‘Luck of the Iris’: Donnie Iris and the Cruisers still know how to rock

Attending a Rolling Stones concert is somewhat akin to looking through an ultra-powerful telescope and seeing light that has been traveling this direction practically since time began.

In the context of rock ’n’ roll, Mick, Keith and company started wowing audiences just a few years after the genre’s advent.

For Pittsburgh music fans, catching a show by Donnie Iris and the Cruisers can be a comparable experience, especially considering that the frontman preceded Jagger and Richards in taking the stage.

And just like the Glimmer Twins, Donnie still knows how to rock.

Saturday’s sold-out performance at Robert Morris University’s UPMC Events Center in Moon demonstrated that despite Iris’ recent battle with cancer, plus the fact that he already was a teenager when Elvis Presley became The King, fans can expect the Donnie they’ve always known.

Thanks to the opening bands for the cleverly named pre-St. Patrick’s Day “Luck of the Iris” concert — regional favorites the Clarks and from Youngstown, Ohio, the Vindys — the center’s energy level already was soaring in anticipation of the headliners.

“Donnie! Donnie! Donnie!” the crowd chanted as the band ripped into favorites from the Cruisers’ 1980s heyday, culminating with their Top 40 hits, “Love Is Like a Rock” and “Ah! Leah!”

The latter was among the evening’s multitude of highlights, commencing with a minor-chord variation on the main riff by lead guitarist Marty Lee Hoenes while Iris, sitting on a stool, put a melancholy spin on the lyrics.

And then came the catchy four-chord progression in its original major key, with thousands of people singing along to words they first head 44 years ago:

It’s been a long, long time, you’re such a sight / You’re looking better than a body has a right to

The repertoire actually went back further than that, all the way to the 1930s with a bluesy version of “Minnie the Moocher,” sounding like Cab Calloway channeled through Muddy Waters.

Along the way, the Cruisers had plenty of opportunity to stretch out and show their chops, including a bass solo by Paul Goll that morphed into snippets of Sly Stone’s “Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)” and Queen’s “Another One Bites the Dust.”

Then came another treat for the audience, as multi-instrumentalist Mark Avsec told Iris, “That reminds me of a song we used to do with Wild Cherry.”

With that, the longtime bandmates launched into “Play That Funky Music,” the Rob Parissi-penned tune that continues to resonate with listeners long after hitting No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1976.

Iris actually joined Wild Cherry to tour with the group afterward, but he was no stranger to lofty chart positions: In 1970, his band the Jaggerz reached No. 2 with his composition “The Rapper,” credited to Dominic Ierace, the name on his birth certificate.

By that time, he was a well-seasoned veteran of musical performance, having started singing at weddings when Harry Truman was president.

Three-quarters of a century later, Iris continues to impress with his vocal prowess and stage presence: Let’s just say that people much younger probably would have issues trying to get around the stage like he does.

Kudos to the Cruisers for backing him more than admirably, including guitarist Gary Jacob, who added some pedal steel, and drummer Kevin Valentine, a seven-time recipient of Emmy Award nominations for sound mixing.

Then there’s Avsec, who co-wrote many of the songs that made the band famous and served as producer for albums such as “King Cool,” “The High and the Mighty” and “Fortune 410.” On Saturday, he took turns playing drums and accordion — for a polka rave-up, no less — in addition to his keyboard duties.

Following a rendition of “The Rapper,” Avsec’s organ solo opened a cover of Deep Purple’s “Hush,” written by Joe South, and the show closed with the Beatles’ “With a Little Help from My Friends,” with Iris and company channeling Joe Cocker’s rearrangement of the song straight out of Woodstock.

In between, members of the Clarks and the Vindys joined the Cruisers for — remember that telescope? — the Rolling Stones’ “Gimme Shelter.”

Beyond the music, “Luck of the Iris” was put on for a good cause, with a portion of ticket sales benefiting the American Cancer Society. And in support of World Down Syndrome Day on March 21, a special guest named Jennifer enjoyed joining everyone onstage for a much of the headlining set.

Judging by audience reaction, everyone in the crowd seemed to have a rollickin’ good time. To quote the Cruisers:

Love can rock you / Never stop you

Ah, ah, ah, ah, love is like a rock!