John Fogerty plans to rock Las Vegas again in 2020

For someone who says he’s not really a Las Vegas guy, John Fogerty is a guy who likes Las Vegas.

Fogerty said Thursday he plans to return to the Strip in 2020, as he closes his current “50 Year Trip” residency run Saturday night at Encore Theater at Wynn Las Vegas.

“I believe it’s next fall, we’ll be back,” Fogerty said after an appearance at Veterans Village No. 2, where he dedicated a new affordable-housing residence made of refurbished ocean shipping containers. “I really enjoy doing this. It’s a funny thing, when I was younger of course everyone says that to a rocker, Vegas was not very high on their radar. But I’ve really learned to enjoy this, and Vegas has changed so much … there’s a lot of rock ‘n’ roll here now.”

Maybe we know this one: Rock star and #Veterans advocate @John_Fogerty w/ @ShaneFogerty #VeteransVillageII. He’s @WynnLasVegas Wednesday and this weekend. pic.twitter.com/W5IIWtz4sa

— John Katsilometes (@johnnykats) November 11, 2019

Fogerty plays his classic hits with Creedence Clearwater Revival, which match the set list from the band’s appearance at the original Woodstock. He also runs through his solo highlights. Fogerty’s son Shane has added his own pyro to the show, lighting his guitar on fire at a crucial moment in the retro production (this scene was not part of the show I caught Wednesday, something about not yet being cleared by the fire marshal to perform the act).

Fogerty donated the advance he received for the ill-fated Woodstock 50 festival, which was scheduled for Aug. 16-18, to the Veteran Village 2 project. Fogerty’s wife, Julie, designed the residence, in partnership with Veterans Village CEO Arnold Stalk.

Hippy power on #VeteransDay @John_Fogerty’s #Woodstock50 donation ton.#VeteransVillageII .#LasVegas pic.twitter.com/VraeJ5EfIQ

— John Katsilometes (@johnnykats) November 11, 2019

Fogerty grins when talking of Woodstock 50, whose lineup included headliners The Killers, Dead & Company and Jay-Z.

“They tried,” Fogerty says. “It just fell apart, because it was run by a bunch of hippies.” Michael Lang, the original Woodstock co-creator, helped organize the anniversary event, which cratered for lack of proper use permits.

But that same hippy attitude meant Fogerty — and all of the other artists on the bill — was paid even without performing. During Monday’s dedication, the rock legend said, “What a wonderful country! I mean that sincerely … People from my generation are kind of uncomfortable with being paid for doing nothing, but I wanted to do something to help the veterans.” As an original hippy says, it’s a hippy thing.

Take Note

Notoriety is opening, in measured fashion on the third level of Neonopolis, taking over the former Krave and Galaxy Neonopolis 11 Movie Theater space, with four of the six theaters in development up and running. Sunday afternoon was the preview opening of the 7,000-square-foot, 200-plus capacity Notoriety Cabaret, with Nathan Tanouye and Clint Holmes performing the release party for their “Las Vegas Suite” jazz CD.

The event also served as a tribute to longtime the late Vegas jazz supporter Carolyn Freeman, and her husband, famed jazz pianist and composer Russ Freeman. A the 33-piece Las Vegas Collection orchestra, filled with top-level Vegas players, were conducted by Tanouye and fronted by Holmes, 88-year-old jazz vocal master Don Cunningham, Toscha Comeaux and Gary Fowler. Funds were raised for the Forgotten Song Foundation, with money going to the Russ & Carolyn Freeman UNLV Jazz scholarship program.

Vegas meteoroligist Nathan Tannenbaum, for whom it is always mostly sunny, emceed. The Hot Club of Las Vegas opened, and the UNLV jazz band also performed in the 3 1/2-hour music showcase. The “Las Vegas Suite” CD was co-produced by local jazz backers Ann Parenti of Forgotten Song Music, Robert Case of New Pants Publishing, and Freeman herself before her death this summer.

Up next at Notoriety, at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Travis Cloer hosts the release show for his “Here’s Travis Cloer” CD. Cloer and busy song-writing partners Frankie and Tony Moreno co-wrote the CD. The guys will chat about making the CD, then sing selections.

“It’s a very cool, feel-good record, a throwback vibe to the great music of the 1960s and that era,” says Cloer, who portrayed Frankie Valli in “Jersey Boys” throughout its eight-year run in Las Vegas. “There are some Four Seasons inspirations, of course, and a lot of good rock ‘n’ roll.”

To close this Notoriety stretch, there are plans for a venue named for Robin Leach, where Cloer will perform his seventh annual “Christmas At My Place” holiday show on Dec. 12. Leach was a fan of Cloer, and the Christmas show. Leach was also good friends of Ken Henderson of Best Agency, proprietor of the entertainment complex.

John Katsilometes’ column runs daily in the A section. His PodKats! podcast can be found at reviewjournal.com/podcasts. Contact him at jkatsilometes@reviewjournal.com. Follow @johnnykats on Twitter, @JohnnyKats1 on Instagram.