{"id":1314,"date":"2009-07-28T20:00:00","date_gmt":"2009-07-28T20:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/216.71.127.204\/wordpress\/?p=1314"},"modified":"2015-10-15T16:45:23","modified_gmt":"2015-10-15T16:45:23","slug":"rod-stewart-woodlands-pavilion-houston-tx","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/houstonmusicreview.com\/wordpress\/2009\/07\/28\/rod-stewart-woodlands-pavilion-houston-tx\/","title":{"rendered":"Rod Stewart – Woodlands Pavilion – Houston, TX"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n\n\n
Written by Ellen Bille <\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Jul 28, 2009 at 08:00 PM<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\"Image\"Rod Stewart swung through Houston last Friday and wowed his fans with about twenty of his greatest hits in a high energy and memorable performance at The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion in The Woodlands.<\/p>\n

It was truly a fantastic show.\u00a0 Rod stepped onto the stage in a snazzy shiny blue jacket \u2013 impeccably dressed as usual.\u00a0 The crowd went crazy.\u00a0 Everybody stood up and yelled and clapped.\u00a0 Stewart seemed genuinely touched; even though I\u2019m sure it\u2019s the same reception he gets all over the world every time he performs.\u00a0 He looked over the welcoming crowd, and, grinning broadly gave us all a big flat-handed Mickey Mouse wave, which the crowd returned enthusiastically.\u00a0 Men in their sixties were waving like children seeing their favorite Disney character\u2026.it was a trip, and it was fun.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s as though after all these years he still finds the whole concert thing a bit curious, seeming constantly bemused.\u00a0 Everybody around us was smiling.\u00a0 Beaming, Stewart turned away from the crowd for a moment and then looked back at us as though we were one giant collective adorable puppy that was following him around. At 64 the man is absolutely dazzling and exudes a charisma that can\u2019t be denied.\u00a0 It was impossible to take your eyes off of him. He set a wonderfully cordial tone for the entire evening, and seems, indeed, to still be wearing it well.<\/p>\n

Stewart began the show with \u201cSome Guys Have All the Luck\u201d, a song that has always seemed ironic to me \u2013 coming from a man who does seem to have all the luck.\u00a0 His band consisted of mostly younger musicians, except for the guy on keyboards.\u00a0 There were a couple of guitar players, a drummer, a woman playing a saxophone, a woman playing a mandolin\u2026\u2026.and three backup singers Stewart introduced as \u201cThe Light Bulbs\u201d.\u00a0 The Light Bulbs wore blue dresses with rounded hems and billowy pleated skirts that shimmied as they danced.\u00a0 Not to be denied their break\u2026..when Stewart left the stage for a shirt change, The Light Bulbs prissed off stage right behind him.\u00a0 It was funny.<\/p>\n

His band was top notch, but I have heard better sax (no pun intended).\u00a0 I decided later that it had to be her shoes.\u00a0 She was wearing these insanely high heels while blowing a saxophone.\u00a0 Sax players have to sway and bob and weave\u2026..you can\u2019t do that wearing shoes like that.\u00a0 But her outfit was really stunning.\u00a0 Her short dress had wide horizontal black and grey stripes that glittered incessantly.\u00a0 Crummy sax, but her outfit was killer.<\/p>\n

The rest of the songs that Stewart performed included \u201cIt\u2019s a Heartache\u201d, \u201cForever Young\u201d, \u201cThe First Cut is the Deepest\u201d, \u201cHaving a Party\u201d, \u201cYou Wear it Well\u201d, \u201cRhythm of My Heart\u201d, \u201cTonight\u2019s the Night\u201d, \u201cYou\u2019re in my Heart\u201d, Twistin\u2019 the Night Away\u201d, \u201cMaggie May\u201d, \u201cThis Old Heart of Mine\u201d, \u201cHave I told You Lately\u201d, \u201cHave You Ever Seen the Rain\u201d, \u201cLove Train\u201d, \u201cHot Legs\u201d, and Young Turks\u201d.<\/p>\n

I had lots of favorites I was hoping to hear but didn\u2019t, like \u201cGasoline Alley\u201d, \u201cOnly a Hobo\u201d, \u201cDirty Old Town\u201d, \u201cI\u2019m Losing You\u201d, and so many more.\u00a0 But there was nothing somber about this show.\u00a0 Stewart made this night all about feeling good.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve seen Rod Stewart perform three times over a span of 36 years.\u00a0 I first saw him at the Cotton Bowl in Fair Park in Dallas when I was about 15.\u00a0 Rod Stewart was with The Faces, and they were the second opening band for Three Dog Night.\u00a0 When Three Dog Night took the stage\u2026\u2026..we left and went up the midway to ride. 30 years later my friend Ruth bemoaned not staying to hear Three Dog Night, but I never regretted it one bit.\u00a0 I was there to see Rod Stewart, owner of that raspy, gravelly voice that entranced me whenever I heard it.\u00a0 It was 1973 and The Faces included, along with Rod Stewart – Ron Wood and the late Ronnie Lane.<\/p>\n

That lineup of talent didn\u2019t stay together long, and I\u2019m thrilled to this day that I got to see them live.\u00a0 Back then Rod Stewart was still thin and gawky.\u00a0 His hair was brown and he hadn\u2019t yet matured into that classic nose of his.\u00a0 Then there was all that audacious hair.\u00a0 It was like a shag haircut, but the hair on top of his head stood straight up.\u00a0 And it wasn\u2019t just Rod Stewart\u2019s voice that got my attention.\u00a0 The songs were great and I had never been exposed to a mandolin before\u2026.used in a rock and roll song anyway.\u00a0 And I remember a soccer ball being kicked around on the stage.\u00a0 Who knew that was to become a hallmark of Rod Stewart concerts for the next 36 years and beyond.<\/p>\n

The second time I saw him was about eight years ago at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.\u00a0 It was a terrible venue for Stewart.\u00a0 I mean, really, a rodeo and livestock show?\u00a0 There was no way he could create that intimacy between himself and his audience.\u00a0 That\u2019s one of the things he does so well.<\/p>\n

But last Friday\u2019s show was stellar.\u00a0 The elegant stage was bathed in a backdrop of very tall and long white sheers that moved gently throughout the show.\u00a0 Everyone on stage was dressed to the nines.\u00a0 I like that about Rod Stewart.\u00a0 He knows thousands of people have paid a lot of money to come and see him.\u00a0 It\u2019s a special event \u2013 and he dresses accordingly.\u00a0 And, well, there is also the possibility that he just likes wearing fine, tailor made clothing.\u00a0 Other artists of his stature seem to play down their sprawling and successful careers by appearing in holey jeans and tee shirts\u2026\u2026when we all know damned well that they can afford to step up their wardrobe.\u00a0 Maybe they shave, maybe they don\u2019t. Stewart never tries to downplay his enormously successful career and the fact that he\u2019s extremely wealthy by dressing like a bum.\u00a0Why should he?\u00a0 He isn\u2019t an apologist.\u00a0 He\u2019s a hard working performer who believes in giving every show his all.<\/p>\n

Another thing that separates Stewart from his contemporaries is his effort to connect with his fans.\u00a0 I like it when a performer takes a moment to let the audience know that HE knows what city he\u2019s in.\u00a0 He even called us Houstonians (Wow, everybody got so excited!). Rod scans the crowd a great deal \u2013 so much so that there will happen a moment when it feels like he\u2019s looking straight at you.\u00a0 What a feeling.\u00a0 And true to form, Stewart generously tossed and kicked about 40 soccer balls out into the audience.\u00a0 When he had finished, he admonished the crowd by stating \u201cNow, I\u2019ve personally signed all of these balls, so take care of them\u201d.\u00a0 Probably best one didn\u2019t come my way.\u00a0 I would have sought it aggressively.<\/p>\n

Stewart\u2019s voice hasn\u2019t changed in all these years.\u00a0 It may even be better than ever.\u00a0 His live performances still sound like his recordings.<\/p>\n

I once saw a biography of Rod Stewart and was quite surprised to learn that he was a shy little boy.\u00a0 Born into a happy middle class family in London, group singing was part of every family celebration.\u00a0 Apparently little Roderick was far too shy to sing in front of family and friends\u2026\u2026\u2026so he hid behind the piano when he sang!\u00a0 That\u2019s a long way from the hambone that he is today, and I say that with great affection.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s been said that musical artists who have been around such a long time have provided the \u2018sound track to our lives\u2019.\u00a0 It sounds altogether clich\u00e9\u2026\u2026.but it\u2019s still the truth.\u00a0 And speaking of truths, anybody who hasn\u2019t heard Rod Stewart\u2019s amazingly powerful vocals on the 1968 Jeff Beck TRUTH album \u2013 go to ITUNES and download those songs and prepare to be awed.\u00a0 When I hear Rod Stewart\u2019s music, the older stuff, it spins me back to some great times in my life, made great in part by his music.<\/p>\n

Like I said earlier, Rod Stewart is 64 years young.\u00a0 Of all the cities in all the world, he came back to Houston.\u00a0 If he does it again, don\u2019t miss the opportunity to see him perform live.\u00a0 You won\u2019t regret it.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Written by Ellen Bille Jul 28, 2009 at 08:00 PM Rod Stewart swung through Houston last Friday and wowed his fans with about twenty of his greatest hits in a high energy and memorable performance at The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion in The Woodlands. It was truly a fantastic show.\u00a0 Rod stepped onto the stage… <\/p>\n

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