We were invited to the Caesars Palace Tweet-up at the Garden of the Gods Pool Oasis for Rod Stewarts Hot Legs opening night. Judy loves Rod Stewart and I have an appreciation for his musical talent and career longevity. I normally listen to a lot heavier music (after all I am a metalhead) but do enjoy a broad spectrum of music especially when I’m with Judy. We got there early (as usual) and checked out Caesars Palace and the pools where the event was to occur. The hotel/casino certainly has grown and the pool action was phenomenal. Right on time Rod pulled up in a black Rolls Royce limo and the place went crazy. Caesars executives and Rods manager made some brief statements announcing the show to Caesars. Rod cracked a few jokes and announced he was happy about his show The Hits at Caesars. Then he kicked some soccer balls in the crowd and departed. Then came the best part for us. We were given raffle tickets and Judy won 2 tickets to see the opening night show that night. My ears are still bleeding from the scream Judy let out when she found out she won. That was one excited and nervous lady. She was shaking when interviewed by media.

We had a little time to kill so we handled some twitter and social networking chores by the fountain and then grabbed a bite to eat. There are so many dining options in Caesars it’s hard to decide what to eat.

Then we wandered to the Colosseum showroom and found our way to our seats. The other two couples given tickets were in the same row on each side of us. Our seats were good, comfortable and there isn’t a bad seat in the house. The show started right on time with Rods ensemble coming out first and then Rod came out singing his 1984 hit Infatuation. There were a lot of ladies infatuated with him in the showroom. The backdrop of their stage was a huge video display and there was a large video screen too. There was a different display for each song and I liked the visual affect it gave the show. Rod always wears colorful outfits and he changed several time during the show. It seemed like his clothing also matched the songs and scenery. The 13 member backing band was very tight and performed all the songs cleanly and powerfully. The sound system in the showroom is great. `Between songs Rod didn’t talk much. He said he wanted to make sure we got our moneys worth of music instead. He did joke some and the band seemed like they enjoyed themselves as well. Next was 1976 hit Tonight’s the night(gonna be alright) and again the crowd really got into it.

Then Forever Young and Some Guys Have All the Luck. It was at this point that I realized I had more in common with Rod Stewart than I previously thought. You see I do feel Forever Young MOST of the time and I am a prettty lucky guy. Lucky that I was sitting in a free seat at a Rod Stewart show but even luckier to be next to my beautiful wife and soulmate Judy Reppart. This was the perfect ending to a nearly perfect day (; The next song was Downtown Train and it was another spectacular song and visual display. The middle of the show featured Rod and the band in an acoustic set that was a little different from the normal routine but very entertaining and pure none the less. The band had a main drummer, another percussionist on kettles and other drums, a pianist, 2 guitarist, a bassist, 3 back up vocalist, a saxist, a violinist and two other feature members on and off throughout the night. A great band that blended well together. We went through a drum duet, The Killing of Georgie, Reason to Believe, Rhythm of My Heart, and The First Cut is the Deepest. At this point we knew what was coming as Rod finished with Hot Legs and Maggie May. He then encored with Da Ya Think I’m Sexy and just tore it up. All in all I though Rod performed very well. His voice may have faded just a bit over the years but he makes up for it with his stage presence and enthusiasm. I wish I had been more in tune with Rod Stewart 40 years ago but hey better late than never. This was a great show that I highly recommend and while you’re at Caesars Palace you can make a day of it with the pool and dining or an extended stay with the Hotel. I look forward to more events at Caesars and hope you check out The Hits of Rod Stewart and Caesars Palace.

Review by Jay Reppart

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