The ‘60s was a turbulent time, filled with war, assassination, riots — and rock and roll. Memories blur, people depart and the past is long gone.
But the music lives on.
Creedence Clearwater Revival—led by singer/songwriter John Fogerty – created a distinct brand of American music that not only rocked, but also measured the heart and soul of a generation coming of age.
Tony Montana is the drummer for the CCR tribute band Creedence Revived. On Thursday in a packed Savannah Center, Montana reminisced about a time he never knew but left an indelible mark on his life.
“I was born in 1969,” said Montana, shirtless and sweaty sitting behind his drum kit. He has flowing black, curly hair that hangs over his shoulders. He held a drumstick in each hand, and looked out into a blinding spotlight.
“When I was born, my Dad was in Vietnam, fighting for his country,” Montana said. “We were all waiting for him to come home. He came home. But there were loved ones who didn’t come home.”
Rich Perez, remarkable lead singer for Creedence Revived, then turned what had been a rollicking concert into an almost spiritual gathering.
“This song is for the loved ones with us, and the ones we miss,” he said. Perez then offered a near gospel-like take on “Long As I Can See the Light.”
The sellout crowd held up lighted cell phones and they swayed those phones back and forth in their hands, adding a soft glow that penetrated the darkness.
Look, tribute bands are a dime a dozen. Most of them can sing the hits and copy a sound. But Creedence Revived did more than that in Savannah Center.
They captured the spirit and the meaning of the music. “These songs defined an era and a generation,” guitarist JD King said. “This music is timeless.”
That’s why Rolling Stone magazine just came out with an issue that called CCR “The biggest band in America in 2024.”
Such classic songs as “Proud Mary,” “Fortunate Son,” “Who’ll Stop the Rain,” “Bad Moon Rising,” “Down on the Corner” and “Have You Ever Seen the Rain,” cemented CCR’s reputation as one of the greatest bands of all time.
Rolling Stone noted that CCR’s greatest-hits collection Chronicle “is currently Number 39, (on the Billboard charts) right ahead of the new Ariana Grande album. It’s higher than anything by the Beatles or the Stones or Zeppelin or Queen.”
Perez, along with bandmates Montana, King and bassist Graham Czach, do their best to uphold the CCR’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame stature.
“We’ve been playing this music for about 17 years,” Perez said. “People who see us say we’ve got so much energy; we must be a new band.
“It’s the songs that inspire us. I’m so grateful to John Fogerty for giving us these songs. It’s an honor to play them.”
It didn’t take long for Creedence Revived to capture that swamp rock CCR vibe. They opened with the piercing guitars and thumping bass on “Bad Moon Rising” and “Green River.”
Next came some psychedelic blues on “I Put a Spell On You,” that sounded like Screamin’ Jay Hawkins meets Jimi Hendrix.
CCR was more than John Fogerty. “He had plenty of help,” Perez said. Other CCR band members included the late Tom Fogerty – John’s brother – Stu Cook and Doug Clifford.
Creedence Revived paid homage to each of them with masterful takes on “Lookin’ Out My Back Door, “Commotion” and “Down On the Corner.”
The band really cut loose on an early CCR number, “Suzie Q.” Perez and King traded nasty guitar licks.
Then the three band members left the stage as Montana ripped through a nearly-five-minute drum attack that might be called percussion therapy. The other members returned to the stage to finish the song.
There were more rocking sounds on “Up Around the Bend,” and “Born on the Bayou.” The mood turned melancholy on “Who’ll Stop the Rain.”
I got a kick out of hearing some of the more obscure CCR songs. “It Came Out of the Sky,” has long been one of my personal favorites and the guys did it justice.
Same could be said of CCR’s cover of Marvin Gaye’s “I Heard Through the Grapevine.” The band turned that Motown classic into a deep, thumping number.
John Fogerty has one of the most unique voices in American popular music. No one can match his vocals, but Perez did an admirable job.
Later in the show, Creedence Revived paid tribute to all the veterans in the audience. “We wouldn’t be here without the sacrifices you made for all of us,” Perez said.
The audience joined in a sing-a-long on “Have You Ever Seen the Rain.” It was more proof that the timeless music of Creedence Clearwater Revival remains as powerful today as it was so long ago.
Tony Violanti writes about music and entertainment for Villages-News.com. He was inducted into The Buffalo Music Hall of Fame as a music journalist.
