Crowd surrenders to Cheap Trick’s classic power pop

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This article was published 20/08/2023 (258 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

You wouldn’t know Robin Zander was 74 when the Cheap Trick lead singer took the stage at the summer’s fifth and final Burt Block Party on Sunday.

He wore a police hat, tank top and pants covered in glittery stars so bright they shone across Winnipeg as he lead the group with a set that showed off 50 years and 5,000 live shows’ worth of rock ’n’ roll experience.

Guitarist Rick Nielsen, another Cheap Trick mainstay, joined Zander on stage and launched their set with the heavy-hitting Hello There.

Zander’s vocals and Nielsen’s power chords showed the band could still put on an engaging show for the 4,000 fans outside the Burton Cummings Theatre.

In contrast to the mosh pit at last week’s Billy Talent show, the audience for Cheap Trick preferred to stay in their lounge chairs, but people on the side sections stood and danced.

Cheap Trick performed numerous hits from throughout their career with Zander still able to hit the high notes and low growls. The chemistry between Zander and Nielsen was undeniable, especially when the two shared a microphone for their 1979 cover of the Fats Domino classic Ain’t That a Shame.

Halfway through the set, they brought up Zander’s son, Robin Taylor Zander, to take lead vocals on Downed, from the band’s 1977 Platinum album In Color. Nielsen introduced him by saying that the younger Zander had just released his first album, The Distance.

Next, the power pop-rockers launched into a triple-header of mega hits. When the elder Zander came out solo singing the ballad The Flame, the crowd lifted lighters and phones in the air, singing along to every word before the rest of the band came out.

While Nielsen established rapport speaking with the crowd between songs throughout the night, even introducing some of his constantly changing guitars, there was no greater moment of connection than when frontman Zander announced, “I want you to want me,” before launching into their biggest bit like it was the first time they’d played it, and followed it up with Dream Police.

The ultimate highlight was Surrender, with Cheap Trick bringing out opening act, Winnipeg trio the Haileys — who likely grew up playing the song on Guitar Hero — to join them while the crowd sang along.

The band followed that with two goodbye-themed songs, Auf Wiedersehen, the B-side of Surrender, before playing the sequel to Hello There, Goodnight, featuring Nielsen wailing on his signature double-neck guitar.

The Haileys — comprised of guitarist/vocalist Hailey Legary, bassist/vocalist Hailey Hunter and drummer Hailey Matiation — opened the show, rocking the Burt Block Party with a set of high-energy punk-rock.

The three-piece band’s grungy power chords and strong drumming come off like an all-female, all-Hailey Nirvana, but with cleaner, less raspy vocals akin to that of pop-rock singer Olivia Rodrigo. During their closing number, Legary and Hunter got down on their knees while flanking Matiation as the band reached peak-rockstar performance levels. They’re definitely a band to watch.

Next up was a trip back in time with the group known as Canada’s party band: Trooper. Despite having no original members in the lineup, they knew the fans were there to enjoy some classic rock and they delivered, starting with their jovial 1977 hit We’re Here for a Good Time (Not a Long Time). The middle of the set was filled with more classics, such as Two for the Show, 3 Dressed up as a 9 and The Boys in the Bright White Sports Car, while the drummer, bassist and keyboardist each got to shine on individual solos.

There was no other way to close out their set than with their 1978 international hit, Raise A Little Hell. The crowd obliged, clapping their hands and stomping their feet. Lead singer David Steele, approved by the now-retired Trooper lead singer Ra McGuire, embodied the essence of Trooper.

With the variety of genres and each night feeling like a mini-music festival, it seems as though the Burt Block Party is set to become a summer staple in Winnipeg.