Rod Stewart: The Hits

Background

Rod Stewart has signed on for a two-year residency at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, commencing on 24 August. Performing his greatest hits, the residency also saw him perform selected tracks from his upcoming, untitled blues album. Stewart says the show will be "90 percent songs that people know," including "Maggie May," "The First Cut Is the Deepest" and "You're in My Heart." The songs were performed at the Colosseum when he played at the 4,100-seat venue in November.

"It's a rock'n'roll show," Stewart tells Billboard.biz. "We'll try to give the people what they want, which are the songs that made me famous, plus a few surprises. There won't be any magicians or midgets, just a good rock show."

Critical response

Alex Belfield from the "Celebrity Radio" wrote, 69 couldn’t be a more perfect age or number for Rod Stewart. He’s still got it – he’s still sexy. There wasn’t a dry seat in the house at the Colosseum and despite turning 70 this year, he worked the stage like he was 30 years his junior! At Caesars Palace, Rod Stewart gets audiences on their feet with a set list of the iconic rock and R&B favorites that have defined Stewart’s five-decade-long career. I’ve never seen a man look more comfortable or at home on stage, this enormous stage in Las Vegas. A natural home for Rod. Rod Stewart’s Las Vegas sets include hits over 90 minutes incldung “Maggie May,” “You Wear it Well,” “Hot Legs,” “You’re in My Heart,” “Da Ya Think I’m Sexy” and “Some Guys Have All the Luck” mixed with a few rarities like, “Broken Arrow” and “The Killing of Georgie,” and some sizzling covers. The high-impact show is designed to give audiences that intimate, only in Las Vegas concert experience, with no fan more than 120 feet from the magnificent Colosseum stage. The genius’ at Caesars worked out how to make this small area or very large theatre feel intimate and small. Then again it was built for Celine Dion so it had to be perfect.

Set list

This set list is representative of the performance on August 25, 2011. It does not represent all concerts for the duration of the residency.

1. "Infatuation"
2. "Tonight's the Night (Gonna Be Alright)"
3. "Forever Young"
4. "Having a Party" (Sam Cooke)
5. "You're in My Heart (The Final Acclaim)"
6. "Some Guys Have All the Luck"
7. "Twistin' the Night Away" (Sam Cooke)
8. "Downtown Train" (Tom Waits)
9. "Broken Arrow" (Robbie Robertson)
10. "The Killing of Georgie (Part I and II)"
11. "Chapel of Love" (The Dixie Cups)
12. "Reason to Believe" (Tim Hardin)
13. "Sweet Little Rock 'n' Roller" (Chuck Berry)
14. "Every Picture Tells a Story"
15. "Proud Mary" (Creedence Clearwater Revival) (Sung by backup singers)
16. "Rhythm of My Heart"
17. "The First Cut Is the Deepest"
18. "Hot Legs"
19. "Maggie May"

Encore

20. "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?"