It's only rock and roll, but a whole lot of Utah fans like it.

One of the music world's largest icons, the Rolling Stones, returned to Salt Lake City on Tuesday night. And when the Stones come to town, it's more of an event than a concert.

Fans started lining up outside the Delta Center more than 90 minutes before the doors even opened.

Ashley Hortman, who bought tickets for herself and her boyfriend as a gift, started waiting in line about 4 p.m.

"I just felt like being nice," she said.

Nice could be a slight understatement with ticket prices topping out at $350 each.

Contributing to the circus-like atmosphere, 100 South, between 300 and 400 West, was blocked off to make room for the dozens of semi-trailers and tour buses parked in a scene reminiscent of when Ringling Bros. comes to town.

Denver, Colo., resident Jim Borgel routinely travels to southern Utah with the Beasley family each Thanksgiving. This year, their RV, with its Rolling Stones banners hanging on the sides, made a stop first in Salt Lake City.

"We wouldn't have been to Salt Lake City if it weren't for the Stones," Borgel said.

Eleven-year-old Charlie Beasley's dad is such a big Stones fan that he named his son after the Stones' drummer, Charlie Watts.

Charlie Beasley, 10-year-old Matthew Borgel and 12-year-old Ryan Beasley, all seeing the Stones for the first time Tuesday night, agreed "Satisfaction" is their favorite song. It was one of the first songs Charlie learned all the lyrics to, thanks to his dad constantly playing the record at home.

In addition to new fans, there were also a large number of Rolling Stones concert veterans at the Delta Center. Joe Vukovich has already seen the Stones once on this tour, in Portland, and drove down from his home in Butte, Mont. to see them again Tuesday.

"I'd travel with them my whole life if I could afford it," he said. "It's a very good show. Mick looks like he's 20. They're as good as they've ever been."

Utah fans know Stones' shows don't happen often in Utah. Tuesday was the band's third appearance in the Beehive State since 1994, but only their fourth since 1966, when they played at Lagoon.

Outside the Delta Center, network television crews hustled to get everything in place for the band's live national appearance from the Delta Center on the American Music Awards. Inside, fans checked out the souvenir stands, looking at the latest trademark lips-and-tongue apparel before taking their seats.

When the lights went down and Keith Richards played one of the most famous guitar riffs in rock history, "Start Me Up," fans on this night got what they needed and what they wanted.

---

E-mail: preavy@desnews.com