No secret around these parts about my love for live music. Most know I attended a fair amount of concerts over the years. Some years more shows than others. Few disappoint. I generally leave rather satisfied and energized by the music.

Something certainly clicked this past Wednesday eve (June 20, 2018) at Jones Beach. Living legend John Fogerty, the musician extraordinaire behind the sound who wrote and voiced the hits of Creedence Clearwater Revival over seven studio LPs and more solo offerings since, and his excellent band delivered the best performance I ever attended. Sound, voice, energy.

He opened with Travelin’ Band.

Hey Tonight followed.

Who’ll Stop The Rain

Up Around The Bend

Down On The Corner

Centerfield

Fortunate Son

Bad Moon Risin’

Proud Mary

No need existed to hear any more music after John and band left the stage.

Funny thing, more remained: ZZ Top came to play (Indeed Billy Gibbons joined John during his set to perform their new collaboration, The Holy Grail.). Also solid and extraordinary. Never saw that trio in concert. Never realized just how much of their material – I owned none but in the 70s planned but never purchased Fandango which included Tush– I knew. More than icing on the already delicious cake (speaking of icing here comes a clip of them closing the evening with LaGrange and Tush.). Hmmm!

This summer and fall includes some great shows by legendary artists still in great voice, some in intimate venues. Imagine some more great music live.

Writing this blog I mused whether any one or series of years collectively offered the best set of shows. I keep a list of shows (for many I also have setlists) attended and reviewing said list it would be hard to select any one year as best ever; I know I saw many great shows and a host of great artists. That music can be great still and someone I first saw some 47 years ago could put on such a great show in the present I find hard to fathom – even though it happened.

In my review for LiveNation, I noted that Fogerty performed one cover – probably has at almost every one of his shows I attended – that I care not for. The band performed it great; it included some great drum, bass and keyboard solos; still I’d have preferred at the greatest show I ever saw, swapping out that extended version for Bootleg, Lodi, Green River, It Came Out Of The Sky, and the relatively new Mystic Highway. So a greatest ever show still could have been better. Am I asking too much?