Just a stone’s throw away

Over the years we’ve become used to seeing Mick Jagger and Keith Richards snarl, flirt, tease and even play with fire on stage. But we’ve rarely seen them double up with laughter.

That incident was one of many warm and revealing moments Monday at the Wiltern as the Rolling Stones stepped away for the night from their usual arena and stadium surroundings for the intimacy of a 2,200-capacity theater.

The result was every bit as memorable as the high expectations surrounding the show. Though general admission tickets were priced at just $50, many fans on the main floor reported paying brokers and scalpers up to $1,500 -- and they felt lucky to have gotten them.

In the vastness of larger settings, such as Staples Center on Thursday, the Stones sometimes seem as coolly disciplined as actors in a play. The music is still thrilling, but there’s little hint of the spontaneous interaction that gives rock ‘n’ roll a special spark.

At the Wiltern, however, the Stones became flesh-and-blood musicians again -- and those fans on the main floor were so close to the action that they too felt as if they were on stage. It was fascinating to watch the band members gesturing and talking to each other as they reintroduced themselves to some relatively obscure numbers.

Early in the two-hour-plus set, guitarist Richards and drummer Charlie Watts huddled as they worked on their timing on 1969’s zestful “Live With Me.”

Later, Jagger motioned for the band to play more softly on the “That’s How Strong My Love Is,” an R&B; ballad from 1965’s “Out of Our Heads” album.

Nothing, however, personalized the night as much as soul singer Solomon Burke joining the group to perform “Everybody Needs Somebody to Love,” one of two Burke hits the Stones recorded in the mid-’60s.

Burke, who was also the evening’s opening act and is widely considered one of the greatest R&B; singers ever, has long billed himself as the “king of rock and soul” and he has often worn a cape and jeweled crown on stage as a visual exclamation point.

As the slender Jagger and the nearly 500-pound Burke traded vocal lines and a few hip-swinging moves, a member of Burke’s band suddenly raced across the stage with Burke’s cape and threw it around Jagger’s shoulders.

It was a sweet gesture, clearly orchestrated by Burke -- a nod from a teacher to a pupil that he underscored with his toast to Jagger: “To the true king of rock ‘n’ roll.”

Flustered, Jagger pulled the cape from his shoulders and tried to return the compliment by giving it to Burke. But the soul man headed off stage before Jagger could reach him in the crowd of musicians.

Jagger and Richards, whose relationship over the years has sometimes been thorny, came together and laughed so hard at the image of Jagger struggling to get out from under the massive cape that they almost had to hold each other up.

“It’s big enough to cover three of us,” Richards wisecracked.

Inspired by Burke’s singing and playfulness, Jagger seemed to revert back to the club days in Britain when he was still as much a fan as a musician. He channeled that energy and innocence into a show-stopping rendition of “That’s How Strong My Love Is.”

In that and other moments Monday, we got an invaluable look at the band playing with unrivaled passion and vulnerability -- just as they did when the idea of performing with their heroes or headlining in America was still just a dream away.

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The set list

Wrapping up a three-show Southern California run Monday at the Wiltern, the Rolling Stones continued to slip some surprises into their set list. The show’s lineup:

“Jumpin’ Jack Flash”

“Live With Me”

“Neighbors”

“Hand of Fate”

“No Expectations”

“Beast of Burden”

“Stray Cat Blues”

“Dance Part 1”

“Everybody Needs Somebody to Love”

“That’s How Strong

My Love Is”

“Going to a Go-Go”

“Thru and Thru”

“You Don’t Have to Mean It”

“Can’t You Hear Me Knocking”

“Rock Me Baby”

“Bitch”

“Honky Tonk Women”

“Start Me Up”

“Brown Sugar”

“Tumbling Dice”