Veteran crooner Engelbert Humperdinck brought his signature blend of pop balladry and showbiz charm to the Fox Performing Arts Center on Saturday night, June 15, offering a set that pulled heavily from his chart-topping catalog and leaned into the nostalgia that has kept his fanbase loyal for more than half a century.

Opening with “A Man Without Love,” the 89-year-old performer established a tone that remained consistent throughout the evening: polished, sentimental, and rooted firmly in the late 1960s and ’70s pop standards that defined his career. Backed by a full band and performing under restrained lighting, Humperdinck moved through hits like “The Way It Used to Be” and “Winter World of Love” with a voice that, while aged, retained much of its smooth tone and phrasing.

Midway through the set, “Ten Guitars” injected some energy, earning audience claps and foot taps, while his 1976 comeback hit “After the Lovin’” served as one of the night’s emotional high points. He closed, as expected, with “Release Me” — the 1967 single that famously kept The Beatles’ “Penny Lane/Strawberry Fields Forever” off the UK No. 1 spot. The crowd responded with a standing ovation.

Born Arnold George Dorsey in British India and raised in England, Humperdinck launched his career in the late 1950s but didn’t break through until 1967. That year, under the guidance of manager Gordon Mills and sporting a new stage name borrowed from a 19th-century opera composer, he released “Release Me,” which would go on to sell over a million copies. He quickly became a fixture on international charts with a string of sentimental ballads and easy-listening hits, including “The Last Waltz” and “A Man Without Love.”

While the music industry has shifted dramatically since his heyday, Humperdinck’s appeal remains strong among longtime fans. Saturday’s show was no reinvention—it was a reaffirmation of legacy. His between-song banter was self-aware and lightly humorous, often acknowledging his age and the passage of time. “Still got it?” he joked at one point, to warm applause.

With over 140 million records sold, dozens of gold and platinum albums, and a performance career that has outlasted several musical eras, Humperdinck continues to do what he's always done: deliver polished renditions of sentimental songs to an audience that knows exactly what it came for.

For Riverside, the night offered a rare appearance from a performer who has been touring for more than 60 years—still on the road, still filling theaters, and still crooning about love, memory, and the way things used to be.