Cheap Trick at the MGM Music Hall (2024)

      I first became conscious of Cheap Trick's music in the late 90's, bcause I'm on the early side of the millennial generation.  Let's use that as an excuse.  Well, it was a Sunday night, and Harry Shearer's depiction of G.H.W. Bush was moving to Evergreen Terrace.  Before the 41st president became the "Mr. Wilson" to Bart Simpson's "Dennis the Menace",  we as viewers got to hear Apu sing "Dream Police" while washing his Pontiac Firebird.  2 years later, and I'm still listening to Top 40 radio and watching the Sunday Night Fox lineup.  "That 70's Show" premieres, and I hear Cheap Trick's cover of Big Star's in the Street.  I still didn't know this band's name.  Big Star was even more mysterious since their biggest songs became big through other bands covering them.

      Although I had listened to classic rock throughout high school, it was during my freshman year of college that I could see the "Cheap Trick" name and associate it with specific songs.  Star Fox 64 was a popular video game in the dorm,  What better music to play while piloting Arwing starfighters than the Top Gun soundtrack?  On a CD with a ballad by Berlin, two Kenny Loggins singles, and Steve Stevens's iconic anthem...  Was "Mighty Wings" by Cheap Trick.  Top Gun and 10 Things I Hate About You gave me strong inspiration for on-campus karaoke contests.  To paraphrase "Mighty Wings", "There was raging fire in my heart those nights. ...  Growin' higher and higher in my soul!".  In my Queeraoke return to the stage, I have covered some Cheap Trick music already, and just Thursday tried "Mighty Wings" again.  Those soaring high notes are a cut above Goose singing "Great Balls of Fire."  With each build up at the end, I feel like a baseball player during practice, trying each time to have perfect timing and connect for the best outcome.

      Last December, it was announced that Cheap Trick would be part of the big 2024 Journey/Def Leppard stadium tour.  Some concerts were scheduled to have Steve Miller open the concerts, some would have Heart, and some would have Cheap Trick.  Those last two bands were actually on a "Royal Flush" European tour until Ann Wilson had to step back for medical treatment.  Although Cheap Trick wasn't going to play Fenway Park, their tour included a separate headlining show at Boston's MGM Music Hall Fenway (next to the stadium).  With that announcement, I ordered a ticket, and set that show in my calendar.

      Saturday night, I got on the T the moment that I finished proofreading my S.E.R.P.E.N.T. Festival piece.  I made good time crossing the city on a bus and two subway lines.  In the center of the loge section, I had my best venue seating position yet for the the MGM Music Hall.  Kirk Hammett also had a great spot to watch the concert from.  It was Metallica's night off between parts 1 & 2 of the M72 concert at Gillette Stadium.  It was a huge weekend for local concerts, and I myself was scheduled to see and review four concerts in five nights.  The night got more star-studded when Extreme's Gary Cherone came out on stage to sing "Baby Loves to Rock" in Robin Zander's place.  Rick Nielsen (who I had seen showing off his Cheap Trick collection on "American Pickers") played a variety of guitars, eventually reaching his five-neck guitar.  As a lead in for singing lead on "I Know What I Want", Tom Petersson performed a bass solo for us.  Cheap Trick's ballad "The Flame" lit the way to the most well known hits as we neared the end, With "Surrender" and some of the songs I had heard first through Hank Azaria and other cover artists.

     

     Hearing "Goodnight" as the final song makes me wish that I had gotten into the venue in time for the opening song "Hello There".  Fittingly, those two songs served as setlist bookends since 1977.  One of the best things about seeing aging musicians continue to put on a strong show is that you can see them reliving the exuberance of their early years on stage while sharing that experience with younger generations

      I do feel bad for length of time that it's taken me to post this entry, and the entry's length.  When music journalism is a "second job, and you have so much material to cover, experiences can get backlogged as you're trying to put one story to bed.  Being able to conclude one entry and move on to the next is something that I'm continually learning from the broadcast field and my tarot readings alike.  Check out my next piece, and you will see why I was so eager to get started on it.

Til next time.