Power, passion, precision mark John Fogerty’s opening of ‘Fortunate Son’ at Venetian

By John Katsilometes

Published Saturday, Jan. 9, 2016 | 2:49 p.m.

Updated Saturday, Jan. 9, 2016 | 4:50 p.m.

Before the start of John Fogerty’s rock show at Venetian Theater, a video clip of Elvis is played for the crowd. This is from his Las Vegas heyday, at the Las Vegas Hilton, and he’s dressed in the requisite rhinestone-studded jumpsuit and matching cape.

Moments later, the star of this show arrives appearing with all the fiery fanfare of an Elvis performance. Pyro and smoke explode from the stage as the co-founder of the still-revered rock band Creedence Clearwater Revival arrives through the trap door used as an effect in “Phantom — The Las Vegas Spectacular.”

Boom! Viva Fog Vegas!

But Fogerty himself is not so flashy, even with the pyrotechnics and confetti that trumpet his arrival. For his debut on the Strip, on the night of Elvis’ 81st birthday, he’s wearing an outfit you could buy at Target: a plaid shirt and matching jeans, both blue. As Fogerty recently said: “I’m kind of corny. I’m not always up on the latest hip, cool thing that’s happened.”

All he is up to is delivering the rock and roll. As smoke and a cascade of groovy paper flowers descend on the theater, Fogerty slams into “Around the Bend” to launch a rock ’n’ roll revival delivered with all the delicacy of one of his Harleys. Fogerty plays seven more dates in this quickie residency, the remaining dates being tonight, then Jan. 13, 15-16, 20 and 22-23. Tickets start at $59.50 (absent fees) and are on sale at any Venetian or Palazzo box office, online at Venetian.com/entertainment/shows/john-fogerty and by phone at (702) 414-9000 and (866) 641-7469.

Dubbed “Fortunate Son in Concert,” borrowing from one of the many CCR hits, Fogerty brings a refined, roaring rock show to the Strip. Bruce Springsteen expressed Fogerty’s appeal ideally when inducting him into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of CCR: “He was severe, he was precise, he said what he had to say, and he got out of there.”

That is true today. From the first segments of the show, it is clear Fogerty, at 70, still plays guitar with terrific zeal and acumen. Or maybe it’s better to say “guitars,” as swapping out the instruments — from a Gibson at the start to his Louisville Slugger for “Centerfield” near the end — is Fogerty’s version of a costume change. His voice still reaches the high notes with seeming ease, noteworthy during such classics as the screeching “Born on the Bayou” and “I Put a Spell on You.”

Artistically and physically, Fogerty remains robust, and his energy and passion hit the crowd in waves. This theater might have been built for the Phantom and Andrew Lloyd Webber, but Fogerty shook the place like Jerry Lee Lewis. Rarely does a proper theater on the Strip lend itself to a such a full-effort rock show, but that is the Fogerty experience, as it is evident he is making the most of every moment of this eight-show spree. The crowd was up, shouting, singing and grooving for much of Friday’s show — standing even without the frontman having to implore, “Everybody up!”

The hits, of course, represent a deep reservoir of rock classics and are rolled out in high velocity, backed by LED screens writing out “Suzie Q” in fancy script, or a lush-green swamp setting for a roaring “Born on the Bayou.” A simulated drizzle falls during “Have You Ever Seen the Rain,” and lights flash and flood the stage during “Hey Tonight” and “Fortunate Son” during the end of the set.

In picking what to play, Fogerty gets it. He plays every song in what has been called “The Riot List” of hits, or the list of songs that, if not played, would spark a riot. Behind Fogerty is a fantastic backing band, the RPMs supplied by a rhythm section of Kenny Aronoff on drums and James LoMenzo on bass. Fogerty’s guitarist son Shane was summoned for an unlikely spin through “O Susanna!,” as Fogerty remembered his mother telling him of that song’s writer, Stephen Foster, which helped ignite Fogerty’s interest in composing music. That led to one of the night’s warmer moments, “Who’ll Stop the Rain.”

For some local color, Fogerty’s horn section is drawn from the best of the best in Las Vegas: Rob Stone on sax, Jason Levi on trumpet and Randy Crawford on trombone. That crew was contracted by longtime Las Vegas trumpet player Danny Falcone, son of legendary pianist and music director Vinnie Falcone, who worked for years for Frank Sinatra. And one of Sinatra’s favorite haunts was the Copa Room at the Sands, about on the same spot as Fogerty’s stage at Venetian theater.

Fogerty has said he never imagined headlining Las Vegas and was not aware the Venetian occupied the same spot as the old Sands until just this past week. But he’s into it and is happy to tell the old tales of what he was doing at about the time The Rat Pack lorded over the Strip.

“We were ready to rock out at Woodstock,” he tells the audience in his homespun manner. “We were supposed to follow The Grateful Dead. We get there on a helicopter, and The Grateful Dead had taken an hourlong break. So, anyway, we learned later that they had taken LSD, and that was the reason for the break, and when we got onstage it was 2:30 in the morning and The Grateful Dead had put everybody to sleep!”

Fogerty laughs. “I looked out, and I saw all these people who looked just like me, except they were naked, and they were asleep.”

During that gig, Fogerty remembers seeing one guy standing up and rocking out to CCR in the dead of night.

“I played the whole set for that one guy!” he recalls.

Well, the crowd is wide awake for Fogerty’s roar through time at the Venetian. As the crowd files out, a female fan remarks, “I loved that! But my old ears can’t take too much of this.”

I’d guess that fan was in her mid-60s — just a few years younger than the man who created all that happy noise.

Follow John Katsilometes on Twitter at Twitter.com/JohnnyKats. Also, follow “Kats With the Dish” at Twitter.com/KatsWiththeDish.