Better With Age
Mr. Fogerty turns 65 at the end of May. His signature, distinctive voice gave me cause for some pre-show concern. Sure, he rocked the house with Bruce and the E Street Band at Madison Square Garden during the 25th anniversary concerts for The Rock Hall of Fame in October 2009. But that performance, dynamic as it was, consisted of a handful of songs. How were his pipes going to handle a full set? Would it be a hit and run show - 90 minutes and out? Would I cringe and be embarrassed for yet another legend to whom time had been unkind?
Hardly. This was a night to savor.
As the primary writer, lead guitarist/vocalist for the seminal '60s band Creedence Clearwater Revival, Fogerty’s music was the stuff you cut your baby rock and roll teeth on. His songs exposed millions of baby boomers to rock-a-swamp-country-bluegrass-blues. These days we call it convergence. Forty years ago we just called it CCR.
Fantasy Records headquarters was known as The House That Creedence Built. The music has proven timeless and appears countless times on movie soundtracks, never seeming to be too far around the bend. The band's in-fighting and ultimate breakup was well documented and Fogerty's legal battles to lay claim to his own material could easily have prompted Hunter Thompson’s assessment of the business of the music industry: "The music business is a cruel and shallow money trench, a long plastic hallway where thieves run free, and good men die like dogs. There’s also a negative side".
Shaped by Experience
Photo by Gregory Shamus / Getty Images
It's safe to say that this gentleman has seen his share and then some. And he seems none the worse for wear and tear. Like a comfortable pair of jeans that you can't remember buying, John Fogerty just felt totally at home on the stage and with the crowd this evening in South Florida.
As the band was backstage preparing to hit the boards, the lights dimmed and a version of "Almost Saturday Night" was piped through the house, only it wasn't the headliner's version. It was Dave Edmunds. This was an omen that set the tone for the night. Tells you right upfront that this was to be an evening void of ego.
Backed by three (sometimes four) guitarists, bassist, keyboardist/sometimes guitarist and a drummer, Fogerty lit into the Hard Rock and its audience like it was the 4th of July. The show was virtually song after non-stop song with some occasional crowd-directed banter (very appreciative and jovial banter.)
I realized something this evening about Mr. Fogerty that I had previously not realized. He really knows how to have his way with an electric guitar! Performing with unbridled energy, he laid down some of the more intricately subtle riffs I’ve heard in a while. Perhaps it's because they were unexpected that they sounded so remarkable. Likely, it's just because they were pretty damn remarkable.
With the band configured as five guitarists you could swear it was the second coming of Phil Spector’s fabled Wall of Sound. When they didn’t, they were just amazingly tight and visibly enjoying themselves.
In the end ...
Homage was paid and props were abundant as the set was peppered with music of his peers that resonates with the artist. Ricky Nelson, Roy Orbison, Johnny Cash and Little Richard songs were Fogerty-fied and all to perfection.
The set was comprised of a little bit of solo Fogerty and a whole lot of CCR. And, how did his 64 year old pipes hold up for a two hour plus show? In a word, extraordinary! While many sexagenarians lose a step, Fogerty has defied Father Time and, if anything, actually gained a step or two. If you closed your eyes you literally couldn't tell if it was 2010 or CCR in 1968. It was a great night of fun music and a sea of memories.
