All those classic songs! As my friend said as we were taking in Creedence Clearwater Revisited, “There’s got to be something wrong with you if you don’t like this music”. When I think of American rock bands Creedence is always at the top of my list. And when you go to a CCR show you know exactly what you’re going to get; hit after hit, performed to perfection, and, if you’re of a certain age, memory after memory.

So yes, I had a great time at this show. Original band members Stu Cook (on bass) and Doug “Cosmo” Clifford (on drums) are the real deal rhythm section here, so who could do it better? They are joined by John Tristao on vocals and rhythm guitar, Kurt Griffey on lead guitar, and Steve Gunner on keyboards, guitar, and other niceties. Tristao has the gruffy voice, so he’s able to pull off the John Fogerty vocals. He brings back the feel while adding a lot of his own soul to the performances. Often, when his face crunches up, you know he’s reaching deep to hit his notes without compromise. Griffey is a great guitarist. He has the original licks down but adds lots of his own as well. So he sounds like Fogerty sometimes, and other times not, but it always works. And Gunner is the utility infielder, playing all sorts of things that add that extra something special. So besides the fact that there are two original members of Creedence Clearwater Revival, the band as a whole does such a good job you really don’t feel that you’re seeing a tribute band. And you’re really not. Sure the audience is going back in time, but they’re also enjoying themselves immensely right here in the present.

Even if you don’t know the names of the Creedence hits, I’ll bet you’ve heard and can recognize the tunes. From the opener, “Born on the Bayou”, through hit after hit like “Proud Mary”, “Who’ll Stop the Rain”, my personal favorite “Fortunate Son”, or “Bad Moon Rising” (I could go on and on) you just can’t help but feel happy. Fun is the name of the game at a CCR show.  My only criticism is the length of “I Heard It Through the Grapevine”. At first when Griffey went into the break I said cool, with flashbacks of psychedelia dancing through my mind. But he went a bit too long to the point I realized hey, it’s 2011, not 1970, and we just don’t do that anymore. It just seemed a little bit too dated.

Now I know there are always those who will say if Fogerty’s not there, why bother? Well, he can’t be everywhere, and as I said, Revisited puts on a really good show. If you get the chance to see John Fogerty in the flesh, go for it. I sure did a couple of years ago, and it was fantastic. John Fogerty takes his tunes to a whole nother level, and puts on an amazing show. And there’s something that can’t be beat about seeing the singer/songwriter himself. I think the chance of Fogerty getting back together with CCR is slim to none. What I’m saying here is the Creedence Clearwater Revisited will not disappoint. You’ll get something different, but high quality just the same. And it’s a little easier on the pocketbook too, so the value for the money is way up there. I think $15 or $20 bucks would have gotten you into the Wildhorse.

On that subject, as usual, the Wildhorse did a great job of hosting the band. CCR even acknowledged that themselves. The sound was fantastic, although two of my friends agreed Clifford’s snare drum was not prominent enough. It’s a great place to see a show. Good lights, great stage, and great atmosphere. Always helps when you can get a cold one without having to miss a song too.

Bottom line here is that if you like Creedence Clearwater Revival you’ll like Creedence Clearwater Revisited too. And if you don’t like either version of Creedence, what’s wrong with you anyway? For more info on the band (like tour dates, merchandise, etc.) go to www.creedence-revisited.com.

Creedence Clearwater Revisited performed at Wildhorse Saloon on 6/19/2011