John Fogerty Concert Review: A Night of CCR Classics at CMAC

John Fogerty played CMAC on September 5th, 2026, with Steve Winwood opening the night, and it felt like one of those concerts where you realize just how much talent you are about to see in one night.

Winwood was great from the start, and then Fogerty came out with a video on the screen where he talked about how excited he was to finally have his songs back after all these years. That gave the night a little more meaning before he even walked out. These songs already mean so much to so many people, but hearing him talk about having them back made it feel even more special.

Then he came out and kicked things off with “Bad Moon Rising,” which was pretty much the perfect way to start his set. Right away, the band sounded tight and John sounded great. Sometimes with artists who have been around that long, you go in hoping the songs will carry the night, but Fogerty himself still brought so much energy to them.

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Quick Details

Artist: John Fogerty
Date: September 5th, 2026
Venue: CMAC
Location: Canandaigua, NY
Opening Act: Steve Winwood
Encore: “Lodi” and “Proud Mary”
Highlights: “Green River,” “Born on the Bayou,” “Who’ll Stop the Rain,” “Joy of My Life,” “Keep On Chooglin’,” “Down on the Corner,” “The Old Man Down the Road,” and “Proud Mary”

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Steve Winwood Opened the Night

Before John Fogerty came out, Steve Winwood opened the show with a really strong set of his own. I was excited to see Fogerty, but Winwood was honestly very good too, and his set made the whole night feel even bigger.

He played a great mix of songs from throughout his career, including Traffic, Blind Faith, The Spencer Davis Group, and his solo work. “Roll With It” and “Back in the High Life Again” were two of my personal favorites from his set, but the entire thing was great.

Seeing Steve Winwood live also made me appreciate even more how talented he is as a musician. That is something you already know from listening to the records, but it definitely gets amplified in a live setting. There was just a level of musicianship there that made his opening set feel like a huge part of the night on its own.

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John Fogerty at CMAC Concert Review

The first stretch of the show was basically a reminder of how many Creedence Clearwater Revival songs are just permanently built into classic rock history. “Bad Moon Rising,” “Up Around the Bend,” “Green River,” and “Born on the Bayou” all came early, and it never felt like the show needed time to warm up. It was already there.

“Green River” was one of the first big highlights for me. There is just something about that song live that works so well. It has that swampy, nostalgic feel, but it also moves. “Born on the Bayou” was another one that sounded huge in person. That opening groove is one of those things you recognize instantly, and hearing it live from John Fogerty himself is pretty hard to beat.

Another cool moment came before “Who’ll Stop the Rain.” John talked about writing it right after playing Woodstock in 1969, and while the band played, there was video footage of the Woodstock crowd out in the rain and mud. That made the song hit a little differently. It is already one of those songs that feels reflective and timeless, but connecting it back to that moment, with the video playing was pretty cool.

The show also had some nice variety beyond just the obvious CCR hits. “Rock and Roll Girls,” “Joy of My Life,” “Centerfield,” and “The Old Man Down the Road” helped show the other side of Fogerty’s career too. “Joy of My Life” was one of the most beautiful moments of the night. He dedicated it to his wife and talked about how she was the backbone of his life and helped him get his songs back. With his sons also up there playing with him, that moment made the whole show feel like a family affair. It was one of those moments that made the show feel personal without slowing it down too much.

“I Heard It Through the Grapevine” was another fun one because CCR’s version has always had its own identity. It is a cover, but they made it feel like it belonged in their world. Live, it gave the band a chance to stretch out a little, and it fit really nicely in the middle of the set.

“Keep On Chooglin’” was another big highlight. That song just feels like it was made to be played live. It has that loose, rolling energy where the band can really dig in, and it brought a different kind of fire to the show.

But my favorite performance of the night may have been “The Old Man Down the Road.” I always liked the song, but I do not know if I ever fully realized how great it really is until hearing it live. John and his son trading guitar solos was unbelievable, and that song had one of the strongest performances of the whole night.

Read our deep dive on “The Old Man Down the Road” here:

The Old Man Down The Road Meaning: John Fogerty’s Battle With The Music Business

Of course, the final run of songs was exactly what you would want from a John Fogerty show. “Fortunate Son” brought that punch and urgency that still makes it one of his most powerful songs. Then the encore started with “Lodi,” which was a great choice because it gave the crowd one more classic sing-along moment before they went into their final song.

And then he closed with “Proud Mary.”

That is probably the song most people were waiting for, and it was the perfect ending. Some songs are just too big to feel like regular songs, and “Proud Mary” is definitely one of them. Ending with that one made the whole night feel complete.

John Fogerty is on nugs. nugs is a really cool platform for music lovers, where you can stream live concerts and they have a lot of On Demand concerts available to listen to and watch. Check it out if you get the chance.

NUGS.NET

Full Setlist

Bad Moon Rising
Up Around the Bend
Green River
Born on the Bayou
Who’ll Stop the Rain
Lookin’ Out My Back Door
Rock and Roll Girls
I Heard It Through the Grapevine
Joy of My Life
Fight Fire
Keep On Chooglin’
Have You Ever Seen the Rain?
Long as I Can See the Light
Centerfield
Down on the Corner
The Old Man Down the Road
Fortunate Son

Encore:
18. Lodi
19. Proud Mary

Final Thoughts

John Fogerty’s CMAC show was so much fun! This guy just has so many classics. The band sounded great, Fogerty still had the voice and energy to carry the night, and the personal moments about Woodstock, his wife, and getting his songs back made the show feel more meaningful.

It is one thing to look at a setlist and realize how many classics he played. It is another thing to hear them all in one night and be reminded just how deep his catalog really is.

For me, the biggest surprise of the night was probably “The Old Man Down the Road,” but the whole show was filled with moments like that. It was a great night of classic songs, great guitar playing, and one of rock’s most recognizable voices still sounding like he belongs right there on stage.

With Steve Winwood opening the night and Fogerty closing it with so many classics, the whole concert felt like a celebration of songs that have been part of people’s lives for decades. Winwood’s set brought its own level of musicianship and history, and then Fogerty’s set turned into a full night of songs that everyone in the crowd seemed to know by heart.

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