There are lots of bands/artists I love, but when pressed to cite favorites, there is The Who, Peter Gabriel, John Waite and then the band I have seen more times than any other and that is the great Cheap Trick!
I am so excited to report that the boys who were just here Dec. 29 for the Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl (read that story here) are coming back to town May 31 and will play the beautiful and intimate OVATIONS! Live Showroom at the Wild Horse Pass Hotel & Casino.
The on-sale date for this show has not yet been confirmed; I will update this story once I have a firm date and you can check online at WinGilaRiver.com or call the box office at 877.840.0457 over the next several days to check if an on-sale date has been selected.
Tickets will priced from $55 - $109
Bargain Alert!
A discount of up to $20 is available with a complimentary Player’s Club card.
I was recently going through some boxes of old vinyl records and also came upon a box filled with old backstage passes, a book of old concert stubs and other memorabilia. I found a stub featuring John Waite and Cheap Trick at the Hollywood Palladium in Nov. 1985, I had just turned 16.
I remember the show well for a lot of reasons, but mostly because the small general admission venue was packed and I was front and center stage (as I always try to be when Robin Zander in around). As Cheap Trick took the stage, a surge of human bodies pressed against my back. To try to gain some leverage, I put one hand above my head, and then eventually the other—not a good idea, because then I started to feel pressure on my ribs and at that point, I started to panic.
Thankfully in those days I was pretty small and there were a few guys nearby that happily lifted me up and sent me backwards—crowd surfing style. The medics on site treated me for a little dehydration and being overheated and I eventually made it back, closer to the stage, but off to the side with plenty of breathing room. I guess this is why that is still one of my favorite spots at GA standing room only shows.
If you have never seen Cheap Trick live, it’s a treat you absolutely have to experience. From Rick Nielsen’s high-energy guitar genius (not to mention his over-the-top-cool five-necked guitars), to Robin Zander’s amazing rock vocals and physical perfection as a front man, to Tom Petersson’s steady bass rhythm and fun energy on stage; this is a band that never disappoints, ever. No matter how many times I have seen them live, and I’d venture to say it’s got to be well over 30, they always deliver.
With a catalog of hits and great music from the last nearly 40 years to draw upon, the shows are never just the same old selection of hit songs. I suspect this is why they remain as popular and relevant today as they were when they first won over US fans on a large scale in1979 with the live record Cheap Trick at Budokon. From shows they did in Tokyo Japan over two nights to more than 12,000 crazed, screaming fans, this album rocket-boosted the band into the stratosphere and made the live versions of their now classic hits like, “I Want you To Want Me,” and “Surrender,” part of rock music greatness forever.
I suspect this show will sell out as soon as it goes on sale. The chance to see a band like Cheap Trick at a venue like the OVATIONS! Live Showroom at the Wild Horse Pass Hotel & Casino is too good to pass up. I promise to update you as soon as I get an on-sale date. I will definitely see you out at the show!
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