May 13, 2008

Hey Glass Pack Fans! Mrs.Big Fella and I on a whim drove up to Reno to The Nugget last Friday to catch one of my favorite all-time singers, John Fogerty—he of CCR fame, of course... At almost age 63, both his singing and guitar-playing were absolutely incredible... And this is from a critic who generally is pretty spare with praise on such matters, and is not an inveterate concert attendee.

He sang every song (and the show was of course laden with ALL hits) in the original keys, didn't cheat one note, and was joined by a five-piece band who doubled on various instruments. The ensemble consisted of John on lead guitar, bass, drums, keyboard, and three (3) other guitarists who sometimes played fiddle, and various other acoustic stringed instruments.

From the first swamp-infested notes of "Born on the Bayou"--which kicked off the show-- to the last encore tune "Fortunate Son," it was almost two hours of wonder..."Have You Ever Seen The Rain," "Who'll Stop The Rain," "Green River," "Up Around The Bend," (the entire set list is at www.johnfogerty.com ) ...It was a great incentive to get ready for Butch Whacks Season. I heard John runs six miles a day and it shows... He looks great, plays better guitar than I recall and sounds just like what he is: the premier voice of the rock 'n roll era...

As a pipe dream, he'd be the ideal dance set guest for a BWGP show, wouldn't he? Although I think he'll be in London and then Canada for the "Butch" shows!

See Ya---YOUR BIG FELLA