Photo by Doug Timney

The Elks Club hosted one of its Hard Rack Series concerts starring the Unauthorized Rolling Stones Friday, Oct. 21, to raise money for its scholarship fund.

Both members and non-members enjoyed the show (not just Elks enjoy Hard Rack Series concerts: everyone is invited.)

The Unauthorized Rolling Stones gave a thundering performance hitting the stage with the song Start Me Up, and continuing through all of the Stones' hits. The musicians played and looked their parts. The toughest part to play was Mick Jagger, which was played by Rudy Colombini. His clothes, facial expressions, mouth and hip gyrations, the hopping, strutting, holding of the microphone, vocal style and phrasing, hand gestures, even spontaneity when presented with something out of the normal, and right down to the way he approaches the stage and mounts it was Jagger-like. Make no mistake, Colombini runs the show every moment he struts the stage. He has done his homework and captures every inch of Jagger of the real Rolling Stones; Jagger has a stand-in if he ever needs one.

Kenny Crampton played bassist Bill Wyman with the expertise needed. He wore a suit that appeared to stem from the early Rolling Stones era. Crampton's rig (bass and bass amplifier) presented a most powerful sounding bass. A pleasant and clear, fat sound, exactly what the songs called for.

Had Crampton unleashed his bass, it could have brought the ceiling down. Crampton got one bass solo in the first set that was way too short. He is agile enough on the bass that he could double on guitar.

Jeff Irving played the part of drummer Charlie Watts. He gives the band a structured beat for them to play off, like a commanding drummer should. In some points of the show, Irving took control of the band with identifiable flams on the snare and brilliantly pulled the band into the next song.

Dave Garcia believably played guitarist Keith Richards. Garcia had numerable solos and interacted with Colombini. He sang one song while Colombini took a costume change break.

Mark Banning impersonated guitarist Ron Wood and appeared to take most of the solos. Banning would walk to the front of the stage and play the audience with his searing notes, and the audience loved it.

Song after song, the audience rushed to the floor to dance, and the band kept building throughout the night. After a while, the audience took on a new interest and it was obvious that they almost believed they were seeing the real thing.

The audience's cameras came out to photograph the stars of this show; the ladies grabbed their hearts after or during interaction with the band members. The Unauthorized Rolling Stones will play at the Redwood City Fox Theater Nov. 29.

A Veterans Day dinner will be held at the Elks Club, 2255 Santa Clara Ave., 6 p.m., Friday, Nov. 11; tickets cost $25. The Elks send care packages to Afghanistan and Iraq, visit veterans here at home and adopt veterans in the community. To learn more, visit www.elks.org/lodges/home.cfm?lodgenumber=1015 or call 522-1015.

Also, the Vampire's Ball will be at the Elks Club on Nov. 12 at 6:30 p.m.; tickets must be purchased in advance. Come in costume, learn more at www.peers.org.