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SXSW scene report: Cheap Trick tapes ‘Austin City Limits’
“We are going to make history once again,” “Austin City Limits” producer Terry Lickona said before rolling tape on the first episode of the longtime PBS series’ 36th season. And so they did, with Cheap Trick, the pride of Rockford, Ill., and indisputably one of America’s power pop/hard rock bands, in full roar.
Well, make that three-fourths roar. Disquietingly absent was drummer Bun E. Carlos. Carlos was also absent from an autograph signing at Waterloo Records and a day of press at the Four Seasons. Before the band headlines a free show at Auditorium Shores tonight, Austin is asking, “Where is Bun E. Carlos?” We’ve asked the tour manager for comment and will update this post as soon as we know anything.
Anyway. The show. Filling in on drums was guitarist Rick Nielsen ‘s son, Daxx, a very capable understudy. They opened with “Way of the World” from “Dream Police,” followed by a cover of Slade’s “When the Lights are Out” from their latest, “The Latest.” On the latter, a great glam-y shout-along, Nielsen quotes himself from “Elo Kiddies” off the Trick’s 1977 debut album. By the time they followed up wiith “If You Want My Love” and “I Want You to Want Me” the crowd was enthralled. I was, anyway. Few bands that have been around as long as Cheap Trick work so hard so consistently at entertaining a crowd. I’ve seen them dozens of times and they never phone it in, even when their regular timekeeper’s not there.
With Alex Chilton’s passing on everybody’s mind, the dedicated “Sleep Forever,” “Heaven Tonight” and “That ’70s Song” (otherwise known as “In the Street” by Big Star) to Chilton’s memory.
With about seven of the songs new — or at least new to the crowd — the 17-tune set wasn’t pure nostalgia, but of course you knew they were going to tear up “Surrender,” their “Jumping Jack Flash,” and the encore of “Voices” (Nielsen’s harmonies were a nice counterpoint to vocalist Robin Zander’s leads), “Dream Police” and “Gonna Raise Hell” (a spotlight for Tom Petersson, one of the most inventive bassists in all of rock) was pretty much a KO.
They’re melodic and crunchy, dark and funny. For a band that’s been around roughly as long as “ACL,” they’re surprisingly spry. On Thursday night it didn’t seen to much matter that they’re not in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and the taping felt like anything but a valedictory. More like a validation.
Set list:
Way of the World When the Lights Are Out If You Want My Love I Want You to Want Me These Days Baby Loves to Rock Sleep Forever Heaven Tonight That ’70s Song Miracle Miss Tomorrow Sick Man of Europe Closer, The Ballad of Burt and Linda Surrender Voices Dream Police Gonna Raise Hell
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Permalink | Comments (1) | Categories: SXSW 2010
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By Anneke
March 22, 2010 3:45 PM | Link to this
Thank you Austin for being a great host town to out-oftowners (in my case Milwaukee), Thank you staff at ACL for the great seats, Thank you Cheap Trick for being the best f**ing rockband we have ever heard. It was one for the memorie books!!!!!!!!