It was hard to believe it had been 19 months since Rod Stewart was on stage at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. Rod looked better than ever, sounded like the same Rod Stewart we all admire and love, and provided his fans with a show that was well worth the wait. The packed house was full of what has become the typical Rod Stewart crowd, old and new fans ranging in age from 18 to 90. The energy in the crowd before the show was nothing less than electric. There were fans who had not seen Rod since the 80’s, fans who were fortunate enough to have seen the Faces in full form, and “virgins” who were seeing Rod for the first time, but will forever be touched by the magic that is Rod Stewart.
At 7:30 sharp the house lights went down and the sweet, oh so familiar sound of bag pipes filled the arena. The sound of the pipes immediately brought me back to my first Rod concert in 1981 and symbolized a nod to the past. When the curtains rose the crowd was greeted by a talented, beautiful and engaging band fronted by the best musician of our life time. As promised in the name of the show, Rod performed The Hits, including “Some Guys Have All the Luck”, “Rhythm of My Heart”, Have I Told You Lately That I Love You”, “Downtown Train”, “Forever Young” and many more. The crowd sang each and every song from start to finish with all the enthusiasm that has become the norm at one of Rod’s shows.
Rod’s voice was in top form, obviously fully recovered from a sinus infection that he spoke of on Saturday night in Reno. Nothing proved this more than his soulful and heartfelt rendition of “I Would Rather Go Blind” , the brilliant ballad written by written by Ellington Jordan and co-credited to Billy Foster and Etta James.that Rod recorded with Ronnie Wood in the early 1970s. Hopefully, the Faces reunion rumor is true and this will not be the only chance we will get to hear new renditions of the classics from the Faces era. It was exciting to watch new Rod fans become introduced to such a beautiful and original song. Hopefully, an after concert You Tube search will lead them to “Never A Dull Moment”, “Gasoline Alley” and “Long Player”.
Visually, this show was true Vegas. This show had it all…..beautiful women, dapper gents, and awesome video on the jumbo screens. My husband, Dale, has accompanied me to over 15 of the 47 Rod Stewart concerts I have been to. He marvels at the fact that Rod has ensured that the gentlemen who attend his shows are treated to eye candy with the likes of Becca Kotte, Amanda Carvill, Holly Brewer, Adrianna Thurber, Julia Thornton and his particular favorite, J’Anna Jacoby. In his words, it is their beauty that captures his initial attention but it is their talent and personas that keep him captivated ( similar to how I have described my 50 year love affair with Rod to him). The guitar stylings of Don Kirkpatrick, Emerson Swinford, and Curt Schneider who were all obviously hand picked by Sir Rod himself could not have been any better. Although clad in suits and ties throughout the entire show, one could only wish to see these lads in an uncut, impromptu Faces style session that would amplify their talents. Drummer, David Palmer, kept the pace for the evening and never once let the crowd down, likening comparison to the great Charlie Watts. Several times throughout the night, Jimmy “Saxman” Roberts single-handedly took over the show. On saxophone, Jimmy was able to speak to the audience in a way that only the late great Clarence Clemons could. He may not be a 6 foot tall, blonde haired, blue eyed beauty, but for those who love great music Jimmy is as close to perfection as one can get. In this writer’s personal opinion, the true backbone to this band is Kevin Savigar. Kevin’s mastery of the keyboards has carried the show every night since the early 90s. I first saw Kevin on stage January 10, 1981 in Minneapolis and was in awe at his musical range and on October 6, 2021 he was just as electrifying and satisfying, despite the change in his hair color.
Rod Excited the crowd with an unexpected rendition of another late, great, Curtis Mayfield’s “People Get Ready”. The spectacular video accompanying this song brought tears to my eyes. Seeing the images of MLK Jr. and Rosa Parks on the big screen along with the beautiful lyrics honoring inclusion, love and acceptance brought tears to the eyes of all those seated around me. Rod’s choice to include this song tonight showed his commitment to brotherhood, equality, and peace….yet another reason to love him!
Unlike many performers, Rod’s minor exits from the stage were not met by mass retreats to the loo or checking of cell phones. Rod’s current ladies entertained the crowd with authentic and amazing Celtic dancing and later gave a crowd pleasing rendition of “Lady Marmalade” [Appropriate as the songs original singer Sarah Dash passed away recently on September 2oth] . Even when Rod Stewart is not on stage, his presence is so overwhelming that one can feel connected at all times.
Besides the bag pipe introduction, Rod presented long time fans with another concert favorite: soccer balls. In the first time in at least 5 years Rod sent autographed soccer balls into the crowd. Tonight, unlike other nights, the balls were tossed/thrown instead of being kicked but the enthusiasm was just the same. On a personal note, 47 concerts over 40 years and no soccer ball…..oh well, maybe next time!
Rod’s first night back to Vegas ended just like all of his other Caesar’s Palace shows did, with everyone on their feet , satisfied yet begging for more. Rod and band graced the eager crowd with a rip-roaring rendition of Chuck Berry’s “Sweet Little Rock and Roller”. Long time fans can remember when this song was a staple to all of his shows and hearing this tonight made me feel like that 15 year in Miineapolis in 1981 again, and I can only hope Rod felt like the young man on stage with a whole world of fortune, fame, family, and love ahead of him.
Review By Sue Walton
First photo by Sheryl Lyn Anderson
All other photos by Sue Walton
Montage by Tommy Kevitt [Including Sue’s T-shirt that is worn to Rod’s concerts]