The Sprint arena held about 9,000 Rod fans this evening. The show began shortly after 8 pm with the Scottish Pipers who came out and did what they do best. They really are a mandatory part of a Rod event. It’s all about hearing them and knowing Rod is soon to follow. What happened after the Pipers was a surprise. A band called “The Kin” took the stage as an opening act. I reasoned that Rod must like this band and was giving them the opportunity to get exposure. So I behaved. To be honest, they actually sounded quite good. The two main boys in the band seemed extremely focused and dedicated to their music. About 8:45 pm The Kin was finished their set and there was about a 15 minute intermission until the reason we were there came out on stage. I think Rod was a bit blown away by the fantastic welcome he received from us as the crowd went wild and pretty much stayed that way for the next 90 minutes or so. He looked absolutely wonderful. His voice was strong and sounded in perfect pitch. The only quirk seemed to be that when he used the cordless white microphone, his voice seemed to fade out just a bit. He hit every note of every song. This was a performance for him to be proud of, and the audience responded accordingly. A good time to be had by all…he had us laughing our asses off more than once throughout the show. At one point he announced that a fan had brought a cake for him, and he was so happy and excited when he thought he was going to get a cake. Whatever they brought to the stage was totally un-cakelike and it was hysterical to watch his reaction. Another fan just about stretched his arm out of the socket as he managed to hand Rod a beer from the far end of the stage. Rod laughed at himself when he had to swallow unexpectedly and had to start a song verse over (it just ain’t a Rod show without a cock-up) . That evening Rod was the epitomy of charm, humor, charisma, and his dance moves proved he still has such grace. Many soccer balls went out, some kicked and some given. (I wasn’t one of the chosen lucky ones) The set list was just as I had read it would be…Some Guys thru Maggie. Due to the wonderfulness of Smiler, we were 2nd row center stage. Thank you Smiler and Thank you Rod !
