Rod Stewart in Uncasville: An event for all generations

With temperatures reaching nearly 30 degrees Celsius and perfect summer weather, concertgoers were already eagerly anticipating superstar Rod Stewart's show on Friday as they made their way to the sold-out Mohegan Sun Arena.
And the approximately 10,000 visitors were not disappointed. Sir Rod delivered the best in musical entertainment during the nearly two-hour show. It goes without saying that the 80-year-old, who has been one of the biggest names in the music business since the 1960s, can string together one hit after another in his show and does so regularly.
In Uncasville, he chose ‘Tonight I'm Yours’ as the opener for the evening – certainly one of the best choices if you want to get your fans going right from the first song.
Instead of the Bonnie Tyler classic ‘It's A Heartache,’ he followed up with the CCR smash ‘Have You Ever Seen The Rain’ and then continued to ramp up the party mood. ‘Havin' A Party’ not only became the motto of the evening, but the song, which is not actually available as a studio version in Stewart's repertoire, also got the last party poopers on their feet and turned the arena into a temple of joy.
As usual, the song pattern alternated between powerful, dance-inducing hits and gentle ballads, during which the singer allowed himself and his fans a short break to catch their breath.
The star and his fans are mostly getting on in years, even though the audience in Uncasville was quite mixed. Grandchildren danced with their grandparents, children and parents sang along at the top of their voices. A Rod Stewart concert is a cross-generational event that caters to all age groups. The audience, young and old alike, was transported on a two-hour trip through the heyday of sex, drugs and rock “n” roll. At one point, a bra was thrown onto the stage, which Sir Rod attached to guitarist Emerson Swinford's instrument to the amusement of everyone, where it dangled merrily.
As for the set list, we already noted the change from ‘It's A Heartache’ to ‘Have You Ever Seen The Rain’ at the beginning, and the songs ‘Gasoline Alley’ and ‘The Killing Of Georgie’ also crept into the programme. Both songs from the 1970s are insider tips at a Stewart show and are absolute live favourites, especially among fans. This was confirmed again last night at the Mohegan Sun Arena.
At the end, Rod and the band left the stage satisfied, and the audience happily made their way home or treated themselves to a nightcap in the city's cafés and pubs. Singing along constantly makes you thirsty, after all.

Set list:
1. Tonight I'm Yours
2. Have You Ever Seen The Rain
3. It Takes Two
4. Havin' A Party
5. The First Cut Is The Deepest
6. Tonight's The Night
7. Forever Young
8. Ooh La La
9. Young Turks
10. Maggie May
11. Gasoline Alley
12. I’d Rather Go Blind
13. Stay With Me
14. Lady Marmalade (band only)
15. Mandolin Wind
16. You're In My Heart
17. Have I Told You Lately
18. Proud Mary (band only)
19. Love Train
20. The Killing Of Georgie
21. Da Ya Think I'm Sexy
22. Hot Legs
23. Some Guys Have All The Luck