A nod may be as good as wink, but the first of two Rod Stewart shows at the Garden State Arts Centre on Wednesday was mired in sound problems. So much so that the man of the hour appeared disconcerted, vexed by a technical mishap he could nothing about.
That said, Stewart’s a pro in every sense of the word, and it was this seething sensibility of agile showmanship that saved the show. Decked to the nines in what appeared to be black leather, Stewart appeared sitting on his Unplugged stool as the stage curtains (his own) parted around nine o’clock. The oversold Arts Centre whooped and cheered as Rod the Mod delighted them with a cool cut, albeit sedate rendition of ‘Hot Legs.’
‘’Thanks a lot, I’m going home now,’’ he quipped, as the jacket came off and the band kicked into ‘Cut Across Shorty.’
‘’Hello and welcome to almost Unplugged. We recorded this next one about twenty years ago and it was a big failure then, but I think it will be a big success tonight.’’ And it was. ‘Reason To Believe’ (originally released as an A-side with ‘Maggie May’ on the flip) launched the performance into overdrive appreciation; best described as a roller-coaster ride through the back catalogue of greatest hits: ‘Handbags And Gladrags,’ ‘Every Picture Tells A Story,’ ‘Tonight’s The Night,’ ‘Some Guys Have All The Luck.’
Naturally, special treatment was reserved for ‘Maggie May,’ as it was introduced as ‘’a brand new song.’’ From the first line of: ‘’Wake up Maggie,’’ the entire auditorium – including security guards – was up on its feet singing along; that’s singing along as in every word, every nuance, every inflection, resulting in a standing ovation.
Other highlights included an elegant rendition of Tom Waits’ ‘Downtown Train,’ a stirring run through of Sam Cooke’s ‘We’re Having A Party’ and an exquisite cover of Van Morrison’s ‘Have I Told You Lately.’ Which was all the more enhanced with video footage of Stewart’s wife and child.
By way of introduction to ‘Forever Young,’ Stewart explained: ‘’It’s one of those nights for us tonight, we keep messing everything up,’’ and, as if to inadvertently reinforce this, he motioned to the soundman throughout the song to turn up the monitor level.
Moreover, the most blatant poor sound quality was during was during one of Stewart’s finest moments, ‘You’re In My Heart.’
To say he couldn’t be heard wouldn’t be an exaggeration, but by the time he reached the line: ‘’You’re the best thing I’ve ever seen,’’ he could be heard changing to: ‘’You’re the best football team I’ve ever seen’’ (Celtic United, one of Glasgow’s two soccer teams).
The Faces section of the show which included a semi-blistering ‘Stay With Me,’ ‘Sweet Little Rock’n’Roller,’ as well as an acknowledgement of original Faces keyboard player Ian MacLagan, more than made up for the aforementioned technical flaws.
