Cheap Trick finally got back on the road this past Saturday June 12th after the longest layoff in the band's history, a result of the Covid-19 pandemic scourge. The veteran group last performed in February 2020 in the closing days before the national lockdown. Known for its relentless tour schedule and commitment to writing and recording new material, this break was unprecedented. The group partially filled it by putting the final touches on its 20th studio album In Another World, which was released in April 2021.
The band's return came locally at the Foxwoods Casino's Premier Theater in Mashantucket, Connecticut and featured 19-songs including “Dream Police,” “Surrender," “I Want You to Want Me,” and a version of the Live at Budokan standout cover of Fats Domino's “Ain’t That a Shame.” Cheap Trick also introduced some music off its new album including the single "Light Up the Fire" and “The Summer Looks Good on You.”
The concert was a multi-generational event as Rick Nielsen's son Daxx played the drums, as he has for 11 years since replacing original member Bun E. Carlos, who departed on bad terms. With bassist Tom Petersson recovering from open-heart surgery in March, singer Robin Zander's son Robin Taylor Zander filled in. Petersson, by the way, is expected to make a normal and full recovery.
Cheap Trick head out on the road for a full summer schedule next month, performing solo dates and warming up for Rod Stewart in the nation's sheds and arenas. That tour arrives at X-finity Center in Mansfield, MA on August 12, with a show the next night at Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, Connecticut - right down the road from the band's welcome return this past Saturday night at Foxwoods.
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