He’s back: Rod Stewart kicks off his next Vegas run

Fans had to go without Sir Rod Stewart for 236 days – or 7 months and 24 days – at his second home, Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.
Last night he returned to the gambling capital and took to the stage at the Colosseum at Caesars at 7.30 pm sharp, opening with his 1981 hit “Tonight I’m Yours” and immediately getting the fans fired up. Before that, a bagpipe trio had kicked off the evening with the finest Scottish tunes.
And right from the start, it was as if he’d never been away. In high spirits, fully rested after his four-week break from touring and as fit as a teenager, the 81-year-old sang, danced, hopped and ran across the stage, stringing one hit after another together during the 90-minute show.

For many, this may be business as usual – something he has honed and perfected over many years in the Nevada desert – but no, a Rod Stewart show is never run-of-the-mill.
Admittedly, the setlists consist mainly of his well-known hits, but as Stewart once said: “You have to give the people what they want to hear”. And that’s exactly what he does night after night, even at his advanced age. As special treats, he regularly works in lesser-known and less popular songs, which, however, are considered by fans to be among the very special highlights of a Rod show. Last night, these were “The Killing of Georgie” and “People Get Ready”, and the band, and above all the three singers Holly Brewer, Joanne Harper and Becca Kotte, shone with the Dolly Parton classic “Jolene”, which Sir Rod used as an opportunity to slip into a new outfit backstage, tidy his tousled hair and have a quick refreshment.

A Rod Stewart show is not just about the music spanning more than six decades; it’s always a huge entertainment spectacle. This is primarily because the star of the show still has so much fun on stage and manages to pass that on to the audience. Be it a little quip with a touch of self-deprecation, a brief wiggle of his still very toned backside, or even high-fiving the audience members right at the front.
So there’s hardly any chance of going home in a bad mood after one of the Brit’s concerts. That was certainly the case on Wednesday too. “I had so much fun tonight, everything was perfect. Rod still puts on a fantastic show,” wrote one visitor. “Simply brilliant, I’ve loved Rod since I was a child and he’s still wonderful,” added another.

Sue Walton, who had travelled from Minnesota to Sin City, had a special experience. “Before the concert, I met up with some friends from Kentucky and California – friendships we owe to our shared passion for Rod. We were at Gordon Ramsay’s Pub when we bumped into Kevin Savigar and his wife Sue. They’re a lovely couple and so pleasant and charming,” she said. “The show that evening was simply phenomenal. I’ve seen Rod live for the 62nd time now and, quite honestly, he looks younger every time and is so full of energy. It’s amazing. My two musical highlights of the evening were ‘Tonight I’m Yours’ and his heart-wrenching rendition of ‘The Killing Of Georgie’,” Sue enthuses, still raving about it hours after the show ended. But for Sue Walton, Rod’s summer isn’t over yet. “I’ll be in Cincinnati on 9 August and at the Minnesota State Fair on 1 September,” she says. “I saw Rod there (at the Minnesota State Fair, ed.) back in 1984 during his Camouflage Tour.”

Setlist:

• Tonight I'm Yours

• Having A Party

• This Old Heart Of Mine

• It's A Heartache

• The First Cut Is The Deepest

• You're In My Heart

• Forever Young

• Maggie May

• I'd Rather Go Blind

• Young Turks

• Jolene (Band only)

• People Get Ready

• The Killing Of Georgie

• Have I Told You Lately

• Proud Mary (Band only)

• It Takes Two

• Some Guys Have All The Luck

• Da Ya Think I'm Sexy

• Love Train