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KEITH RICHARDS ROCKS NYC FOR CHARITY

Keith Richards reunited with his solo band the X-Pensive Winos on Thursday night (March 10th) at Manhattan’s Beacon Theatre to play a three-song set at the “Love Rocks” charity concert. Richards was backed by longtime right-hand man — and now the Rolling Stones‘ drummer — Steve Jordan, keyboardist Ivan Neville, guitarist Waddy Wachtel, and bassist Will Lee subbing for an absent Charley Drayton who now tours with Bob Dylan.

Richards and the band performed three songs — “999” — the opening neumber to Richards’ and the Winos’ 1992 Main Offender album, which will be reissued on March 18th, and such Stones standards as Let It Bleed’s “You Got The Silver” and Some Girls’ “Before They Make Me Run.”

Not too long ago, Keith Richards told us the success of the Rolling Stones’ 2008 Shine A Light concert film had as much to do with the vibe of New York’s Beacon Theatre as it did Martin Scorsese‘s direction and the band’s live performance: “The Beacon Theatre is special for some reason anyway. Y’know, it wraps your arms — especially if you can get to play there for more than one night. The room sort of wraps its arms around you, and every night gets warmer. So it’s a great feeling room. And also, hey, this band (laughs) didn’t start off in stadiums.”

MICK & KEITH WORKING ON NEW SONGS

During a chat with CBS Sunday Morning, Keith Richards revealed that work on the Rolling Stones‘ first original studio album in 17 years continues — including some new tracks laid down with him, Mick Jagger and Charlie Watts‘ replacement, drummer Steve Jordan: “It’ll be interesting to to find out the dynamics now that Steve’s in the band as we’re metamorphosing into something else, still. I was working with Mick last week and we came up with some eight or nine new pieces of material, which is (laughs) overwhelming by our standards. Other times, it’s like a desert (laughs).”