Rod Stewart, Richard Marx offer enduring parade of hits in Atlanta
When you go to a party, Rod Stewart is the guy you want to see when the door opens.
As rascally and playful at 70 as he was in the “Rod the Mod” days five decades ago, Stewart is an enduring entertainer, whether on stage in front of a sold-out crowd of 12,000 or tooling around L.A. with late-night host James Corden (if you haven’t seen this video, spend nine minutes of your life and watch it now…and then please continue reading).
At his Wednesday night show at Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre in Alpharetta, Stewart strutted in his shimmery silver jacket during the opening “Infatuation,” one of his sturdiest ‘80s rockers infused with a snaky groove and added punch from his brass trio.
He giddily bounced around the stage with charmingly goofy dance moves and a wagging tongue during his faithful rendition of Sam Cooke’s “Having a Party” and put his gravelly voice to good use on his version of “It’s a Heartache.”
Then he planted his hands on his hips, flashed a cheeky smile and announced, “I’m Rod Stewart, and I’m a singer.”
Moments later, he was an undeniably sweaty singer, shaking his head in misery at the muggy weather and stating the most candid comment heard from a stage so far this year: “Jesus, it’s hot here.”
Stewart allowed his smartly outfitted band to remove their jackets and roll up their dress shirt sleeves for the duration of the nearly two-hour, hits-packed show and proceeded to thrill the crowd.
Stewart’s impishness was always on display, whether side-stepping through the perky pop of “Some Guys Have All the Luck” or flashing a knowing grin during “Tonight’s the Night.”
Through it all – and even if you’ve seen it all before – Stewart, who last visited Atlanta in 2013, was a charmer. And that he still sounded gruffly on point – “no miming here,” as he noted after a deeply soulful take on “Have I Told You Lately” – makes him a performer well worth the ticket price.
His clean, open stage – accented by a halo of lights, a vertical screen hanging from the rafters and a series of hi-def panels displaying everything from butterflies to cityscapes to classic footage of a young, androgynous Stewart and a sweet shot of him and his deceased father (the perfect complement to his autobiographical foot stomper, “Can’t Stop Me Now”) – allowed plenty of space for his 10-piece band and three backup singers to roam.
Stewart took advantage of that multi-talented band – including guitarist Don Kirkpatrick and violinist J’Anna Jacoby – and dashed offstage while they performed the coda to his mellifluous prayer, “Forever Young,” returning in a gold sateen suit and some radically cool leopard print high-tops.
He and the band notched down the volume and were joined by an orchestra of six Atlanta musicians for a harp and violin-coated read of Cat Stevens’ “The First Cut is the Deepest” and a casual-yet-supple performance of the Faces’ “Ooh La La” (Stewart also told fans to “keep the faith,” that a reunion was still in the works).
With a new album set to bow in October, it was a welcome expectation that Stewart unveiled the first single, “Love Is,” a catchy mid-tempo tune flecked with fiddle and banjo, but unmistakably directed at Stewart’s Baby Boomer demographic.
After a couple of rousing covers (“Sweet Little Rock & Roller” and “Proud Mary”), Stewart, after another costume change into pale blue pants and a flower-print shirt, barely needed to prod the crowd into singing along with the eternally sweet “You’re in My Heart (The Final Acclaim).” Fans also lunged toward the stage as the impressively spry Stewart lobbed his autographed soccer balls into the sea of waiting hands as he thundered through “Stay with Me” and then incited more swooning with “Maggie May.”
Stewart will return to Las Vegas for another set of dates for his Caesars Palace residency July 31-Aug. 16. If he’s truly having as much fun performing as it appears, don’t expect retirement to be an option any time soon.
Opening for Stewart was the terminally gifted, terrifically underrated Richard Marx.
For about 50 minutes, Marx and his taut four-piece band, including ace drummer Chuck Tilley and keyboardist Steve Hornbeak, unleashed a flood of hits that was a firm reminder of Marx’s songwriting prowess.
A diminutive figure in black jeans and vest and a white button-down, Marx delivered with his distinctive voice – a hint of rasp, a smidgen of nasal bray.
“Endless Summer Nights” fittingly kicked off the set, followed by “Satisfied,” which replaced its propulsive jingle-jangle guitar with a soulful slant.
Marx’s dry wit mostly went over the heads of the crowd – most of whom were too busy chattering to appreciate the haunting beauty of “Hazard” and the romantic longings nestled in “Hold On To the Nights” and “Now and Forever.”
Whatever. Their loss.
Marx has been a top draw as a songwriter since his own radio career cooled (though last year’s slinky “Beautiful Goodbye” album is worth seeking out), having written with Luther Vandross, Keith Urban, Jennifer Nettles and Ringo Starr, among others.
But hearing him play his own material, primarily on guitar, was a treat. A bonus musical moment came when Kirkpatrick, a member of Marx’s band before joining Stewart’s, popped onstage to play slide guitar on “Don’t Mean Nothin’,” Marx’s first hit in 1987 and still deliciously cynical after all these years.
Equally noteworthy was “Should’ve Known Better,” a perfectly constructed pop song with equal parts grit and sheen.
Marx’s heart-tugging ballad “Right Here Waiting” gets most of the recognition in his extensive catalog, but those who are listening know the depth of his talents.
Rod Stewart paid a visit to P.E.I.'s North Shore Thursday night to entertain an expected 12,000 fans.
The crowd was there for all the usual reasons.
"His music!"
"His looks!"
"His hot legs!"
Christina Garrett travelled from Halifax in memory of her father.
"I grew up listening to Rod Stewart with my dad, and my dad passed away, so I'm kind of here for him," said Garrett.
For Maggie O'Hara, seeing Rod Stewart live meant crossing something off her bucket list.
"I've taken my heart pills so I'm all right," she said.
Rod Stewart is one of the top-selling musical artists of all time.
His concert opens a big musical weekend in Cavendish, with the Cavendish Beach Music Festival, which features top country artists, starting Friday.
Rod Stewart thrills P.E.I. crowd
Rod Stewart was hitting the classics from the moment he set foot on stage at the Cavendish Beach Music Festival site Thursday.
Thousands were on hand to see the music legend perform and help him by singing along.
Rod Stewart rocked Gateshead International Stadium on this day in 1995
How legendary rocker Rod Stewart defied a cold evening to put on a red-hot Tyneside show 20 years ago
It was plain sailing for rock legend Rod Stewart when he took to the stage at Gateshead International Stadium on this day 20 years ago.
The ever-green superstar was a mere 50-year-old spring chicken when he became the latest big name to rock the famous athletics venue.
From The Police and U2 in the early 1980s, to the likes of Bon Jovi, Dire Straits and Bryan Adams in the 90s, Rod was one of the many A-list acts to light up the stadium.
Despite it being the middle of June, Chronicle reviewer Gordon Barr clearly wished he’d put his thermals on as thousands headed to Gateshead on an unseasonably cold evening. “Some of us had been there for hours, shivering in conditions more akin to a February evening than a June afternoon,” complained Gordon.
But things soon looked up as our man reported: “Seconds after Rod’s band rolled in the first few bars of Hot Legs, the star appeared from the centre of the stage atop a huge glass dome housing his 22-piece orchestra.
“The hits just kept on coming – Maggie May, We’re Having A Party, Tonight’s The Night, Stay With Me, Rhythm Of The Night, Some Guys Have All The Luck and Passion and all thoughts of the cold and damp disappeared as Rod bounded around the stage like a teenager.”
An “unplugged” set followed as Rod delivered his show “in the round” before “the show finished with the hip-swinging This Old Heart Of Mine and The Motown Song, before Rod disappeared into the glass dome.
“But not for long: encore No.1 was his anthem Do Ya Think I’m Sexy?, with the verdict from the crowd a unanimous ‘yes’, followed by Twisting The Night Away.
“The best was saved for last – as Rod rode the waves of a superb night with his biggest hit, Sailing. Fireworks proved a fitting finale. Then, as Rod slowly disappeared into the dome, the heavens opened!”
The irrepressible Stewart, now aged 70, has been a regular visitor to the region’s music venues, since way back in the early ‘60s when he appeared at Newcastle’s Club A’Gogo as an unknown singer alongside Long John Baldry.
If the 1970s were the star’s commercial and creative peak, the Chronicle reported on a City Hall show in ‘76, which was an “all-action performance that resembled an athletic display as he leaped about in red pantaloons”.
After an eventful and highly publicised private life, the singer has finally settled down, admitting he feels blessed with eight children, aged four to 52.
And, as we cast our minds back to that Gateshead Stadium show from 20 years ago, who’s to say Rod Stewart won’t still be treading the boards - in some shape or form - in 2035?
Concert review: Rod Stewart, Vector Arena
NewZealand Herald 14/04/2015
Baby boomers were celebrating last night as Rod Stewart led his latest world tour to Vector Arena in Auckland, and treated a sold out audience to a nostalgic evening of endearing ballads, easy-going rock, and some very shiny, colourful suits.
The 70 year old veteran brought an expansive band with him, with string and brass sections, a harpist/percussionist, and three backing vocalists on top of a five piece band, and they all embraced the evening's high cheese factor just as much as Stewart, with plenty of solos and opportunities in the spotlight shared around.
They had the audience on their feet right from the top, with the silvery bouffant topped front man darting round the stage and swinging his microphone stand like an 18 year old.
Stewart seemed just as cheekily raspy and husky-voiced as ever, though it took him a few tracks to warm up, with the audience's enthusiastic singing overwhelming his vocals on You Wear It Well and Tonight's The Night.
He kept plenty of energy in the tank though, and some of his best performances came later in the nearly two hour set - his cover of Van Morrison's Have I Told You Lately was the best of his ballad segment, while You're In My Heart and Sailing gave the show's climax plenty of oomph.
He (somewhat oddly) dedicated Handbags and Gladrags to Mike Hosking, and wasn't afraid to break out Do You Think I'm Sexy, even donning a cowboy hat specially.
Stewart also managed to show off an impressive right foot by kicking around 30 soccer balls into the crowd during Stay With Me, with those in the back claiming as many balls as those near the front.
And his Scottish roots were sprinkled throughout the set with occasional bagpipes, some photos involving kilts, and an old Scottish folk song, Wild Mountain Thyme to close the night.
The set did sometimes feel like a glitzed up karaoke night, but that's what you go to a Rod Stewart show for, and he happily proved he's still the man to sing those baby boomer hits like no one else can.
Rocking with the best in stage show extraordinaire
Otago Daily Times.
Impossibly short skirts, sparkles, long legs, high heels, a sultry saxophone, a titillating trumpet; and all before Rod Stewart took to the stage on Saturday night. Dene Mackenzie relived some of his youth and much more at Rod Stewart - The Hits.
The signs something special was about to happen in Dunedin were obvious as crowds started streaming into Forsyth Barr Stadium soon after gates opened at 6.30pm on Saturday.
Running into an old friend earlier in the day, she commented that ''us grey hairs'' would be rocking with the best. And we were. Some people even wore Rod Stewart wigs.
The darker the stadium got before the lights finally went up, the faster the audience entered clutching their four beers, four wines or four of something.
As the trumpet and saxophone started hitting the notes, and the guitarists started driving the beat, a white suit-clad Rod Stewart walked on to stage and started Having a Party.
By the time he was ''dancing with my baby'' the audience was on its feet and that's where most of them stayed for the next one hour and 45 minutes.
And the sound was great. Not one person close to me had any complaints. But nothing is perfect, so let's get it out of the way right now.
Serving alcohol to people obviously inebriated is not on. A young man in a family group found to his regret eight small bottles of wine were too many.
After traipsing over me and my friend for most of the night, he hugged us and said what great buddies we were, then slipped and nearly went over the edge of the stand. Shut the bar while the show is on.
But what a show. It was more than a concert; it was a stage show extraordinaire. Close your eyes and listen to the guitar and drums and you could be mistaken thinking you were back in the 1970s when Rod really was rocking.
''It's going to be a great night tonight,'' Stewart said before launching into Tonight's the Night followed by You Can't Stop Me Now, and no one wanted to.
In one of the most moving parts of any concert, The Rhythm of My Heart had some special meaning during the centenary year of Gallipoli.
With the background showing Australian soldiers leaving for war on troop ships, and some poignant images of children greeting their returning fathers, Stewart reached a peak for the audience when a huge Anzac poppy was displayed on the screen. It produced an audible gasp from those around me.
A couple behind me argued about how old Stewart was. But watching him kick footballs into the crowd, followed by the sight of older women scrambling after them, who cared how old he was. Some women wanted to know how he got into the tightest pants possible. I suggest the reverse was the true cause for wonder.
Happily, I qualify as a ''real Rod Stewart fan'', according to the man himself, for picking out the first chord of Handbags and Gladrags from his first album in 1969.
Rod Stewart was part of my youth and has been part of my life in music for more than 40 years.
A friend emailed me before the concert with the words: ''Enjoy Rod Stewart tonight, the best singer in the world''. On Saturday's performance, that statement is hard to argue against.
REVIEW: Age won’t weary rockin’ Rod
Hope Estate
April 5
ROD Stewart promised his hits and he did not disappoint the thousands of punters who packed into Hope Estate last Sunday night.
The 70-year-old rocker rolled effortlessly through a 100-minute, 18-song set covering almost half a century on the world’s pop charts.
‘‘I’m back,’’ he said, sounding more like a mate down at the local than a multimillion-selling international artist.
‘‘This is our last show of the season and we don’t have to work tomorrow. There’s plenty of wine to be drunk, so let’s enjoy ourselves.’’
Some patrons who looked a lot older than the seemingly ageless Brit must have taken him literally, struggling to stay upright on the muddy, slushy dance floor churned up by the torrential rain of the preceding 48 hours.
Thankfully the rain stayed away this night, and there were no such mobility issues for the sharp-dressed man on stage, his all-female orchestra and back-up singers wearing matching designer dresses, and four male band members in slick suits.
You Wear It Well and Tonight’s The Night were well received and he dedicated the spine-tingling Rhythm Of My Heart to Australia’s armed forces.
When he emerged from his first costume change in an all-gold suit and matching shiny shoes, he created a more intimate mood with ballads First Cut Is The Deepest, IDon’t Wanna Talk About It and VanMorrison’s Have I Told You Lately? Rocker replaced crooner with Sweet Little Rock And Roller, hedusted off I’m Losing You from The Faces’ vault, then left his pit crew to pump out Proud Mary while he changed his clothes again.
Dressed down for the final stretch in white shirt, black leather pants and joggers, he had the crowd singing along to his Celtic United tribute You’re In My Heart, then he kicked soccer balls into the terraces during another Faces classic Stay With Me.
The show culminated with signature tunes Maggie May, Sailing and Do Ya Think I’m Sexy?, then he disappeared into the night as fireworks lit up the sky.
His trademark raspy voice was in fine form, there wasn’t a hair out of place among those strategically streaked spikes, and he never took himself too seriously in his on-stage patter.
No one could accuse Rod Stewart of going through the motions. This was professional and polished – a classy performance from a class act.
And the same could be said for Rod Stewart’s support act, James Reyne.
The charismatic former frontman of Australian Crawl warmed up the crowd with a fast and furious 45-minute set of his and Aussie Crawl’s greatest hits including Fall Of Rome, Beautiful People, Hammerhead, Reckless, Errol, Things Don’t Seem and, of course, Boys Light Up to finish.
Rod Stewart Brisbane review: Baby boomers still think he's sexy
Sydney Morning Herald 8/04/2015
If attending a One Direction concert was a stark reminder that one may be closer to death than to birth, then attending a Rod Stewart concert was a joyous reminder that average life expectancy is still higher than its ever been.
The massed crowd of Baby Boomers that assembled at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre on Tuesday night to see the 70-year-old wind up his latest Australian tour certainly weren't cognisant of the Grim Reaper gliding ever closer.
No, these were the Boomers who revelled in the music of Stewart and his ilk in the '60s and '70s, then got wise, got jobs, bought cheap real estate, survived recessions and raised a pack of ungrateful Gen Xs and overdependent Gen Ys (which reminds me - Mum and Dad, could I borrow $50?).
These were Boomers with fewer grandkids than they expected and the disposable income to prove it. These were Boomers who'd thrown down double their usual dose of glucosamine tablets and put on their most comfortable shoes because they knew they were going to rock out.
Stewart's "The Hits" tour certainly delivered exactly the kind of show they were after - brash rock tunes mixed with schmaltzy love songs, endearing ballads and a touch of disco.
Stewart himself seemed to have stopped ageing in the early '90s, aka "The Rachel Hunter Years". He maintains the scruffy ash-blond bouffant he's had since he chopped the tail off his glam rock mullet. His stovepipe pants accentuated his skinny legs and his costume changes got shinier and shinier. But most importantly, his voice sounded just as raspy and throaty as it must have done on the Boomers' old 45s.
Accompanied by an admittedly phenomenal band, complete with his own sax, violin and percussion section, and stunning backing vocalists, Stewart powered through Having a Party, It's a Heartache, You Wear It Well and Tonight's the Night (Gonna Be Alright) to the delight of the Boomers.
Audience members loved Stewart's onstage shimmying, and the way he stomped his right foot to the beat like a prancing pony. "Good one, Rodney!" yelled one very enthusiastic man in the stands who hadn't checked Roderick Stewart's Wikipedia page.
Can't Stop Me Now, a song from his 2013 album Time, was a self-referential ditty about his early years in music. It was tempting to slag it off as unironically meta, until video images of Rod's father Bob beamed out as Rod sang of his unfailing support and the sound of bagpipes swelled underneath. If there's one instrument that's guaranteed to induce sentimentalism, it's the bagpipes.
Stewart is famously proud of his Scottishness, and the bagpipes featured once again in Rhythm of My Heart, which he dedicated to service men and women of the past and present. Images of conflict, World War Two battle plans and newspaper headlines like "Hitler dead!" seemed a tad off, but then once again, the sentimentality kicked in as footage of returned service personnel returning home to their children followed. It ended with large Anzac badges floating across the screens; right in time for the Gallipoli 100th.
The middle section of the show was devoted to an acoustic set of classics, complete with a mini touring orchestra. Rod appeared in a blindingly shiny silver suit to sing The First Cut is the Deepest, I Don't Want to To Talk About It, and Have I Told You Lately, the song Rod described as being "played at most weddings these days". With more saccharine in the air than brewing day at the diet soft drink factory, Stewart launched into a random classic that he said had been prepped just that day especially for Brisbane.
It was a treat too, for Handbags and Gladrags is one of those beautiful bittersweet songs that gets better every time you hear it.
With that, the acoustic section wrapped up, and Rod segued from a tribute to his own favourite singer, King of Soul Sam Cooke (Twistin' the Night Away) to a well-deserved break. The gap allowed his phenomenal backing singers to take centre stage for a ripping cover of Proud Mary.
When he returned, Stewart's pins were clad in shiny tight leather pants, and his black shirt left fetchingly open at the collar, allowing chest hair to be seen alongside an ultra-cool cross necklace. Some of the Boomer ladies in the mini-mosh pit appeared as though they might be overwhelmed by the testosterone, but equally disturbing was the younger women did too. The cameramen kept finding a pair of knockout 20-somethings - who didn't even seem to be there with their mums - making goo-goo eyes at Stewart. Sure, the man's wives have gotten progressively younger over the years, but who knew Rod the Mod still had it?
The Celtic F.C. flags came out during You're in My Heart, which references Stewart's beloved team in the lyrics and was an excuse to screen footage of him dribbling on a field and some choice goals from the team itself.
The real balls came out next, with Stewart kicking and throwing a few dozen footballs into the crowd during Stay With Me, that crackingly good song by his early band Faces. It was the highlight of the night to see hundreds of Baby Boomers tearing each other apart trying to get their hands on Rod's balls. It was like the Hunger Games at the Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.
There was only one way to calm the crowd down, and on cue the charming mandolin lick of Maggie May kicked in. The Boomers sang wistfully along, remembering the simple pleasures and lovelorn lyrics of a time before the confusion of smartphones, paleo and self-funded superannuation.
As a finisher, Sailing was a naff choice, but the encore put paid to any fear the show might end on a sadder note.
A curtain around the stage was drawn up to reveal Stewart in a Crocodile Dundee-esque hat, ready to strut his stuff for Da Ya Think I'm Sexy? alongside his whole crew. As he began to sing, a quote from Stewart in an old Rolling Stone magazine flashed up on screen: "I don't want to be singing Da Ya Think I'm Sexy? at 50 and become a parody of myself."
It was a stroke of genius, and an endearingly daggy way to close the show. Rock 'n' roll - you start out cool, and hopefully one day you come full circle.
Cool or not, Stewart is certainly punctual, which is a quality highly regarded by Boomers. Having started five minutes early, Stewart finished promptly at 10.40pm, allowing extra time for the crowd to navigate their Jeeps and Mercedes through the perilous Boondall car park and still get to bed before midnight, to dream of property portfolios and European river cruises.
Rod Stewart stills makes any night the night
Courier Mail. 7/04/.2015
FIRST night after Easter is not prime party night but no one told Rod Stewart.
Looking ridiculously fit and trim for a man of 40 let alone 70, he had the capacity crowd at his Brisbane Entertainment Centre show in the mood from the get-go.
This was Rod the Mod rather than the crooner of American standards, ripping into Sam Cooke’s Having a Party and his own You Wear It Well.
His two-hour set mostly focused on his biggest hits, backed by a big band that could slip easily from Tonight’s the Night to Can’t Stop Me Now, a rocker from his latest album where he has happily started writing songs again.
Stewart always under-rated himself as a songwriter, which is downright weird when you have helped pen songs as good as Maggie May.
But at his peak he always showed good taste as a song interpreter, as underlined by songs like The First Cut Is The Deepest (Cat Stevens) and I Don’t Want to Talk About It (Danny Whitten), where he is joined by a small string orchestra, and of course a choir of 10,000.
And the voice is still in good shape, shining on a version of Handbags and Gladrags from his first solo album.
Just the one original song by The Faces, Stay With Me, alas, and no Mandolin Wind.
But he’s still a consummate entertainer, charming, witty, making this Tuesday feel like a Friday night, and sending the crowd into the night feeling glad that Stewart has worn it so well.
Review: Rod Stewart, Hope Estate
Newcastle Herald. 6/04/2015
It’s a long time since Rod ‘‘The Mod’’ Stewart has been fashionable.
In fact, for most of his career (and for all of his hits), Stewart has been a performer the cognoscenti pretend not to like.
But he has always been a wonderful singer with an instantaneously recognisable set of pipes, and on Sunday night at Hope Estate, a smiling Stewart showed a big crowd that he’s still got it, even on the high notes.
No it wasn’t The Faces at the Filmore East in 1969.
After all, Stewart turned 70 in January. And 15 years ago he had a cancerous growth cut out that almost cost him his vocal chords.
But when he bent into the old Temptations standard (I Know I’m) Losing You – one of the many covers he’s made his own over the years – it was possible to believe that age had been kept at bay and that we were all, to quote Rod’s 1988 hit, Forever Young.
I must admit I went to this show without great expectations.
Rod Stewart for me was the Rod of the ‘‘Mercury years’’, an amazing sprint from 1969 to 1975 when he record five superlative solo albums for the Mercury label, as well as four albums with his band, The Faces, for Warner Brothers.
Nine albums in five years! No wonder the pressure took its toll and Ronnie Wood left to join the Stones and Rod did his Atlantic Crossing to America and the arms of Britt Ekland.
Given his age and his recent recorded output I was expecting at least part of the concert to be done American Songbook crooner style, but I was happily mistaken.
Although the women in the band were squeezed into little black dresses and the boys were all in shiny suits, it was a hard rocking show from the outset.
(Indeed the band – and the sensational backup singers – deserve a special mention.)
From the Mercury years, we heard the aforementioned Losing You, as well as rousing versions of Maggie May,You Wear It Well and Sweet Little Rock and Roller, before the band channelling Ronnie and the Faces to reincarnate Stay With Me.
Three costume changes gave Rod a chance to catch his breath every now and then, and a mid-show break for some Youtube ‘‘Funniest Home Videos’’ – including one of a large dog being friendly with someone’s leg (and then some) – showed Stewart’s well-known sense of humour was still intact.
The late 70s was Rod’s peak, fame-wise, and choices from that era included Sailing, Tonight’s The Night, First Cut Is The Deepest and the soulful Danny Whitten classic, I Don’t Want To Talk About It.
Of his later recordings, Rhythm Of My Heart was dedicated to the Anzacs, while You’re In My Heart was dedicated, as always, to his beloved Celtic Football Club.
Have I Told You Lately was one of the night’s many singalong numbers – Rod seemed genuinely moved at times by the sound of the thousands-strong Hope Estate audience choir – and by the time he wheeled back around for a single-song encore in the inevitable form of Do Ya Think I’m Sexy?, an hour and a half had whizzed by and it was time to traipse out to the buses.
Before hand, James Reyne and band played a high-speed set of Australian Crawl hits, preceded by a soulful soloist whose name, I must shamefully admit, I do not know, and cannot find as I write these notes in the hours after the show.
Click here for photos http://www.theherald.com.au/story/2992064/review-rod-stewart-hope-estate/?cs=305#slide=1
Rod Stewart review: He's having at least as much fun as you are
Rod Stewart’s masterclass in showbiz
News.com.au
ROD Stewart is adorable.
His dad jokes, his heartfelt celebration of family and the recognition his songs have woven themselves into the fabric of millions of lives for five decades, was potently evident at his Qantas Credit Union Arena concert in Sydney on Wednesday night.
Stewart remains a barometer of the quintessential entertainer and at 70, delivers a masterclass in showbiz.
The flair for the right anecdote at the right time and warmth of delivery never feels contrived, no matter how many times he has delivered it
The enviable repertoire of hits create a natural ebb and flow of a show which spans everything from his Celtic folk DNA through the R & B, soul and blues which influenced an entire generation of English and Scottish rock ’n roll legends who remain revered practitioners of their craft 50 years later.
The showman knows how to really press the heart buttons, with his four-year-old son Hayden joining him on stage for Baby Jane and a tribute to the Anzac Centenary at the end of Rhythm Of My Heart.
He is a natural-born comedian, playing up the hair which gets a fresh coif at each costume change.
And the soccer ball kicking schtick never gets old.
But what remains his undisputed gotcha, every single show, is that voice, a signature so bold it announces itself within the first few notes of every one of his songs.
It is remarkable and constant through the hours of the show, the years his current tour traverses from the Faces (Stay With Me) through to his tribute to his dad (Can’t Stop Me now) from his most recent studio record.
You couldn’t fault his generosity of hits from Maggie May to Tonight’s The Night which covered all the ground a fan could want.
It was one of those shows you know everyone left feeling damn happy about life
REVIEW: Rod Stewart, Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne, March 24 2015
by Anna-Maria Megalogenis on March 27, 2015
“I don’t want to be singing “Do Ya Think I’m Sexy” at age 50 and become a parody of myself” said a young Rod Stewart in Rolling Stone Magazine.
Seventy year old Rod Stewart is still singing that song and showing no signs of slowing down at the first of his two shows at a capacity filled Rod Laver Arena. Another stalwart of the music biz, beloved Aussie local James Reyne is warming up the crowd to old favourites in his repertoire, inciting boisterous sing alongs to “Errol” and “Boys Light Up.
A good fifty or so years of performing have kept Rod Stewart trim and his distinctive raspy voice intact. Backed by twelve musicians, including three back up singers, a violinist, and a harp player, Stewart swaggers out in a sparkly leopard print jacket, his trademark spiky mullet on show, singing Sam Cooke’s “Having a Party.” The song’s theme continues throughout a nearly two hour long set. Bonnie Tyler’s “It’s a Heartache” follows shortly after, and Stewart still knows his way around a microphone stand, flinging it about effortlessly.
“I’m playing twenty odd songs tonight and more if you deserve it,” teases Stewart. It is the ‘Hits’ tour after all, and is replete with crowd favourites including “Tonight’s the Night,” Cat Steven’s “First Cut is the Deepest,” and Crazy Horse cover “I Don’t Want to Talk About it,” accompanied by a loud sing along that almost drowns out Stewart’s vocals. He proudly tells us that without Sam Cooke, there would be no Rod, launching into Cooke’s classic “Twistin’ the Night Away” whilst shaking his tush.
“Rhythm of my Heart” is dedicated to all our soldiers and “Brighton Beach” is an ode to his first child conceived there. It’s a poignant moment when Stewart devotes popular wedding song “Have I Told You Lately That I Love You,” to his good friend Molly Meldrum and hugs him on stage at the song’s conclusion. Instrumentals during the set allow Stewart time for costume changes and his gold suit doesn’t disappoint in the flashy stakes. His attire is befitting for Chuck Berry’s “Sweet Little Rock and Roller” with a cheeky Stewart slapping his behind to the beat.
“You’re in My Heart” tells of the love that Stewart has for the Celtic Football Club, and his infatuation with Britt Ekland. The Celtic Football club is perhaps his most enduring romance, its insignia displayed proudly on the drum kit. Video projections behind the stage are used to full effect, documenting Stewart’s life throughout his career; “I toured with this band when Melbourne looked like this,” chimes Stewart to an old black and white photo, before singing Faces’ “Stay With Me,” whilst keeping up tradition, kicking autographed soccer balls into the crowd. Sentimental ballad “Sailing” (Sutherland Brothers cover) sees the crowd singing and “Maggie May” is also lapped up by the nostalgic throng.
Stewart hooks a lilac coloured bra, flung on the stage, onto his microphone stand and keeps singing without skipping a beat and for the encore he proves a point “Da Ya Think I’m Sexy,” complete with his infamous quote on show, has the crowd upstanding and dancing, whilst balloons are released from above. The silver curtain comes down, signalling the shows’ conclusion despite pleas for more. Rod Stewart is a consummate performer, is definitely one of the acts you must see and yep he’s still sexy at 70.
Having A Party (from Unplugged And Seated, 1993)
It’s A Heartache (from Still The Same, 2006)
You Wear It Well (from Never A Dull Moment, 1972)
Tonight’s The Night (from A Night On The Town, 1976)
Can’t Stop Me Now (from Time, 2013)
Twisting The Night Away (from Never A Dull Moment, 1972)
Some Guys Have All The Luck (from Camouflage, 1984)
(I Know) I’m Losing You (from Every Picture Tells A Story, 1971)
Rhythm Of My Heart (from Vagabond Heart, 1991)
Forever Young (from Out Of Order, 1988)
The First Cut Is The Deepest (from A Night On The Town, 1976)
I Don’t Want To Talk About It (from Atlantic Crossing, 1975)
Brighton Beach (from Time, 2013)
Have I Told You Lately (from Vagabond Heart, 1991)
She Makes Me Happy (from Time, 2013)
Sweet Little Rock & Roller (from Smiler, 1974)
You’re In My Heart (from Footloose and Fancy Free, 1977)
Stay With Me (from A Nod Is As Good As A Wink, 1971)
Baby Jane (from Body Wishes, 1983)
Sailing (from Atlantic Crossing, 1975)
Maggie May (from Every Picture Tells A Story, 1971)
Da Ya Think I’m Sexy? (from Blondes Have More Fun, 1978)
Photographs by Mary Boukouvala
For more photos click the linkhttp://www.noise11.com/news/review-rod-stewart-rod-laver-arena-melbourne-march-24-2015-20150327
Rod Stewart review: Faces frontman plays the hits and makes everything all right at Rod Laver Arena.
Sydney Morning Herald 24/03/2015
He may have sold millions of albums worldwide and had hit singles spanning the decades and continents, but Rod Stewart has a relaxed swagger about him that suggests fame and fortune are very much the result of his long, long music career and not the reason he's still performing into his 70th year.
Time has not wearied the former frontman of The Faces, who still has that cheeky look of somebody who's getting away with something that maybe he shouldn't be doing.
His fans, and there are a lot of them, are just rapt he's still performing and that famous raspy voice sounds as good as ever. His band, most of whom probably weren't born when Stewart's beloved Celtic Football Club won the European Cup back in the mid 60s, delivers in spades. You can't beat a good rhythm section.
On this first of two nights at rockin' Rod Laver Arena, Stewart had a smile plastered across his face from the moment he stepped on stage, saw a full house in front of him and started belting out Sam Cooke's Having a Party.
Backed in full by a dozen musicians, including a saxophinist, three back-up singers and several versatile women who played everything from violin, harp, guitar, horns and mandolin, Stewart bounced around on his pencil thin legs, dressed in a glittery silver jacket and punched out 20 hits and favourites from 1971's Maggie May to Brighton Beach from his 2013 album Time.
Promoted as The Hits tour, this show borrows a couple of all-time favourites from Bonnie Tyler (It's a Heartache), Creedence Clearwater Revival's Proud Mary and another Cooke classic in Twistin' the Night Away, highlighting some of Stewart's own influences and giving the crowd plenty of sing-along time.
Forever Young featured a fantastic drum solo while the man with the most famous rooster-style hair in showbiz did a quick costume change and Rhythm of My Heart, which he dedicated to the Australian and New Zealand armed services, were highlights from his late 80s and early 90s period.
There are surely few more joyous moments for an artist than when a crowd belts out their song back at them and Tonight's the Night (Gonna Be All right) provided such a moment, eclipsed only by an the acoustic version of I Don't Want to Talk About It, which included a local seven-piece string section.
The outfit changes, including a striking gold suit that would have impressed "the King", added to the sense of theatre Rod Stewart brings to the stage, while huge images of him flickering across the back of stage showed that beaming smile has been there since the start. Rod Stewart loves what he does and it showed.
Good friend Molly Meldrum appeared briefly on stage to loud applause after Stewart dedicated his version of Van Morrison's Have I Told You Lately to his old mate, before it was back into the rock 'n' roll with Sweet Little Rock and Roller and a ripping version of The Faces' Stay With Me.
The timeless Sailing, from his 1975 album Atlantic Crossing, was simply one of those magical moments you might think about in years to come and be glad you were there to share the moment.
A quick, no-nonsense encore of Do Ya Think I'm Sexy finished the night close to two hours after it began but it felt like a lot less. Time flies when you're having fun.
Rod Stewart plays Rod Laver Arena tonight, March 25, ticketek.com.au; and Hanging Rock on Saturday, March 28, ticketmaster.com.au. Tickets available for both shows.
Yes, they still think Rod Stewart’s sexy
The Australian. 24/03/2015
TIME was, there were few more vilified figures in pop music than Rod Stewart. Now that the dust has settled it seems his biggest crime was to create a disco hit just as popular opinion decided that disco, well, sucked.
Stewart had many hits before Do Ya Think I’m Sexy and has had many since, and if it were omitted from his setlist he would have dozens of worthy replacements at hand, but on Saturday night in front of a capacity, and atypically rowdy, Perth crowd, this swinging guilty pleasure found pride of place as the final song in a two hour set. The singer and song remain in great form.
Oozing charm, Stewart moves like a lad with a few pints onboard who’s thinking he’s half a chance with the ladies. This cocky swagger worked for him 40 years ago and, you’d better believe, it works for him now. At 70 the still ridiculously fit Stewart — Stay With Me, his 1971 hit with the Faces, continues to be performed while he kicks dozens of soccer balls into the crowd — knows what works and keeps delivering it.
With a set that stretched from his first hit Maggie May through to three songs from his excellent 2013 album Time, Stewart gave his all for every minute he was on stage. After the glitz and glamour and leggy band members are removed from the equation, Stewart remains what he has always been, simply a masterful servant to the song. Whether his or others, he immerses himself completely in the narrative while staying true to the melody.
With his large band at hand, the set was beautifully paced and he moved between the raucous and sentimental with ease. He made space for two drum and percussion interludes (one during a faithful reading of his hit arrangement of The Temptations’ (I Know) I’m Losing You) and also added a seven piece string section for a brief unplugged set which included a lush take on The First Cut Is The Deepest and very tender readings of I Don’t Want To Talk About It and Have I Told You Lately.
Recent single Can’t Stop Me Now speaks of his determination to succeed coming up and his continuing determination to succeed on his own terms. This extended to the subtle use of some leopard skin print in his stage wear.
A self-deprecating one-fingered salute to the haters, he still wears it well
Rockin' Rod brings out the best in Arena
The west Australian. 22/03/2015
One part Peter Pan, one part Pete Best and pretty much the coolest 70-year-old on the touring circuit hosted a party at Perth Arena on Saturday night.
Rod Stewart and his remarkable plumage of blonde hair kicked off the Australian leg of his The Hits. tour in front of a sold-out crowd of more than 13,000 fans.
The Maggie May and Young Turks singer, named the 17th most successful artist of all-time by US Billboard magazine, played Perth three years ago.
This time Stewart arrived a month after winding up a Las Vegas residency at Caesar’s Palace, so he should've been in tip-top condition to deliver a greatest hits show.
However, despite looking fit as a celtic fiddle, Rod the Vegas Mod's vocals were frequently lost amongst his big band's bombastic performances.
The fans didn't mind, singing along with Saturday night gusto to every song and cheering their hero's every gag and gyration.
In fact, the full house sounded as good as any crowd has in the arena
Rockin' Rod Stewart croons to the crowd at Perth Arena
Sydney Morning Herald
Young hearts were free on Saturday night when Rod Stewart brought his The Hits tour to Perth Arena.
Well, it wasn't quite all of the hits - Young Turks, The Motown Song and Hot Legs were among those that didn't make the cut in favour of some of Stewart's newer, lesser known songs.
That said, there were plenty of popular tunes to encourage fans to get up and dance, at least until those behind them angrily shouted at them to sit down. Dancing? At a rock concert? Heaven forbid
James Reyne warmed up the capacity crowd with a string of his solo hits as well as those from his Australian Crawl days.
A sheer silver curtain was drawn to mark Rod Stewart's arrival and he seemed momentarily stunned by the crowd's enthusiastic response.
The rocker kicked things off with a cover of Sam Cooke's Having A Party, the first of many cover songs Stewart would perform throughout the two-hour concert.
--
Along that same line, he followed up with Bonnie Tyler's It's A Heartache which saw the crowd hang on his every word, and every move, as he swung the microphone stand around vigorously.
"Good evening, my friends! It's been a few years since I last saw you," Stewart shouted.
"Thankyou for coming out tonight, enjoy yourselves. As they say... you can beat an egg, but you can't beat a Saturday night.
Stewart loosened his tie to belt out a few of his own songs – You Wear It Well and Tonight's the Night with a jazzy saxophone solo in the latter.
While not technically one of his hits, Stewart dedicated You Can't Stop Me Now, from his 2013 album Time, to his late father Bob who he praised for "never giving up" on him.
"Here's a song we didn't do last time I was here three years ago because I hadn't written it yet," he explained.
Rod Stewart delivered a soulful rendition of It's A Heartache.
"This is a song about my career when I first started out... when I was a total flop namely because of my nose, my hair and my clothes."
Soon after, he proved how wrong those early doubters were with a rousing rendition of Rhythm Of My Heart, which he dedicated to the armed forces. The shout-out was all the more meaningful given the Operation Slipper welcome home parade had marched nearby earlier in the day.
A roar erupted from the crowd as archive video footage of Anzac troops played on the big screen in the background.
Stewart left the stage for a quick outfit change during Forever Young, but he soon decided the gold suit and animal print shirt wasn't quite right.
"We're going to reset the stage and I'm going to change my shirt because I'm sweating my bollocks off tonight!" he shouted.
It turned out he had enough time to change as stage crew took a few moments to set up for a strings section, which included a harp.
A harp solo at a rock concert? Yep, it happened during The First Cut Is the Deepest.
The slow pace continued for a few more songs, but the quick breather didn't seem to help Stewart as he mopped the sweat off of his face while singing Have I Told You Lately.
Pictures of wife Penny Lancaster-Stewart appeared on screen for the sweet 2013 single She Makes Me Happy, which was followed by a return to a handful of more uptempo hits.
Stewart's voice was spot on during his performance, as were the voices of his backup singers who took to centre stage for Proud Mary as the main man dipped behind the scenes for another costume change.
"This next song, my girlfriend at the time in 1977 was a woman called Britt Eckland. I also joined Celtic Football Club and I wrote this song," Stewart said, before belting out You're In My Heart.
For some reason, there was a bizarre few minutes of viral YouTube clips punctuated with pictures of Rod Stewart in drag, before he once again paid tribute to his beloved Celtics by kicking soccer balls into the crowd to the tune of Stay With Me.
Naturally, three of his most popular hits were saved for the end. Sailing was moving and impeccably performed – the crowd seemed to agree as they waved mobile phone flashlights overhead.
Maggie May had the capacity crowd singing along to every word, at least, until Stewart was handed a cardboard mask of his own face from the crowd. With a chuckle, he put it on and sang a few muffled lines of the chorus.
The curtain dropped at this point, but no one was fooled. The three giant nets full of balloons overhead indicated that there was at least one more song to come.
The balloons descended slowly as the opening strains of Da Ya Think I'm Sexy? sounded. While the audience looked to be having a blast, little of Stewart's famous charisma remained at the end and the encore lacked the energy of the rest of the show.
Do I think he's sexy? Not really, but he's a hell of a showman.
Set List (Perth Arena, 21 March 2015)
1. Having A Party
2. It's A Heartache
3. You Wear It Well
4. Tonight's the Night
5. You Can't Stop Me Now
6. Some Guys Have All the Luck
7. (I Know) I'm Losing You
8. Rhythm Of My Heart
9. Forever Young
10. The First Cut Is the Deepest
11. I Don't Want To Talk About It
12. Brighton Beach
13. Have I Told You Lately
14. She Makes Me Happy
15. Sweet Little Rock and Roller
16. Proud Mary
17. You're In My Heart
18. Stay With Me
19. Baby Jane
20. Sailing
21. Maggie May
Encore: Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?
Rod Stewart brings hits, glitz to Covelli
By GUY D’ASTOLFO
Rod Stewart will return to Las Vegas next month for a two-month run at Caesars Palace.
But it might as well have started Sunday night. The British rock icon brought his Vegas show to Covelli Centre, saving Youngstowners the air fare.
Stewart — still slim and roguish at age 69 — played a solo concert at sold-out Covelli, just days after completing his co-headlining tour with Carlos Santana.
The stage had a smooth and shiny look for Stewart and his 13-person band. These included a trio of female backup singers at stage left, each wearing a tight silver-spangled dress and stilettos and moving in unison throughout the night. A similar trio handled percussion and strings.
A high-definition screen above the stage showed closeups, and a slick LED backdrop pulled the package together with artsy visuals and photos of Stewart from his 40-plus year career.
So production values were high for the pricey concert.
Stewart came out clad in a white jacket (a flower on his lapel), white shirt and skinny tie — loosened of course. It was the first of three outfits that he and his girls would wear.
Rumors that Stewart’s famous raspy voice had grown a tad frail proved untrue. Stewart’s voice was suprisingly strong — booming, in fact — but also expressive and nuanced when it counted.
The hour and 40-minute show was more Vegas than rock concert, and it never sagged. It included 18 of his hits, but nothing from his 2013 album “Time.”
The band ably captured the sound made famous decades ago, including the edgy guitar in “Stay With Me” and the mandolin at the end of “Maggie May.”
Sunday’s concert was Stewart’s first time in Youngstown, and he acknowledged it, praising the audience’s enthusiasm.
The night started with “Infatuation,” “Having a Party” and “You Wear It Well.”
A seven-person string section comprised of Youngstown-area players was ushered on stage for a mellow segment that included “Rhythm of My Heart,” “Forever Young,” “First Cut Is the Deepest” and “Have I Told You Lately.”
Each of the backup singers showed off their pipes at the end of “Rhythm,” and later in a Tina Turner-esque take on “Proud Mary,” which Stewart sat out.
“Forever Young” segued into a long percussion breakdown that took on a samba spirit.
Another unique moment was the harp solo in “The First Cut.” Those show girls were talented.
In addition to “Stay With Me,” Stewart did a second song by his famed ’70s band, Faces, which included guitarist Ronnie Wood. He dedicated “Ooh La La” (“I Wish That I Knew What I Know Now”) to the late Ronnie Lane, Faces bassist.
Stewart actually gave credence to the recurring rumors of a Faces reunion. “For all of you hoping for [it], don’t give up,” he said. “A Faces reunion is going to be in the cards if it’s the last thing I do.”
As usual, Stewart kicked soccer balls into the audience during “Hot Legs,” clanging a couple off of the speakers hanging near the stage.
The set ended with “Maggie May,” which Stewart introduced as “the song that made me famous.”
For the all-in-good-fun encore of “Do Ya Think I’m Sexy,” the entire band performed shoulder-to-shoulder across the stage while the audience batted at balloons that rained down from the rafters.
The screen flashed an old cover of Rolling Stone magazine with a quote from Stewart: “I don’t want to be singing ‘Do Ya Think I’m Sexy’ when I’m 50 and become a parody of myself.”
Stewart was never particularly proud of the 1978 disco song, which, in retrospect, was a little too in the moment. But the old rocker-turned-showman not only owned it, but put it in
perspective.
- See more at: http://www.vindy.com/news/2014/aug/25/concert-review-rod-stewart-brings-hits-g/#sthash.J9cMIGKv.dpuf
Rod Stewart performs in concert at Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City
Donald Kravitz
Examiner
From the time the band started playing the audience rose to their feet and started swaying and applauding even before there was any sign of the man everyone came to see, Rod Stewart. The moment Stewart walked out on stage in The Mark G. Etess Arena in Trump Taj Mahal, Saturday evening, August 23, 2014 . . wearing a bright yellow sport coat and an orange colored tie, Stewarts legions of fans
Stewart, at age 69 seems to have gotten better with age. He is one of a small group of lifelong performers who makes it look like what they are doing is a walk in the park. Stewart just kind of sails through a show, flirting and playing with his fans who love him and adore his charm.
Stewart sang and danced his way during the show which was non stop from the opening number, "Infatuation," followed by "Some Guys Have All the Luck," "Having A Party” to classics," You Wear it Well" and "It's A Heartache."
Behind Stewart were large video screens which showcased images alternating between live photos of him performing and the audience dancing. With his band of 13-pieces, (14 including him), half who were women, provided superb musical support always blending and never overpowering the sound of Stewarts singing.
The crooner only veered off the music when a bat (who must have been a Rod Stewart fan as well) circled the stage from time to time, all of which the consummate performer took in stride and made it some comedy relief.
The famous grit-and-raspy gravel voice was right on as always and if you closed your eyes it would be difficult to not believe this was Rod Stewart from his younger days.
Stewart could easily have put together a show filled with artistically undeniable classics, but that is not Stewart. He still puts an immense effort into his show and is always working hard to entertain his audience.
Having listened to eighteen of Rod Stewart's many hits, the audience was still on it's feet applauding and screaming as Stewart left the stage after singing, “Maggie May.” Responding to the audience continual enticement, Stewart returned to finish the concert on a high note with, “Da Ya Think I am Sexy?” which only brought the arena crowd crescendo to an even higher level if that was possible !!!!
Hanging out at the used-car lot that was Rod Stewart and Santana on Saturday night
Posted By Tal Rosenberg today at 07.46 AM
There are two reasons I went to see Rod Stewart at Allstate Arena on Saturday. The first is that between 1967 and 1973 Stewart's output rivaled any major pop artist of the last 50 years, including: two acid-blues albums with the earliest incarnation of the Jeff Beck Group; four albums with the Faces, the famous, shambling folk-blues-rock band he was in with Ron Wood, Ronnie Lane, Ian McLagan, and Kenney Jones; and four more solo albums that were basically Faces albums released under Stewart's name—one of those albums, 1971's Every Picture Tells a Story, is just about perfect.
The second reason is that my girlfriend is the biggest Rod Stewart fan I've ever met in my life.
I'm not kidding. She keeps a Stewart book written by Lester Bangs and Paul Nelson prominently featured on a shelf in our apartment. She owns a Hungarian Rod Stewart poster she found on the street in Europe. She will defend Foot Loose and Fancy Free and Blondes Have More Fun and especially 1988's Out of Order, in particular "My Heart Can't Tell Me No." When I told her we were going to see Rod Stewart, her reaction was something like this:
The show wasn't a Stewart-only affair—Santana opened, and one could say that this was a coheadlining gig. I didn't have a car, so we decided to take the Blue Line to Rosemont to catch the show. Before we embarked on the CTA, my girlfriend suggested we stop at 7-Eleven and grab some alcohol to paper bag on the way there. In the store, my girlfriend dared me to drink a mango-peach-flavored vodka-soda drink called Monaco. I took up her dare—it tasted like fizzy vodka filled with cake frosting and handfuls of tropical Skittles, and at times I thought I was going to be sick. Santana's set was kind of the way Monaco tastes.
Santana's set was 90 minutes long, which means it was at least an hour too long. While he played everything from "Evil Ways" to a not-bad rendition of John Coltrane's "A Love Supreme," most of the show consisted of generic noodling and filler that didn't need to be there. Like Santana's black short-sleeved button-up shirt and black pants, the set was too loose. Personally, my favorite part of the whole performance was when Santana brought out his wife to do an impressive drum solo. My least favorite part was when they encored with "Smooth," because no one needs to hear that song ever again.
Early on I realized that my girlfriend and I were by far the youngest people in attendance, at least in our immediate vicinity. Granted, Stewart is 69 years old, but I was still surprised to see so few young people in the audience (and by "younger" I mean anyone under 40). The audience felt heavily male and heavily in favor of wearing Tommy Bahama (whoever works in TB's marketing department and failed to open a pop-up store at this show, you dropped the ball). And I have rarely seen such unabashed air-guitaring from anyone, let alone dozens of men in baggy palm-fronds-printed shirts with AARP cards.
One problem with Santana's set is that certain performances made it appear as if the guitarist took himself too seriously—you could hardly accuse Stewart of taking himself seriously at all. If this setup had any aesthetic, it was some mutated mashup of Robert Palmer's "Addicted to Love" video and the Viagra Triangle circa 2004. Stewart and his band, when there weren't costume changes, at times looked like they were all competing in a Karl Lagerfeld lookalike contest. His talented violinist and mandolinist was an attractive brunette in a miniskirt. The lead saxophonist was a blonde in a red miniskirt,
Despite playing "Infatuation" and some unfortunate choices in covers, my girlfriend was having a ball and dancing the whole time. I couldn't fault her completely—Stewart managed to pump out spirited performances of "You Wear it Well" and the Faces' "Stay With Me," songs I frankly didn't expect him to play. It was at some point during this sequence that a rather large older gentleman behind us yelled at my girlfriend to sit down—at a rock concert—because he and his wife couldn't see. The way he made this request was not very nice. Quite upset, my girlfriend— an exceedingly kind, generous person—sat down in a manner that indicated she was visibly and deeply upset. Unhappy with the way this interaction took place, I said something to the guy behind me. The following is our interaction exactly as it went down.
Me: You know, the way you told her to sit down wasn't very nice and was frankly very rude. I think you should apologize.
Guy behind me: You wanna go outside?!
Me: Why would I want to go outside?
Guy: I WILL RIP YOUR FUCKING EYES OUT! [hands making strangling gesture, pointed straight at me].
Yikes! Having gone to many concerts over the past 20-or-so years, I've never experienced so much immediate hostility at a show before (when I was 14, a guy wearing a swastika pulled me out of a mosh pit that nearly crushed me, to give you some frame of reference). All of this escalated quickly, and there was some unnecessary uneasiness for the remainder of the show, but that didn't stop ol' Rod from trying to lighten the mood! During an acoustic sequence, Stewart and his band pulled out chairs and sat down; at one point, Rod sat on one of his dancers' lap during a sax solo. Because unpredictability is not a characteristic of a Rod Stewart concert, they closed with "Maggie May." For an encore, Stewart performed "Do Ya Think I'm Sexy?" in a cowboy hat while five of the inflatable-tube guys from used-car lots flopped around behind the band.
Rod Stewart and the guy sitting behind me had something in common (aside from their wives' frequent shame)—they both exhibited embarrassing demonstrations of elderly selfishness. But at least Rod Stewart was trying to have a good time and make sure everyone else was having a good time too. May he never stop trying.
Carlos Santana, Rod Stewart deliver an evening of rock classics at Sprint Center
On paper, this show looked like a mismatch. But if you go by the numbers (and eras), it made perfect sense.
Rod Stewart returned to Kansas City on Thursday night, and the jet-setting British rocker brought with him one of the more respected and decorated figures in Latin-American music, Carlos Santana. It made for a lively journey in classic rock.
Santana opened the evening with a 75-minute set that included several of his best-known hits. Three of them came early: “Everybody’s Everything,” “Black Magic Woman” and “Oye Como Va.”
His band included six backup singers and a three-piece percussion section, an ensemble that aroused a big, joyous groove. Many in the crowd of about 9,000 were there to see Santana as much as Stewart; the arena was about as full as it would get during his set. Most were on their feet, dancing, the whole time.
There were plenty of instrumental forays, especially from Santana, who decades ago forged a guitar sound that is unmistakably his own.
Stewart would say later that Santana was not feeling well this evening, but it didn’t show during his opening set. Other highlights: the cover of thte Champs’ “Tequila” and “Smooth,” Santana’s Grammy-winning collaboration with Rob Thomas of Matchbox Twenty.
The set ended oddly but satisfyingly: with one of Santana’s guitarists singing “Roxanne” by the Police.
Stewart took the stage dressed in a sparkly aqua dinner jacket, and still bears that thick shaggy mane of hair.
He opened with “Infatuation,” then his well-known cover of Sam Cooke’s “Having a Party.” From there, he turned to one of his own classics, “You Wear It Well,” and followed that with a cover of Bonnie Tyler’s “It’s a Heartache.” Given how much of his own material he left off the setlist, that one could have been replaced without detracting from the show.
He was supported by a large ensemble that included a five-piece band, three-singers and a three-piece horn section.
For several songs, he enlisted a string section comprising seven local musicians. He left the stage a few times for wardrobe changes; during one of those, one of his singers capably performed “Proud Mary.”
The stage featured a six video screens aligned along a larger, towering video screen. Throughout the set, the broadcast archival images or videos of Stewart, including one of him playing soccer as a young adult. A few of the graphics that bounced about the screen were almost comically primitive.
For a guy who has been touring as long and as much as he has, Stewart, who will turn 70 in January, can still sing well enough.
He can give a soccer ball a heavy boot, too, which he did more than a dozen times, launching them into the crowd as he sang “Hot Legs.”
Other highlights included “The First Cut Is the Deepest,” “You’re In My Heart” and “Maggie May.” He gave the crowd a chance to start that one off, and the response was loud and emphatic. Like Stewart, that song has aged gracefully.
The night ended with a hailstorm of balloons and with Stewart singing “Do Ya Think I’m Sexy,” a song that has developed a novel charm over the decades.
Stewart sings it mostly tongue-in-cheek these days, although it’s evident that a lot of people think he’s still well worth looking at. And listening to.
Stewart and Santana prove age is only a number
Posted: 08/8/2014 10:20 PM
Maybe the adage is right. Age is only a number.
Rod Stewart, 69, and Carlos Santana, 67, proved on Friday night in front of a packed house at the MTS Centre that just because they were born in the 1940s doesn't mean they're done.
Hardly. Instead, they have the showmanship and musicianship that younger generations would kill for. And both of them look like they have decades in front of them, not just years.
Stewart, the windup act on Friday, took the stage in a shiny silver jacket and black stovepipe trousers — you've got to be fit to wear those — and started with four big hits: Infatuation, Having a Party, You Wear it Well and It's a Heartache. Stewart donned some shades, to the crowd's complete joy, and performed Tonight's the Night, which had his fans singing along with hardly any prompting.
Give credit to Stewart for keeping up with history. During a week when the world remembered the start of the First World War a century ago, he dedicated Rhythm of my Heart to veterans and soldiers still serving. As Stewart and his three sexy backup singers sang, the video screen showed Spitfires and Harriers whizzing by among other military scenes.
Then, Santana, who performed earlier, joined Stewart on a bluesy I'd Rather Go Blind. Santana has collaborated with almost everybody, from Wyclef Jean to Yo-Yo Ma, so teaming up with Rod the Bod was a no-brainer, and a super moment.
Stewart ducked out in the middle of Forever Young, re-emerging after a long drum solo that included four percussionists, wearing an all-gold suit. It was sensational in its ridiculousness.
The highlight of an acoustic set was Van Morrison's Have I Told You Lately, an already sweet song made even sweeter with a lovely violin solo.
The backup singers took over later and channelled the soul and strut of Tina Turner on Proud Mary while Stewart went for his third costume change of the night. All black, if you're keeping score.
He would show silly Internet videos, boot and head soccer balls into the audience before performing Maggie May, an identical version to the one we've heard thousands of times on the radio since its release in 1971.
Do You Think I'm Sexy? was the inevitable encore, with balloons dropping on the audience and all 18 members of the Stewart show on stage.
Earlier, Santana showed off his guitar virtuosity and his devotion to Spanish sounds during his set. He has re-emerged recently with Corazon, his first all-Spanish record, but his psychedelic-era hits, like his openers Hope You're Feeling Better, Everybody's Everything and Black Magic Woman wouldn't be out of place in any Latin nightclub. Two amped-up drummers and the mandatory conga player laid down a salsa beat on steroids and transformed these old rockers into something special.
"It's Friday," Santana said to the crowd after Black Magic Woman. "Friday, people tend to freak out."
There was good reason to freak out. A Santana career video retrospective was shown on a giant screen while the 67-year-old Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Famer and his 10-piece backing band unleashed Oye Como Va on the Winnipeg crowd. Black-and-white footage from 1960s and '70s meshed with the colour and contemporary video, and then mixed with the live feed from Friday's show.
Just think — Santana has played that Tito Puente song, which has become a cornerstone of the foundation of rock music, for 45 years or so, probably night after night. Yet on a Friday evening, during yet another date on yet another cross-continent tour, Oye Como Va and Santana continued to get fans out of their seats and get their hearts pounding. Loved it.
Who knows, the song will likely earn someone in the sold-out crowd another speeding ticket on the way home.
While it was no surprise Santana would play a punchy versions of Tequila and Smooth, his giant hit from 1999's Supernatural, the band found an offbeat way to wrap up the set — Roxanne by the Police, sung by guitarist Tommy Anthony, in a key few men dare reach.
All in all, a memorable night of music by people of any age, for people of any age.
Rod Stewart still wears it well, but Santana’s black magic wins the night
EDMONTON - There may come a time when you’ll regret not having seen Rod Stewart when you could have.
Don’t worry, we’ll get around to Carlos Santana, who pretty much took Tuesday’s sold out, co-headlining show at Rexall Place for himself, but that’s not the point. Santana is a pro, still at the top of his game in his mid-60s, not missing a step or cruising on past glories.
If we were to grade this concert in a completely objective way, like a sports event, then Santana came out on top.
The guitar god’s set covered just about everything you needed to hear in a greatest-hits package. There was the two in one shot of Black Magic Woman and Gypsy Queen; his take on Tito Puente’s Oye Como Va; a few from his massively successful Supernatural album in Maria Maria and Smooth, a muscular take on Some Kind of Wonderful, a trip back to Woodstock.
Rest assured that Santana was not only fantastic in his interplay between group members, but that the band itself, made up of seemingly uncountable percussion and horn players, was simmering, soulful, powerful.
It was great stuff, Stewart and his group of suited up backup band, looking straight out of a Stax/Volt revue? Not quite at that level of energy.
Stewart himself seemed a little tired, or maybe he couldn’t help seeming that way standing next to his silver dressed backup singers, who appeared to be channeling some Ronettes magic. They kicked off with Infatuation, made their way smoothly forward into You Wear It Well and a cover of It’s a Heartache before he declared that the night wasn’t proceeding quite as well as the night before in Calgary.
Burn! That set off a small round of boos for the singer, who still revels in being a troublemaker. He could afford testing his audience, and he knew it; he had them back right away with Tonight’s the Night.
There was a major stumble at the beginning of Young Turks, but the recovery was swift. His voice seemed to lose power when overcome by the rhythm section; when the music was dynamic or quiet you could hear more of the nuance in it.
Santana was back out again to scorch a solo on a lovely, meditative version of Etta James’s I’d Rather Go Blind, after which Stewart brought out the ’80s schlock with Forever Young. That was also a costume change signal, from silver glitter to sparkly leopard print on the singers and horns, long percussive freakout and finally Stewart sauntering out in in gold lame for an acoustic interlude including First Cut is the Deepest and Van Morrison’s Have I Told You Lately, with string section and harp.
From there on it was a succession of hits and deep cuts touching on every era of the man’s career, plus plenty of unabashed rock ‘n’ roll nostalgia, like a first class cover band.
If some of it didn’t stand up as well as others you at least took away the good humour, swagger, and self-mockery of a man who never took himself seriously, even when he was pumping out some of the unassailably great albums of the ’70s.
He’s still a punk in all that glam, and he can still put his own stamp on a Sam Cooke song; the years haven’t worn away the tenderness and bewilderment that made Maggie Mae such a brilliant song.
If he sometimes seems caught somewhere between parody and self-aware parody you can be sure that he’s entertaining himself as much as the audience
Calgary fans in the palm of Rod Stewart and Carlos Santana's hands as legends take to Saddledome stage
With over a century in the music racket between them, the idea of a legends double bill seemed like a can’t-miss affair for the aging rocker set.
When you do anything for this long, there’s bound to be highs and lows — it goes with the territory. Stewart makes no apologies for a gradual ascent/descent from vital British rock frontman with the Faces, equally vital solo act and, finally … great American songbook-caterwauling Vegas cheeseball.
Carlos Santana, it seemed, was always on the periphery of superstardom before the whole world simply caught up to him during his upward trajectory and semi-tacky duets period which saw him sidle up to Rob Thomas and, uh, Chad Kroeger, of all people. Strange, but true — Supernatural got the resurgence started, won nine Grammy Awards in 2000 and sold over 15 million copies in the U.S. alone.
The good news is that when you’ve got nothing to prove, the possibilities become endless.
Last night’s The Voice, The Guitar, The Songs Tour at a hot and steamy Scotiabank Saddledome wasn’t just a double bill, but a unique team effort.
Without ever being sure of what was coming next, the boisterous (but well-behaved and seated) throng of appreciators of contemporary pop-rock classics drank it down with smiles that stretched from ear to ear.
Santana was the opening act, so to speak, on this night, and his easily identifiable guitar style, tone and blazing fretwork set the stage early with Everybody’s Everything, which quickly segued into the still-brilliant Black Magic Woman (from 1970’s Abraxas) as the crowd roared its appreciation.
“We’re grateful to be in your presence tonight, thank you,” he offered, graciously. “Rod and I both like to get down … and we both like make women crazy!
“Even though we’re just the warmup band this evening … we’re going to make it hot for you.”
He was right: Los dedos volantes de Carlos Santana son iguales de los de un jovencito — “The flying fingers of Carlos Santana are like those of a young man.”
Santana and his uber-rhythmic crack touring band dug back without being nostalgic during Gypsy Queen, Oy Como Va and Maria Maria.
A cover of Tequila showed a sense of humour that is a welcome contrast to the intense guitar mastery that marks any Santana show.
The 67-year-old smiled and hammed it up through the Champ’s pseudo classic, before the commercial contemporary pop of Smooth, a better-than-decent number, but by no means top-shelf in the Santana archives.
Of course, the crowd went wild.
No entertainer of any kind should ever have to follow Carlos Santana, but for one night, one tour, at least, it wasn’t a competition.
Stewart’s voice isn’t what it used to be, but at 69 years of age, he now merely executes as opposed to belts ’em out.
Stewart still moves like a rock star and commands the stage … and the ladies still swoon. Some guys have all the luck, indeed!
Stewart bounced across the stage and delivered Infatuation and a cover of Sam Cooke’s Having A Party as the crowed toe-tapped, sang and danced in their seats.
“No doubt some of you got wet on the way here,” Rod The Mod quipped. “Thank you for coming and thank you for spending your money … we’re going to be here for a good hour-and-a-half, more if you deserve it. I think you will.”
While the vocal power may not be evident, the characteristic rasp and smoke powered You Wear It Well, a cover of Bonnie Tyler’s It’s A Heartache (for real), Tonight’s The Night, Young Turks and Rhythm Of My Heart.
You’re in My Heart, Hot Legs and the always fabulous Maggie May led to the inevitable question: Da Ya Think I’m Sexy?
Even after all these years … they thought he was.
Santana heats things up for Rod Stewart
In the world of aging 60s-era rockers, it’s better to be a player than a singer. Some things get better or stay equal with passing decades; some don’t.
Carlos Santana can still shred like a monster and he did at Rogers Arena on Saturday night. Rod Stewart — the headlining act — had a harder row to hoe.
Santana can hire any fine young vocalists he wants and a spectacular backing band and push them to the limit in hit-laden sets featuring classics Everybody’s Everything, Maria Maria, the new Corazon and even a ska version of the holiday classic Tequila. The 67-year-old, 13 Grammy Award-winning bandleader has the chops to jam out on anything and make it fresh.
At one point in Oye Como Va from 1970s chart-topping Abraxas, Santana was trading licks around with five percussionists, two horns and the keyboardist.
“We’re only an opening band, just a simple opening group,” said Santana. “But we’re going to make it really (expletive) hot for you tonight.”
By the end of the set, I felt sorry for the headliner.
Naturally, Rod the Mod showed up with his A-game too. It’s just a pure, shiny Blackpool one with multi-tiered stage, go-go dancing backup singers and 14 people on stage.
At 69, Stewart dresses beautifully, has that signature hairstyle and he moves fantastically; superstar stage presence.
But the music of the opener Infatuation certainly eclipsed his voice and it just stayed that way.
Perhaps a louder mix would have helped, because Stewart still sings well enough. But he can’t belt at all.
That’s a big problem when you built a career on it.
It was frustrating because he would sound better on Having a Party and Tonight’s The Night but weak on Some Guys Have All the Luck. But how can he do a set without these massive crowd pleasers? Obviously, he can’t. There’s no denying the man’s song catalogue.
It isn’t for no reason that Stewart is one of the best selling solo artists of all time. Ever the lad, he knows how to work a crowd, such as with the whole D-Day lead in and imagery during Rhythm Of My Heart. He sounded amazing good on this one too. Which reinforces the mix maybe being a bigger factor in the show.
So musically, Santana burned. Rod kind of steeped. And when Santana joined Stewart for I’d Rather Go Blind, he burned brighter still.
Pretty fantastic pairing for the crowd, which spent a lot of time on its feet. I would have reversed the billing.
Rod Stewart casual and mischievous at the concert in Cologne's Lanxess Arena
Professional and experienced is Stewart's appearance, but simultaneously topped the singer,
who seems a little cold, his program with the humor of its inherent
mischievous Art The preppy golden boy, he was already in the 70s and 80s, is a native of London to remained today. Since geschäkert with the background singers on stage, asked the audience to join
in with my whole body, casually swinging their hips and enjoy working sometimes jokes.
Funny is mainly the Youtube finds that flicker
in between on the screen while they Stewart commented: slapstick numbers are about even Stewart in women's underwear. The audience bends over
with laughter. Rod Stewart smirks in his fashionable
yellow jacket. A concert to feel good is in
Cologne.
The stage is all set up other homey. Precious come along the superstructure. Everything is decorated in
white, hanging from the ceiling crescent-shaped light installations, which prove to be lowered later. The ladies in his band, three backup singers and three instrumentalists wearing uniform mini
dresses as work outfits. As between an
acoustic set is installed, nor will add more femininity, like a small orchestra. "Now follow a few pieces
about broken hearts and unrequited love," proclaims Stewart,
who has established himself on a stool, Nails to add humorously: "So, they sit down, relax you, make a phone call
or get a coffee. "
"First Cut Is the Deepest", originally performed by
Cat Stevens, is the beginning, followed by Crazy Horses
"I Do not Want to Talk About It", which is sung by the
Fan-choir. "Reason to Believe", which originated from folk singer Tim Hardin, had been one of the first numbers,
which he had taken, Stewart reported subsequently.
"That was in 1969," he says and repeats the number, as
if he could not believe how long it's been even.
Becomes more noticeable in the course of the show, how many songs do
not own from Stewarts has written: "It's a
Heartache", originally performed by Bonnie Tyler, is as
important as "Downtown Train" by Tom Waits, the Rod Stewart sings kneeling, Van Morrison brings "Have I Told You Lately" or about "Sweet Little Rock & Roller" by Chuck Berry, the real rock 'n' roll of the old school of
Cologne's stage.
All of these pieces makes Stewart with his raspy
voice to something private. Songs like "Rhythm
of My Heart", which was written for the Dutch singer René Shuman, or "Sailing", originally recorded by
the British duo of "Sutherland Brothers" a maximum
of Stewart's hits, but are commonly known only in
Stewart's version . The audience is just
the latter, which comes as a bonus, enthusiastically.
For seasoned men and mature ladies the teenage fans of Stewart's musical youth have become.
That they are young in spirit, they show not only through the consistent dancing, but especially at the ball game: Rod
Stewart ballert of him signed footballs
into the arena - and men brawl almost at
the body-hugging attempts to get hold of a herumsausendes souvenir. On the Fremdschäm-scale fast the
values in the height, as the lords of creation stumble over
each other to the floor.
Rod Stewart's love of football can be felt throughout the concert.
Not only that, the drums on his favorite club, Glasgow
Celtic, indicating the song "You're in My Heart
(The Final Acclaim)" is dedicated to the popular ball
ports - not just lyrically, but also with game scenes on the
canvas, the least one in the stands tränenverdrückenden Rod Stewart shows that actually even
once wanted to pursue a career as a professional footballer.
It turned out differently. Tanned and with dyed blond hair, he is after more than 45
years of musical career is still on the big
stages. The shirt is hanging half out of his pants, the tie dangling loosely around the neck. Casual teen
Stewart has remained. A humorous view of the aging happened.
Finally, an old quote appears: "I want With 50 years 'Da Ya Think I'm Sexy' no longer sing
and be a parody of myself." What is Stewart? Of course, he plays the song and must not be afraid
to his image have
Rod Stewart presented a hit revue at the Wiener Stadthalle
A few
surprises, but the best entertainment there on Tuesday evening at the
concert by Rod Stewart at the Wiener Stadthalle. The audience it
did not last long on the chairs, they knew the hit revue of the 69-year-olds appreciate. Finally, the balloon
rain came the inevitable final question "Da Ya Think
I'm Sexy?".
In shiny gold jacket, the Briton appeared, a 13-member backing band supported the charmer with the spiked
hair. The well-known songs were not long in coming, "Tonight's the
Night" and a very rocking "Some Guys Have All the Luck" served the former flagship Playboy throughout his
50-plus Generation angehörendem audience. It also
often frowned upon in the genre saxophone was used. With a pleased "ahhhhh" of knowing they welcomed "Rhythm of My Heart", which was one of the newer songs in the repertoire
despite born in 1991.
Similar songs as four years ago
The song selection of the performance as part of its "Live The Life
Tour 2014" was similar to four years ago - but was at that time a lot of soul in the program, it was on Tuesday of ballads part that made the biggest difference. As
could be "Rod the Mod", who had his jacket now
saved, his female, kurzberockten Streicherseptett and even with harpist by the cuddly classic "The First Cut Is the Deepest", "I Do not Want to Talk About It" "Have I Told You Lately" and "Reason To Believe" accompany.
Rod Stewart also presented older hits
None of these songs was written by Stewart, but with his raspy voice, he made them all become hits. The publication of Tim Hardin cover "Reason To Believe" meant in 1971 the final breakthrough, as he
told the audience yesterday. But unlike considered, because the
means of success was the B-side to the original "Maggie May" after radio
DJs this over the A-side gave the preference.
Singer sees itself as a "Service Provider"
"I am a service provider," Stewart said in an interview with the
"time". As such, he offered those present besides the music quite a bit of entertainment. At "Hot Legs" shot of
a football fan with their favorite club "Celtic" Once again
many balls in the hall, his fans began there
to push towards the stage - it was already close to the
final, so you had to really just think about which of the hits still missing in order to know what was to come.
"Sailing" and "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?"
It was "Baby Jane", one of the few successes 80s
in the institution designated by Stewart himself once as "gloomy
period," the last song before the two encores
in the form of "Sailing" and the inevitable disco classic "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy? "mattered. The "Commander of the British
Empire" showed once again that he does not take itself too seriously. On the video wall you saw an old cover of "Rolling Stone", was where we read that he no
longer wanted to play this song with 50 in order to not be
a parody of itself. He sang it yesterday,
accompanied by a balloon rain again - and despite his 69
years, it was not embarrassing, but the matching end an entertaining hit revue.
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