When I was a little bitty baby, my parents would blast CCR for me. They’re a band that is so deeply engraved into my psyche and I’m sure so many others. When I was offered the chance to see Stu Cook and Doug Clifford, I jumped on it. It maybe a bonus that it was at a Casino, Treasure Island Welch to be exact. Those two are renowned as one of the best rhythm sections in rock and roll history, plus they are playing all the Creedence Clearwater Revival hits. Although, the band bills themselves as Creedence Clearwater Revisited. They have been bringing the songs back to life for about 20 years. Now, they have finally hit their Farewell Tour, and MN showed up.
When the lights went down right at 8:00pm the crowd stood up and cheered, the band took the stage. I was excited to see this reincarnation of CCR. Then I heard the guitar, the opening lick to “Born on the Bayou”. The crowd screamed the words with singer, Dan McGuiness. The band then went into “Green River” and followed it up with one of my personal favorites “Lodi”. By that time the crowd was warmed up and loud.
“Susie Q” was also a notable song from the set. The band did what they do best and had a long jam at the end of the song. Guitarist, Kurt Griffey, absolutely brought the house down and proved how and why he was a part of this legendary band. Throughout the show, Cook would address the crowd with McGuiness, talking and joking with us. He made it feel like we were all part of the show. Near the end of the gig Clifford came down to the mic to thank everyone for their wonderful career. The crowd roared.
CCR ended the set with the fan favorite “Fortunate Son”. You could hear the power and history when Clifford and Cook played that intro together. When the song ended they left with a bow, but the crowd wasn’t finished yet. The band came back out for the encore and played, “Have You Ever Seen the Rain”, “Travelin’ Band” and closed the show with “Up Around The Bend”.
There is something about CCR songs. No matter who is playing them they always feel welcoming. They bring people together and give people something to share. I think that is why Revisited was born, because Cook and Clifford knew they still had something to share. If this band is coming to a town near you I would highly recommend going. You wouldn’t want to miss a historic band and a great time.
