'Vegas has a lot of pow' for John Fogerty

When you think of the gritty, blues-based, socially conscious rock 'n' roll that John Fogerty gave us as frontman and creative force of Creedence Clearwater Revival, and later as a solo artist, the Las Vegas strip isn't likely the first performance destination that comes to mind.

But Fogerty is indeed going to Vegas, and bringing a new show with him. The 70-year-old rock icon describes Peace, Love and Creedence — set for eight performances at the Venetian Theatre, inside the Venetian Las Vegas, between Jan. 8 and Jan. 23 — as an extension of the "1969" tour he launched in 2014 to commemorate the year Creedence released the albums Bayou Country, Green River and Willy and the Poor Boys.

"The production we've been doing certainly had extra elements, a lot of visual elements," says Fogerty, who plans to perform other band and solo favorites, from Have You Ever Seen the Rain? to Centerfield. "We're going to use that as a frame of reference, and see if we shake it up a little bit."

Fogerty has taken daughter Kelsy "to see Taylor Swift, who I really love. There were a lot of choreographed moments in the show. I'm not sure I'm the guy to do that sort of thing. So far I haven't thought about adding dancing girls."

The singer/songwriter and his wife, Julie, started to consider taking his act to Vegas after seeing other productions there. "Vegas has a lot of pow; it hits you right in the eye. I like that. I'm all about energy, and that energy always comes from the music and my band. I don't think I need a lot of things blowing up."

As a young boy, Fogerty watched "some pretty glitzy things" on early television variety shows. "When rock 'n' roll came along, most of those guys were such a stark contrast. Here was Johnny Cash in the dark, singing I Walk the Line. That was just so powerful."

Granted, Fogerty expresses equal admiration for rock and R&B giants who championed more flamboyant showmanship, such as James Brown and Little Richard. In his new memoir Fortunate Son: My Life, My Music, out Tuesday,  Fogerty recalls seeing Brown and other artists perform during his youth.

"With (Brown), there was this sense of really caring about the audience," Fogerty says. "You always got the sense that he was giving you everything he had, that he wanted you to be fully entertained."

To keep his own energy level up and his mind clear, Fogerty tries to "run every day. I'm kind of a fanatic about it. I'm a family guy first, and there have been times when my regimen has to take a back seat. All you have to do is look at my midsection to know."

But "now that my kids are older, I've been running more," he says. "I say in the book somewhere that even when I was at my most depressed, I've gone running. You're tired and a little winded afterward, but at least you feel like you've accomplished something."