4°c Clear
17°c Sunny
Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION
Fogerty's huge songbook still rocks
Stunning body of work drives MTS Centre wild
John Fogerty rocks the crowd at the MTS Centre. (BORIS MINKEVICH / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS ) Photo Store
Elvis Presley may have been the king of rock 'n' roll, but John Fogerty is surely the sultan of songwriters.
Close your eyes when the former Creedence Clearwater Revival frontman bellows out one of his seemingly countless hit songs and you're easily transported to a swamp in the bayou or a lively street corner. If you let your mind drift even deeper, you're suddenly running through a war-torn jungle in Vietnam.
As Fogerty took the stage at the MTS Centre on Thursday night in front of more than 8,000 mostly middle-aged fans who knew his songs by heart but couldn't wait to hear them again, he didn't have much to say before he got down to business. "Come on, let's have a good time," he announced to the crowd with a vibrant voice that defies his 67-year-old vocal cords.
He jumped out of the gate with Lookin' Out My Back Door and in short order it became apparent Fogerty can still hit the high notes he's famous for. Unlike many artists of his generation who have run out of gas and seem to prefer talking us through their songs, Fogerty has admirably maintained a fresh-sounding voice that continues to not only showcase his vocal range but also seems to keep his songs sounding relevant.
He moved quickly into Ooby Dooby, a bluesy version of a somewhat obscure Roy Orbison song, but it worked nicely to show off Fogerty's legendary guitar chops. Before breaking into Who'll Stop the Rain, he reminisced about CCR's performance at Woodstock way back in 1969. Yeah, Fogerty was at Woodstock.
Things got swampy when Run Through the Jungle arrived flanked by some creepy green lights and enough fake fog to blanket the first 10 rows. I've seen better smoke shows in my neighbour's garage but hey, nobody was expecting a huge stage show at a Fogerty concert. The man up front was the attraction and he kept it simple with a plaid shirt and blue jeans, and so did most of the crowd come to think of it, while the rest all seemed to be wearing Harley-Davidson T-shirts.
He moved through the night with a quick step and never really took a break, laying out both CCR and solo hits alongside covers like Before You Accuse Me by Bo Diddley and possibly the most famous cover song of all time, CCR's version of the Miracles' I Heard it Through the Grapevine.
By press time he was belting out Midnight Special and the local yahoos were shaking up the arena as if at a good old barn dance. It was a sure bet he would finish with hits such as Bad Moon Rising, Down on the Corner and Proud Mary, as the hits just seemed to keep on rolling.
A night with Fogerty reminds us, love him or hate him, just how much his music has been a soundtrack to our lives. He has been there with us from high school dances to weddings, divorces, grimy bars and the radio of every single car that has taken us there.
Thanks to his distinct voice and the questions his songs ask, the encouragement they deliver and the words of warning they resound, there's no denying John Fogerty has left an indelible mark on the face of music. He proved that Thursday night with one terrific song after another.... as if the 140 million records sold worldwide hadn't already done that for him.
paul.williamson@freepress.mb.ca
Concert review
John Fogerty
MTS Centre
Thursday, September 20, 2012
Attendance: 8,000 according to security (not confirmed by MTS PR)
HHHH OUT OF HHHHH 4 out of 5
Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition September 21, 2012 A10
More Latest News
- Back to Top
- Return to Latest News
More Latest News
(1 of 50 articles for this week)
Japanese man, 80, becomes oldest climber to reach top of Mount Everest
1:18 AM 0
Poll
Most Popular Latest News
- Man dies after being pulled from vehicle submerged in Winnipeg retention pond
- Winnipeg woman camps out in front of legislature to protest child welfare
- Grocer Joe Cantor dies at 88
- Two men now facing first-degree murder charges in Tim Bosma test drive death
- New owner for lumber stores
- New downtown tower could be 42 storeys tall: developers
- 2 dead in crash near Portage la Prairie
- Man killed after test drive a regular guy, and it cost him his life: widow
- Chiropractor guilty of sexually assaulting, beating ex-girlfriend
- Famous city grocer loved job, customers
- 87-year-old woman tells jurors, 'Somebody had to stand up to' Donald Trump
- Man dies after being pulled from vehicle submerged in Winnipeg retention pond
- Aboriginal leader Elijah Harper dies
- Horrific crash kills minivan driver near Brandon
- Woman killed in head-on crash in southwestern Manitoba
- Charleswood deaths being investigated as domestic incident
- Grocer Joe Cantor dies at 88
- Winnipeg woman camps out in front of legislature to protest child welfare
- Rainfall warning issued for southern Manitoba
- Crushing blow for amateur sport
- Seattle man dribbling soccer ball to Brazil killed by car on Oregon Coast
- 87-year-old woman tells jurors, 'Somebody had to stand up to' Donald Trump
- Man dies after being pulled from vehicle submerged in Winnipeg retention pond
- Driver crashes into tree near golf course
- Arrests made after raids on local head shops
- Aboriginal leader Elijah Harper dies
- News of city's $17-million winner leaks out on FB
- Passengers from diverted flight to leave Winnipeg Thursday night
- No threat from bag found at Winnipeg Square
- Susan Griffiths dies in Switzerland
- New owner for lumber stores
- Grocer Joe Cantor dies at 88
- Famous city grocer loved job, customers
- Developers to unveil plans for bold downtown tower
- Heritage Winnipeg hosting 10th annual Doors Open Winnipeg this weekend
- Order of Manitoba recipients announced
- Paying bills and consumer consumption hurting Canadians' ability to save: study
- Underwood leaves fans blown away
- Horrific crash kills minivan driver near Brandon
- Creative industries can fuel a city's economic engine
- New owner for lumber stores
- Aboriginal leader Elijah Harper dies
- Grocer Joe Cantor dies at 88
- Marsh Madness: Photographers Fred Greenslade and Joe Bryksa capture spring migration's grandeur at Delta Marsh
- Horrific crash kills minivan driver near Brandon
- Prominent Canadians back petition to rename Victoria Day to honour aboriginals
- Famous city grocer loved job, customers
- Animals are animals, new ads say
- Skin picking gets status as distinct disorder, should help sufferers access help
- Order of Manitoba recipients announced
- New owner for lumber stores
- Aboriginal leader Elijah Harper dies
- Dogs can experience separation anxiety and depression just like humans
- Ontario steps in to help save ELA
- Saskatchewan professor wants to test the health benefits of nose-picking
- 'Revenge of the redheads': Ginger-haired Montrealers gather in celebration
- An uncommon phenomenon
- Passengers from diverted flight to leave Winnipeg Thursday night
- Hundreds pitch in to dig out houses damaged, destroyed by Ochre Beach ice floe
- Grocer Joe Cantor dies at 88
Ads by Google
You can comment on most stories on winnipegfreepress.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments. All you need to do is register and/or login and you can join the conversation and give your feedback.
Have Your Say
New to commenting? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions.
The Winnipeg Free Press does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. By submitting your comment, you agree to our Terms and Conditions. These terms were revised effective April 16, 2010.