Rod Stewart, 80, Shoots Whisky and Jokes He's 'Still Growing Up' as He Plays His 200th Vegas Residency Show

Mar. 15, 2025

Rod Stewart celebrates his 200th show with Regional President of Caesars Entertainment Sean McBurney at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas on March 12, 2025.Photo:Denise Truscello/Getty

Denise Truscello/Getty

Rod Stewartjust can’t quit Las Vegas!

On Wednesday, March, 12, the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer, 80, kicked off his limitedThe Encore Shows residency at Caesars Palacewith a mix of huge hits, fan favorites and tunes he just loves.

“I’m a bit nervous,” Stewart admitted early in the show, before joking 15 minutes in, “Now I know what I’m doing.”

Rod Stewart in Hollywood, Florida on March 1, 2025.Larry Marano/Shutterstock

Larry Marano/Shutterstock

Of course, performing is old hat for Stewart, who began his solo career in 1969. He also admitted that two of his most famous songs — which he performed — sound similar, which is no accident.

“‘You Wear It Well’ and ‘Maggie May’ are very similar, and there’s a reason for that,” he said. “After ‘Maggie May,’ the record company said, ‘Can you write us a No. 1 like ‘Maggie May?’ So I wrote ‘Wear it Well,’ but people love it. You loved it. I loved it.”

In somewhat of an evening theme, Stewart also honored his influences.

“Growing up, which I’m still doing, I was always listening to the ’60s,” he said before paying respect to Muddy Waters with a performance of “Rollin’ and Tumblin.’”

The show felt very much like an evening of karaoke with Rod Stewart — some songs were his own, some weren’t. The crowd, who stood on their feet for much of the evening, didn’t care one bit.

Rod Stewart in Las Vegas in November 2013.Denise Truscello/WireImage

Denise Truscello/WireImage

The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now!

Overall, Rod relied on his iconic raspy voice, his impressive 19-person orchestra (14 of which were women) and the excitement of the crowd.

“I’m enjoying myself so much. I’m so privileged,” he said while the crowd of 4,100 roared.

Last August, Rodspoke to PEOPLEabout bringing his own whisky to the market, noting, “It’s not as easy as I thought it was going to be.”

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Like his music, he thinks of his spirit as a labor of love.“Because of my Scottish father, that’s why I wanted to get something Scottish across the line,” he said. “He’d have been very proud of that, very proud.”

source: people.com