“Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls – please welcome to the stage the best <BLEEP>ing rock band you’ve ever seen – Cheap Trick!”
What a delight it was to hear that opening I’ve heard so many times before, after 16 months of no live music, no concerts, no Cheap Trick.
Bay City is a small town about 90 miles north of Detroit, perched on the bank of the Saginaw River. It’s seen better days, like many Michigan cities, but it’s holding its own – with a downtown that’s doing it’s damndest to rejuvenate, the main strip blocked off to cars to facilitate outdoor seating for bars and restaurants so business can exist in the time of Covid. All restrictions have been lifted, but many towns like Bay City kinda like the European outdoor seating model, so it might be here to stay. Just off the main drag is Wenonah Park – a riverside plot of land where locals can congregate to watch the boats, enjoy an ice cream cone, or take in a concert at the new bandshell. It was a beautiful night with warm temps, a slight summer breeze, and $5 ice-cold Oberons in the beer tent.
Wenonah Parl Bandshell, Bay City, Michigan
Opening band The Sinclairs delighted the crowd with their Poison, Night Ranger, Sweet, AC/DC, and Blink 182 covers. I’ve heard worse Brian Johnson impressions, but I was ready for some original music by 8 pm when Cheap Trick took the stage. Daxx Nielsen came out first, kicking off a mini-drum solo as Robin Zander emerged from stage left (the audience’s right). Rick Nielsen bounced out from stage right (the audience’s left) playing “Hello There” and they kicked into high gear right off the bat. Noticeably absent was original bassist Tom Petersson, at home in Nashville recovering from open-heart surgery earlier this year, Robin’s son Robin Taylor Zander in his place.
The band sounded tight and locked-in from the start. The top of the setlist was stellar – “He’s a Whore,” “Lookout,” and “Big Eyes” back to back to back. It didn’t feel like it’d been so long, but it felt like forever. Robin Zander’s been called a freak of nature, defying age, losing little of the power or range in his voice after so many years and a consistent, grueling touring schedule. He sounded great the last couple of times I’d seen them before the pandemic, but he sounded even better on Sunday, and he looks more fit and trim than most dudes half his age. I’ve been a big Daxx Nielsen fan since he took over for the irreplaceable Bun E. Carlos behind the kit some 10 years ago, and he just gets better with time as well. Always present is leader Rick Nielsen; under-rated guitarist, amazing songwriter, and chief-goofball all wrapped into one.
I can’t lie – Tom Petersson was missed, but Robin Taylor did as good a job as anyone could do, playing a green 12-string bass and even adopting Tom’s look a bit with the wide-brow hat and the slightly hunched over posture. He’s been touring with the band for a few years now on second/third guitar and helping his pop out with high harmonies throughout the set. Those high harmonies carried a lot more weight this time as they weren’t competing with the extra guitar – so that was a pleasant addition. He’s got the nuances in the songs down, and they didn’t miss a beat with the dual father/son-Nielsen/Zander-lead/rhythm configuration.
For an outdoor city park bandshell the sound was exceptional. Very little muddiness, the bass was full and ever-present, but not overpowering, and it was plenty loud without being ear-piercing. RTZ took lead vocals on “Downed,” and a couple deep cuts like “Stop This Game” and “Borderline” were great surprises. My only complaint was that they included just one song from their great new album In Another World – “Boys & Girls & Rock N Roll.” It probably seems counter-intuitive to most of the people who were in attendance, but I could have used a couple more NEW ones! The biggest hits were all played, of course, and going full circle to wrap it up was the bookend to “Hello There” – “Goodnight Now.”
Rock and roll is back – maybe not everywhere, every band, every night, but Sunday night in Bay City Cheap Trick proved that they still have it. They remain one of the best <BLEEP>ing rock bands you’ve ever seen.
Concert photographs by John David Henneke and TrooperGirl22 - Thanks!
Setlist - Bay City, MI 7/11/21:
Hello There / He's a Whore / Lookout / Big Eyes / Borderline / Ain't That a Shame / California Man / Voices / Boys & Girls & Rock N Roll / Need Your Love / Baby Loves to Rock / Downed / Stop This Game / The Flame / I Want You to Want Me / Dream Police / Encore: Never Had a Lot to Lose / Surrender / Goodnight Now
Jeremy Porter lives near Detroit and fronts the rock and roll band Jeremy Porter And The Tucos. Follow them on Facebook to read his road blog about their adventures on the dive-bar circuit.
www.thetucos.com
www.facebook.com/jeremyportermusic
www.rockandrollrestrooms.com
Twitter: @jeremyportermi | Instagram: @onetogive & @jeremyportermusic
