For this month’s edition of Summer of Geezers Concert reviews, you get two old rockers on the same bill! I was fortunate to visit Jiffy Lube Live to see two of my favorite geriatrics, John Fogerty of Creedence Clearwater Revival fame, and one of this area’s legends: George Thorogood and the Delaware Destroyers. What a treat this turned out to be!
George Thorogood and his talented longtime band, the Destroyers took the stage, starting the proceedings with their barn-burning take on the Bo Diddley classic “Who Do You Love” Thorogood’s instantly recognizable guitar, which is a mix of power chords and tasty slide licks, immediately got the crowd on its feet. At 74, George still prowls the stage and sings with the vigor of his youth. I remember seeing him at the height of his fame in 1985 at JMU’s Godwin Hall. Before hitting the jackpot with the massive hit “Bad to the Bone”, Thorogood played just about every dive bar on the East Coast. He visited Harrisonburg’s infamous Train Station on multiple occasions. I was too young to get in the door and by the time my 21st birthday came along, it had burned to the ground. After absolutely scorching versions of “I Drink Alone” and his fine cover of John Lee Hooker’s “One Bourbon, One Scotch, and One Beer”, the band went into one of my favorites for its stellar guitar work, “Gear Jammer”. George and the band got to work as the searing groove got everybody up and moving. Thorogood took center stage and ripped an extended guitar solo mixing his signature slide and some epic lead work. Have mercy! The Destroyers ended the set with “Bad to the Bone” probably the best bar band song ever. The whole crowd roared their approval.
I have listened to John Fogerty from being an infant in a crib until my current status as a not-quite geezer. There was always music playing in the house growing up and Creedence Clearwater Revival was a mainstay. CCR, in four years, produced a string of some of the most recognizable songs in music history. I’m pretty confident that everyone reading this article knows at least one. Fogerty could play for 3 hours straight and you would know them all. Would this legend be capable of delivering the goods at the age of 79? The answer is an emphatic yes!
Fogerty and his band, which includes two of his sons, kicked off the show with “Bad Moon Rising” and in rapid succession, hit the crowd with six classics in a row before he greeted everyone. John’s voice, one of the most authentic ever, was in fine form, still singing in the original key. His guitar work, vastly underrated, was precise and just what the song needed. Fogerty was energetic, moving from one side of the stage to the other, interacting with his sons and the rest of the band. I can’t detect any difference now than when I saw him 26 years ago. The audience was a mixture of Woodstock-era boomers, the children of boomers (me), and many young people. Good music is timeless and it made me happy to see everybody singing along, regardless of age. John sat down at the center of the stage with his dobro and the opening licks of one of my favorite love songs rang out. “Joy of My Life” was written for his wife and is from Fogerty’s fine late-career comeback album “ Blue Moon Swamp” Give it a listen and see if you agree. Fogerty has some awesome songs outside of CCR, including one of the great tributes to baseball “Centerfield”. John has a guitar shaped like a Louisville Slugger that he uses especially for this track. “The Old Man Down the Road” featured an extended guitar workout between father and son that made my mouth drop open. How can someone play this well at 79? The show concluded with “Traveling Band” and “Proud Mary”, which Ike and Tina Turner’s cover is just as good as the original. What a great show and what an American treasure! John Fogerty’s songs will live on forever and his influence on rock, country, and Americana music is still being incorporated by new artists everywhere. 4 ½ canes out of 5.
