When Cheep Trick released their hit “I Want You Want Me,” they may have mentioned Las Vegas.
“When we first played Vegas, we opened up for Kansas, and they didn’t even put us on the marquee,” says Rick Nielsen, a guitar virtuoso and founding member of The Cheap Trick. “It was true what was at the marquee. Kansas was playing. But we weren’t with them. They didn’t want the word ‘cheap trick’ on the casino marquee.”
It was for a performance that took place at the then Aladdin Theatre for the Performing Arts on Dec. 30, 1977. Or, 44 years to the day of the phone call, Nielsen called in Rockford, Illinois. The reason: The Cheap Trick returns to Vegas to live at The Strat Theater from Feb. 25-26 and Mar. 4-5 in order to stay.
Tickets start at $75, up to $300 for VIP packages and go on sale Monday at 10 a.m. at tickets.thestrat.com/CheapTrick . All attendees must either test negative for COVID-19 within 72 hours of entering the event or have a vaccination card showing they are fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
The Strat Theater, which is scheduled for a new year’s refresh, has been expanded to 900 seats. 파친코
And yes, the ‘cheap trick’ will be under the hotel’s main lights. This is important as The Strat adds more rock icon lists. Sammy Hagar has already found a happy home in the hotel with his party concert show.
“We’re not just bringing rock-and-roll to the Las Vegas Strip, we’re throwing parties,” says Brad Goldberg, senior vice president of marketing and entertainment at Golden Entertainment, the hotel’s owner. “We’re excited to add Cheap Trick to The Strat’s legendary line-up of rock residences for a once-in-a-lifetime experience for fans.”
Goldberg continues to argue between the resort and Sahara about where the northernmost boundary of Street is, reinforcing the company’s view that The Street is generally on Street. But using Street as a selling point can only draw more energy from living the “cheap trick” at the revitalized resort.
SPI Entertainment’s Adam Steck, the show’s co-producer and rock fan, leads all entertainment bookings at Strat Theater. As he said, “Cheap Trick is one of the greatest rock-and-roll bands of all time. They are respected by many musicians. We expect them to perform their great hits. Maybe we can see Live at Buchan on The Strat.”
This month, SPI and The Strat are expected to announce Hagar’s 2022 date. The Strat Theatre’s roster is additionally occupied by lead magician Xavier Mortimer, spiritualist Vanacek, and light dance production “iLuminate.” Theaters open as the “MJ Live” tribute show closes on Thursday night and reopens on Feb. 7 at the Tropicana Theatre.
The appeal of Cheap Trick is unmistakable. Lured by Xander’s unique, high-pitched vocals and Nielsen’s signature 5-neck Hammer Electric, the band released a series of hit singles and albums dating back to 1974. “Dream Police,” “Surrender,” and the best-selling “The Flame” top the hit parade. Today’s lineup includes original member Nielsen, lead vocalist Robin Xander, bass master Tom Peterson, and drummer Dax Nielsen, the son of Rick. Dax Nielsen acquired founding member Boone E. Carlos in 2010. The original lineup entered the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2016.
Since its debut in 1977, less than a year before the release of the groundbreaking “Cheap Trick at Budokan” album, the band has performed at several Vegas venues. “Cheap Trick” performed several packed Fremont Street Experience shows in the “Downtown Rocks” lineup, most recently attracting 15,000 people in August 2019. Veteran rockers also made headlines from 2008 to 2010 with “Sgt. Pepper Live” at the then-Las Vegas Hilton and then Paris Theatre.
The shows were, for one, impressed by the producers’ ability to find 12 sitarists for a single production of Vegas. Cheep Trick, however, which secured a spot in the rock and roll legend by recording versions of “Losing You” and “I’m Moving On” with John Lennon in 1980, added a strong rock atmosphere to the “Pepper” classic. The band also filled the “Pepper” show with several of their own hits.
Stratshaw has to follow a loose format, focusing on the material of the band itself. “We’re going to play a full album and additional tracks like we did before,” Nielsen said. “We’re going to try to do that in Vegas. We can play our first, second, third, fourth album on the four-night stand.”
Cheep Trick plans an ever-changing tour schedule, so additional Vegas dates are expected but it’s not confirmed yet. The European tour, scheduled for February, has been postponed from 21 years to this year. So has the band’s reservations at Australia’s Under The Stars festival. Cheep Trick’s tour, co-starring Canadian ZZ Top, has been moved to this spring. The series with Rod Stewart has been moved to this summer.
Nielsen says, “We’ve got so many other shows that we’ve scheduled and rescheduled, and we’re not sure exactly what can be worked out.” That’s all, and it’s been going on for about two years now. It’s like, I know how many years it is, but sometimes I’m not sure. I just want to go on stage and play. We’re going to make it special, and we can promise.