John Fogerty made his mark on music history during the late 1960’s into the early 1970’s with Creedence Clearwater Revival, stamping him a rock n roll icon. Through the past 4 decades in Creedence Clearwater Revival’s absence, Fogerty’s signature voice and powerful songs remain the inspiration of a generation. On Thursday January 30th, the second evening of back to back performances, Fogerty played to a packed room at Long Island’s premier music venue The Paramount in Huntington, NY.
As Fogerty took the stage with his band, the room had energy flowing through it with all on their feet ready to rock n roll. The evening began with a string of Creedence Clearwater Revival classics including “Hey Tonight”, “Green River”, and “Lodi”. While the venue was set up for seating on the floor this evening, you’d be hard pressed to find anyone sitting down throughout the set, with most singing and dancing in the aisles. Fogerty’s voice stood tall, sounding strong and as distinct as ever, bringing smiles to the faces of everyone in attendance. The mood only elevated when the hit and favorite “Who’ll Stop the Rain” began. The song resonated through the halls of The Paramount, and amazingly this was only the beginning of a set decorated with so many more surprises. Fogerty’s band was right on the mark with a tight crisp sound playing through songs like “Ramble Tamble” and “Born on the Bayou”. The talented Kenny Aranoff on drums really lit the stage up with his performance, reminding fans of all his accomplishments among other rock legends over the years.
The evening marched on with some of Fogerty’s songs from his most recent album Wrote a Song For Everyone (2013), mixing nicely with the classics. The crowd showed their appreciation for newer tunes with applauds and consistent enthusiasm. Fogerty also displayed an exuberant enthusiasm all night speaking to the crowd often, telling personal stories about his family and experiences. This personal touch really grabbed the audience, giving them a glimpse into the artist and his life. Adding to an already exciting evening, his son Shane also played guitar on stage, proving beyond the shadow of doubt music runs in the blood of the Fogerty family.
Keeping energy levels high and displaying that he’s remained in tremendous shape over the year, Fogerty and his band played on with highlights such as “I Heard It Through the Grapevine”, “Midnight Special”, and “Oh, Pretty Woman”. It was a trip down memory lane showered with rock n roll classics with one hit after another keeping The Paramount going wild. The crowd sang along with a great deal of the night and you could feel the room vibrating with warmth and happiness through songs like “Have You Ever Seen the Rain?”, “Down on the Corner”, and “Centerfield”. The set closed out with perhaps the most intense song of the evening in “Fortunate Son”. Looking at faces in the crowd it was evident this song has deep meaning. You could over-hear fans in the audience speaking of how the song, among others performed, helped them get through Vietnam; giving them an incentive to survive through the music and its messages.
Fogerty took a short break only to treat fans to an encore of “Bad Moon Rising” and one of the best rock songs of all-time “Proud Mary”. This was more than just a rock show for most; it was a chance to relive some of the best of Creedence Clearwater Revival along with an array of other legendary tunes. There is a reason John Fogerty has been in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for the better part of two decades, and he proved it two nights in a row at The Paramount.
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