Forever young? No. But Rod Stewart is forever youthful in his Phoenix concert

At 78, Rod Stewart can’t exactly be expected to turn in a vocal performance to rival those from the days of “Maggie May” and “Every Picture Tells a Story.”

But that hardly seemed to matter by the time he kicked that soccer ball into the audience on “Da Ya Think I’m Sexy” while bringing a nearly two-hour performance that featured many of the staples that continue to define him to a spirited conclusion Friday, Aug. 4, at Footprint Center in Phoenix.

He may have sung a different melody, the better to avoid the high notes on the back half of the chorus, when he dusted off his classic version of “The First Cut Is the Deepest.” And there is a chance “You Wear it Well,” the night’s first ballad, left some concertgoers wondering if maybe he just wasn’t up to the challenge.

Amazing vocals on 'I'd Rather Go Blind' and 'Have I Told You Lately'

For the most part, though, he sounded great, especially on the gospel-flavored ballad “I’d Rather Go Blind,” a song made popular by Etta James that Stewart said he first heard by the late Christine McVie when she sang for a group called Chicken Shack, pre-Fleetwood Mac.

That deeply soulful vocal was a jaw-dropping reminder that the man has always been one of the more expressive singers in the history of rock 'n' roll. So was the version of “People Get Ready” that he dedicated to the late Jeff Beck, who played guitar on Stewart’s hit recording of that Curtis Mayfield classic.

Other vocal highlights ranged from “Ooh La La,” a Faces song that featured photos of Stewart and his bandmates from the album cover on the screen behind the stage, to Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Have You Ever Seen the Rain?,” one of many fiddle-driven songs that found him channeling the spirit of his early solo years, and "Have I Told You Lately."

At times, it all came down to Stewart’s phrasing and the character he brings to his performance, from the ‘80s hit “Young Turks” to that joyful rendition of “You’re In My Heart (The Final Acclaim)” and the full-tilt rock ‘n’ roll abandon of the Faces’ “Stay With Me” that Stewart wisely held back for the encore.

His first-topping single "Maggie May," was a bit of train wreck due to some technical difficulties that resulted in his microphone not being turned on when he came out of an instrumental break. He even stopped the song and brought a member of his crew onstage for fans to boo him before starting over. But his vocals sounded great.

Of course, there’s more to a Rod Stewart concert than the actual singing. He’s a charismatic entertainer who knows exactly how to work a crowd.

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Forever young? We'll take forever youthful

At 78, forever young may be a lot to ask. But Stewart does appear forever youthful, from the roguish, self-effacing charm with which he spun the yarn of his first sexual encounter (“It was over very, very quickly,” he assured us) to the mic-stand-twirling stage moves and, of course, the kicking of the soccer balls.

And no, it doesn’t hurt that he still looks the part, his shirt unbuttoned nearly to his navel for much of the concert with the confidence it takes to get away with that at Stewart’s age. I can assure you, many people in that building would’ve checked yes in a heartbeat in response to “Da Ya Think I’m Sexy?”

He’s still got the moves as well. That much was clear from the opening number, Robert Palmer’s “Addicted to Love,” which Stewart performed surrounded by the women in his band, who were dressed for the occasion like the women in that classic Palmer video. That was a nice touch.

Speaking of the women in his stellar backing band, who added fiddle, harp – yes, harp! – and mandolin to the proceedings, all while rocking sequined go-go dresses, Stewart’s female backup singers took the spotlight, singing “Lady Marmalade” and “I’m Every Woman,” while he ducked off stage to slip into another outfit.

As he told the crowd at one point, “Fashion comes and goes, but style is classic.”

Dedications to Jeff Beck, Tina Turner, Christine McVie and Ukraine

Those outfits included a blue and gold combo he told us was chosen in honor of the Ukranian flag as he dedicated “Rhythm of My Heart” to the people of Ukraine and president Volodymyr Zelensky. That song was among the emotional highlights of the concert, as anti-war images flooded the video screen.

It was a night of dedications – Zelensky, Beck, McVie and Tina Turner. He revisited the Marvin Gaye-Kim Weston duet he and Turner covered, “It Takes Two,” another chance to shine a spotlight on his backup singers.

There’s been talk that this is Stewart’s final rock ‘n’ roll tour, largely driven by media outlets misrepresenting something Stewart said in clickbait headlines. But there was nothing in Friday’s performance to suggest that we were seeing someone ready to stop singing “Stay With Me” anytime soon.

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Cheap Trick rocked 'I Want You to Want Me,' 'Surrender' and more

Cheap Trick made Footprint Center feel a little like the Budokan, the Tokyo arena where they famously recorded their iconic breakthrough album, with a crowd-pleasing opening set that welcomed fans to the arena with “Hello There.”

You could teach a master class in how this rock ‘n’ roll thing should be done by repeating everything they did in the course of a raucous performance that touched on such obvious highlights as “Ain’t That a Shame” and “California Man” before powering through the unabashed hit parade that brought things to a rousing finish.

As they were nearing the end of their performance, Robin Zander eased into the ‘80s power ballad that remains their biggest hit, “The Flame,” on acoustic guitar, his bandmates holding off for dramatic effect.

That song touched off a massive singalong, of course, giving way to the power-pop classics “I Want You to Want Me,” “Dream Police,” “Surrender” and “Goodnight Now.”

Robin Zander's vocal were amazing, especially on 'The Flame'

Zander’s vocals were amazing, especially impressive on the high note he held for what seemed like forever on the final chorus of “The Flame.”

Guitarist Rick Nielsen remains a joy to witness, a brilliant guitarist who grabbed the vocal spotlight with gusto on the bridge of “Dream Police.”

And bassist Tom Petersson showed exactly what he brings to the equation quoting Jimi Hendrix in the course of a 12-string bass solo before taking his turn on lead vocals for “I Know What I Want.”

The other member of the classic lineup – drummer Bun E. Carlos – hasn’t toured with Cheap Trick since 2010. But Nielsen’s son Zaxx has really grown into the role on a drums, a point made abundantly clear on the intro to “Ain’t That a Shame.” And Zander’s son, Robin Taylor, did a great job of fleshing things out on guitar and backing vocals, taking his turn on lead vocals for “Downed.”

It was everything a Cheap Trick concert should’ve been in 2023.

Rod Stewart setlist

• “Addicted to Love” (Robert Palmer cover)

• “You Wear It Well”

• “Ooh La La” (Faces song)

• "Infatuation”

• “Have You Ever Seen the Rain?” (Creedence Clearwater Revival cover)

• “Young Turks”

• “Forever Young”

• “The First Cut Is the Deepest”

• “You're in My Heart (The Final Acclaim)”

• “Maggie May”

• “I'd Rather Go Blind” (Etta James cover)

• “Downtown Train”

• “Rhythm of My Heart”

• “I'm Every Woman”(Chaka Khan cover)

• “People Get Ready”

• “Have I Told You Lately”

• “Lady Marmalade” (LaBelle cover)

• “Some Guys Have All the Luck

• ”It Takes Two” (Marvin Gaye & Kim Weston cover)

• “Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?”

• Encore: “Stay With Me”

Cheap Trick setlist

• "Hello There"

• "Lookout"

• "Big Eyes"

• "Ain't That a Shame"

• "California Man"

• "Boys & Girls & Rock N Roll"

• "Downed"

• Tom Petersson bass solo

• "I Know What I Want"

• "The Flame"

• "I Want You To Want Me"

• "Dream Police"

• "Surrender"

• "Goodnight Now"

Reach the reporter at ed.masley@arizonarepublic.com or 602-444-4495. Follow him on Twitter @EdMasley.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Rod Stewart wears it well in Phoenix concert with Cheap Trick