Rod Stewart & Bryan Adams live!

Rod Stewart, Bryan Adams
Sears Centre, Hoffman Estates
Tuesday, August 5, 2008

If you think he’s sexy, Tuesday night’s Rod Stewart concert at the Sears Centre delivered enough ass-shaking, primping, and shimmying to salve any libido thirsting for a piece of the soccer enthusiast-turned-crooner. And if there was any doubt Stewart relishes his role as an over-60 sex symbol, a computer-generated opening short film riffing on the Terminator franchise exalted the fine “package” bestowed on the “Rodminator.” And if this kind of showboating ruffles your feathers, why bother showing up? Stewart doesn’t pretend to know the pub hooligan of his younger years anymore — exemplified by four costume changes.

Fronting a silver lame-clad backing band on a stage transformed into the den of Narnia’s White Witch (everything from the instruments to the mics were sheathed in blinding white), Stewart made good on his promise of a greatest-hits set — a departure from his latest incarnation as a Tony Bennett clone with the chart-topping Great American Songbook series.

The satisfying setlist ranged from a frenetic “Young Turks” to a spunky “Having A Party” to an iconic rendition of “Maggie May” and left no stone unturned during the hour-and-a-half spectacle. Stewart projected photographs and video of his family tree during a quaint cover of Cat Stevens’ “Father & Son,” and flashes of Motown greats turned up during the blue-eyed soul on “This Old Heart Of Mine.”

Before digging into another Stevens’ tune (“The First Cut Is The Deepest”), Stewart asked the almost sold-out crowd about the sound in the relatively new arena, which proved futile as the band repeatedly overpowered Stewart’s voice. With 11 people on stage (including two guitarists, a violinist, a saxophonist, and three backup singers) during “Downtown Train,” the mix suffered greatly, but then again, every time a guitarist struck a chord on anything but an acoustic, Stewart was only mildly audible.

The a cappella opening of the barn-raising “Reason To Believe” confirmed Stewart’s smoky, beer-swilling vocals remain strong and capable of imbuing the moment with heartache. Once joined by the accompaniment, however, the textured layers of his unique instrument turned to mush. But, the middle-aged crowd didn’t seem to mind, especially when Stewart, flanked by two gorgeous dancers, swiveled his hips in response to the lust-soaked closer, “Da Ya Think I’m Sexy?” Sometimes the clothes do make the man.

Opener Byran Adams whirled through an hour-long set filled with the motion picture soundtrack classics the Canadian singer excels at composing. “(Everything I Do) I Do It For You” and “Have You Really Ever Loved A Woman?” showcased the Academy Award nominee’s hopeless romantic side. Backed by a four-piece band, Adams didn’t suffer from the vocal-mixing issues that plagued Stewart, but was happy to let the audience take the lead on “Cuts Like A Knife.” “She’s Got A Way” from Adams’ latest release, 11 (Polydor), fared better in a live setting than on record, although it didn’t make much of a dent in the wake of tried-and-true hits like “Summer Of ’69.” A surprising solo, acoustic rendition of “All For Love” proved to be the highlight of Adams’ entire set. The song, originally released as a group outing with Sting and Stewart, bled schmaltz when it appeared on the soundtrack to the 1993 Kiefer Sutherland film, The Three Musketeers, but this setting blessed it with a soul.

— Janine Schaults

Category: Live Reviews, Weekly