Rod Stewart has been one of the great vocalists in rock since hooking up with Jeff Beck in 1967. For nearly 60 years he has thrilled audiences and created some of the most iconic music in history. Stewart brought his One Last Time tour to Mohegan Sun Arena and showed the capacity crowd that this Rock & Roll Hall of Famer is still an incredible performer and an artist who truly loves being on the stage. Scroll down for Rod Stewart photos and live review!
Rod Stewart has had many facets to his career. He has been the frontman of the Jeff Beck Group and The Faces, he’s been a solo rocker with people like Carmine Appice, Ron Wood, Steve Salas, and others in his backing band, he’s been the crooner who brought The American Songbook back to life, and he has been the elder statesman who helped make the Las Vegas residency a viable option for rockers. His current tour melds all those facets into a nearly two-hour spectacle that leaves you wanting more.
The tone is set from the beginning with an opening trio of 1984’s “Infatuation” into Sam Cook’s “Having A Party”, followed by a cover of “Love Train” from The O’Jays. Rod Stewart has written a ton of hits over the years, but he is also a great interpreter of other’s music. Cover songs have always been a staple of Rod’s career and his live show. His current set is a fun mix of originals and covers all performed with the unique Rod Stewart swagger.
Rod has hinted recently about cutting back on touring and this run is called One Last Time, perhaps that put Stewart into a reflective mood. He talked about the influence American bluesmen had on him before a cover of Muddy Waters’ “Rollin’ and Tumblin'”, he mentioned how his life changed with the success of Every Picture Tells A Story, and gave brief tributes to both Christine McVie and Tina Turner prior to “I’d Rather Go Blind” and “It Takes Two”.
Special mention has to be made of Rod’s incredible band. At one point, Stewart was joined by thirteen musicians on stage with him. Each member was given a chance to shine and most played multiple instruments throughout the night. The second half of the set saw Stewart cede the stage to his group of immensely talented female singers for covers of Chaka Kahn’s “I’m Every Woman” and “Lady Marmalade”, made famous by Labelle.
Rod’s voice was in fine form throughout the evening and it was a pleasure to see how much he still loves performing. At 79 years old he may not have the dance moves of 1970’s Rod but he still commands the stage and roams from side to side to engage the crowd. Slower tracks like “I’d Rather Go Blind” and “Have I Told You Lately” really show the strength of his voice, while fun hits like “Hot Legs” and “Some Guys Have All The Luck” show him enjoying every minute of the show.
Rod Stewart is simply a legend. He has been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame twice (Solo, 1994 & The Faces, 2012), he has been knighted by the British Empire, and has sold over 120 million records. I have been lucky enough to have seen him live many times since the late 80s and each time is a celebration of rock history. If you haven’t seen Rod Stewart, make sure you catch him on tour or at his next Vegas residency run. As Rod told all of us during the show…”Enjoy life, enjoy music, and stay forever young”
