Written by Jim Bille

It was a hot night at The Woodlands Pavilion on Saturday, weather wise and entertainment wise when Rod Stewart made a return to the outdoor stage just north of Houston on July 2. Intense heat and humidity of the day did not deter the fans from coming out to see the British rocker give another epic performance.

The concert had a definite Las Vegas production feel, which is not surprising since Rod Stewart: The Hits Las Vegas Residency Shows at Caesars Palace, was a long running success in Sin City. The show included multiple lighting effects, costume changes and even dancing girls who doubled as musicians and singers.

The concert included just about every hit Stewart has ever produced with the exception of a couple of numbers the ladies performed. “Call Me”, a mega hit for Blondie followed up later in the show by “Hot Stuff” by Donna Summer.

That aside, Stewart covered most of his bases by including a few songs from when he was the front man for The Faces and beyond. Basically, highlights of his fifty year career were on tap this evening.  Although I would have liked to have heard some lesser known or deeper cuts from his time with the Faces, Stewart maintained his musical focus on the fan favorites that were more recognizable which also made it easier for the audience to sing along.

The show kicked off with Robert Palmer’s hit from 1986 “Addicted to Love” with Stewart taking front and center backed up by the aforementioned singers clad in black miniskirts and brandishing white guitars mimicking Palmer’s classic video of the same tune.

“You Wear It Well” was the next number, which pretty much cemented the crowd on their feet for much of the evening. A Faces number, “Ooh La La” was next and was a personal favorite.

Stewart’s take on “Forever Young’ was augmented by Celtic inspired Riverdance style tap dancing along with some energetic fiddling by a couple of ladies while another kept time on a bass drum along with a recording of essential bagpipes.

Even with a slight microphone malfunction, the Stewart standard “Maggie May” was performed to the delight of the crowd.

An unexpected addition to the song “Young Turks” was an interlude of the Broadway song “America” from West Side Story. It was an apparent July 4^th ode to America from the rock icon who has also maintained a residence in the U.S. for many years.

Other numbers featured included, “Some Guys Have All the Luck”, “Having a Party”, “Forever Young” and “Have I Told You Lately”.

The final number of the twenty-three song set was the Faces tune “Stay With Me”.

This show was an over the top and loaded good time event that needs to be seen live to appreciate. Stewart is currently touring the U.S. with shows through October 1 which include five nights back in Las Vegas so you still have time to catch the event in a town near you.