On Wednesday evening, hundreds of residents from Verona and neighboring towns enjoyed a Rod Stewart tribute concert performed by Rick Larrimore in the Verona Civic Center Square.

Larrimore kicked off the concert by singing “Forever Young.” The audience brought chairs, blankets and had picnics as they clapped along to each song.

Bernie and Linda Pwer, of Little Falls, say they never saw Stewart live, but they enjoyed Larrimore’s performance.

“We never saw him (Rod Stewart) in person, so this is as close as we’re going to get,” they said, smiling. “He is doing a good job so far and it is a beautiful night.”

From the wild hair to the jazzy clothes, Larrimore looked and sounded strikingly similar to the 70s and 80s rock icon. He kept the audience entertained by performing hits like “I Don’t Want to Talk about It” and “Have I Told You Lately,” while dancing through the crowd of families.

Another crowd pleaser was “Maggie May,” which was Stewart’s No. 1 single in 1971.

Verona residents, Larry and Barb Rosenstein said they always enjoy listening to Stewart.

“We have always been a big fan of Rod Stewart, ever since he first started in the 1970’s,” Larry said. “’Hot Legs’ is my favorite song.”

Kurt and Nancy Wright along with their friend Eileen McMahon, all from Verona, enjoyed the 80 degree weather as they relaxed on the grass.

“It is a very nice, beautiful evening,” they said.

Nancy was excited to hear one song in particular.

“Today is my birthday so I was happy to hear ‘Forever Young,’” she said, laughing.

Caldwell residents, Bob and Elena Dionisio and their young daughter Sasha, have been lifelong Stewart fans.

“It is really nice that they (Verona) offered this event to the townspeople,” they said. “It is a good chance for everyone to get out and for the kids to play.”

The “Rod Stewart Tribute” concert, which is part of the Verona Concert Summer Series, was sponsored by McEnerney, Brady & Company, LLC.