John Fogerty SONY Center Toronto ON 2012-09-14

John Fogerty is going the route of a handful of other artists that our touring complete album recreations. In Toronto we get Cosmos Factory. Who could ask for anything more?

Opening tonight is Willie Nelson's boy, Lukas Nelson and Promise of the Real. I first saw Lukas when he was 15 or 16 on tour with his dad's band. They were opening for Bob Dylan on the 2004 Ballpark Summer Tour. Lukas played with Willie's band and got one song for himself, Texas Flood. He was well loved by the Bob-mothers following the tour. He even got to come back onstage with Dylan's band, lending some support on I Shall Be Released.

None of that slow ballad stuff for the kid. It's blues, it's rock, it's music not for old people. Pretty impressive sounding set, if a little short. Nice trick following Sympathy for the Devil with and instrumental Amazing Grace. Really enjoyed the opening song, bit of a twist on a Dylan title, Forever Is A Four Letter Word. He channels him a little later with a 'farm' reference reminiscent of the hold Maggies Farm had on Bob. Rockin' guitar, lots of head bobbing, some playing with his teeth and a somersault to end the show. I've added him to my list of "tours to keep an eye on in case they come to your town or somewhere you want to go".

Lukas Nelson and Promise of the Real
SONY Center
Toronto ON
2012-09-14
(opening for John Fogerty)

t01 Forever Is a Four Letter Word
t02    Ain't No Answer
t03    Wasted
t04 Sympathy For the Devil
t05 Amazing Grace
t06    Start to Go


Fogerty is a treat. The show is 2 hours of  pure joy. The set opens fast and furious with a runaway Travelin' Band. From there we get the complete, if not in order, Cosmos Factory. Just an amazing trip back in time when albums meant something from start to end.

Not really much to add when you look at the songs. For me, the show is always about the songs. Seldom do I notice, let alone comment on, the other elements of a live rock show...lighting and special effects. Fogerty put some effort into this tour. We have seven screens on the stage, used to add context to the songs or just show the band. Best put to use on Long As I Can See the Light as Fogerty was surrounded by hundreds of projected candles as he stood on the risers. And smoke cannons, dry ice and pyro-technics. The flame throwers could be felt 8 rows back of center stage.

Some memorable moments throughout the show. A salute to Buck Owens on the name check in Lookin' Out My Backdoor. Woodstock talk before Who'll Stop the Rain. Paying tribute to his musical influences and heroes before the triple shot of cover songs, Before You Accuse Me, My Baby Left Me and I Heard It Through the Grapevine. The sublime version of Long As I Can See the Light. The baseball bat guitar on Centerfield.  A couple of swamp songs back to back in Green River and Born on the Bayou.

And that was only the first half of the show.

But look at the songs.

Here's the set list with the complete Cosmos Factory in mp3's.


John Fogerty
SONY Center
Toronto ON
2012-09-14


Disc 1

t01 Travelin' Band
t02 Lookin' Out My Backdoor (Cosmos Factory, 1970)
t03 Ooby Dooby (Cosmos Factory, 1970)
t04 Who'll Stop the Rain (Cosmos Factory, 1970)
t05 Run Through the Jungle (Cosmos Factory, 1970)
t06 Ramble Tamble (Cosmos Factory, 1970)
t07 Before You Accuse Me (Cosmos Factory, 1970)
t08 My Baby Left Me (Cosmos Factory, 1970)
t09 I Heard It Through the Grapevine (Cosmos Factory, 1970)
t10 Up Around the Bend (Cosmos Factory, 1970)
t11 Long As I Can See the Light (Cosmos Factory, 1970)
t12    Centerfield (Centerfield, 1985)
t13    Green River (Green River, 1969)
t14    Born On the Bayou (Bayou Country, 1969)
t15    Don't You Wish It Was True (Revival, 2007)
t16    Gunslinger (Revival, 2007)

Disc 2

t01    The Midnight Special (Willie and the Poorboys, 1969)
t02    Hot Rod Heart (Blue Moon Swamp, 1997)
t03    Rock and Roll Girls (Centerfield, 1985)
t04    Keep On Chooglin' (Bayou Country, 1969)
t05    Lodi (Green River, 1969)
t06    Have You Ever Seen the Rain (Pendulum, 1970)
t07    Pretty Woman
t08    Down On the Corner (Willie and the Poorboys, 1969)
t09    The Old Man Down the Road (Centerfield, 1985)
t10    Fortunate Son (Willie and the Poorboys, 1969)
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t11    Hey Tonight (Pendulum, 1970)
t12    Bad Moon Rising (Green River, 1969)
t13    Proud Mary (Bayou Country, 1969)