Bob Seger rides winning groove in makeup date

Bob Seger is pushing 70, but he remains an avid student of soul, funk and R&B music.

On Monday night at Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Detroit icon Seger heartily attacked the groove during renditions of "Come to Poppa," "Tryin' to Live My Life without You" and "The Fire Down Below."

"Poppa," which Seger recorded for his 1976 "Night Moves" album, was co-written by Willie Mitchell -- a Memphis-based producer known for his work with Al Green.

"Tryin' to Live My Life without You" was popularized by Chicago-based blues singer Otis Clay in 1973, and Seger recorded a high-profile cover on his 1981 live album, "Nine Tonight."

The best new song of the night arrived with "Hey Gypsy," a house-rocking, Seger-penned tribute to late blues-rock guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan.

The performance represented a makeup date for a March 22 show postponed because of an offstage injury to Seger's shoulder. On Monday, he pinpointed the injury to his right shoulder and added that a surgeon repaired it last week.

The 69-year-old showed no visible signs of being hampered. Seger played guitar on several tunes and he frequently thrust his arms in the air to signal rock 'n' roll victory.

The shift in schedule made Indianapolis the final show of a 40-date tour to promote 2014 album "Ride Out."

Finishing strong, Seger didn't come to Indianapolis with the purpose of being a human jukebox. While most in the estimated audience of 12,000 joined in sing-along moments throughout the show, more impressive was Seger's ability to liberate hit songs from the stagnancy of classic-rock radio.

One example would be Monday's stripped-down rendition of "Like A Rock." Seger mentioned that he and the Silver Bullet Band typically leave "Like a Rock" off the setlist -- which is understandable for a song that was played to death in Chevrolet truck ads throughout the 1990s.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer reclaimed "Like a Rock" on Monday, finding a measured texture and tone to rival the quiet moments of "Night Moves."

"Hollywood Nights" proved to be another old radio hit that sounded fresh. As a West Coast snapshot from 1978, "Hollywood Nights" had Midwestern guy Seger dabbling in the territory of the Eagles and Journey. To his advantage, Seger brought a propulsive beat that those bands rarely delivered. (Trivia buffs will note that Seger co-wrote 1979 Eagles hit "Heartache Tonight").

Before singing signature songs "Night Moves" and "Against the Wind," Seger paused each time to say, "One more time," supplying a hint of finality to Monday's show. Whether he carries on as a touring musician into his 70s remains to be seen.

Call Star reporter David Lindquist at (317) 444-6404. Follow him on Twitter: @317Lindquist.