Creedence Clearwater Revisted 9-2-2005

Creedence Clearwater Revisited-Plus at the Cerritos Center

By Glen Creason


A funny thing happened to the feel-good, full-throttle Creedence concert at the Performing Arts Center over the weekend. The re-tooled band has established a local rep for high-energy, seamlessly rip-snorting sets that rarely cool below red-hot. These pop-musical gems are culled from the evergreen song chest of 1960’s legend-group Creedence Clearwater Revival and just keep on chooglin’ after all these years. On this Cerritos occasion CCR did it all and then some. The stayed close to the golden vest and gave the crowd everything they wanted and everything the band had for a solid hour and a half. Yet, they forgot a little something too.
The current grouping includes originals Stu Cook and “Cosmo” Clifford along with long-time dead-on lead-singer John “Bulldog” Tristao, peripatetic keyboardist Steve Gunner and most valuable newcomer, guitarist Tal “T-Bone” Morris. Morris elevated the evening from a greatest-hits romp to a master’s course in guitar-riff improvisation. Each of the songs, fine on their own were brightened, expanded musically and given an extra glint by this young guitar master. They opened with “Born on the Bayou,” “Green River,” “Lodi,” and a “Commotion” that was all of that with some guitar bravura tossed in for a dressing. The trademark Creedence southern gumbo sound resonated throughout the hall and got groups to their feet in the first half hour. After one or two songs, no one really cares that the big Fogerty brother is no longer in the group and the songs become the message once again.
The rollicking bayou pulse continued to pump fresh blood into “Who’ll Stop the Rain,” an ecstatic, extended “Suzy Q” complete with Morris’ labyrinthine solo and “Hey Tonight” without a hint of slowing to a trot. “Long as I Can See the Light” was as close to introspective as the boys got. From the momentary lull in full-throttle the band idled for a second and then roared to the finish through “Down on the Corner,” %u2