MUSIC REVIEW: John Fogerty revisits 1969 at Wolf Trap

VIENNA, Virginia — John Fogerty reminded a near-capacity crowd at Wolf Trap’s Filene Center Tuesday night that 1969 was one extraordinary year for not only America but his former band Creedence Clearwater Revival.

War was still raging in Vietnam, the hippie movement was in full force, the United States landed men on the moon, and his group released three hit albums that helped cement CCR as one of the greatest bands in rock history.

A 15-minute-video retrospective of the pivotal year set the tone for the evening. Displayed on a large monitor above the stage, it reinforced the historical and musical impact of 1969 and concluded with a younger, black-and-white version of Mr. Fogerty singing the band’s hit “Born on the Bayou.”

A large illuminated door opened below the screen, and out of a massive smoke cloud walked the live John Fogerty, musically taking over from his video doppelganger, right on beat, as his five-piece backing band joined in.

That stunning opening was just the start of a shirt-soaking, swampy roots rock performance called “1969: One Extraordinary Year” that mixed some Vegas magic with folksy tales and even a pinch of a KISS pyrotechnics.

Specifically, an energetic, 70-year-old, smiling Mr. Fogerty (that’s right 70) delivered over a 2-hour-long show, encompassing chart-topping songs mainly from his body of work with the legendary CCR.

He led the audience through a daunting 25-song journey (20 from the CCR era), with his unmistakable voice and guitar sound ringing throughout.

Just a few eye- and ear-popping highlights of the night revealed the multifaceted personality of Mr. Fogerty.

• The storyteller — Before playing the hit song, “Who’ll Stop the Rain” the musician offered his extended tale of woe at Woodstock that inspired the 1969 hit. The band’s appearance at the time was muddled by a very late start time and audience indifference as Mr. Fogerty explained the exact cause while lamenting, “the Grateful Dead had put a half a million people to sleep.”

* The family man — Mr. Fogerty’s son, Shane, on tour with him, played a mean rhythm and lead guitar all night for the proud papa, and the pair bonded nicely on stage with an extended jam during the CCR classic “Lodi.”

• A guitar lover — With a taste for collecting the musical instrument as ravenous as Cheap Trick’s Rick Nielsen, the musician had a roadie bring out a couple of tour cases featuring some of his favorite guitars.

The audience got a lesson in the difference of sounds between a Fender Telecaster, a Rickenbacker (teasing the audience with “Suzie Q”) and then a Les Paul Custom that led to steamy version of the Leadbelly song “The Midnight Special.”

• The showman— During the peppy “Keep On Chooglin,’ ” Mr. Forgery not only offered an Eddie Van Halen-style solo but played harmonica and then encouraged legendary drummer Kenny Aronoff during his drum solo. Flames even shot off at the crescendos of the musical action.

• The music fan — During “I Heard it Through the Grapevine,” a perfect example of how Mr. Fogerty was able to take a Motown staple and make it his own, he seemed to enjoy watching a keyboard blitz by bandmate Bob Malone and fiery solo from former Megadeath bass player James LoMenzo. Mr. Lomenzo’s booming efforts were a clap-tapping joy that would make The Who’s John Entwistle smile from the great beyond.

It’s worth noting that the evening was not all about 1969 as he tossed his comeback hit “Centerfield,” the lawsuit-inducing “The Old Man Down the River” and the 2013 country rocker “Mystic Highway,” into the mix.

Mr. Fogerty’s career retrospective closed with the still powerful, anti-war anthem “Fortunate Son,” and an encore featuring two of his old band’s most famous songs “Bad Moon Rising” and “Proud Mary.”

It was a fitting conclusion to an extraordinary run down memory lane.