The atmosphere inside Boston’s MGM Music Hall was buzzing with excitement and a deep sense of historical significance on November 14th as rock and roll icon John Fogerty brought his Legacy Tour to a triumphant close. This run was in direct support of his latest recording, Legacy: The Creedence Clearwater Revival, a deeply personal project on which he revisits and celebrates the seminal songs he wrote, often credited with helping shape the very foundations of rock history. This record is both a celebration and a profound act of reclamation, featuring newly recorded versions of his biggest hits and marking the first time in his career that Fogerty fully owns the rights to his music. Backed by his talented family band, this newfound control and continuing celebration of his musical heritage were abundantly apparent the moment Fogerty and company took the stage.
The palpable mood of celebration was immediately infectious. Following an emotional, commemorative video introduction highlighting his journey, Fogerty, dressed in his customary denim pants and a comfortable flannel shirt, took the stage with his band. He immediately kicked off the night with the unmistakable opening chords of “Bad Moon Rising.” The atmosphere was visually stunning, with Fogerty playing against an impressive backdrop of hypnotizing stage lights and a massive video screen displaying a bright, full moon complete with ominously moving clouds, which was a well-orchestrated visual pairing for the classic CCR opener.
Throughout the evening, Fogerty treated the audience to a beautifully curated setlist that was a true reflection of his storied career. The show was chock full of those legendary Creedence Clearwater Revival hits that defined a generation, smoothly interwoven with several well-known Fogerty solo hits, and spiced up with a couple of carefully chosen deep cuts and cover songs that held immense personal meaning.
The first half of the set was a relentless, high-energy barrage of CCR classics, designed to immediately satisfy and transport the dedicated crowd. The band barely paused between anthems as they rolled out hit after hit, including the catchy, driving rhythm of “Up Around the Bend,” the swampy, nostalgic grooves of “Green River,” the fan-favorite energy of “Bayou,” and the powerful, atmospheric plea of “Who’ll Stop the Rain.” The opening stretch confirmed that Fogerty’s voice remains a powerful and recognizable instrument, delivering the songs with the same grit and authenticity as ever.
Mid-set, the structure shifted slightly, allowing Fogerty and his band to pepper in some of his well-known solo tunes and a few heartfelt cover songs. This segment included his rollicking hit “Rock and Roll Girls,” which had the Boston crowd dancing in the aisles. A particularly heartwarming moment arrived when he introduced Rockin’ Sidney’s zydeco classic, “My Toot Toot.” Fogerty was giddy as a schoolgirl while talking about his love for the song, taking a moment to express how the music of this era helped fundamentally shape him as both a musician and a songwriter.
The second half of the performance marked a noticeable increase in both celebratory energy and musical intensity as the band returned to the deep well of the CCR catalogue, mixing in some of Fogerty’s own chart-topping material. This run was built around a steady delivery of heavy hitters, demonstrating the sheer volume and longevity of his output, featuring gems like the reflective “Have You Ever Seen the Rain?” and his signature baseball ode, “Centerfield.”
The momentum continued to build with the infectious rhythms of “Down on the Corner” and the blues-tinged storytelling of “The Old Man Down the Road.” The performance reached a fever pitch with the arrival of one of CCR’s biggest and most potent hits, “Fortunate Son.” The song felt as vital and timely today as it did when it was written, delivered with a fierce passion that cemented its place as a cornerstone of the American rock canon and showcased the tight musical chemistry of his family-backed ensemble.
As the evening neared its inevitable conclusion, Fogerty paused for an emotional and genuine expression of thanks. He sincerely expressed his appreciation for his fans’ unwavering dedication, along with his deep love and gratitude for his sons, Shane and Tyler, who form the backbone of his phenomenal backing band. Most notably, he credited his wife, Julie, as the driving force behind his recent artistic and legal victories, acknowledging her for fighting relentlessly to help him finally reclaim ownership of his songs and spearheading the production of the Legacy project. A makeshift bar was then dramatically rolled out center stage, allowing Fogerty and his entire band to pour a celebratory glass of champagne and toast the success of the tour as a final, celebratory moment marking the conclusion of the entire run.
The band took their obligatory two-minute breather set break, but somehow, Fogerty, who possessed the energy of a man fifty years younger, quickly returned to the stage. For the encore, he led the band through a rousing, exuberant rendition of “Traveling Band,” immediately followed by the timeless swamp-rock energy of “Proud Mary.” It was a fitting, energetic conclusion to a tour that was far more than just a concert; it was a deeply personal victory lap, reaffirming John Fogerty’s well-earned place among music’s true legends.
