Stone groove: Fanfare for the uncommon fan

"I'm in that rock and roll spirit," declares C.J. Bell (right) who flew in to the Charlottesville Airport from Boca Raton. She, however, was here not for the Stones, but for a four-day silent retreat at the Yogaville ashram. Matt Smith (left) flew in from Princeton University for the Stones.

Over at the Doubletree Hotel (where busloads of concert tech crews were also staying) James and Tracy Epperson of Newport News were planning their tailgate party for the Fontaine Research Park. "We haven't had a vacation this year," says Tracy, "so we took the week off."

"I saw their very first tour in 1964 at the D.C. Armory– with Brian Jones," says Ron Clifford, who owns a music store in Blacksburg. "The opening act was the Standells." Clifford explains his t-shirt: "AC/DC is the best rock 'n' roll band; the Stones are the greatest rock 'n' roll band." Clifford and his wife, Lana Juarez Clifford, were meeting friends at the Holiday Inn with plans to take a limousine to the concert.

On a rooftop porch of the Zeta Psi fraternity house on Rugby Road, Michael Prentiss and Seth Collins enjoy a few pre-concert brews. "We're living the life," says Prentiss, admittedly savoring his last six months of college. His parents and sister were driving down from Northern Virginia for the concert. Collins last saw the Stones when he was in the 8th grade in Dallas.

Exchange students from Scotland's University of St. Andrews hang out on the steps of the Rotunda. "My brother actually lives a couple of doors down from Mick Jagger in London– at least that's what he claims," says Harriet Andrews. She and David Jones, Fergus Neville, and Gordon Jones won a prestigious competition to be Bobby Jones Scholars at Emory University in Atlanta. They're crashing on floors of friends in Charlottesville.

"Trey's been saying he's dying to play with the Stones," says John Bartlett, left, who attended the muddy final Phish festival in Coventry, Vermont last year. "If it rains today," he says, "I'm glad there's no mud." He and Amit Khosla are Northern Virginia-based environmental consultants discussing the finer points of stadium shows while visiting Khosla's brother, a UVA Lawn resident. "Indoor shows aren't the same," says Khosla. "People just enjoy music outdoors."

This group of Fredericksburg baby-boomer Stones fans, riding in a 16-passenger SUV-limo, calling themselves "The Bobs," stopped off for a cookout at a Stadium Road student complex called the Woodrow Apartments.

Thirty-three years ago, Hope Wood (left) was pregnant and due to deliver her baby girl on July 4, the same date as her ticket to see the Stones in D.C. But Hurricane Agnes and its low barometric pressure came along, and the baby was born June 22, 1972. "So I had to give my ticket away," says Wood. Thirty three years later, she's getting her chance to finally see the Stones. And so is the baby: her 33-year-old daughter, Nicole Truxell (right).

Dan Goff, the general manager of A. Goff Transportation, the largest limousine company in town, ended up with 12 Stones tickets by the day of the show. He'd offered them on eBay at prices up to $10,000 (with a limo ride). Although there were no takers, he pulled two silver linings from his effort: 1) he comped 12 of his chauffers who got chauffered for a change and 2) the media frenzy (at least two Daily Progress stories plus thousands of eBay views) over his proposed auction resulted in $30,000 uptick in limo rentals.

Until 6pm, Brenda Smith, an organic farmer from Richmond, had no idea that Trey Anastasio was opening. Once she found out, she was willing to give away the $95 ticket she and her husband, Skip, were selling after a relative cancelled. But within their self-imposed time limit, they'd sold the ticket at face value. Others would not be so fortunate.

The plane carrying Charlie and Caroline Echols from Atlanta was delayed over an hour. Says Caroline: "The pilot said, 'For all you Stones fans, we'll make it to Charlottesville on time."