John Fogerty @ General Motors Centre

First time that I saw you

Ohh, you took my breath away

I might not get to heaven

But I walked with the angels that day

                      - Joy of My Life

John Fogerty left his audience with some remarkable memories.  The Looking Out My Back Door tour arrived at the General Motors Centre in Oshawa with enlightening images, and breath taking effects, but it was the heart of the performer that won the night.

There was something different about this evening.  The crowd was older, but one could see a sprinkle of young people throughout the arena, and they were all singing along together and dancing just as passionately.

The audience welcomed their six string hero with a standing ovation.  He in turn, through his iconic voice and haunting guitar solos kept them on their feet.

We all learned that John Fogerty practices four hours a day and runs six miles every morning which shows that his dedication to his music, and the respect to his fans is unparallel in a music industry that often rewards and manufactures musical caricatures.  He walked and run the wide stage throughout the whole evening in order to share his moment with fans, no matter where fate managed to place them. 

He also told them stories. 

He recalled Woodstock and how excited he was to play that festival.  CCR was scheduled to take the stage on Saturday, at 9:30pm.  As a young man he was very excited but nobody told him CCR would follow the Grateful Dead.  The show ran late.  The Grateful Dead began their set at midnight and were interrupted when all the sound went dead.  When they were finished it was 2:30 in the morning.  “I saw a lot of people that looked like me, except they were naked and asleep” he told the crowd.  There was only one fan with a lighter who urged them to play.  The band played on and John Fogerty wondered who would stop the rain?

The evening was very retrospective.  John Fogerty whispered I love you to his daughter Julie at the end of his performance of Joy of my Life.  He dedicated Have you ever seen the rain?  to his daughter Kelsey.  He explained that there is no mistaking it for a sad song, but he no longer thinks and writes about the rain, but rather lives for the rainbow.

The fight with the record company is now behind him and John Fogerty is looking to the future and enjoying the present.  The tour continues and those who are lucky to flood the arenas will have memories to share for the ages.