Jim Desormier began listening to rock legend Rod Stewart when he was in the Army - 25 years ago.

“He was popular then and he brings back a lot of good memories,” the Mason resident said. “Not bad for a guy who is 57-58 years old.”

Stewart treated a decent-sized crowd Saturday night at Breslin Center. Although he was touring in support of his most recent release, “Human,” he focused on material that skyrocketed his career including the hits “Maggie May,” “Some Guys Have All the Luck,” “Rhythm of My Heart” and the rendition of Tom Waits’ “Downtown Train.”

The overall appearance of Stewart’s band was decent, but it seemed as it there was too much empty space on stage. A good chunk of the songs featured violins and a piano, which added to the overall package.

Stewart was his stereotypical self, dancing around on stage and creating unique forms of self-expression. It was difficult to decide whether to laugh or raise an eyebrow in question, but many in attendance loved it, including East Grand Rapids resident Leslie Gallagher.

“This is the second time I’ve seen him,” the MSU alumna said. “It’s nice because it’s a wide range of people as far as ages.

“The last time I saw him it was outside - so it’s kind of different in here.”

Despite the handful of empty seats, the audience made it sound like a full house, especially when Stewart dedicated “Rhythm of My Heart” to the British and American soldiers on the front lines in Afghanistan as a result of the Sept. 11 attacks. The crowd responded with a loud roar as inspirational war photos and pictures of the British and American flags postered a screen behind him.

The backup singers did a nice job, adding appropriate contributions to Stewart’s music - although they seemed to drown out Stewart at times. One of the back ups even took the lead and did a rendition of Al Green’s “Let’s Stay Together.”

Stewart’s vocals were right on par with his records and his giddy animation was what saved the show.

Also notable was the careful concentration to put microphones on the drums. It’s always nice to make sure the backbone is solid sounding, despite the drummer’s lack of complexity. Based on what he did, a drum solo would have been a positive touch and definitely within reach.

The mix of the instruments seemed to focus mainly on the piano and string instruments, with the exception of the rhythm guitar, which unfortunately lacked in domination.

Another disappointing feature was the brief intermission, something new and a motivation- breaker for those in awe. Stewart basically warmed up the crowd and cooled them right off with the break - not a smart move.

East Lansing residents Jack Baker and Arlene Roman had been awaiting the show all week.

“He’s struttin’ his stuff and the show’s been pretty good,” Baker said. “He had to put up pictures of what he used to look like since he’s not quite the same compared to what he was.

“But hey, he’s Rod Stewart.”

Roman said although she isn’t one of the biggest Stewart fans, there were a lot of die-hards there who love his work.

Barbara Hoffman of Lansing came with John Whittaker, who traveled all the way from England to catch the show.

“It’s been great,” Hoffman said. “He brings back a lot of memories.”