Rock legend Rod Stewart CBE kicked off a massive two-city tour in Hollywood, Florida on Monday, February 13th at Hard Rock Live. Consisting of two nights in Hollywood and a single night in Tampa before heading Down Under, the tour should be a crowd-pleasing affair at every stop.
Sir Rod was in his usual stellar form before the sold-out crowd of over seven thousand people, as he and his band played their way through twenty-one songs spanning nearly fifty years’ worth of hits. Dabber in a metallic blazer and vest combo, Stewart looked nowhere near his seventy-eight years as he twisted and danced the night away with the vigor of a much younger man. With closed eyes, one could be forgiven for thinking that the performance was a live recording from the seventies, that is how unchanged his voice is.
Opening with a cover of Credence Clearwater Revival’s “Have You Ever Seen The Rain”, Stewart pranced his way through twelve other covers and nine of his own tracks before closing out with “Do Ya Think I’m Sexy” nearly two hours later. Many of the covers were not recognized as covers by the crowd, as Stewart has made these songs more popular than the original performer.
Throughout the evening the massive LCD screen ran through an array of videos and stills to accompany each song, much to the delight of the crowd. Also to the delight of the crowd were the solo performances of the various band members, especially the horn section which drew thunderous applause from the crowd, a tireless Stewart only resting briefly during these solos.
It would be easy for Rod Stewart to have phoned in this and every other performance, he’s earned that right. He is, however, having none of that. This is a man that absolutely loves being on stage and playing for a crowd, demonstrated by his relentless touring. This is an entertainer that shouldn’t be missed, he is truly one of a kind.
Setlist
Have You Ever Seen The Rain (CCR cover)
Twistin’ The Night Away (Sam Cooke cover)
Some Guys Have All The Luck (The Persuaders cover)
Infatuation
Ooh La La (Faces cover)
It’s A Heartache (Bonnie Tyler cover)
The First Cut Is The Deepest (Cat Stevens cover)
Maggie May
I’d Rather Go Blind (Etta James cover)
Young Turks
Rhythm Of My Heart (Marc Jordan cover)
I’m Every Woman (Chaka Khan cover) *without Rod, backup singers solo
I Don’t Want To Talk About It (Crazy Horse cover)
Tonight’s The Night
You’re In My Heart
Grace (traditional cover)
Have I Told You Lately (Van Morrison cover)
Lady Marmalade (LaBelle cover) *without Rod, backup singers solo
Hot Legs
Do Ya Think I’m Sexy
