Cheap Trick

Cheap Trick began life in Illinois in 1973 as the successor to Rick Neilsen's and Tom Petersson's brainchildren Fuse and Sick Man of Europe. The addition of Bun E. Carlos and former folksinger Robin Zander rounded out the mix, and the band began a long touring history that included opening for Kiss, The Kinks, Santana and Queen and appearances at Lollapalooza and in Japan. Unfortunately, Cheap Trick's musical development and commercial success have been out of synch a few times, creating the odd situation of Japanese acclaim ['Live At Budokan' in 1979] preceding their Stateside success, the polished 'Next Position Please' in 1983 less popular than earlier, live-show efforts and 'Busted' in 1990 falling short of 'Lap of Luxury' expectations. Petersson was missing for much of the '80s and the early '90s saw a record company change, but 'Cheap Trick' in 1997, put the band back out there in a what-goes-around-comes-around comeback. Zander continues to demonstrate his fine vocal range and reached a new fan base in two appearances, one a capella, at the 2004 National Hockey League Stanley Cup playoffs in Tampa, Florida.