Stewart sticks to hits and misses the crooning
Stuart Derdeyn reviews Rod Stewart at GM Place Vancouver
The Province August 9, 2009
Stewart sticks to hits and misses the crooning –
His credibility as a rock ‘n’ roller vanished by the late ’70s, but Rod Stewart, the adult contemporary star, still burns brightly. And since his idea of glossing it up is more Blackpool than Vegas, something of the loveable lad that was Rod the Mod still remains.
In other words, he’s a helluva showman.
Hitting the Celtic logo-adorned stage to a rousing version of “Loch Lomond,” he had the crowd at GM Place last night from the start. As the band locked into the first of the many safe and familiar grooves of the night, Stewart romped on stage in a platinum-blue blazer, gold shoes, skinny black slacks and that nearly 40-year-old hairdo that many a young band is still trying to equal. The man can ham it up, all right.
Even choosing “Some Guys Have All the Luck” as an opening number was cheeky.
Following with such classics as “The First Cut is the Deepest” and “It’s a Heartache” just made sure that the packed venue was in his control. Then something wonderful happened: Sam Cooke’s “Having a Party” was followed by “Sweet Little Rock ‘n’ Roller.” Suddenly, Stewart wasn’t going through the motions as much. That classic rasp was there with some force and he was shaking his booty and showing off a midriff that said, “I work out a lot for a 64-year-old.”
This is not to say that his voice hasn’t lost power. In “Tonight’s the Night,” it was cracking in a lot of the wrong places. But some of that was because Stewart’s wireless wasn’t working right and he was cutting out. He certainly sounded better on “You’re in My Heart.”
Last night’s crowd has clearly been with him since the days that this romantic ballad topped the charts. Singing along to every line, they made it feel like a night out with a bunch of mates.
Probably exactly what Stewart wants at this stage in his career. When a sold-out arena is on its feet dancing to “Twistin’ the Night Away,” you’ve got it going on. It’s not about making good albums any more — even if they sell well. It’s about fame and adulation.
Can’t say I blame the man. He’s still got it. Flaunt it. The guy is a born entertainer.
Opening act: Isaac and Thorry Koren hail from Adelaide-via-New York and Los Angeles. Together, they are the Kin and both Isaac on keys and his bro on guitar could front their own soft-rock acts. Both are strong singers who pen Matchbox Twenty-esque tunes that work well in an arena, although the drummer was probably far too loud and — gasp! — rockin’ for the Rod Stewart Great American Songbook crowd.
That said, the crowd loved hearing that Canadians are better informed about Oz than Americans. Go figure.
Isaac’s turn on the digeridoo was well-received, too. A solid band with some promising material, if surprisingly light for a group from the land known for more cowbell.
Grade: B+
Reproduced with kind permission from Stuart Derdeyn, and The Province August 2009
