I suppose it can be tough being a rock ‘n’ roll legend. After being in the game for so many years, a legend might be tempted to take it easy. Ray Davies, fortunately, has opted otherwise. For 80 minutes Saturday night at the Vogue in Indianapolis, he lived up to his stature.

The show started with an excellent 35 minute set of power pop from the 88. The crowd was semi-attentive but it was obvious they were patiently waiting for Davies to begin. At 8:00 sharp, Davies and his guitarist Bill Shanley came out to a roar, immediately kicking in to a vigorous I Need You. I’m Not Like Everybody Else was next, followed by a sing-a-long Sunny Afternoon. And then came Waterloo Sunset, which was the moment the performance really came home. Watching Ray Davies perform Waterloo Sunset live — definitely not like everybody else.

Davies is still a master at working the audience, which was evident with the next song, Dedicated Follower of Fashion and acoustic section closer, Apeman.

The 88 returned at that point and performed David Watts, with Davies adding vocals. The full band stayed on stage for the majority of the remainder of the set. Highlights included Nothing In the World Can Stop Me Worryin’ ‘Bout that Girl, and an especially lively All Day and All of the Night. Davies rocked the latter like a man half his age. The band closed the set with a fiery You Really Got Me before coming back out for encore, Lola.

For a man with almost 50 years of songs to his name, I wish he could have played longer. Nevertheless, the chance to watch him play — and play so vibrantly — was a gift.

Were you there? What did you think of the show?