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Rating: A concert by John Fogerty is a reunion.
A hefty dose of good old rock and roll with a sprinkle of country, to share with revelers of all ages and hair colors, defying the trends of the moment and the fleeting façades of many modern musicians. With Fogerty, you can’t go wrong. After all, you know, it’s only Rock and Roll, but we like it.
The evening is a Saturday at the end of July, the location is the Cavea of the Auditorium in Rome.
The band precedes the entrance of the leader by a few moments, just enough time for a compact sound trailer in perfect “the south will rise again” style. And what a band, one might say: Dorsey Burnette and the loyal Hunter Perrin on guitars, a majestic Kenneth Aronoff, who slaps the drums and literally sends the sticks flying from his hands when centrifugal force gets the better of his nerves. Closing the lines are Glen Hochalter on mandolin and bluegrass violin, James Matthew Nolen on keyboards, and David Santos on bass.
They seem like frontier bandits having a good time.
Then he arrives, a magnificent over-sixty-year-old whom rock preserves both in physique and technique. He outshines the younger guitarists effortlessly: he is still one of the most acclaimed masters of the six strings, and soon he will prove it.
For his first performance in Rome, Fogerty presents a perhaps somewhat crowd-pleasing setlist, certainly the one most of those present were expecting.
It kicks off with “Hey Tonight,” “Green River,” “Who'll Stop the Rain,” and the madness begins.
It seems just like a Creedence concert. And the name of this year's tour, -Revival-, is no coincidence... Fogerty could have whispered more quietly that he was the Creedence (and we knew it anyway), but instead he reasserts it boldly and with pride.
Fogerty reclaims the past and the gems flow sharply down the spine. Among them, “Have You Ever Seen the Rain,” “Suzie Q,” “Midnight Special,” “Born on the Bayou,” a superb “I Put a Spell on You.”
The encores are an additional push under the seats of an all too composed audience, ultimately won over by the rhythm of “Down on the Corner,” “Fortunate Son,” “Rockin' all Over the World,” and “Proud Mary.”
And there they are, all standing at last, stalls and grandstand, blondes and bald heads, 20 and 60 years old, accompanying Fogerty's final leap, which anticipates by a quaver Aronoff's powerful drum closure.
Seems easy.
After all, it’s just Rock and Roll.
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