JULY 19, 2011
After the scary ordeal in Ottawa, Cheap Trick came to Artpark to put on a rock show that no one would forget. Robin Zander, Rick Nielsen, Tom Peterson, and Daxx Nielsen with Christian on the keys were sore and bruised from the crazy weather they experienced while on stage at a blues fest. Minus some of the equipment lost during the collapse of the set, the band came prepared to finish what they started just days before in Canada.
If AC/DC puts party in rock, King Diamond puts occult into rock, Bon Jovi puts pop in rock, Bob Dylan puts folk into rock, and Incubus puts funk in rock, then there is no doubt that Cheap Trick puts fun in rock 'n roll. There was little doubt, as the sound techs began preparing the monitors, speakers, mics and all the instruments, that Cheap Trick was going to be the loudest band to perform at Artpark this year. The music that usually plays in the background while the fans start streaming into the venue before the show was extremely loud. So loud, in fact, it became a bit obnoxious and people were screaming at each other just to have a simple conversation.
The drums and vocals seem to be the biggest challenge on this ever oppressively hot night. Adjustments were being made continuously so it was actually becoming so annoying that a group of onlookers quickly took up mimicking the sound techs. When the guy would test the mic with "hey hey, yeah yeah" the group would yell back at him on the stage. With all the tweaking, we just felt this was going to be an over-the-top perfect performance that nobody was going to forget.
Mick Hayes Band played a little trick of their own on the audience by giving a tease before he was set to hit the stage. Doing a short warm up of a couple songs put everybody on their feet in anticipation. Trick or treat ladies and gentlemen! The musicians pulled the plug and baited the fans into wanting to hear more. So when the Mick Hayes Band hit the stage, everyone was already on the edge of their seats waiting for the first note. Hayes was in no position to disappoint the crowd as his bluesy/rock guitar punch was on target to get the crowd harmonized.
The moment Cheap Trick hit the stage, an explosion of sound pounded out to let the crowd know that 38 years of rock would roll through the set list. The opening number, "Hello There", has been a staple in their set for 33 years and never fails to welcome the fans to Cheap Trick’s home away from home. The band has an extensive discography that includes hit after hit and Rick Nielsen (vocals, guitar) let it be known early that they were going to take us back to the beginning. "California Man" quickly pulled the audience into a time warp that led back to their 1978's Heaven Tonight album.
The band bounced the listeners from different decades rockin' out from several different releases. Nielsen talked a bit about Robin Zander’s (vocals, guitar) close call at the edge of the stage in Ottawa just days earlier. He also stated that he was excited to be able to play more than a 20 minute set. Everyone was on their feet when the band broke out "I Want You To Want Me" and the crowd got even louder.
The show stealer, a young boy in the front of the stage, was dressed as Nielsen with guitar in hand as he was hoisted up on stage. Not shy, the young man began mimicking Rick as he played several chords. Adorably stealing the show, the band gave him his 15 minutes of fame that wrapped up quickly. Rarely plucking songs from the same album, the band mixed it up by inserting several ballads. This was just to give the crowd a chance to catch their breath because the band made sure few stayed in their seats.
Bridging The Decades was smoothly transitioned from song to song with staggering grittiness. The band put together a wickedly user-friendly set, leaving no hit untouched. Most of the crowd grew up as the band perfected their sound, so even the few songs that were not huge hits resonated with the audience. "Dont Be Cruel", an Elvis Presley hit from 1956 rerecorded by the band for their Lap Of Luxury album in 1988, had everybody toe tapping. The song charted in the US at #4, making it the most successful adaptation of an Elvis Presley song. "The Flame" from the same album did outdo "Dont Be Cruel", making it all the way to number 1.
Rick's son Daxx played drummer and put on a showmanship solo performance. He has style that echoes any and every drummer that has went before him, but still keeps a great essence of himself. His hair keeps the visual image of fashion alive but the hands and wrist bring patterns of method to the skins with powerful groove techniques.
They did not keep the audience in limbo as they quickly bolted back to the stage for their encore. "Dream Police" was the perfect song to send the crowd on their way after putting them through a complete workout. Great show with a touch of the family environment, Tuesday In The Park made its mark on Western New York.
RUSTY
7/19/11
