A controversial rhythm and blues band from Britain is coming to Brooklyn.
The group, calling themselves the Rolling Stones, has experienced a remarkable amount of success in their burgeoning careers — despite much controversy.
The band of long-haired dandies has amassed an impressive following of devoted young fans whose dedication borders the cultish, but the group’s romanticizing of drug use and sexual promiscuity has many parents and religious groups dismayed, expressing palpable panic about the effect this “rock ’n’ roll” music will have on the morality of Brooklyn’s young people.
The upstart band and its young followers have caused quite the scene outside of previous shows — and it will be anyone’s guess what will happen at the Barclays Center after the precedent set by fans of Canadian crooner Justin Bieber, who blocked his tour bus and stopped traffic last month.
The lead singer, Mick Jagger, has earned a reputation for his elicit, acrobatic “moves” which give many young, impressionable audience members the fits.
Perhaps explaining his dangerously explosive dance moves are the rumors that lead guitarist, Keith Richards, has drunk Jack Daniels whiskey straight from the bottle during a live performance.
Indeed, the band’s carefree attitude is not just about music.
Some cite their style for its popularity among young listeners, who are undoubtedly impressed by the members’ skinny ties and sunglasses — worn provocatively while socializing indoors where sun does not shine.
These roustabouts clearly intend to shake things up in the music world. Playing a style of music typically performed by Black artists in the deep South, with track titles from the cryptic (“Get Off of My Cloud”) to the downright blasphemous (“Sympathy for the Devil”) — the group challenges one’s wits at every turn.
One can only imagine the sort of depravity the Stones will bring to Brooklyn.
Still, some aficionados of the nascent genre say, “Gimme Shelter” is the greatest rock ’n’ roll song of all time.
Rolling Stones at the Barclays Center [620 Atlantic Ave. at Flatbush Avenue, (212) 359–6387, www.barclayscenter.com]. Dec. 8, 8 pm. Starting at $501.15 as of print.
