Fogerty, Fireworks and the Fourth

The Fourth of July is my favorite holiday. Backyard BBQ’s, usually accompanied by some Rock and Roll, then heading out to watch the sky explode at a safe distance with thousands of your friends and neighbors.

I thought I’d reached the pinnacle of Fourth of July fun several years ago, whilst running around a field lighting sparklers and blasting “Purple Haze” as big-time pyrotechnics exploded in the distance.

Until last night, that is - when I had the honor of sitting in so-close-he-winked-at-me seats for the John Fogerty concert at the Hollywood Bowl Fourth of July Fireworks Spectacular, which was in a word, spectacular.

I’ve always loved Creedence Clearwater Revival, whose down-home country rock is the lyrical equivalent of fireflies in a mason jar. I had no idea until last night that Fogerty was born and raised in Berkley, CA - for he’s in possession of the most tootin’ Beverly Hillbillies twang this side of the Mississippi. Perhaps it’s life imitating art, but last night, I really felt like I was in a State Fair honky tonk somewheres, instead of drinking coffee in a box seat in urban Los Angeles.

Fogerty sounded, well - GREAT. He’s 64, and his voice sounded so good that I caught myself several times wondering if there was some lip-synching involved (there was not.) While the guitar riffs may not have been face-melting, they were definitely blistering. And he seemed like he was having a hell of time - there is nothing better than watching a performance where you can tell the performer is really having the time of their life.

Fogerty’s band was fantastic as well, featuring a tremendous fiddler named Dan Hochhalter and a one-of-these things-is-not-like-the-other drummer Kenny Aronoff, who is a bald Dee Snyder lookalike and a pretty kickass drummer to boot.

The band played almost all the hits - which was thrilling and left me wanting more - more songs, more new music from the upcoming Blue Ridge Rangers album, more, more, more. However, for me, the night was at its zenith on my favorite CCR tune, “Fortunate Son.”

I was curious to see if Fogerty would play that one - seeing as how “Son” is not the most patriotic tune, but perhaps the most American. To me, that song is everything that’s great about America AND rock and roll - it tells it like it is, it’s a call to arms, and it gets you movin.’ I realized during the song that artists like John Fogerty are so important because they have given this country and this world a such incredible gifts - the gift of songs like these, which will last long after we do and hopefully will inspire generations to come, just like they’ve inspired me.

Happy Fourth of July, Rockers-

-KB