Saturday night at Harrah’s Casino in Joliet, Illinois can be a very special place to go, but when they have a musical act playing it’s even better. One of the best traveling bands around played a fabulous show for their audience. Creedence Clearwater Revisited took the stage entertaining fans of all ages and everyone had a great time.
Doug “Cosmo” Clifford and Stu Cook revisited their music with some very worthy musicians. The group jammed for the evening playing such hits as; “Born on the Bayou,” “Down on the Corner,” “Fortunate Son,” “Suzie Q,” and everything else including the kitchen sink. If classic rock radio was a part of your life, you knew every single song played by this fantastic band.
The Band:
Clifford and Cook were the rhythm section canvas for CCR allowing the hired guns to help complete these classic works of art. For over fifty years since these two met they have been entertaining audiences as a super tight group and were very lucky to have been able to reach the success they accomplished.
Tapping away at the drums with the clock like beat was Doug Clifford. His kit may be small, but he didn’t need much else to put on fantastic show with the amount of talent that he has. His experience was apparent throughout the night and he never lost the beat. He was flawless.
Stu Cook provided the bottom end and occasionally went low with his five stringed earth mover. The smooth tones were amplified through an Aguilar amp head and a matching set of SWR four-ten cabinets. He played with precision and was in a synchronized locked with “Cosmo” all night long.
The big man at the front of the stage was John Tristao. His lead vocal capabilities sounded just like the original vinyl pressings. Tristao played some great rhythm guitar and sang Creedence songs with perfection. He acted like a real life cartoon character with his crazy antics on stage and obscure facial expressions. He is a true entertainer and a great front-man for the band.
Guitar virtuoso Tal Morris absolutely screamed on guitar solos through every single song. CCR never sounded so good! Some of the solos stuck pretty close to the studio recordings, but most were embellished on and he added a new and improved twist to the old classics. His tone was sweet music to the ears.
Steve Gunner filled out the group’s sound with vocals, guitar, keyboards, and some small percussion instruments. Although he was in the role of a utility man, everything he added was very well done. This “Jack of all trades” hit some high notes as a backing vocalist, played some tight rhythm guitar, and keyboard accents that were very rich. The songs may not have sounded complete without his musical presence.
The main set ended with a few of the most popular songs being played back to back, including “Bad Moon Rising” and “Proud Mary.” The group took their break from the stage and received their applause for a job well done. They returned to the stage for the encore busting out some more ditties for the fired up crowd. Amongst the CCR hits played during their commanded return was also the Little Richard song “Good Golly Miss Molly.” The show came and went so fast, delighting your ears with their hits, and then they were gone.
The new CCR was absolutely awesome to see and a tremendous way to spend a Saturday night. The group revisited every single hit including “Midnight Special.” The crowd had a lot of energy and a lot of fun dancing in the aisles. The traveling band was having their fun dancing and playing on stage. Creedence Clearwater Revisited is the real McCoy. These genuine rock music icons were a delight to see live and would be suggested to anyone. Their show is a must see!!
