Rod Stewart is back in Las Vegas, and he’s not stopping anytime soon! On Wednesday, March 12, the 80-year-old music legend started his new show called The Encore Shows at Caesars Palace. He sang a bunch of his famous songs, some not-so-famous ones, and even songs he just really likes from other singers.
The show lasted 100 minutes, and Rod sang big hits like “Forever Young,” “Da Ya Think I’m Sexy?” and “Tonight’s the Night.” He also surprised fans with older songs like “Mandolin Wind” from 1971, some fun swing music, and covers of songs by other artists like Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes, Cat Stevens, and John Fogerty. At the start, Rod said, “I’m a bit nervous,” but then he laughed after 15 minutes and said, “Now I know what I’m doing.”
Rod has been singing for a long time—since 1969—so performing is something he’s really good at. He even told the crowd a funny story about two of his songs, “You Wear It Well” and “Maggie May.” He said they sound alike on purpose because after “Maggie May” became a huge hit, the record company asked him to write another one just like it. So he did, and everyone still loves it!
Rod also sang songs to honor the music he grew up with in the 1960s. He said, “Growing up, which I’m still doing, I was always listening to the ‘60s,” and then he sang “Rollin’ and Tumblin’” by Muddy Waters as a tribute. The show felt like a big karaoke night with Rod—some songs were his, some were from other people, and the crowd didn’t mind at all. They stood up and cheered for most of the night!
This was Rod’s 200th show at Caesars Palace, where he’s been performing since 2011 with his show called The Hits. That one ended in August 2024, and now he’s doing this shorter 12-show run that will finish on June 8. In the past, Rod used to kick signed soccer balls into the crowd to celebrate his favorite team, Celtic Football Club from Glasgow. Now, he gently tosses them instead. The crowd of 4,100 people loved every minute and roared with excitement.
Rod sang with his raspy voice that everyone knows, and he had a big group of 19 musicians helping him—14 of them were women! He told the crowd, “I’m enjoying myself so much. I’m so privileged.” Near the end, someone from Caesars gave him a gold record on stage to celebrate his 200th show. Then they brought out a tray of Wolfie’s Whisky, a drink Rod created himself. He said, “I’m gonna have a shot of whisky,” took a sip, and shrugged with a smile, saying, “Showbiz.”
Last August, Rod told PEOPLE magazine that making his own whisky wasn’t easy. He said, “It’s not as easy as I thought it was going to be.” But he loves it because it’s special to him. He wanted to make something Scottish since his dad was from Scotland. “He’d have been very proud of that,” Rod said. Just like his music, his whisky is something he put his heart into!
