Downtown reign

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 03/04/2018 (2908 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The last time iconic British singer Rod Stewart — or Sir Rod Stewart as of 2016 — was in Winnipeg, it was August 2014 and he came through town on tour with Carlos Santana.

And while the pair of legends aren’t on the road together this time, nearly four years later, Stewart hit the Bell MTS Place Tuesday night three weeks after his former tourmate.

At 7 p.m. on the nose, the lights lowered and the checkerboard curtain lifted to reveal a checkerboard stage with a band in checkerboard suit jackets playing checkboard instruments (you sense the theme, I’m sure). After a brief band-only intro, Stewart danced his way to centre stage clad in a leopard-print blazer with a black sequined top underneath, sneakers and his now signature black stovepipe trousers.

Stewart, 73, kicked off his set with 1984’s Infatuation — an unsurprisingly retro choice given the decor and the average age of his fanbase.

It’s been said about Stewart a million times over, but he really is a force on stage; from the moment he stepped into the spotlight, he was incredibly energetic, cracking out some herky-jerky dance moves and gyrations as he strutted his way from corner to corner, and his confidence, which could easily skew toward arrogance, comes off as playful instead.

“Shut up, I’m talking,” he instructed a particularly boisterous fan as he explained how he came to be knighted in 2016 — there are only a few artists who can have that type of banter come off as anything but rude; with Stewart, it’s just part of his sassy charm.

“Our intention is to send you home warm and happy,” he said during his first audience chat of the night, launching into his cover of Some Guys Have All The Luck by the Persuaders.

Vocally, Stewart seemed to find his sweet spot after the first six songs or so, around the time he crooned his way through Tonight’s The Night. His permanent rasp sounding as good on the track as it did 40 years ago. He ended the song with a quirky shrug, yelling, “How’d you like that?!” to an already roaring crowd.

The setlist wasn’t just a greatest hits marathon, however; Stewart also pepperd in a few newer tracks, including Love Is from his most recent release, Another Country, though he quickly jumped back into more familiar waters with Forever Young.

Similar to his last show in Winnipeg, he ducked out during the song while a three-person, multiple-minute drum solo commenced on stage, followed by a violin/Celtic dance solo by five female kilt-clad singers and musicians. He returned to finish the song in a retro military jacket (think Sgt. Pepper) — the second of four wardrobe changes — before doing some band member introductions.

Stewart’s band is definitely deserving of some praise — as with most touring productions of this size and calibre, the musicians and singers were flawless and did a noticeably excellent job without overshadowing the man of the hour. And when they were given a moment to shine — such as the sax solo or cover of Proud Mary that came while Stewart left the stage for the second and third time — it was deliciously good.

Though Stewart’s voice did struggle earlier in the set — Young Turks was particularly rocky — by the time he got to the stripped-down portion of the night mid-way through, he was in fine form (“It’s all real music up here,” he said, wagging his finger. “There’s no f—ing miming!”). He was emotive on The First Cut is the Deepest, which included a stunningly lush harp solo; Have I Told You Lately was tender and did the Van Morrison original justice.

“I’ll do f—ing Maggie May when I want to!” he laughed, responding to an audience request. It was another five songs before he indulged in the crowd favourite, which was fuelled by the most intense sing-along of the night.

Near the end of the main set, the house lights went up so that Stewart could drop-kick some tiny soccer balls into the crowd while singing Stay With Me by the Faces. It was an odd moment to be sure (thought not the first time he’s done it) but the audience seemed to be exceptionally engaged in trying to snag one of the flying souvenirs, and Stewart’s punting accuracy was weirdly impressive.

The main set wrapped up with Do Ya Think I’m Sexy, as a pile of multicoloured balloons dropped on the dancing fans below, and after a brief curtain drop, Stewart was back to end the night on a low-key note, with a cover of the Sutherland Brothers song, Sailing.

The only real disappointment in the 105-minute set was seeing the recycled portions of the show he pulled from his previous tour — including that final balloon drop — but that’s a small quibble with an otherwise entertaining evening. Love him or hate him, Stewart is considered a legend for a reason, and the quality of his live show at 73 years old is a testament to that title.

In lieu of an opening act, 20 minutes before the show began, the Winnipeg Police Pipe Band played its way onto the floor of the arena and proceeded to entertain the small crowd who were in their seats a bit early. An unconventional way to kick of a pop-rock concert, sure, but it was a warm and welcoming opening, not to mention it’s always nice to see opportunities such as these given to a local group.

erin.lebar@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @NireRabel