Article: The Tennessean, Cindy Watts
Brad Paisley surveyed the 250 country radio executives and Music Row elite packed onto the top floor at Tootsies Orchid Lounge Sunday night and said, “You all better not forget this.”
Fat chance.
Paisley and his team rented out the top floor of the renown Broadway bar, invited John Fogerty, Bill Anderson and Timbaland to join Paisley on stage and spent more than 90 minutes covering Fogerty’s classics, Paisley’s most loved hits and songs from his new album “Love and War.”
“The thing I love about John Fogerty is that two notes in, you know it’s him,” Paisley said from the stage. “With me, it’s like 45.”
Earlier in the night, Paisley revealed he had partnered with Apple Music to also make “Love and War” country music’s first visual album -- meaning he recorded a separate video for all 16 songs on the album. The clips range from hysterical to heartwarming and in diligently working towards the project’s completion, Paisley operated only a couple of hours a sleep each night for many nights in recent weeks. The radio executives were in town to see the video album’s debut at The Country Music Hall of Fame. When they gave Paisley a standing ovation at the end, the typically collected singer’s voice cracked with emotion.
“It’s hard to talk,” Paisley said. “What I’m asking you all to do is go on this ride with me. We have a lot to say. We’re going to have a good time, especially tonight.”
The visual album will be available through Apple Music Friday.
After dinner, the audience climbed on buses to make the short trip to Tootsies for the private show.
The concert kicked off with Paisley’s “Water,” which he quipped was a soundcheck. Fogerty, who shared the stage with Paisley all night, took a turn with “Centerfield.”
Paisley brought Anderson on stage and tried to coach him into singing “Lookin’ Out My Back Door” with Fogerty, but the country veteran switched up and sang his own “City Lights.” Paisley and Anderson co-wrote “Dying to See Her” on Paisley’s “Love and War” and Anderson is featured on the emotional love ballad.
Timbaland co-wrote and co-produced “Solar Power Girl” and “Grey Goose Chase” on “Love and War.” When it came time to perform the blistering “Grey Goose Chase” live, Timbaland chose to sit it out – literally. He perched on an amplifier directly behind Paisley and pointed at members of the band when they were supposed to play their parts.
“The way we got this groove in the studio is that Tim’s girlfriend and a bunch of other people started beating on a bunch of stuff and made this bluegrass beat and here we are. You thought we were crazy, didn’t you?” Paisley asked Timbaland as people cheered.
“No,” he said. “I thought it was great.”
The live version one-upped the album cut just by virtue of the visual of Paisley’s fingers flying on his guitar’s fretboard.

But the night belonged to Paisley and Fogerty. Guests pressed against the stage, cheering wildly for Fogerty’s hits “Green River,” “Bad Moon Rising,” “Born on the Bayou” and “Fortunate Son.” Paisley and Fogerty swapped hard charging guitar solo after solo, each more articulate and driven than the last.
“There are 500 bands covering John Fogerty songs tonight, but we’re the only one doing it with John Fogerty,” Paisley told the audience.
A couple of times, Paisley took over Fogerty’s guitar to help tune: “I’d be your guitar tech any day.”
“This guitar is so complicated, it takes two people to play it,” Fogerty quipped near the end of the evening.
There was no set list – the men figured out what they wanted to sing in the moment. They sang a passionate version their veterans anthem “Love and War.” At times, they took requests from the crowd. When someone yelled out Paisley’s early hit, “We Danced,” he sang it, pointing out Fogerty would not know the words. Someone screamed “Country Roads” and the men covered that, too. “I’m Gonna Miss Her,” Paisley delivered. Paisley’s “Mud on the Tires” and “Alcohol” were more chances for once-in-a-lifetime collaborations. They also joined forces on “Blue Suede Shoes” and “Johnny B. Goode.”
“Thank you for playing this fantasy (show) with me,” Paisley told Fogerty.
“Are you kidding? This is great!” Fogerty replied.
For the last song, Paisley asked: “Are you guys ready to come unglued? Are you ready to come unglued?”
Fogerty hit the first few notes of “Proud Mary” as the crowd cheered.
“Told ya,” Paisley quipped.”
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