North Carolina

Mick Jagger Explains How He Went Unrecognized at North Carolina Dive Bar

The Rolling Stones frontman opened up about the night he wandered into a Charlotte bar in September and ended up sparking a viral Instagram moment

FILE - Mick Jagger walks the red carpet during the 76th Venice Film Festival at Sala Grande on Sept. 7, 2019, in Venice, Italy.
Maria Moratti/Getty Images (File)

As legendary rock stars go, there are few names or faces more recognizable than that of Mick Jagger, the man who’s fronted the Rolling Stones for close to 60 years.

That’s why fans were so fascinated by the fact that the “Honky Tonk Women” singer went completely unnoticed when he visited a dive bar in Charlotte, North Carolina, back in September.

But now it's a mystery no more.

In a new interview, Jagger shares how he ended up making that under-the-radar appearance while the band was in town to play a sold-out show in Charlotte.

"There’s hardly anyone there," the 78-year-old told The Washington Post of his stop by Thirsty Beaver Saloon. "It’s dark. It’s not like really grand. I’m not in a big, huge limo. I just walk the block and then just go down there."

He went on to explain that due to COVID-19 rules for the Stones tour, he couldn't go inside the saloon anyway.

"But I could stand (on the patio) outside the saloon," he noted.

And, of course, he could (and did) share the proof on Instagram.

As for the socially distanced fellow patrons who didn't spot him, they're not alone. Jagger has a habit of making these types of blink-and-you'll-miss-him local stops while on tour these days.

"Well, I mean, local people tell me that that’s a popular dive bar when I get there," he said. "In normal times, I would go into the bar and spend time in there. But, you know, I didn’t want to do that because of covid. So I just went outside. And at other times, you do the typical tourist thing, like the St. Louis Arch. If you go there at certain times of the day, there’s not so many people. (Then you) take the mask off and do the picture.

Which explains how he managed to get a snapshot all alone at the Arch just days before his Thirsty Beaver stop.

There are plenty of similar pics to see on Jagger's Instagram, which has become, in part, his personal travel journal.

"It’s just like a diary in a way, I suppose," he told the The Post. "The places you’ve been."


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