Cheap Trick Keeps the Holidays Rockin’ at the Tampa Hard Rock
‘Twas the week before Christmas and Rock & Roll Hall of Famers Cheap Trick flew into Tampa with their big bag of musical gifts! Appearing at the Seminole Hard Rock Event Center to an intimate audience of 1500, they rocked the night away. Opening the show with the Rick Nielsen penned 1979 hit “Dream Police” they had the entire audience on their feet. Tampa Bay’s own rock star Robin Zander was in black sparkle shirt, leather pants and black cop hat, his voice was in top form as usual. Zander’s voice is an amazing instrument which sounds great after more than fifty years of playing rock & roll. His guitar co-hort Rick Nielsen dressed in his usual Trick garb with his zillion guitar picks and collection of guitars was on his game of being the jokester of the crew and serious ax man.
Tricksters were in attendance with CT t-shirts and lots of black & white fashion. On a side stage next to the band was a signer for the deaf for the entire show, which is a great idea for all entertainment acts. Two favorites on the setlist were “He’s A Whore” and “Big Eyes”. A perfect song for a casino is “High Roller” from the “Heaven Tonight” album. Trick rocks the Fats Domino cover of “Ain’t That A Shame” which they had a big hit with and was Mr. Domino’s personal favorite cover of the song. People were dancin’ in the aisles! For this Trickster, it was their cover of The Beatles “Magical Mystery Tour” that was awesome. Robin Zander is a huge Beatles fan and Trick played two weeks of shows in Las Vegas performing the entire Sgt. Pepper album live in 2009, a show I wish I had seen.
Robin Taylor Zander takes his turn at the microphone with the CT tune “Downed” from the “Live At Budokan.” RTZ adds guitar and background vocals to the band. Of course, Daxx Nielsen beats the skins all night and gives a bangin’ drum solo. Robin Zander takes to the stage for “The Flame”, the number one hit power ballad in 1988 for Trick. It is a love/hate tune for diehard fans, who if you love it will sit down for it or if not, will take a bathroom break. “I Want You To Want Me” is such a fun, energetic dance song and signature Cheap Trick. It was a worldwide hit back in the day and they still sound fresh playing it.
Original band member Tom Petersson and his 12 string bass perform a solo “I Know What I Want” that is intense, with Tom on lead vocals. Petersson invented the 12-string bass back in 1980. The encore was guitar heavy with hit “Surrender” that has become somewhat of a TV show theme song hit from “That 70’s Show”. Auf Wiedersehen” and “Goodnight” closed out the gift of a live rock show for the holidays from Aerosmith Joe Perry’s favorite band and America’s “Greatest Rock Garage Band” Happy Holidays to all and support live music in 2025!
Vicky Sullivan photos for The Suncoast Post