Rod Stewart brought his “One Last Time” tour to the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut, on Friday, July 25. Interestingly, the legendary British singer’s trek had visited the same venue less than a year earlier, in September 2024.
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During the show Friday, Stewart told the crowd that he planned to play a few songs that evening that weren’t in his 2024 set, and he certainly delivered on that promise.
As one would expect, the concert was packed with hits from through the 80-year-old entertainer’s long career, and featured a mix of his popular original tunes and some of his many successful cover songs.
Stewart kicked off the concert with two songs not performed at his 2024 concert. The show began with a rendition of his 1981 hit “Tonight I’m Yours (Don’t Hurt Me).” Next was a version of the popular 1970 Creedence Clearwater Revival tune “Have You Ever Seen the Rain,” which he recorded for his 2006 studio album Still the Same… Great Rock Classics of Our Time.
Other tunes new to Stewart’s 2025 Mohegan Sun Arena set included the enduring 1973 Faces song “Ooh La La”; his 1971 solo gem “Mandolin Wind”; his hit 1977 ballad “Tonight’s the Night (The Final Acclaim)”; and The O’Jays’ 1973 chart-topper “Love Train.” Rod had recorded his own solo version of “Ooh La La” that was a minor hit for him in 1998. Stewart covered “Love Train” for his 2009 soul tribute album Soulbook.
Stewart Dusted Off a 1970s Gem He Hadn’t Played in Over a Year
Perhaps the deepest cut Stewart performed at the show was his 1976 tune “The Killing of Georgie (Part I and II).” The song, which was a minor hit for Rod, tells the semi-fictional story of a gay man who was friends with Stewart and who was killed in a mugging in New York City. This marked the first time Rod had performed the song in concert since a May 2024 show in Bratislava, Slovakia.
More General Details About Stewart’s Show
Stewart has played many Las Vegas residency engagements since 2011, and his touring show offers an entertainment extravaganza worthy of a Vegas revue. Rod’s dynamic 11-piece band at the Mohegan Sun Arena featured six female members and five guys. Among the women were three backing vocalists, two violinists, and a harp player/percussionist. Rounding out the band were a male guitarist, bassist, drummer, keyboardist, and saxophonist.
The backing musicians and singers got to showcase their talents throughout the concert, with various solos and jam segments. Twice during the show, Stewart left the stage and let the ladies take over on lead vocals, with performances of two classic cover’s: Labelle’s 1974 chart-topping smash “Lady Marmalade” and Creedence Clearwater Revival’s 1969 signature tune “Proud Mary.”
Another fun, and perhaps cheesy, aspect of the concert was that Rod changed his jacket and suits several times, and the female members of his band changed their dresses to match what Stewart was wearing.
Stewart’s trademark raspy voice is still sounding strong and in key, while the 80-year-old singer moved energetically around the stage.
Stewart Paid Tribute to Several Late Music Stars During the Show
Stewart took the time to pay homage to some of his famous dearly departed collaborators and friends during the concert.
Early in the show, he remembered the late Tina Turner by performing the soul gem “It Takes Two” with one of his backing singers. The song originally was a hit 1966 duet for Marvin Gaye and Kim Weston. Stewart recorded “It Takes Two” with Turner in 1990, and their duet became a Top-10 hit in the U.K.
Stewart’s previous concert took place in Toronto on July 22, the day Ozzy Osbourne died. At that show, Rod dedicated his own poignant 1988 hit “Forever Young” to the heavy metal icon, and he did the same at the Connecticut concert.
Before performing “Forever Young,” Stewart sent out a dedication to Osbourne and his family, adding that Ozzy was “a true legend,” as a photo of the Metal Madman flashed on the video screen behind the stage.
Rod also tipped his hat to late Fleetwood Mac singer Christine McVie before performing a version of the Etta James classic “I’d Rather Go Blind.” McVie recorded a version of the tune with her pre-Fleetwood Mac band Chicken Shack in 1969. Stewart then recorded his own take on the song in 1972.
Other Cover Tunes Stewart Performed at the Show
Stewart sang a few other noteworthy covers during the concert. Four songs into the show, Rod performed “Having a Party,” a 1962 hit by one of his all-time favorite artists, late soul legend Sam Cooke.
Stewart then sang a version of the Cat Stevens-penned ballad “The First Cut Is the Deepest,” which was a No. 1 U.K. hit for Rod in 1977. Rod was beautifully accompanied by his band’s harp player and violinists on the tune.
Later, he crooned the romantic 1989 Van Morrison ballad “Have I Told You Lately.” Stewart scored a Top-Five hit in the U.K. and the U.S. with his own version of the song in 1993.
Other Classics Featured in the Show
Not surprisingly, Stewart performed a bunch of other classic original tunes from his long career.
At one point, he had the crowd singing along as he crooned his romantic love song “Tonight’s the Night,” a No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1976.
Rod also performed his buoyant 1981 hit “Young Turks.” That was followed by Stewart’s signature song, his breakthrough 1971 chart-topper “Maggie May.” On the middle of the performance, Rod through in a snippet of “Gasoline Alley,” a 1970 fan favorite that he hadn’t played live since 2021.
Stewart also sang “Stay with Me,” the best-known song by his old band the Faces.
As the show wound down, Rod got the crowd dancing to a pair of his most popular tunes of the late 1970s, the disco-inspired chart-topper “Da Ya Think I’m Sexy?” and the rollicking rocker “Hot Legs.”
Stewart brought the show to a close with his catchy 1984 pop hit “Some Guys Have All the Luck.” The tune originally recorded in 1973 by soul group The Persuaders.
Stewart’s Other 2025 Performance Plans
After the Connecticut gig, Stewart played a show in Mansfield, Massachusetts, on July 26, during which he also paid tribute to Osbourne. His next scheduled performance is a July 29 show in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Stewart has dozens of other upcoming concerts lined up in 2025.
His current North American summer tour leg is plotted out through an August 15 concert in Maryland Heights, Missouri. Cheap Trick will be opening many of those dates.
From September 24 through October 4, Rod will be in Las Vegas for six residency shows. Those concerts will be followed by a Latin American tour leg in October and a series of European shows in November and December. Stewart last scheduled 2025 gig is a December 17 performance in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
Check out Stewart’s full list of tour dates at RodStewart.com.
Rod Stewart Set List, Uncasville, CT, Mohegan Sun Arena, 7/25/2025:
- “Tonight I’m Yours (Don’t Hurt Me)”
- “Have You Ever Seen the Rain?”
- “It Takes Two”
- “Having a Party”
- “The First Cut Is the Deepest”
- “Tonight’s the Night (Gonna Be Alright)”
- “Forever Young”
- “Ooh La La”
- “Young Turks”
- “Maggie May,” with snippet of “Gasoline Alley”
- “I’d Rather Go Blind”
- “Stay with Me”
- “Lady Marmalade”
- “Mandolin Wind”
- “You’re in My Heart (The Final Acclaim)”
- “Have I Told You Lately”
- “Proud Mary”
- “Love Train”
- “The Killing of Georgie (Part I and II)”
- “Da Ya Think I’m Sexy?”
Encores:
- “Hot Legs”
- “Some Guys Have All the Luck”
(Photo by Khoi Ton/Courtesy of Mohegan Sun)
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