Concert review: Fans won't forget Bob Seger's performance Thursday night in Oklahoma City

Seger had the crowd – nearly packed to the ceiling – “swaying and singing along” through most of his two-hour set. And his Silver Bullet Band – with a plentiful horn section, including long-time Silver Bullet saxophonist Alto Reed; several guitarists, Silver Bullet bassist Chris Campbell; an organ player; Silver Bullet pianist Craig Frost; and three back-up singers – played a “loud and lean” show.

There’s a lot more gravel in Seger’s voice and more than a few times when it seemed to nearly give out altogether, but the star sang his heart out from his opening number “Roll Me Away” to his closer “Rock and Roll Never Forgets.” And the crowd was raucous in its approval of his long string of memorable hits. Seger looked like he was having the time of his life, directing the crowd to sing along on many of his choruses, dancing from one corner of the stage to the other. One member of the audience joked that he “clearly didn’t do the hard drugs when he was younger.”

After his opener, he told the crowd he was going to “Get a little Memphis down here,” as he broke into the bluesy Otis Clay cover “Trying to Live My Life Without You.” The band brought out the horns for the song “The Fire Down Below,” including a giant saxophone played by Reed, while the backup singers worked the maracas. Seger exuberantly worked his crowd getting them to shout out the chorus, and they went wild when he donned a black headband.

Seger cooled things down with the obvious crowd favorite “Mainstreet” – perhaps the sweetest stripper ballad ever written. He sat on a stool playing guitar while Reed and pianist Frost wove in the beautiful melody.

Seger next gave a shout out to Toby Keith, Barry Switzer and Bob Stoops, who were seen with him at a pre-show party, dedicating the song “Old Time Rock and Roll” to the three men and their families.

Reaching back to 1968, Seger pulled out the band’s first single, “Ramblin’ Gamblin’ Man,” and then he reached even further back to a favorite from his childhood – Little Richard’s “Hey Hey Hey Hey (Going Back to Birmingham).

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