The much-beloved Michigan rocker returned for yet another sold-out show Saturday at Van Andel Arena. But as he continues his ‘Final Tour,’ was this his last West Michigan soiree?
‘The Fire Inside’: This photo was taken at Bob Seger’s Nov. 21 show at Van Andel Arena. He played to another capacity crowd on Saturday night. (Photo/Anthony Norkus)
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Bob Seger said goodbye to Grand Rapids as only he can – with soulful ballads, joyful fist-pumps and rock ’n’ roll as hot as the back seat of a ’60 Chevy in the summertime.
In a follow-up to his November concert here that kicked off his “Roll Me Away” final tour, the iconic Michigan rocker filled the hearts of about 12,000 capacity-crowd fans at Van Andel Arena Saturday with six decades’ worth of that old-time rock ‘n’ roll. Memories washed over outstretched arms as Seger played one last time to a city that’s become a second home to him, consistently selling out shows over the years.
Enthusiastic Crowd: Another sellout for Seger on Saturday night at Van Andel Arena.
The two-hour, 23-song set was mostly a reprise of his Nov. 21 show, mingling fail-safe rockers (“Hollywood Nights,” “Her Strut”), tender strummers (“Mainstreet,” “Shame on the Moon”) and indispensable classics (“Turn the Page,” “Night Moves”).
He also mixed in a few new numbers, including the Bob Dylan-penned “Forever Young” in a tribute to his late friend Glenn Frey and other recently departed rockers including Tom Petty and Aretha Franklin. And to his second encore, he tacked on “The Famous Final Scene,” a 1978 cut with the appropriate lyric, “Everything must have an end.”
Throughout, the 73-year-old Seger exuded the joy he so clearly takes from his music, grabbing the mic with both hands and leaning back ecstatically, backed by a 14-piece band including the snarling solos of guitarist Rob McNelley and immortal sax lines of Alto Reed. The love in the house was palpable as the crowd sang along to “Roll Me Away” and shone cellphones like fireflies on “We’ve Got Tonight.”
After he closed with “Rock and Roll Never Forgets,” it was a sure bet that no one there would ever forget Bob Seger.
And surely some were still hoping, “Why don’t you stay?”
Check out the Local Spins review and photo gallery from Seger’s Nov. 21 concert at Van Andel Arena.
SET LIST: Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band at Van Andel Arena (1/5/19)
1. Shakedown
2. Still the Same
3. The Fire Down Below
4. Mainstreet
5. Old Time Rock & Roll
6. The Fire Inside
7. Shame on the Moon
8. Roll Me Away
9. Come to Poppa
10. Her Strut
11. Like a Rock
12. You’ll Accomp’ny Me
13. We’ve Got Tonight
14. Travelin’ Man
15. Beautiful Loser
16. Turn the Page
17. Forever Young
18. Ramblin’ Gamblin’ Man
Encore No. 1:
19. Against the Wind
20. Hollywood Nights
Encore No. 2:
21. Night Moves
22. The Famous Final Scene
23. Rock and Roll Never Forgets
Copyright 2019, Spins on Music LLC
