LMF - John Fogerty

This week, LMF gives a tip o' the cap to another act that I will be fortunate enough to see perform in November. John Fogerty is a living legend of American rock. Perhaps most famous for his work as the voice and primary creative force - by his own self-centered demand - of Jeffrey "The Dude" Lebowski's beloved Creedence Clearwater Revival. Forty years after Creedence began, Fogerty is still making music and still touring. I wouldn't classify myself as a huge Creedence or Fogerty fan, but I just didn't think it made a lot of sense to pass on the opportunity to see this guy once before he quits, especially in a smaller venue at The Riverside in Milwaukee. I'll be in the second row center of the balcony, which is only about 35 feet from the stage in The Riverside. I am really jacked about it.

Fogerty is a California native who sort of created a false creative history for himself as a Southern, backwoods bayou boy, showing that influence in songs like "Born on the Bayou" - which was later bastardized as the douchebag ad hoc theme song for Brett Favre. Creedence went through phases of bluesy rock, such as "Susie Q" and "Run Through the Jungle," to folksier politically charged strummers like "Who'll Stop The Rain?," to the furious statement rock of "Fortunate Son," perhaps their finest, most relevant moment. Then again, don't forget about Andre Rison's theme song, "Bad Moon Rising." When you look at the work as a whole, you just have to say, "Holy Shit, this dude has really made a busload of music known by entire generations of Americans."

Fogerty went on to some individual success in the 1980s as solo artist, scoring some moderate hits with "Centerfield," which is often used in MLB broadcasts, the country crossover hit "Rock N' Roll Girls,", and, my personal favorite, "Old Man Down the Road," which is featured below. (Make sure you watch it at least through the guitar solo and watch that dude rock out. He's 64 years old, for the love of God!)

Fogerty, by all accounts, is a bit of a pompous asshole as an artist. He refused to sing on songs that were written by his bandmates. He refused to play with the original Creedence members when the group was inducted in the Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame. So, he's not really a guy that I celebrate as a hero of mine, but he has been a major contributor to a lot of music that is worthwhile, and his span of more than 40 years shows he has a lot of staying power and love for the game. If nothing else, his distinctive voice is something that is iconic - a wild, insane sounding howl that personifies the rockabilly / cajun country rock sound. Whatever he is, he's a legend and, as the clip from last year below shows, he can still bring it . I'm really looking forward to the show.