It didn't hurt, either, when he closed his set with a cover of Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Fortunate Son."
But let him mention Seger and the reaction from the capacity crowd was electric. And when Seger hit the stage, they blew all the circuits.
On Tuesday, they knew the words, from the obscure to the hits, and as they sang along, Seger noticed.
Sure, his hair's steel gray now, and his voice is turned down a few notches, but there's nothing like Saginaw's fans to stoke the fire. You expect them to jump up and punch the air at "Old Time Rock and Roll," and the roar that came in waves from every corner of the arena on the first notes of "Turn the Page" was deafening.
But even in the quieter moments, as Alto Reed's sax sent out a soulful wail behind Seger's longing for life on Main Street, you could see each feed on the music they shared.
"He still has it," said a kid who was probably born around the time Seger announced his first come-back tour. But take it from someone who used to sit on the curb with her friends in Shields, listening to him practice in a neighbor's garage, he's right.
Rock and roll never forgets.