photo: Penny LancasterOn May 7, rock icon Rod Stewart, who experienced a career rebirth in the 1990s and 2000s with his multi-volume Great American Songbook series and other covers albums, will make his return to original music with Time, his first album of self-penned new material in 20 years. And as an early celebration, Rod performed seven of the album's songs live for the first time, for a small gathering of lucky Rod fans (including One Direction's Harry Styles!), at L.A.'s 300-capacity Troubadour on April 25.
The intimate gig, which also featured a handful of classic tunes, was actually Rod's first-ever performance at the legendary nightclub, which has famously played a large part in the careers of his peers like Elton John, the Eagles, the Byrds, Love, Joni Mitchell, and Van Morrison.
While Rod peppered his set with a few classics ("Forever Young," "Rhythm of My Heart," "Have I Told You Lately," and, most thrillingly, "You Wear It Well"), the night was all about showcasing his new, clearly very personal material. (Rod wrote 11 of the 12 cuts on Time.) There was the sad ballad "It's Over,"
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