After 60 years of Rolling Stones concerts in Southern California, the fans tell all (2024)

Almost exactly 49 years ago, Jim McGarry got his first chance to see the Rolling Stones.

For exactly one song.

It was July 9, 1975, and he and a Stones-loving buddy had driven from San Bernardino to the Forum in Inglewood to see their rock ‘n’ roll heroes.

Inside a flask shaped like a pair of binoculars, they smuggled whiskey in for the first of five nights at the arena. Upon discovering their tickets were in the nosebleed seats, they decided to sneak down to the front of the floor section.

“We were only 19 or so and there’s Ringo Starr, there’s Liza Minnelli, there’s Bianca Jagger,” McGarry says. “There are these seats, right there by the stage. We sit down, we’re trying not to make any noise. We’re having a little bit more of the whiskey.

“And then all of a sudden, the lights come on, it was a lotus flower stage, and Jagger pops his head out of the top of it,” he says. “We start screaming and jumping up and down and yelling.

Then something really memorable happened.

“The bouncers grabbed us, took us and threw us out the back door of the Forum,” McGarry says.

The one song he got to hear – “Brown Sugar” – was the extent of his first Rolling Stones concert, but McGarry went back the next four nights of that 1975 residency and he’s kept going ever since.

When McGarry gets to SoFi Stadium on Wednesday, July 10, and returns there on Saturday, July 13, it will mark the 99th and 100th Rolling Stones shows he’s attended, not counting various nights with solo Stones on their own outings.

The history of the Rolling Stones in Southern California reaches back even further to June 5, 1964, when they made their United States debut at Swing Auditorium in San Bernardino, and it has continued over the decades with legendary tours and concerts in iconic Southern California venues.

There are plenty of stories of the band’s performances over the past 60 years in Southern California, so we asked fans to share their memories. And they did. What follows are edited only for length and clarity.

The ’60s: The U.S. debut in San Bernardino

The Rolling Stones played their first show in the United States at Swing Auditorium in the Inland Empire on June 5, 1964. They returned there several more times in the ’60s, while also playing the Hollywood Bowl, the Sports Arena, and the infamous Altamont festival.

Hollywood Bowl 1966 was the first time I saw the Stones live. They were young and so was I. Tickets were $5 I did not see them for several years, but the last 25 years I’ve seen them every tour, more than 20 times. There was a magical trip for Stones fans to Stockholm in 2013, three shows in five days with seats in the pit or first five rows. The last venue was small, less than 2000, easy to make eye contact with the band.

At the Forum, we had good seats on the floor, when they came out on the catwalk they were seats away. I excitedly told my best friend Nancy, ‘They’re looking at us!’ She told me not to get too enthusiastic – there was a 25-year-old flashing them in the row behind us.

My love of the blues was reinforced with early Stones albums. Posters, ticket stubs and album covers hold a special place in my home. My Goldendoodle Keef was named after Keith Richards, my favorite Stone. I look forward to seeing them with my best friend of over 66 years, Nancy Qualtieri Lee, on July 10.

The Stones and I both have wrinkles, but when they play “Satisfaction” I’m 15 again. I will continue to spend my grandchildren’s inheritance on Stones tickets as long as there are the Rolling Stones.

– Kay Bourgeois Harris, Huntington Beach

I was backstage at the Swing Auditorium with the Stones at their 1964 bus tour when I was 18. An unknown at the time Sonny Bono was there with me as well as the editor of the British music publication Melody Maker. Somewhere, I still have the playlist that Charlie Watts had written for the gig. There were PR stickers posted around Pacific High School in San Bernardino before the concert announcing, “The Rolling Stones are coming – dirtier than the Beatles.’

– Noel Farmer, Brooklyn, New York

It was our sophomore year of high school and none of us had even heard of the Rolling Stones except for Diane who was crazy for them. She convinced a group of us to see them at Swing Auditorium in San Bernardino. We had front-row seats and I don’t think it was even a sellout crowd. Fast-forward one year to 1965 and it was a different story. The Stones had become hugely popular and this time the stage was mobbed by crazed but controlled fans. Another friend had won a radio call-in contest for a backstage visit, so two of us gave her our albums to be autographed. I never imagined that 59 years later it would be a cherished possession. Wish I had saved the tickets stubs!

– Nancy Brucks, Anaheim Hills

I was at the 1964 Southern California Rolling Stones concert. In fact, my friends and I had front-row center seats. Looking at their tour schedule, it looks like I attended their first U.S. concert at the Swing Auditorium in San Bernardino. Last night I looked up that venue and was thrilled to watch the original concert on YouTube. Jagger was so young and so cute! I was hoping maybe I would be in the video, but wasn’t. The most memorable experience from that night was when Mick used his mic to do a lot of very sexual things! My friends said I was nuts to think that and had a dirty mind! Obviously, that wasn’t the case.

I think I began my musical adventures when I was 16 or 17 when I saw the Beach Boys perform at Loyola University Spring Fling in 1963. Very exciting when Mike Love took me on stage and I lip-synced in the chorus of ‘Little Surfer Girl.’ I went to Westchester High School and was in the same graduating class with the two of the Turtles, Howard Kaylan and Mark Volman. They had their hit ‘Happy Together’ when they were, I think, 17 or 18. I regret that I never got to see the Beatles … but, unbelievably, one of my Manhattan Beach roommates, Olivia, became the second wife of George Harrison and the mother of their son Dhani.

– Fran Greenbaum, Mission Viejo

Everyone in L.A. had heard that the Stones would be playing a free concert in the Bay Area but no one knew where until a couple of days before the show. The day before the show I got on a midnight PSA flight from LAX to SFO. My flight was packed and approximately 75% of the passengers were high on acid. Not me. I didn’t trust crowds.

When we got to SFO, I ran right over to Hertz. All they had left were gigantic Cadillacs. Five hippies chipped in if I would drive as they were in no shape to get anywhere by themselves. We drove to Livermore and the crush of cars happened all night. At 3 a.m. or 4 a.m., we drove as far as the crowds would allow and parked by a farm. Just follow the crowds. The next day I called Hertz and told them the car was stolen. Never heard about it again.

Got to Altamont just as the sun was coming up. Sat down about 100 feet in front of stage right. What I didn’t notice was the Hells Angels buses parked about 100 feet behind us. These clowns were completely [messed up] on speed and LSD and were in a foul mood. Luckily, their path was about 20-30 feet to the left of me.

Of course, no one played well. The stage was too low and the PA was crap. When the Stones came on, everything turned to crap. Fighting all around the stage front and Mick was pissed. Then I saw an Angel with a big knife just plunging it into someone down front. That’s when Mick started yelling, “Hey people!” repeatedly. There was a highway several hundred yards behind the right side of the stage. I ran up there, stuck my thumb out, and got picked up by a beautiful girl in a new sports car, who was going all the way to to Oakland Airport.

I got on a midnight flight to LAX and was home in Santa Monica and in bed by 2 a.m. When I was interviewed several years ago, the moviemaker and myself decided I had to be the first person home and in bed before the other 500,000. I had friends who were stuck there for days. I heard thousands of cars were abandoned. The movie [“Gimme Shelter”] captured it perfectly.

– Bob Barnett, Huntington Beach

In the summer of 1965, I was employed at Ward and Harrington Lumber Co. on Coast Highway in Newport Beach. Now the location is Sterling BMW dealership. The Watts Riots erupted and lasted most of the month of August. I can recall our lumber truck drivers making deliveries in and around Los Angeles, still carrying pistols with them even through November.

My brother gave me Rolling Stones tickets for the Los Angeles Sports Arena for my birthday. I really didn’t want to chance it. No regrets. The good news is my wife knowing this story surprised me with an early birthday present with two up-close tickets to the Stones at the Honda Center on May 15, 2013. Ooh-hoo-hoo!!!

– Charlie Wolfe, Costa Mesa

On Sept. 23, 1966, my new boyfriend took me for a ride to Los Angeles from Orange County. Our Sunday drive took us near the Sports Arena in the afternoon. We saw that the Rolling Stones were performing and decided to buy tickets to the show. Our tickets were $20 each for the first row on the balcony behind the band. It’s the concert we will always remember being the most fabulous event ever and a fabulous beginning to our relationship. This year, we are celebrating our 50th wedding anniversary with four children and eight grandchildren. Thank you, Rolling Stones, for the wonderful experience.

– Karen and Phil Luchesi, Newport Beach

My first and only Stones concert was July 26, 1966, in San Francisco’s Cow Palace. I was 14 and I had a particular girl in mind but either her parents would not sign off and/or I didn’t have the nerve to ask. My date was mom, who drove. It was a full roster and a three-hour show. I only remember the Stones and the Standells. I’m quite surprised to read the Jefferson Airplane also played. We were miles away; this was also my first experience in such a large venue, and, of course, sonically it was pretty miserable. I see now it was Jagger’s 22nd birthday, a fact I don’t remember registering at the time, but I do recall he put on the kind of show you could enjoy from a hundred yards back.

– Randall Crane, Irvine

Ahh, yes! The Rolling Stones are emblazoned in my memory from 1967. The UCI graduate school of administration. On the first floor, right underneath our study room was the Ratskeller, a rocking beer and sandwich place with a jukebox that was so loud it came through the floor! Our class was small, three of us, and we all sang along to ‘Jumpin’ Jack Flash’ and the other Stones songs that I still remember the lyrics at 80! UCI had a lot of visiting groups in the ’60s, but never the Rolling Stones. Too bad. I could have sung every tune they played!

– Bob Bunyan, Mission Viejo

In the ’70s: Forum shows and Anaheim shoes

The Rolling Stones played the Forum in Inglewood often in the ’70s, with several 1975 shows available as live albums. Then there was the Anaheim show where Mick Jagger found out what happens when you invite fans to throw their shoes on stage.

June 1972, the Forum. Out of the hundreds of rock concerts I have ever seen (including the Beatles) this is NUMERO UNO! This was the Stones at the height of their creative powers and they were still hungry to prove it. Highlights include a huge dragon curtain in front of stage, the opening chords to ‘Brown Sugar,’ and Jagger coming out of the dragon’s mouth, to strut and prance… Mick Taylor, Keith and Bill Wyman standing up straight, deadpan.

This show was after they had played an afternoon show – back in those days, they never played an encore. That night – they did!Program, cool jet poster – yeah still got ’em. I have gotten rid of many programs over the years, Not this one!

In 1975, three out of five shows at the Forum, lotus flower stage opens up with Jagger at top of petal opening up to front row, Jaggar,10 feet in front of me – it was something to behold!

For a long time I took a break because I felt I had seen the Stones at their best, especially indoors, but over time broke down and saw them at Dodger Stadium, the San Diego baseball stadium, a couple of Rose Bowl shows, a couple of Staples shows. And now, July 10 at SoFi, excited again. Neither of us are getting any younger!

– Kevin Bossenmeyer, Irvine

June 13, 1972. I was a junior in high school and a buddy came up to me at school and asked if I wanted to go see the Rolling Stones in San Diego. I said, ‘Let’s go,’ and about midday we headed from Fullerton down to San Diego. Ticket was $6.50. At the San Diego Sports Arena, the show was unreserved seating, and the floor was open, no seats. We got a spot on the floor about 10 feet directly in front of the stage where Mick Jagger would be singing. It was a long wait, but well worth it.

When the show started, everyone was standing and packed together to rock out. I remember people getting stoned, taking a hit from a joint, sticking your arm up in the air with the joint, and the next concertgoer nearby would grab it, take a hit and hold up and pass to another person. I remember Mick Jagger singing a hit, rocking out. He had a big stainless steel bowl filled with rose petals, and as he spun around, flung all the rose petals into the crowd.

– Rick Morgan, San Clemente

I am going to SoFi for both shows. My first two Stones shows were at Anaheim Stadium right after high school graduation. and yes, I remember “throw all your shoes on stage.” Peter Tosh and the Outlaws were the warm-up bands. Peter had a song called “Legalize It” and passed out big joints. I tried it and it was full of seeds. Yuck.

Those ’78 shows started a lifelong love affair. I have been at the Prince shows. The 50th anniversary tour with Mick Taylor was the best because of Mick sitting in on a few of his classics he helped form.Learning how to get in the pit is the biggest deal these days. I have been in the pit four times, and it is unbelievable, the best experience on the planet.

– Jim Power, Laguna Hills

I was at the 1978 Anaheim Stadium concert. I remember a shoe ended up on the stage. Mick Jagger saying, ‘I want all your [darn] shoes!’ Well, everyone threw their shoes on stage and they walked off. The crowd was not happy.

Before music was played, people were using large beach blankets to throw girls in the air. My sister Susan is 4’11”. As we walked by I heard, ‘Hey she’s small, grab her!’ She was grabbed and flung in the air, screaming, ‘Let me down.’ She was pissed off to say the least.

– Bob Waters, Laguna Niguel

I was there. Mick, after dodging intermittent shoes being thrown at him, threw one of his back and then announced, ‘OK, I want all your shoes!’ It was raining shoes on the stage for a couple minutes. Then the ‘Some Girls’ show continued smoothly.

– Bob Tucker, Garden Grove

In the ’80s: Prince abdicates, GNR roars

Prince was not yet a superstar when he opened for the Stones at the Coliseum in 1981 and got booed off the stage. Near the end of the decade, Guns N’ Roses and Living Colour fared much better as openers at the same venue for the Stones.

I went to see the Stones at the Coliseum in 1981. My roommate and I were both friends with a guy (I do not even remember his name) that told me he had an extra ticket to see the Stones. He then said whoever answered the phone when he called would get to go with him and buy the extra ticket. Well, you guessed it, I answered the phone and went to the concert with him.

I remember no knowing who Prince was at the time other than he was the opening act. I did not like any of his songs and the crowd booed him and threw eggs at him. Little did I know he would become so successful later on. I must say I never became a fan of Prince and laugh when I think about that event.

– Linda Burstein, Laguna Niguel

Saw the Stones at the Coliseum in 1981. This guy called Prince came out. I remember one of his songs seemed particularly misogynistic. After a few songs he was booed off the stage, and his manager came out and lectured the audience like we were a bunch of second graders.

I don’t think Prince came back out.

It happened.

Les Poltrack,Chanhassen, Minnesota

In 1986, the Stones used our sound equipment (Glass Family Electric Band) for a week for their L.A. gig rehearsals. After delivering the equipment, I was in their rehearsal for five hours – lucky me – as they went through all their songs up until that time. I was in and out of that house they rented, which I believe was Stephen Stills’ house in Laurel Canyon, for that week. Both Mick and Keith were very nice and made me feel comfortable.

– David Capilouto

1989, LA Coliseum, Living Colour, Guns ‘N’ Roses and the Stones. Autumn, a 16-year-old neighbor girl, won tickets from a radio station. She asked me, a 39-year-old dad, to escort her. Her mom is a huge Stones fan, so she was not happy that her daughter didn’t ask her. Score!

She came to see Guns ‘N’ Roses and I had never heard of them. I was there for the Stones. Neither of us knew Living Colour. My highlight was when the Stones played ‘Honky Tonk Women.’ They had two three-story blow-up dolls that the roadies pulled on with a rope to the beat of music. One of the dolls was a blonde with her legs crossed smoking a cigarette. It was awesome.

She recently thanked me again for taking her to her first concert. She now has many concerts under her belt which includes, unfortunately, the Las Vegas Route 91 country concert on Oct. 1, 2017. She was shot three times – hand, lung, and jawbone and tongue. She spent a month in the hospital. There is no question that her husband’s quick action getting her to a hospital saved her life. She no longer teaches grade school, but her attitude and love for life has returned. She is awesome.

– Mike McCarthy, Huntington Beach

The Rolling Stones concert I saw in October 1989 at the Coliseum was probably the best concert I ever saw. But the real story is the journey getting to the concert. The morning of ticket sales, standing in the parking lot at Tower Records, my future husband Joe’s number was somewhere in the first few in line. Finally, the doors opened and the first few of us went in. However, there was a problem. The Tower Records computer was crashed! Our hopes were dashed.

If memory serves, those of us left in line were finally told to go home, leave our wristbands on, and come back at a specified time, and in the meantime, they would try to reserve us some tickets. When we came back to Tower Records, Joe showed his wristband, and we purchased our reserved tickets. Apparently, the manager called someone with clout, who was able to save a block of tickets for those of us still in line in Torrance. We were elated! We were going to get to see The Rolling Stones, Guns N’ Roses, and Living Colour! And not only that, we scored front-row seats!!!

– Diane Dantas, Cypress

In the ’90s: Baseball stadiums and the Rose Bowl

The ’90s saw the Stones play the largest stages in Southern California, including a pair of shows at both Dodger Stadium and the Rose Bowl.

My son and I attended their concert, early ’90s at Rose Bowl. We were interviewed by an Aussie news outlet that was beaming via satellite from the parking lot. Remember them asking what my favorite Stones song was and I replied “(I Cant Get No) Satisfaction.” In succeeding years, he and I attended concerts at Staples, also at Petco Park in San Diego, Dodger Stadium, and not too long ago, SoFi Stadium shortly after opening. I am 83 years old, my son is 42, and for the coming concert at SoFi, we will bring our 9-year-old grandson for a perfect trifecta. Three generations.

–Tony Calderone, Huntington Beach

In the ’00s: The Stones go big

The first decade of the new millennium saw the Rolling Stones play huge stadiums such Angel Stadium and Dodger Stadium, the Hollywood Bowl, the Forum, Staples Center, and Honda Center.

I’ve been a Rolling Stones fan since 1964 and I’ve seen lots of their concerts. The best was at Anaheim Stadium on Nov. 2, 2002. The Angels had just won the World Series in that stadium. While rocking out, the Stones played the video of Darin Erstad catching the last out of the World Series. The crowd went wild. The memory of that night will not fade away. Somehow some old English rockers – the greatest ever – knew the baseball crowd and we got what we wanted.

– Andy Guilford, Trabuco Canyon

I have had the privilege to see them over 40 times, I believe, in Japan, London, Paris, and soon to add Canada. I had the honor of working the local crew with IATSE 504 and doing Keith Richards’ spotlight at Anaheim Stadium in 2003. I have the work pass and I have the setlist that was listed as Edison Field. I also have a few guitar picks and a pair of Charlie’s drum sticks. On this tour, I am seeing 11 shows. I just got back from Denver and my next show is in Canada. The shows have been great!

– Larry Morgia, Irvine

I saw the Stones at either Angel Stadium or Dodger Stadium 20 years ago. It was a great show, of course, with Mick doing his thing. Some of my favorites they played: ‘Can’t You Hear Me Knocking,’ ‘Dead Flowers,’ ‘Sister Morphine.’ You can tell my favorite album. ‘Sticky Fingers.’ I follow Mick on Facebook. Love these guys; they are the soundtrack for our lives.

–Dave Lindquist, Irvine

In the ’10s: Large and small

For a band as big as the Rolling Stones, an arena is about as small as it gets. Imagine how lucky you’d feel to have scored a ticket to the tiny Echoplex in L.A. to see them one night in 2013.

My favorite experience was in 2013, front row in the pit at Staples Center. From this prime spot, I witnessed something new: the band’s on-stage relationships. I saw them communicate with just a wink or a raised eyebrow, showcasing their decades-long synergy. That night, we were treated to a surprise appearance by Mick Taylor, who revived his legendary solos on tracks like ‘Sway’ and ‘Can’t You Hear Me Knocking.’ It was pure sonic magic.

A memorable moment was Ronnie Wood snapping his fingers and sending a plectrum over my shoulder, hitting actor Aaron Paul (Jesse from ‘Breaking Bad’) on the forehead. This show holds a special place in my ‘Heart of Stone’ as it was the last time I saw Charlie Watts behind the drum kit.

For my 14th concert, I’ve designed a special baseball jersey featuring my ticket stubs superimposed on the iconic tongue logo, with the dates of every Stones concert I’ve attended listed on the back. As Jagger once sang, ‘This could be the last time …’. Well, I sure hope not!

Incidentally, I’m a two-time player on the CBS reality show ‘Survivor’ because I was attracted to the idea of ‘cheating death,’ but is there a better example of that than Keith Richards? I think not!

– David Wright, Sherman Oaks

My wife and I have seen the Stones quite a few times. The first time I saw them was at the Forum in either ’73 or ’74. My wife Sandy saw them at the Hollywood Bowl in 1966, She was 12 at the time.

In 2015, at Petco Park, I was invited to have dinner with the Stones. When we arrived at the entrance of the area for dinner, I had to show my ID; I had forgotten my wallet in the car. Sandy went to get my wallet but by the time she came back, it was too late. There was no one at the door and it was locked. We saw Charlie Watts and asked him if there was any way to get in, he said he didn’t know. He was very polite and told us to call Keith’s manager, which we did; her voicemail was full. So much for that.

–Ernie Lujan, Rancho Santa Margarita