Rod Stewart and Stevie Nicks - BankAtlantic Center - August 4

By Abel Folgar Mon., Aug. 6 2012 at 10:29 AM

Categories: Concert Review, Talking Shit, Video

Sayre Berman

See also
Full slideshow from Rod Stewart and Stevie Nicks' show at BankAtlantic Center

During my nine odd years writing for this publication I have (or rather, I believe I have) forged a strong sense of "localness" in which I pride myself. I firmly believe in a "our backyard first, the nation second" attitude toward musical coverage. But every now and again, certain concerts come to town that I either really want to attend or need to attend because I am in desperate need of cash to cover my car payments. The call was sent out for someone to review the Stevie Nicks and Rod Stewart concert. Rod is a huge soccer fan and I happen to be something in the vicinity of an authoritative voice when it comes to the footie. And so, I responded, and though another writer got in there first, I ended up going at the show last minute.

Like I said, it was last minute, so when I arrived with my date, the place was packed. But the lady running the gate at the parking lot waved us in and has us park by the limo area. I felt like fucking royalty. As we are walking up to the main entrance, manned by way too many ushers, one of the more jovial fellows grabed my stubs and remarked on how primo these seats are. I was baffled. I was thinking nosebleeds, but we were six rows in, center floor.

Sayre Berman

By now you should know that we completely missed the Stevie Nicks set due to last minute notification of this assignment. When we made our way through a small sea of decked-to-the-nines concert-goers (limo folk, if you will) to find our seats, Rod Stewart was on stage discussing some recent health issues. At this point, my lady friend told me that she's not a "huge" Rod Stewart fan, she's more inclined toward Stevie Nicks. But she had seen Stewart in concert on July 3, 1988 at Joe Robbie Stadium on a bill shared with Chicago and Hall and Oates. I felt at a loss here. But then, I discovered that my lady friend knew all the damn song titles three bars in! Phew!

He opened up with "Some Guys Have All the Luck" and the crowd went nuts. Dressed to impress in a red jacket, red tie, black shirt and pants, and neon yellow socks, Rod took the stage with some sangfroid, and while not high-kicking and leg-splitting, he was fairly animated throughout.