Tom Waits’ return to St. Louis isn’t until Thursday night, but his fans here are probably already on the edge of their seats.

They know it’s been forever, actually decades, since Waits last played here, and St. Louis is blessed for getting the rocker’s Glitter and Doom tour.

Waits opened the tour in Phoenix this week, and the Associated Press wrote: “Tom Waits doesn’t play live very often, so when he does, it’s an event…Waits rewarded fans with a nonstop set of familiar and re-imagined tracks from throughout his 35-year recording career.”

The Los Angeles Times called the set fan-pleasing, and added: “The twists weren’t so much in the set list, which featured crowd pleasers like ‘Time’ and ‘Innocent When You Dream,’ but in the arrangements. Waits likes to change up his band and switch the perspective on his songs.”

Here’s the opening night set list.

“Lucinda/Ain’t Goin Down to the Well”

“Hoist That Rag”

“Come On Up to the House”

“Jesus Gonna Be Here”

“November”

“Black Market Baby”

“Rain Dogs”

“Trampled Rose”

“Goin’ Out West”

“Murder in the Red Barn”

“Anywhere I Lay my Head”

“Cemetary Polka”

“Get Behind the Mule”

“Eyeball Kid”

“Christmas Card From a Hooker in Minneapolis”

“Picture in a Frame”

“Invitation to the Blues”

“Innocent When You Dream”

“Lie to Me”

“Chocolate Jesus”

“Make it Rain”

Encore

“Way Down in the Hole”

“God’s Away on Business”

“Time”

Photo: Tom Waits during his opening night concert in Phoenix.