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Live at Pacific Amphitheatre
September 9, 2024 Review by John Gilhooley
Walking into the Pacific Amphitheatre, it became clear I was about to take a trip back in time.
From the fashion choices on display – bell bottom jeans, fringed denim jackets, tie-dyed tees, and Wallabees shoes – to the plethora of American flags on display by retired military members (perhaps relating to “Fortunate Son”), it got me thinking what a great time in music it must have been in the early 1970s when Creedence Clearwater Revival was on top of the world.
Concertgoers were greeted by a large banner displaying “John Fogerty Creedence Clearwater Revival the Celebration Tour,” and with his copyright and legal issues behind him, we were all looking forward to enjoying songs from Fogerty’s long list of hits.
Hearty Har opened the evening and from the outset, it became obvious that their musicianship was next level. The reason why became clear when the band member introductions began: “I’m Tyler Fogerty and over there is my brother Shane Fogerty.”
In addition to Shane (guitar and vocals) and Tyler (guitar and vocals), Hearty Har includes Jesse Wilson (bass), Richard Millsap (drums), Nick Stratton (guitar), and Douglas Lamothe (keys). The Los Angeles band has been playing since 2012 and Hearty Har is a well-tuned machine with those 12 years under their belts.
After a short break, it was time for the legend himself. Before taking the stage, we were shown a video tribute of the 50 years of Creedence Clearwater Revival. It included the backstory of how John Fogerty signed a bogus contract when he was 20 years old and it has taken him most of his adult life to regain the rights to his songs.
Creedence Clearwater Revival hit when the British Invasion was happening and their manager and record label insisted on them using the name The Golywogs.
They used the very unusual name for their style of music may have been confusing, but they did follow the advice and even put out some music. For instance, the song “Fight Fire” is a Golywogs song and Fogerty told the story before he played the song mid set.
After the very interesting video, Fogerty and the band hit the stage and started the set with “Bad Moon Rising,” then went into “Up Around the Bend,” “Green River,” and “Born on the Bayou.”
During the first break, Fogerty told the near-capacity crowd, “It’s a family affair up here,” and introduced the band as well as his sons Shane and Tyler on guitars.
He told the story of how he lost everything, which inspired him to write the next song, “Who’ll Stop the Rain.”
They took us through “Lookin’ Out My Back Door,” “Rock and Roll Girls,” and “Effigy” and Fogerty took a moment to talk to the crowd. The backstories were just as good as the show and when Fogerty showed off his favorite guitar, he described getting his Gibson Les Paul back when he began playing and putting a humbucker pickup in it because he heard “that’s what Jimmy, Jeff, and Eric were doing back in the UK” and “it’s still the best sounding tone in rock and roll.”
He continued, “I played this guitar at Woodstock. Then I lost it, lost everything… and my dog even bit me.”
He introduced his wife Julie and stated, “She saved my life.” Julie “got my guitar back” and he credited her with leading the legal battle to reclaim the rights to his songs. Fogerty explained, “She just wouldn’t give up and I had a plan… I outlived all those sons of bitches!” The fans roared and it was incredible to hear these stories straight from the man himself.
Fogerty then broke into the song he wrote for Julie, “Joy of My Life.” He said, “We just celebrated 33 years of marriage” and the video screen behind the band displayed photos of their life together.
After that heartfelt moment, they did the previously mentioned “Fight Fire,” followed by “It Came Out of the Sky,” “Long as I Can See the Light,” and a cover of “I Heard It Through the Grapevine” originally done by Gladys Knight & the Pips cover.
The band moved into “Keep on Chooglin’” and we were in awe when Fogerty did a tapping guitar solo Eddie Van Halen style. Not to be outdone, it was followed by a drum solo, a harmonica solo, and every band member showing off their incredible skills.
PACIFIC AMPHITHEATRE
Costa Mesa, California
September 3, 2024
“Have You Ever Seen the Rain?” brought the crowd to their feet and had them singing along. After “Centerfield” and “Down on the Corner,” “The Old Man Down the Road” ended with an insane guitar solo from Shane Fogerty. We truly witnessed a legacy of musical talent that I’m sure we will see for years to come, courtesy of the Fogerty family.
The mega hit “Fortunate Son” closed the set, but we could not let Fogerty and crew leave without an encore. Fogerty re-took the stage and said, “We got a couple more for you” before dropping two more Creedence songs: “Travelin’ Band” and “Proud Mary.” These songs once again brought the crowd to their feet as they sang and danced until the very end.
It was an amazing evening in Orange County with a legendary performer giving us a setlist of iconic songs!
TO FOLLOW
SID240910 | TRACI TURNER | EDITOR
