Creedence Clearwater Revival tribute band ‘Commotion’ returns to its Fairfield roots

FAIRFIELD – A group of four Fairfield-area musicians has been touring the country the last two years, and now they’re about to put on a concert for their hometown fans.

The group, Commotion, is a tribute band of Creedence Clearwater Revival, which hit it big in the late 1960s and early 1970s with chart-toppers such as “Bad Moon Rising” and “Lookin’ Out My Back Door.” Commotion will perform at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, May 17 at the Fairfield Arts & Convention Center. The highly anticipated concert is already sold out, but fans will have more chances to hear the group perform at nearby venues in the coming months.

Steve McLain is the lead singer of the group, joined by Jimmy Ryan as lead guitarist, George Foster on bass, and Mark Ellis on drums. McLain also plays guitar, and the other three contribute background vocals.

Ryan said the band formed two years ago during one of their Tuesday night jam sessions held in McLain’s garage, which he had turned into an acoustically treated music studio.

“One night, Steve starts singing like John Fogerty, and we all said, ‘Where did that come from?’” Ryan said, referring to the lead singer of Creedence Clearwater Revival.

McLain said he’s been listening to CCR as long as he can remember, forming some of his earliest memories of music.

“Creedence has always been there,” he said. “These songs are infectious and timeless.”

The four friends played a bunch of CCR songs, and liked what they heard. McLain’s father-in-law Tom Terrien listened to the group and was so impressed that he asked them to perform at one of his private parties, offering to build a stage in his backyard for them. Six hundred people came to this party on the Fourth of July 2023, Commotion’s first audience.

The quartet continued to perform CCR songs at local establishments. Ryan has been in the music business for 60 years, starting with the band The Critters when he was 19, and later playing lead guitar in Carly Simon’s backing band. He’s collaborated with some of the biggest stars in the business such as Paul McCartney, The Doors, Cat Stevens, Jim Croce, Elton John, Kiki Dee, Rod Stewart and Andy Williams. He knew he had something special in Commotion, and called an agent to inquire about booking a tour for the group.

“The agent signed us, and we’ve been traveling all over the U.S.,” Ryan said, noting that the band has performed in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, New York, Virginia and other states.

The group’s two-hour set includes about 25 CCR classics plus some back stories about the famous band and its songs. Ryan said the song “Proud Mary” was inspired by John Fogerty observing a tugboat work on the banks of the Mississippi River, though he changed it from a tugboat to a riverboat for the song. Ryan said that song is one of his favorites, and he also likes the ones that get the audience on their feet like “Up Around the Bend” and the number they close with, “Fortunate Son.” McLain said he’s particularly fond of “Green River,” and noted that while “Have You Ever Seen the Rain” is a beautiful poem with just a few lines and a chorus, it’s not an easy one to remember.

McLain is well known to locals for both his solo performances and as the lead singer in the Jefferson County Green Band. Though he has performed on stage countless times, McLain said he’s nervous about Saturday’s show.

“It’s sold out, and I’m going to know every single person there,” he said. “And for some reason, that’s making me nervous. I think I’m just excited because we have polished these songs so much before playing for our actual town. I’m excited for them to see what we’ve been up to.”

The next few concerts Commotion has planned for the region include a show in Galesburg, Illinois, on May 24, in What Cheer on Oct. 18, and the Bridgeview Center in Ottumwa on Jan. 17, which the band sold out the last time it performed there in 2024.

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Call Andy Hallman at 641-575-0135 or email him at andy.hallman@southeastiowaunion.com

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