UpCloseUSA.com

Rod Stewart has always been a showman's showman. Knowing how to give the crowd a good time has always been his stock and trade, dating way back to his early days with the Faces and Jeff Beck. So it was, that anticipation ran high in the MTS Centre as the stage lights dimmed and a video clip of Stewart as "The Rodinator," going back in time to save the world through rock and roll, played out on the Jumbotron. The stage was tastefully decorated in pure white from floor to curtain, beautifully setting off the stage lighting. Rod's backup band took the stage and kicked off with the opening bars of Some Guys Have All the Luck. The 9000+ crowd roared as Rod strutted out from behind the curtain in his trademark rooster haircut, decked out in a baby blue lamé suit and gold shoes, accompanied by his 3 backup singers in matching attire. Given that many Winnipegers were still stinging from the cancellation of the recent Aerosmith/ZZ Top concert due to Steve Tyler broken shoulder, Rod Stewart probably got marks from the Winnipeg crowd just for showing up. Thankfully, Stewart did far more than simply show up and coast. He immediately gave notice that he wasn't there to croon the American Songbook, he was there to rock n' roll. Age has not withered Rod Stewart, nor made him any more of a shrinking violet. The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer quickly displayed all the hip swivelling, mike swinging, gyrating moves that has made him a top live act for over 4 decades. Though Stewart could easily slide by on his charisma, sex appeal, and showmanship, the superstar has always had the pipes and the songwriting talent to accompany the hoopla and the bombast. The 64-year-old singer has long had one of the most enviable back catalogues (many of his hits self-penned) in the business. Recent reviewers who failed to do their homework, have commented that Rod's voice is not as powerful as it once was. What they didn't mention, is that in 1999, Stewart was diagnosed with thyroid cancer, and had to undergo surgery. The operation nearly cost him his voice. Rod literally had to re-learn how to sing.