Creedence Clearwater Revisited Passes the Test of Time with a Farewell Tour Stop in Minnesota

Imagine recording and performing songs that helped define a generation, being a Woodstock headliner in 1969, then getting inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993 and finding out at the last minute you wouldn’t be performing at your own induction ceremony. That’s a sample of what drummer Doug “Cosmo” Clifford and bassist Stu Cook have gone through on their lifelong rock odyssey, which began when they were middle school classmates.

Photo by Jeff Dow

Creedence Clearwater Revival recorded some of America’s most iconic songs between the late 1960s and 1972, with Clifford and Cook comprising the group’s rhythm section while brothers John and Tom Fogerty provided the vocals and guitars. The group released six studio albums together. Then Tom decided to leave, the remaining three squeezed out a final record, and that’s when everything went supernova with John departing, too.

But after Tom’s untimely death in 1990, and the Hall of Fame ceremony snub that resulted in John taking the stage to celebrate the induction with the likes of Bruce Springsteen and others instead of Clifford and Cook, something happened. Clifford and Cook came together again in 1995 with an idea that proved to be enduring: a blend of reunion, tribute, and covers that would allow fans an opportunity to experience Creedence Clearwater Revival songs through a new project, called Creedence Clearwater Revisited. At the time, none of the surviving members were performing Creedence songs live, so there hadn’t been a way for contemporary concertgoers to experience them through an authentic live-music experience.

“We were hoping to get five years out of it,” Clifford told me of Revisited’s origin. “We’ve pulled something off that’s amazing. It’s bittersweet.”

Think of Revisited as a well-rehearsed tribute band that happens to have 50 percent of the membership of the original group that it honors. “We’re brothers and have been best friends for 61 years. We’ve been playing music together for about 60 years,” Clifford said of his bond with Cook. Now the pair are on a Creedence Clearwater Revisited 25th anniversary tour before shutting it all down. “It’s probably going to be a rather tearful event at that last gig.”

The band will take the stage at the Treasure Island Resort and Casino’s Island Event Center in Welch on Friday, one of their few remaining US shows before Clifford and Cook, who are both in their 70s now, take the tour abroad. Their last show is scheduled for February. “Right now, we’re in work mode. We’ve done a lot of shows, and the travel is obscene,” Clifford noted, citing the flights, delays, travel cancellations, and long drives that have accumulated while touring. “The payoff is that time you have on stage—that’s the Holy Grail for sure. Being able to be in front of your fans and delivering for them, and making their day or night, that’s pretty special. To be part of something that has lasted 50, 60 years. That’s the real gift of what we have, and it’s pretty humbling.”

Being able to jam to classic hits like “Born on the Bayou,” “Fortunate Son,” and “Susie Q” remains fulfilling for Clifford, and it’s a positive experience for him to bring iconic music to new audiences in a live setting. Delving into the band’s discography and what he likes to play, he said, “My favorite Creedence song, period, is ‘Born on the Bayou.’ It really exemplifies everything that we do and are about.” Clifford elaborated that since “Born on the Bayou” is in 4/4 time, it allows the musician room to take out notes and make the song bigger and more powerful. “It really gives it life and movement,” he said. He also mentioned that many of the fans he’s encountered at Revisited shows are young and new to the group’s music.

But now Clifford and Cook have chosen to wrap their project and look forward to other things. “We’ve accomplished more than we ever could imagine with Revisited,” Clifford said. “We’ve done everything you can do with that project, and the 25 years straight of touring takes a toll, and takes a toll on your family. You’re gone a lot, you miss birthdays—lots of birthdays.” While playing in the two Creedence bands marks the biggest chapter in Clifford’s musical career, he’s not done in the industry. “I’m doing an album that will be out next year. It’ll have hundreds of songs, and I’ve got recordings of those songs, and there’s also different vocalists involved. I’ve got some pretty good guitar players as well.”

For Minnesotans wanting a final live taste of Creedence, which has been slowly cutting back on tour dates the last several years, the Welch show is a unicorn, offering a rare opportunity to capture nostalgia and create new memories. “We’ve played all over the state, and I remember a summer gig where we were near a little lake, and the state bird attacked me,” Clifford said of a prior concert adventure in Minnesota. “It’s pretty hard when you’re playing a song—you can’t really stop and whack a mosquito.”

For Clifford and Cook, the Welch show and the remainder of the tour is their chance to say goodbye. “For us, it’s an honor,” Clifford said. “The toughest test in a pop medium is the test of time.”

As of this writing, tickets are still available.