I have a friend, a former high school teacher, who writes Facebook posts about baseball and titles them, 'seams like'. He's a big fan of the game, especially of the St. Louis Cardinals. Most fans can relate to John Fogerty's classic hit, Centerfield - and John played it at his concert on July 15, 2021 in Fort Wayne. It's a crowd favorite that crosses and unites generations.
"Put me in, Coach!" Fans still sing along with the lyrics at major league games.
Fogerty is still a force of nature at age 76. As front man and songwriter for Creedence Clearwater Revival, his creative 'swamp rock' style music spoke to many Americans in the late 1960s and 70s. CCR, a quartet including John's brother Tom, followed The Grateful Dead at Woodstock in 1969. Reportedly, the Dead had a long set into the night and the crowd was sleepy when CCR took the stage August 12, 1969. Fogerty supposedly felt the performance was lackluster, and under the circumstances would not allow CCR to be included in the concert film documentary. Finally in 2019, CCR's Live at Woodstock was released and includes such chart successes such as Bad Moon Rising, Proud Mary, Born on the Bayou and Suzie Q. John and his current band, which included two of his sons, played all these crowd-pleasers at the concert in Fort Wayne recently. Media screens behind the band projected old films of kids riding bikes, dangling in tire swings at bayou riverbanks, and like-mindedly sweet nostalgia.
I am old enough to remember John was nearly always politically active with his music. Anti-Vietnam war groups, Pacifists, and civil rights supporters found his songs uplifting in the '60s and '70s. Folks still feel the same way about his stuff to this day. His song Fortunate Son, which could be considered an anti-war protest anthem, has been celebrated for decades by people all across the political spectrum. John made it into the National Guard right before he was drafted in the 60s.
In January of 2021, Fogerty released his new single, Weeping in the Promised Land, which appears to be a social/political statement about George Floyd's death aftermath and other USA-2020 states of affairs. John is positioning himself to be current and forefront in the global rock and roll scene. This recent song is a soul sensitive, haunting gospel-type ballad.
Sons Shane and Tyler are part of the current band, and are excellent musicians in their own right. John's wife Julie is from Indiana, and the two were married in Elkhart. In addition to their three children together, John has three children from his first marriage which ended in 1970. These old rockers are so amazing - John had incredible energy on stage and his wonderfully raspy, howly, distinctive voice sounds just the same. The audience was clearly delighted.
The Foellinger Theatre is such a fabulous venue - the open-air sides, great refreshments (alcohol too), convenient parking and genial Indiana crowd - what a wonderful evening and what a way to recharge one's batteries! John's a national headliner and so tickets weren't cheap - our seats were about $100 each. But for an occasional splurge, it was well worth it. John's a national treasure - I've listened to Fogerty on the radio nearly all my life, and I've always wanted to see him. I'm so glad I had that chance to make that happen. Peace! I'll be back! If the old man down the road doesn't get me first - you've got to hidey-hide, and jump and run away -
