Like what you see? Help keep it going! This ad-free site runs on the support of readers like you. Your donation helps cover costs and keeps fresh content coming your way every day. Thank you!
In 1978, The Rolling Stones did something that would give modern marketing teams a collective migraine: they slipped into Atlanta under the alias “The Cockroaches” and turned a historic theater into the hottest secret in town. While stadium rock was busy getting bigger, louder, and more predictable, the Stones zigged in the opposite direction. Inside Atlanta’s ornate Fox Theater, the band traded spectacle for sweat, delivering a performance that felt more like a backroom ambush than a major tour stop. It was the kind of night fans still talk about—not because it was planned to be historic, but because nobody saw it coming.
June 12, 1978: Fox Theater, Atlanta, Georgia, USA (billed as The Cockroaches)(The Rolling Stones U.S. Tour 1978) Let It Rock/All Down The Line/Honky Tonk Women/Star Star/Lies/Miss You/When The Whip Comes Down/Beast Of Burden/Just My Imagination/Respectable/Far Away Eyes/Love In Vain/Shattered/ Tumbling Dice/Happy/ Brown Sugar/Jumpin’ Jack Flash
Theater History
Long before the Rolling Stones shook its walls, Atlanta’s Fox Theater stood as a symbol of Southern opulence and cultural resilience. Built in the late 1920s, the venue began as a grand movie palace but quickly evolved into a landmark for the performing arts. With its lavish Middle Eastern design and richly detailed architecture, the Fox has hosted everything from ballets to Broadway, but it’s the rock ‘n’ roll moments that gave it electricity. Tucked into its ornate corridors is a legacy of rebellion and reinvention—qualities that made it the perfect setting for a band like The Rolling Stones. When the Stones chose the Fox in 1978, it wasn’t just another concert; it was a statement, a surprise, and a night destined for legend.
The Rolling Stones Live in Atlanta 1978
On June 12, 1978 Atlanta got the ultimate sneak attack when The Rolling Stones performed under the cheeky alias “The Cockroaches.” The Fox Theater became a secret playground for diehard fans lucky enough to get in on the covert gig. Riding high on the gritty energy of their Some Girls tour, the band delivered a tight, swagger-filled set that embraced punk spirit and raw R&B grooves. Far from the arena bombast they were known for, this intimate show was a stripped-down celebration of the Stones’ versatility and charm. Mick Jagger strutted with gleeful defiance, Keith Richards oozed cool, and the Fox’s stage felt like the center of the rock universe. This wasn’t just a concert—it was a moment in time where myth and music collided inside a historic Southern theater.
Like what you see? Help keep it going! This site runs on the support of readers like you. Your donation helps cover costs and keeps fresh Rolling Stones content coming your way every day. Thank you!
Stones Data on Substack
