Stewart Rocks Covelli Centre

Rod Stewart performed for a sold out crowd at the Covelli Centre on Sunday night. Stewart played with a full band, complete with trumpets, saxophones, a piano and backup singers and dancers. Photo by Gabrielle Fellows/ The Jambar

National performing artist Rod Stewart paid a visit to the Mahoning Valley on Sunday as a part of his 2014 world tour.

The Covelli Centre welcomed Stewart to his first time in Youngstown with a sold out show – a crowd of around 5,700 people.

Tickets ranged in price from $46.50 to $175, close to the same price that many paid to see Elton John, another world famous act to book a show at the Centre.

Local vendors, restaurants and radio or television stations either sponsored or sent media coverage to the event. Many ticket holders arrived early and either tailgated or enjoyed special VIP areas.

Although the Centre is host to a variety of shows year-round that bring in a large amount of profit, Eric Ryan, the executive director of the Covelli Centre, said he believes that bringing in national touring artists boosts profit not only the venue, but to the entire community.

Photo by Gabrielle Fellows/ The Jambar

“[Hosting] major artists such as Rod Stewart certainly is a big boost not only to the Covelli Centre, but also the community as a whole,” Ryan said. “The financial impact is far reaching with things such as hotels, restaurants and often times charities. Also, shows such as Rod Stewart boost our payroll, as often times it takes up to 200 local workers in all to host such an event.”

Stewart opened the show with a performance of his song “Infatuation” followed by one of his most popular songs, “Maggie May.”

Stewart’s other hits include “Tonight’s the Night,” “Forever Young,” “Da Ya Think I’m Sexy,” “Sailing” and “Have You Ever Seen The Rain.”

Stewart has had six consecutive number one albums in the UK and has 16 top ten singles in the US, four of those reaching number one on the Billboard Hot 100.

In 2008, Billboard magazine ranked Stewart as the 17th most successful artist on the “Billboard Hot 100 Top All-Time Artists” and was 59th on Rolling Stone’s “100 Greatest Singers”. Stewart was inducted into the US Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994.

Photo by Gabrielle Fellows/ The Jambar