Tonight Rod Stewart played the United Center (named for the airline based here) in Chicago. Home to the world famous Chicago Bulls basketball team and Chicago Blackhawks hockey team. If you’re riding high or a legend in the music scene, the United Center is where you perform in October for a city of nearly 3 million people and a metropolitan area that includes 7 million more.
From those residing here, tonight was the night for fans among the masses to gather and sing along to the Stewart classics, do a little unsynchronized bum wiggling, and have one or two too many libations. As most fans already know, if you’re looking for a party, when Rod comes to town, there’s no better place to uncage your Stewart-like-fan swagger. The consummate host and entertainer, he skillfully reaches out beyond the stage to make all feel welcome and engaged in the festivities. While it’s hard to dispute his showmanship, you may ask: what about the music?
Undoubtably, Stewart has never fronted a better band than his current line-up. If the studio recordings are what made you a fan in the first place, you won’t be disappointed. Rod in concert, has never sounded more like Rod in the studio, than with his current touring band. For those of us who’ve longed to hear songs like “You Wear It Well” and “Maggie May” performed like they were recorded in the studio, our day has finally come. This band has done their homework! They’ve listen to the records and are familiar with the nuances and arrangements enough to capture what made these songs classics in the first place. Great backing musicians and singers all, they do a good job of making you feel as though they are every bit the fan of the music they’re performing as any one in the audience.
“I’d Rather Go Blind” from the 1972 album “Never A Dull Moment” has been dusted off and is occasionally performed on the current tour. If you’re lucky enough to hear it performed live, then you get a sense of what it was like to see the Faces during a great performance. Or, experience what it sounded like when it was first recorded.
It is truly, for longtime fans, one of the highlights of the current tour. Tonight in Chicago we were among the lucky ones. You could nearly hear a pin drop when Rod sang “I’d Rather Go Blind”. That alone was worth the price admission.
For the most part, gone are the days where Rod is struggling to keep up with the band by shouting over it, or struggling to findthe key they’re playing in that night. Less screech in his voice and more rasp and soul. On songs like “Have I Told You Lately” and “Rhythm of My Heart” it’s evident his voice is still with him. Songs like “Tonight’s the Night” are given a much more tender vocal rendering than concerts in the past. Reminiscent of his performance on the “Unplugged and Seated” album, the song now gives way to a more romantic, less Lothario rendering.
Stateside the set list varies slightly from the hits played in Europe to include those that were bigger hits here. Among them are “Young Turks” and “Downtown Train”. Both of which Stewart and band do a more than competent job of pulling off. Like everywhere he performs, “Hotlegs” gave way to the ritual kicking soccer balls to the audience. While ” Do Ya Think…” had everyone on their feet.
Rod was joined tonight by Steve Winwood as an opening act,whose set list spanned his career with various British groups including Traffic, Blind Faith, and the Spencer Davis Group. Missing was much from his own solo material, especially cuts from the classic “Arc of the Diver” album. Standout performances included ” Can’t Find My Way Home” and ” The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys” None of his performance made you long for him to reunite with any of his former band mates to improve on delivery. As was the case then and as it still remains, Steve Winwood was and is the key element for making those songs work.
The same can be said about Rod’s performance as well. With all the recent talk of reunions with the Faces and Jeff Beck, makes one wonder, after hearing his current band, why he’d want to do so. Neither of those past configuration want to perform his songs or style of songs. If Rod longs to tackle some of the older classics and his critically acclaimed back catalog, the current band is more than capable of backing him on his solo, Beck and Faces material. Chances are they’d come closer to the original renditions than any others so far. Teaming up with his old mates adds no more credibility to the endeavor of visiting the past. All that’s needed is Stewart on vocals.
Recently, Rod was quoted in the “Detroit Free Press” as saying, his Las Vegas shows have helped him hone his skills in establishing a rapport with his audience. Interesting comment in that that has never been the issue. Rather, what Las Vegas has done for him is it may have forced him to pay more attention to the performance of the music and less to the perfunctory and often gratuitous rock star stage antics pioneered by lessor singers like Mick Jagger. The Forum’s intimate setting is a lot less forgiving than a stadium where you can more easily put in a mediocre performance and not have it noticed as much by posing and jumping off of amplifiers or falling about the stage. At Ceasar’s Palace he has excelled brilliantly as a singer. His Las Vegas shows are something every true fan should make a point to experience as to experience the entire package of singer, songwriter, and entertainer that is Rod Stewart. Hopefully, some day, from these shows an official DVD or live recording will be released.
So, yes like most of his concerts in the past years, this stretch of the North American tour is basically a greater hits set list. Although, many have heard these songs live before, seldom have we heard them done better. Tonight in Chicago, Rod proved fifty years on the stage doesn’t mean he’s gotten older as much as he’s gotten better.
Chicago Set List Included:
This Old Heart of Mine
Tonight’s the Night
Having a Party
You Wear It Well
Some Guys Have All the Luck
Young Turks
Rhythm of My Heart
Just One More Day (Ruby Stewart)
Forever Young (with Ruby Stewart)
The First Cut is the Deepest
Have I Told You Lately
Reason to Believe
Brighton Beach
Can’t Stop Me Now
Sweet Little Rock n’ Roller
I’d Rather Go Blind
Proud Mary ( the band)
You’re In My Heart
Hot Legs
Maggie May
Do Ya Think I’m Sexy.
Then along came “Maggie May”
Review by Kevin Kridle
Photo by Kevin Kridle