John Fogerty @ La Seine Musicale, Boulogne-Billancourt - May 31st, 2023

A few days after celebrating his seventy-eighth birthday, John Fogerty arrives at La Seine Musicale with the energy of a man several decades younger. Perhaps it is the satisfaction of finally regaining control of the songs he spent years fighting to reclaim. Perhaps it is the presence of his sons, whose band Hearty Har serves as both opening act and backing group. Whatever the reason, Fogerty shows few signs of slowing down. His voice remains remarkably intact, his guitar playing as sharp as ever, and his enthusiasm proves impossible to resist. This may technically be an all-seated performance, but much of the audience abandons that idea almost immediately.

The reason becomes obvious from the opening sequence alone. "Bad Moon Rising," "Up Around the Bend," "Green River" and "Born on the Bayou" arrive in rapid succession, a reminder that few songwriters in American popular music can match the concentration of classics Fogerty produced during Creedence Clearwater Revival's brief existence. What follows is a guided tour through the many tributaries of American roots music: country, blues, swamp rock, rock and roll and folk all flowing together into a catalogue that remains astonishingly rich. The fact that so many of these songs were written within the space of only a few years borders on the absurd.

Unsurprisingly, the Creedence repertoire dominates the evening, but Fogerty's solo career is not ignored. "Rock and Roll Girls" still possesses all of its swagger, while "Rockin' All Over the World" arrives exactly when a crowd eager to sing along needs it most. Rather than feeling like interruptions, these songs reinforce the continuity of a career that extends well beyond Creedence's relatively short lifespan.

The evening also serves as a reminder that Fogerty's gifts extend beyond songwriting. On extended workouts such as "Keep On Chooglin'" and "Old Man Down the Road," he demonstrates what generations of guitar players already know: behind the hitmaker is a formidable guitarist. His playing combines country twang, blues grit, psychedelic textures and rock and roll directness into a style that remains instantly recognizable after all these years. Flashiness has never been the point. Every note serves the song, but the authority behind those notes is unmistakable.

The finale belongs to "Proud Mary," introduced with a heartfelt tribute to Tina Turner, whose celebrated interpretation helped transform an already great song into a permanent part of popular culture. By this stage, the audience is entirely on its feet, singing every word, dancing in the aisles and playing air guitar to one of rock's most enduring riffs. It is a fitting conclusion to an evening built around songs that have long since transcended their original recordings.

Many artists reaching this stage of their careers settle into a comfortable victory lap. Fogerty's performance feels different. The songs may be familiar, but the enthusiasm is genuine, and the pride he now takes in performing a catalogue that once seemed permanently out of his grasp gives the evening an added dimension. His place in the American musical canon was secured long ago. What this tour demonstrates is that the connection between the man and the songs remains every bit as powerful as ever.

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