Music Review: Cheap Trick: Live at Budokan 35th anniversary
I wasn鈥檛 in attendance to see Cheap Trick perform the first of two sold-out shows at Tokyo蘑菇视频 Nippon Budokan on April 28, 1978, which later produced the band蘑菇视频 best-selling album 鈥淎t Budokan鈥� and thrust the Illinois quartet into stardom.
Thirty-five years later to the day, I found myself part of a small VIP crowd gathered to see the band perform the exact set from the historic Japanese show.
As a birthday present, my thoughtful wife and daughter purchased my admission to the show, including a personal meet and greet with band members and various band memorabilia.
Accompanied by my two lifelong friends, Mike Baker and Bruce Matson, we stood in awe in the John Varvatos Boutique on the Bowery, shaking hands and briefly engaging in small talk with band members that have been our music idols since the age of 13, after having discovered 鈥淗eaven Tonight鈥� in all its infectious splendor.
How appropriate it was to be standing on the sacred grounds of CBGB.
The former underground music club served as a rowdy host to regular gigs by another of our favorite bands, the Ramones, before closing in 2006.
As lead singer Robin Zander welcomed the intimate crowd of a few hundred passionate fans singing 鈥淗ello There,鈥� it was instantly easy to tell that this band still loves performing and takes great satisfaction in delivering a killer performance each time they take the stage.
The irresistible melodic flow of 鈥淐ome On, Come On鈥� followed, highlighting the stellar musicianship of guitarist Rick Nielsen and bassist Tom Petersson.
Song after song was performed to near perfection as Nielsen bounced around the stage in his geeky black cap, suit and special Budokan bowtie, sharing the spotlight with Zander who was appropriately dressed all in white to match his blond, flowing hair.
Petersson was sharp as well, delivering his unmistakable 12-string bass opening on 鈥淪peak Now or Forever Hold Your Peace.鈥�
By the time the band cut into 鈥淪urrender,鈥� the crowd was in a near fever pitch and ready to join the singing by belting out the spirited chorus, 鈥淲e鈥檙e all alright!鈥�
Indeed we were all right as drummer Daxx Nielson (Rick蘑菇视频 son 鈥� who now tours with the band) pounded out the opening beats to the crowd pleasing 鈥淚 Want You to Want Me.鈥�
A rousing version of 鈥淐alifornia Man鈥� followed with Zander singing, 鈥淕oin鈥� to a party/Meet me on after school.鈥� As the final notes of the blustery rocker 鈥淐lock Strikes 10鈥� resonated through the air, it was hard to believe the much-anticipated show was finally over. The 19-song set provided 90 blissful minutes of pure rock heaven as the band took a bow and Nielson scattered the rest of his guitar picks into the hyped-up crowd.
After the show, the three of us lingered outside on the sidewalk, taking in the sites and sounds of a picture-perfect NYC night, struggling to find the right words to adequately describe what we had just experienced.
Cheap Trick is perhaps one of rock music蘑菇视频 most talented, yet underappreciated bands. The band shows no sign of slowing down on the rock 鈥榥鈥� roll highway they have managed to navigate so well.
Between the three of us, we鈥檝e seen over 70 Cheap Trick performances since 1980 in nearly a dozen different cities, including Las Vegas and New Orleans. While all the shows have been memorable, this performance is deserving of the once-in-a-lifetime label. As I rode back to the hotel with the comforting sound of 鈥淪outhern Girls鈥� playing in my head, the only thought that came to mind was that this was the best birthday gift ever.