Steve Miller still flying

The Steve Miller Band hasn’t released an album since 1993’s “Wide River.” But the lack of fresh material hasn’t kept the group — really a revolving collection of musicians around Mr. Miller — from gaining new fans.

Baby boomers made up most of the crowd in the pricier covered seats at the sold-out show at Wolf Trap on Wednesday night. But the lawn was filled with people in their 20s and 30s, many not even born when the Steve Miller Band’s biggest success, “Fly Like an Eagle,” came out in 1976. (The album was just re-released last month in a 30th-anniversary edition.)

Fans of all ages obeyed Mr. Miller’s exhortation to “come on and dance” when the band started the show with “Swingtown” from 1977’s “Book of Dreams.” “Are you ready to leave town?” he asked afterward, promising the 7,000 fans assembled a “musical trip” of an evening.

That trip started right here at home when Mr. Miller dedicated the second song, “Living in the U.S.A.” to the men and women of the armed forces. He went from the political to the provocative with 1982’s “Abracadabra,” a song more fueled by keyboards than most of Mr. Miller’s material.

In fact, Mr. Miller proved himself one underrated guitarist Wednesday night. His distinctive voice was strong, but a couple times not perfectly in pitch. His guitar work, though, was always spot on. He particularly enjoyed playing the blues, with rousing covers of Robert Johnson’s “Crossroads” and a Mike Bloomfield tune during the encore. His guitar skills should be rated right up there with his songwriting.

Mr. Miller didn’t look much like a guitar god, however. He reminded me of one of my old philosophy professors in his jeans and blue-striped button-down shirt. His one concession to being a rock star was a pair of roundish sunglasses. Or were these just a clever way of hiding the fact the 62-year-old now needs glasses?

His age was irrelevant: It was 1976 all over again when a screen with swirling psychedelic patterns came down for “Fly Like an Eagle.” But Mr. Miller added some modern touches to the song, with echoing guitar effects and even a rap interlude from keyboardist Joseph Wooten, a member of the talented Wooten Brothers. Mr. Wooten’s words heightened the gentle political nature of the original song when he spoke of “the rich getting richer, the poor getting madder.”

The keyboardist, along with harmonica player Norton Buffalo, who has been playing with Mr. Miller for 30 years, also added some nice harmonies. The classic track fizzled out at the end, though, because of a rather indulgent, too-long jam session.

“Fly Like an Eagle” was the start of a set-ending string of hits any artist would envy: “Take the Money and Run,” “Rockin’ Me,” “Jungle Love,” “Jet Airliner” and “The Joker.”

Indeed, Mr. Miller didn’t leave much for the encore. That may be why he asked for requests but, not hearing anything satisfactory from the audience, picked the songs, including “Space Cowboy,” himself.