. Frontman Mick Jagger and lead guitarist Keith Richards are both 80, with guitarist Ronnie Wood not far behind at 76. Their tour is being sponsored in part by AARP.
But during a vibrant two-hour show, the Stones played with the energy of band that was on tour for the first time.
鈥淚t鈥檚 great to be back in the Lone Star State,鈥 Jagger told the packed stadium, filled with longtime fans, many wearing faded concert shirts from previous tours.
Jagger often strutted up and down the stage with seemingly boundless energy while Richards and Wood played many familiar guitar riffs beloved by fans. Jagger often led the audience in sing-alongs.
鈥淭he energy level is up and it鈥檚 always up with them. The age doesn鈥檛 show,鈥 Dale Skjerseth, the Stones鈥 production director, said Friday before the concert.
The Stones have hit the road to support the release of their latest album, the band鈥檚 first record of original music since 2005.
Houston was the first stop on the band鈥檚 16-city tour across the U.S. and Canada. Other cities on the tour include New Orleans, Philadelphia and Vancouver, British Columbia. The tour ends on July 17 in Santa Clara, California.
During Sunday's 18-song concert set list, the Stones played several tracks off the new record, including lead single They also played classics including 鈥淪ympathy for the Devil,鈥 鈥淕imme Shelter,鈥 Honky Tonk Women鈥 and 鈥淪tart Me Up.鈥
After playing 鈥淏east of Burden,鈥 Jagger said that concertgoers in Houston had voted to include it on the set list.
鈥淵ou can鈥檛 go wrong with that,鈥 one man in the audience could be heard screaming.
The Stones also played some unexpected choices, including 鈥淩ocks Off,鈥 from their 1972 double album 鈥淓xile on Main St.鈥 and 鈥淥ut of Time,鈥 a 1966 song that Jagger said during the concert had not ever been played by the band in the U.S.
With the 2021 , the Stones are now comprised of the core trio of Jagger, Richards and Wood. On Sunday, they were backed by various musicians including two keyboardists, a new drummer, backup singers and a brass section.
While the stage was surrounded by a large collection of video screens projecting images throughout the show, the main focus of the concert was the band and their songs
Before Sunday鈥檚 concert, Jagger spent time on Friday touring NASA鈥檚 Johnson Space Center in suburban Houston, posting photos on his Instagram account of him with astronauts inside Mission Control.
鈥淚 had an amazing trip to the space center,鈥 Jagger said.
When asked if the band might be thinking about retiring, Skjerseth said he doubts that will happen.
鈥淭his is not the end. They鈥檙e very enthused,鈥 he said.
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This story has been updated to correct a song title to 鈥淕imme Shelter,鈥 not 鈥淕immer Shelter.鈥
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