Fogerty brings Creedence Revival to Dodge Theater

By Chris Holly
Get Out
Aug. 2, 2004

It’s been thirty two years since John Fogerty left Creedence Clearwater Revival, but judging by his
performance at the Dodge Theater Sunday night, the old tunes are still fresh in the hearts of his fans.

Having had a hit and miss solo career from the time he pulled the plug on CCR, Fogerty's artistic growth was stunted in the ’70s and ’80s due to a publishing dispute that virtually forced him to make the decision not to play any Creedence material live. Without the best aspects of his classic canon to rely on, the artist's concerts were largely disappointing for his long standing fans.
Fogerty, 59, finally decided to haul out out the CCR hits for his 1997 tour and continued the trend Sunday night to the appreciation of the packed house.

Asked whether he would be at the concert if he knew Fogerty would not play his CCR hits, Jimmy Roberts, 48, from the Northwest Valley said, “It would personally hurt me if he did not play the Creedence songs.”
Other fans, like Jake Chamberlain, 21, of Mesa, stated emphatically that he would have attended the show, CCR hits or not.
“John Fogerty is CCR,” he said. “He is like Bob Dylan, a powerful voice.”

Backed by drums, bass, and two guitarists, Fogerty — dressed casually in black pants and a red and
black striped shirt — kicked off the show with the swampy CCR classic “Born On The Bayou,” proving that the distinctive blues howl and the Delta blues influenced guitar playing that informed the classic
Creedence Clearwater Revival sound were going to be on the main menu on this evening.

Fogerty included only a handful of songs from his solo career, most notably his 1985 hits “The Old Man Down The Road” and “Centerfield,” during which he twanged around on a guitar shaped like a Louisville Slugger baseball bat. But it was clearly the CCR songs the crowd had come to hear and the audience rewarded the singer with sustained applause and glowing adoration throughout the show, often dancing in the aisles and singing along with the instantly recognizable choruses.

With the crowd standing on their feet for the last half of the show, Fogerty finished his nearly two hour set with a rush of classics, the final encore whipping the crowd into a frenzy with the more apt than ever “Fortunate Son” and his signature tune “Proud Mary.”

“Pure fun,” stated Paul Bernsten, 52, of Phoenix, who first saw Fogerty with CCR in Phoenix in 1968. “Absolutely top notch.”

Dan McGuiness, 25, who drove down from Sedona to see the show, said “I'd see John Fogerty if he had a cold and had no voice!”

With a new solo album due in stores in September, Fogerty let the the Dodge Theater crowd know that he is still is vital force in American rock ’n’ roll.

Arizona blues legend Hans Olson opened the show with a well received solo set of country blues that showcased his fine voice, stellar guitar playing, and virtuoso harmonica work.

Set List:

Born On The Bayou
Green River
Suzie Q
Blueboy
Up Around The Bend
Midnight Special
Cotton Fields
Lookin’ Out My Back Door
Jambalaya
Centerfield
Have You Ever Seen The Rain
Who’ll Stop The Rain
Lodi
Down On The Corner
Blue Ridge Mountain Blues
Deja Vu
110 In The Shade
Hot Rod Heart
Before You Accuse Me
The Old Man Down The Road
Travelin’ Band
Bad Moon Rising
Fortunate Son
Proud Mary