On Saturday, I made a trip out to the Gorge to see a couple of “relics.” I use that word in the most facetious way possible because, although both have been embedded in the music industry for 40-plus years, neither Joe Cocker nor Steve Miller exhibit signs of age in their music. They play my old favorites to sound just the way they did when they were a previous generation’s new favorites.

Cocker sang the greats — “Feelin’ Alright,” “Unchain My Heart,” and his famous Beatles covers, “With A Little Help From My Friends” and “Come Together.” The man may be over 60, but he still sounds like a powerhouse.

The Steve Miller Band went on forever, and I’m not complaining. It seemed like they were doing every song from the band’s catalog. Somewhere near the middle of the set, Miller introduced a new band member, Sonny Charles, with whom he’s recorded an upcoming album at Skywalker Ranch. With Charles on board, Miller leaves his signature classic rock style for a heavier, soulful sound. They took a break from the familiar Steve Miller Band fare to do a few of the new tracks sung by Charles. Not bad, but hard to embrace when I’m expecting to hear things like “Take the Money and Run” and “Dance, Dance, Dance” (both of which I did have a chance to hear during the concert).

Towards the end of the evening, after the band had already returned for an encore, I began to lament the absence of “Jungle Love,” thinking maybe he wouldn’t do it. He was singing “The Joker,” and I was sure it would be the final song of the night (I had already assumed that before the concert ever began). Imagine my surprise when he closed his set with none other than “Jungle Love.” Guess he was reading my mind.