When a band is considered the greatest rock band in the world, and arguably the best of all time, doubtful cynics, including myself, always search for certain aspects of the band to bring it down to Earth.

And with the Rolling Stones’ concert Saturday at the Trans World Dome, the big question was whether the four middle-aged core members of the band could still put on a show worthy of the label greatest rock band in the world.

The show began promptly at 9 p.m. as the lights dimmed, and the large, oval video screen above the stage came to life with an image of a tranquil, starry-night sky. The older generation Stones fans were as curious as the adolescent fans and everyone in between as to what would break the silence, and in a gigantic burst of bright fireworks guitarist Keith Richards emerged to the stage rocking out the classic riff to Satisfaction.

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Richards immediately was followed on stage by fellow Stones frontman Mick Jagger, guitarist Ron Wood and drummer Charlie Watts, and the show was underway. Even I was impressed by the intensity of the show opening, and, just like the people of all ages around me, I threw my hands to the stage and strummed my air guitar.

Jagger bounced around the stage throughout the next two songs Let’s Spend the Night Together and Flip the Switch with the kind of frenetic energy that would put a batch of sugar-fed 3-year-olds to shame.

It wasn’t until Richards, donned in a long, leopard skin coat, broke out the opening chords to Gimmie Shelter that I knew the show was going to offer a lot more than an average trip down memory lane. The performance of the song epitomized the night because it sincerely proved to any skeptics that the band can still turn out live versions of songs that sound better than the studio tracks.

The concert was broadcast on Pay-Per-View so rumors before the show were abundant about who would be guest performers throughout the night. Artists from Eric Clapton to Chuck Berry were among those thought to perform, but, unlike most rumors, these turned out to be false.

Among the notable guest performers that did show up were Dave Matthews, who came on stage to sing on Wild Horses, and blues guitarist Taj Mahal, who played guitar on a version of Corrina, Corrina.

As the band ripped out new songs like Anybody Seen My Baby and Out of Control that were as rock-worthy as the Stones’ classics, it became clear that it wasn’t guest performers Stones fans cared about.

What the fans did care about were buoyant stage theatrics such as a smaller stage in the middle of the floor, which the band reached via a bridge that extended out over the crowd from the main stage. This showy contraption allowed the band to get closer to the fans and provided an intimate setting for It’s Only Rock n’ Roll, Last Time and a poignant version of Bob Dylan’s Like A Rolling Stone.

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By the time the band roared through Sympathy for the Devil, Honky Tonk Women and Tumbling Dice, I was exhausted from yelling and singing along, and my air guitar was quickly getting out of tune, so I figured these guys had to be getting tired. Then out of the blue came Richard’s opening guitar chop to Jumpin’ Jack Flash, and I was not only impressed by the battery bunny-like energy of all the Stones I was downright shocked.

The massive stage and numerous rows of colored lights scattered around the dome provided a stellar light show. But when the band came out for the encore songs You Can’t Always Get What You Want and Brown Sugar, I finally was able to admit to myself that the Stones are a viable band of the 90s and not just a great one of the past.

My conversion came about because of my realization that the old songs have never lost any meaning no matter the person’s age, and the performance outdid the stage theatrics that are mainly there to ensure the show is at least visually appealing if not audibly.

Blues artist Kenny Wayne Shepherd opened the show, warming up the mammoth crowd. And the people’s reaction was enthusiastic, more so for his rendition of Jimi Hendrix’s Voodoo Chile (slight return) than for his original works.

Sure, the members of the Stones look like they should have packed it up a long time ago, but if they can rock this well at this age to a crowd of 50,000-plus, then they could be around for a long time. And as a former skeptic of the Stones’ purpose for sticking around, I’m all for a few more tours.