•    HOME   
•    NEWS   
•    BUSINESS   
•    INTERNATIONAL   
•    TECH   
•    SPORTS   
•    LIFE & TIMES   
•    OPINION   
•    MY JAKARTA   
•    BLOGS   
•    EYEWITNESS   

It was a nostalgia-filled experience for fans of British superstar Rod Stewart. During his concert, “Rod Stewart: The Hits,” on Tuesday night at Plenary Hall in the Jakarta Convention Center, Stewart brought not only his well-known singles spanning 1964 to the present, but also his moves.

Yes, the 67-year-old still has the moves.

The singer took his 2,400-strong audience on a journey through his career with 20 hit songs.

He opened with “Love Train,” taken from his 2009 album “Soulbook,” as if he wanted to break the ice with the audience and start off with a song that would get everyone clapping their hands and shaking their bodies.

He then noticed the front row was still empty.

“Lucky people, where are you?” he asked. “Get people from the street and tell them to come here. We’re gonna be here for two hours,” he added with a smile.

People started to move in after Stewart’s third song.

The singer continued with “Tonight’s the Night,” then toned down a bit with “Having a Party.”

While singing, Stewart occasionally stroked his everlasting platinum blonde hair. He sang on bent knees, twisted his hips and his whole body was animated on the stage.

The audience went wild when he performed his mega hits, such as “The First Cut is the Deepest,” “I Don’t Want to Talk About It” and “Have I Told You Lately.” The Plenary Hall filled with Stewart’s raspy voice accompanied by the audience’s singing along. The concert-goers were mostly middle-aged and they were captivated by the songs and Stewart’s tender voice.

Stewart mixed up the tempo of the concert by sprinkling in upbeat numbers such as “Baby Jane,” “Downtown Train,” “Sweet Little Rock ’n’ Roller,” and “Hot Legs.”

The white stage was simply designed: There were some lights and visuals in the back that added to the liveliness. But there was no question that Stewart was the main attraction.

Stewart proved that he really knows how to entertain his audience. Not only did he sing, he also chatted and greeted his Jakarta fans, all with a big smile on his face. He even joked around with his musicians during the concert.

He also gave fans a glimpse of his personal life during the concert. On a big screen, he displayed family photos of his three daughters and four sons.

“This is my granddaughter,” he announced when a picture of a baby girl showed up.

He later showed a video of his dog and also two pictures of himself in full makeup and wearing dresses.

“It’s me when I was really drunk,” he said followed by laughter from the audience.

He surprised the audience when he and the band members went backstage after the last song of the concert. As the crowd chanted “We want more!” Stewart returned to give a sweet and crowd-pleasing encore. Stewart performed one of the greatest of his greatest hits, 1978’s “Do Ya Think I’m Sexy,” as the audience began to swarm the front of the stage.

He ended his encore on a sweet note with his phenomenal hit, “Sailing” from the 1975 album “Atlantic Crossing.” Seated on a tall stool and singing into a white microphone, he transported the audience to another place and time with the ballad. His husky voice was heard clearly and the audience swayed to the very end.

With Tuesday’s show, Stewart proved that he is a legendary singer-songwriter who has withstood the test of time.

“Rod Stewart really interacts with his audience in a humble way. It is like he is inviting guests to his house and entertaining them,” Indonesian singer Glenn Fredly told reporters after the concert.

Tika Bisono, a psychologist and big Stewart fan, said she has been waiting a long time to see her idol.

“It was like having an orgasm! I screamed so much during the concert and sang with him from the start to the end of the concert,” she said with a big smile.