Sgt. Pepper Live

When I found out that Cheap Trick had gotten together with a few friends and a full-sized orchestra last year to play Sgt. Pepper live in its entirety at the Hollywood Bowl, all I could do was read the internet reviews and wallow in my own jealousy of those who were able to attend.  So I was elated when the band announced that they would be reprising the show for nine nights in Vegas.  My turn to experience this collision between Liverpool and Rockford finally came tonight, and it was well worth the wait.

Cheap Trick’s performance was stirring.  Zander’s duet with Ian Ball of Gomez on She’s Leaving Home was particularly powerful.  But it wasn’t really the material itself which made the night so special.  You see, Cheap Trick has been around forever.  I’ve heard that they played Lincoln’s inauguration, but I haven’t been able to confirm that rumor. They are still one of the best live bands on the planet.  They’ve no doubt played warhorses like I Want You to Want Me and Surrender thousands of times, but they do a great job keeping these and other classics fresh night after night.  Sadly, this is mostly due to the fact that they’ve become exceptionally good at faking it.   As someone who’s seen the band live more times than I care to admit over the last 30 years, it’s really nice to be able to witness them in new settings where they are actually challenged and stimulated by the material they are taking on.

And that’s just what’s happening this month in Vegas.  Zander, Nielsen, Petersson and Carlos are obviously energized by the chance to take on the Beatles masterpiece in this unique setting.  In fact, throughout the night, I couldn’t help focus most of my attention on Bun E.  Cheap Trick’s normally staid and reserved drummer was positively glowing throughout the performance — the huge grin which was was on his face during the opening verses of Sgt. Pepper remained constant all night long — right through the encore — a rousing performance of All You Need is Love, featuring Cheap Trick, along with fellow performers including Ball, Joan Osbourne and Rob Laufer.

Bonus highlight: the presence of engineer extraordinare Geoff Emerick.  I knew that Emerick was involved in creating the show, but I had no idea he’d actually be in attendance and taking part in the night’s mix.  To get a chance to shake the hand of the man who was there in Abbey Road studios sitting side-by-side in the control room with George Martin during the creation of Revolver, Sgt. Pepper, Abbey Road, etc. was a thrill of a lifetime.