Rod Stewart Re-Visits The Hollywood Bowl (Q&A)

Pollstar: What does it mean to you to play the iconic Hollywood Bowl?
Rod Stewart: Los Angeles has been my home for many decades and the Hollywood Bowl has been host to some unforgettable moments in my career, like reunions with the Faces and Jeff Beck and the spectacular sound of performing from the Great American Songbook with an orchestra.

As I’ve said, stepping onto the stage under those iconic white arches is a magical feeling — you feel a great energy from the audience and also vibrations from the greats who performed there before, like Ella, Miles, Otis and Aretha.

See: 100 Years Of Music For Everyone (Hollywood Bowl Cover Story)

What are some of the venues that you have most enjoyed playing over the years?
There have been so many but you never forget the first … when I started with Long John Baldry’s band we had a weekly residence at London’s Marquee Club; or the biggest concert in history on New Year’s Eve in 1994 performing for 3.5 million people on Copacabana Beach — that was definitely a memorable one! The Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas is a brilliant and intimate venue that I’ve really enjoyed during my now 11-years residency! As an Englishman, Wembley Stadium and headlining Glastonbury in 2002 are also quite memorable.

Do you see yourself touring for years to come?
I’ll be touring with this production throughout the world through 2023. After that, I’d like to go on tour with a big band and play some iconic old venues with great sound and history.
Your career has taken a number of stylistic turns. Do you ever get nostalgic for say, your Faces days?

Yes, of course. Ronnie Wood is one of my closest mates and we found some Faces tracks from the ‘70s. We dug ‘em up and were back in the recording studio – so hopefully we’ll have a Faces album one day soon.