Wikso vindicated Pala, Creedence Clearwater Revisited decision

Creedence Clearwater Revisited and Pala Casino had a decision to make. Creedence Clearwater Revisited drummer Doug Clifford, who was a member of Creedence Clearwater Revival, was still recovering from recent surgery and would not be able to perform at the May 29 concert at Pala's Palomar Starlight Theater. The options the band and Pala had were to cancel the concert or to replace Clifford with another drummer and perform the concert with only one original member of Creedence Clearwater Revival.

Clifford had personally selected Ron Wikso as his substitute. The band played at Pala with Wikso joining lead singer and rhythm guitar player John Tristao, lead guitar player Kurt Griffey, keyboardist and harmonica player Steve Gunner, and bass guitar player Stu Cook. Although Cook was the only original member of Creedence Clearwater Revival who played at the May 29 concert, the 90 minutes on stage convinced fans that the band and Pala had made the right decision in using Wikso rather than canceling the concert.

The fans were able to see three original members of Creedence Clearwater Revisited. Clifford, Cook, John Fogerty, and Tom Fogerty were the members of Creedence Clearwater Revival, which broke up in 1972. John Fogerty later released solo albums, although he did not perform any CCR songs in concert until 1987. Tom Fogerty died in 1990.

In 1995, Cook and Clifford formed Creedence Clearwater Revisited and recruited Tristao as the lead singer and Gunner to play what had been dubbed in when the original CCR performed. Griffey is the newest member of the new CCR. Those who attend Creedence Clearwater Revisited concerts know they won't be seeing even a majority of the original CCR members, and since the original name is not being used there is no deception – only music fans of both CCR groups have come to love.

In 2014, Creedence Clearwater Revisited performed at the Pala Events Center. "It's great to be back," Tristao said.

The Palomar Starlight Theater was converted from a temporary stage to a permanent stage earlier this year, and the first concert at the new theater took place six days before Creedence Clearwater Revisited performed. Ironically, in 1998, John Fogerty as a solo artist performed CCR songs in the early weeks of the Chula Vista venue then called Coors Amphitheatre.

Although Wikso himself hadn't previously played at Pala, some of the casino's previous concerts involved acts with whom Wikso has played. In the mid-1990s, Wikso was the drummer for Foreigner, who performed at the Palomar Starlight Theater in 2012. The March 2015 Events Center concert of Ringo Starr and His All Starr Band included former Santana and Journey keyboard player and singer Gregg Rolie as part of that performance; Wikso and Griffey both played with the Greg Rolie Band during Rolie's solo era.

The fans didn't attend the concert to see original CCR members; they came to hear CCR music. Clifford and Cook had selected Tristao and Gunner for their ability to re-create both the music and the spirit of CCR. The Creedence Clearwater Revisited band members who performed May 29 might not have been originals, but they were knowledgeable. The concert included 19 songs, beginning with "Born on the Bayou" and concluding with "Up Around the Bend." Instrumental additions to "Suzy Q" and "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" allowed the band members to display their prowess.

"Thank you so much for bringing us back and taking such good care of us," Cook said.

It can be said that Cook and his bandmates took good care of the fans by utilizing Wikso and ensuring that the concert would take place as planned. Hopefully Clifford will be fully recovered and a future Creedence Clearwater Revisited concert at Pala can include both Cook and Clifford. On May 29, Wikso also made himself welcome at future Pala concerts.