Skip to content
  • Subscribe
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Youtube
  • Instagram
  • Email
  • Home
  • News
  • Opinion
  • Entertainment
  • Features
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe to Ray’s Columns
Suburban Chicagoland

Suburban Chicagoland

Original News, Features & Opinion on Chicago, Illinois and America

  • About
    • About
    • Advertise
    • Our Writers
      • Ray Hanania
      • Bill Lipinski
      • Biography: Aaron Hanania
    • Terms of Service
    • Privacy Policy
    • Reach Out
  • Sections
    • Events
    • Opinion
    • News
    • Features
    • Seniors
    • Comic Strip
  • Library
    • “MIdnight Flight” Online Book
      • Midnight Flight Book Overview
      • Midnight Flight Introduction
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 1
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 2
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 3
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 4
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 5
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 6
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 7
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 8
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 9
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 10
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 11
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 12
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 13
    • Villages, Cities & Towns
    • Federal Office Holders
    • County Officials
    • Legislators
  • Subscribe to Ray’s Columns
  • Comment
  • Podcast
    • Ray Hanania on Politics
    • Two Guys on Politics
    • Hanania on Tiktok
  • News Wire
  • Archive 2004-2013
  • Toggle search form
  • Michael Frerichs Illinois Treasurer
    Illinois State Treasurer Michael Frerichs Announces $50 Million Loan Program to Help Federal Workers During Shutdown Economy
  • Kat Abughazaleh 9th DIstrict Congress 2026 candidate democrat
    Federal Grand Jury in Chicago Indicts Six Individuals on Charges of Impeding Federal Agent Engaged in Immigration Enforcement Operations Civil Rights
  • 05-23-25 Jeffery M. Leving
    Little Girl Rescued from Feared Danger and Reunited with Dad News
  • Hastings insurance legislation
    Hastings announces legislation to ensure fair homeowners insurance rates for Illinois families Business
  • Mahnoor Ahmad campaign photo
    Mahnoor Ahmad runs for DuPage County Board seat Democrat
  • Sunday, October 26, the Village of Orland Park formally rededicated its Village Hall in honor of the late former Mayor Fredrick T. Owens
    Village of Orland Park Rededicates Village Hall in Honor of Late Former Mayor Fredrick T. Owens Government
  • Fire at townhome at 13900 block of Berkhansted Court in Orland Park, just before midnight on Monday, Oct. 27, 2025
    Firefighter treated for dehydration battling townhouse fire in Orland Park – no residents injured Fire
  • Firefighters with the Orland Fire Protection District who responded to a fire in an apartment at 15200 block of Al Camino Terrace on Saturday morning said the next day that they did find a kitten that needed respiratory aid that they saved.
    FIRE UPDATE: Fire District releases photos of kitten saved from Orland Park apartment fire Saturday Features
  • two-story apartment building on the 15200 block of El Camino Terrace in Orland Park
    Orland Park apartment fire Saturday morning, no injuries Fire
  • Illinois Senator Michael Hastings addressing the Orland Township Democratic Organization Wednesday Oct. 12, 2022
    Hastings calls for bipartisan action to protect Illinois families from SNAP benefit shutdown Baby Boomers
  • Illinios Industrial Energy Consumers, information ad
    Get information on the Illinois Energy Omnibus Bill in Springfield Business
  • State Senator Mike Porfirio secured over $20 million to support infrastructure improvements and construction in the 11th Senate District.
    Senator Porfirio applauds more than $20 million in infrastructure repairs coming to the 11th District News
  • Dad and daughter reunited Lebving Law firm photo
    Little Girl Recovered and Reunited with Dad After Long Separation Dads' Rights
  • 11-03-25 OFPD Coffee living alone
    Orland Fire hosts meeting on helping Seniors who live alone Nov. 5 Baby Boomers
  • State Senator Michael Hastings introduces law to revive long dormant and degraded Tinley Park Mental Health Center into a Sports Park for the community. Photo courtesy of the State Senate President Don Harmon
    Hastings secures $250,000 grant for Easterseals Academy’s Tinley Park campus Health

Cheap Trick perseveres

Posted on September 3, 2018September 3, 2018 By Steve Metsch No Comments on Cheap Trick perseveres
SHARE THIS STORY
            
 
  

Cheap Trick perseveres

Weather vocal woes, deliver solid show

By Steve Metsch

Several times during Sunday night’s concert at Naperville’s Last Fling, held on Rotary Hill. something didn’t sound quite right.

The normally impressive, soaring vocals of Robin Zander were seemingly stuck in neutral. There was a flatness and grittiness to his vocals that, frankly, I had not heard before. I’d just seen the band three months ago in Tinley Park and marveled at his singing, just as I have in six other concerts since 2013.

It seemed that Zander had  hit that dreaded moment when a singer’s voice goes downhill. It happens. Or maybe he was the victim of a cold. He was taking off some lyrics, and was letting lead guitarist Rick Nielsen chat up the audience way more than usual.

It was most evident during their ’80s ballad “The Flame,” as Zander painfully struggled throughout the lyrics.

Thankfully, we learned very late in the show, that he his voice was still there, but had just been kicked to the curb a bit..

“I was hanging out with Bono the other night and this is what I get for it, laryngitis,” Zander said after a hard-driving version of “Dream Police,” a song on which is voice rebounded and sounded as good as ever. Bono, if you have not heard, was unable to sing at a U2 concert in Berlin on Saturday,  forcing the show to be postponed until a future date.

That was not the case Sunday night as Cheap Trick rolled through an 18-song set that did not disappoint, even despite the rocky vocals. And that’s a good thing, as  Rotary Hill was packed with folks who paid $25 each.

 

Veteran rockers Cheap Trick overcame Robin Zander’s vocal woes to deliver a solid show Sunday night. Photo by Steve Metsch. 

The band opened with “Hello There” then played a newer song, “You Got It Going,” before dusting off  “Big Eyes” with Tom Petersson churning on his 12-string bass. He, Nielsen, and the latter’s son, drummer Daxx Nielsen, were in fine form all night. Zander’s son, Robin Taylor Zander, filled in on acoustic guitar.

I attended the show with Phil Rockrohr, a longtime friend of mine who is also a writer and a professional musician who has recorded several CDs. A guitar player himself, Phil noted that Rick Nielsen “kept it fresh” all night long and didn’t take it easy, unlike some other veteran rockers. “And he keeps making those weird noises,” Phil said. It’s true. Nielsen seemed to have extra energy all night long, perhaps in response to Zander being under the weather.

“Thank God for not raining on us,” Nielsen shouted midway through the show, reflecting the crowd’s sentiment.

One thing I like about Cheap Trick is how the band brings new sounds to old favorites. “On Top of the World,” for example, was extended with a lengthy Nielsen guitar solo. “She’s Tight”  rocked harder than ever. An extended lead-in by the musicians powered “Ain’t That A Shame.” The night’s ninth song,  it was the first on which Zander sounded like his old self.

Another cover, this time The Beatles’ “Magical Mystery Tour” was simply fantastic. Phil called it “delightfully twisted.” It’s played now and then by Cheap Trick, a band that loves the Fab Four, and they had a lot of fun with it Sunday night. Rick Nielsen joked that years ago Michael Jackson, who then owned the Beatles songbook, “asked us to play it and then threatened to sue us.”

The band’s fourth cover of the night, it also played The Move’s “California Man” early on, was the Velvet Underground’s “I’m Waiting for the Man.” As Phil noted, the “deadpan crunchy-blues reading would have made Lou Reed smile.” Petersson was great on the song, playing and singing.

After he addressed his vocals woes, Zander seemed inspired and was in fine voice for the encore of the always-fun “Never Had a Lot to Lose” and “Surrender,” a classic rocker that brought all the crowd to its feet, followed with their standard closing song, “Goodnight Now.”

These guys are in the Hall of Fame for a reason. They found a way to get over the obstacles Sunday night and, judging by the comments I heard leaving, most of the crowd left happy after the 90-minute show.

Lucky Boys Confusion, a band with Naperville roots, opened with a lively, entertaining show. I plan to look for some of their CDs.

 

newswire info
  • Author
  • Recent Posts
Steve Metsch
Steve Metsch
Steve Metsch is an award winning veteran reporter who previously worked for the Daily Southtown Newspapers, Chicago Tribune and Chicago Sun-Times. Metsch is a writer and editor at the Southwest News Newspaper group based in suburban Chicago, and a freelance writer a health magazine, the Suburban Life, the Naperville Sun, and other organizations.
Email Steve Metsch at [email protected]
Steve Metsch
Latest posts by Steve Metsch (see all)
  • Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band are still rockin’ - August 10, 2023
  • Weathering personal storms - July 20, 2023
  • Countryside solution irks some - July 20, 2023
NPV: 74
  • Tweet

SHARE THIS STORY
            
 
  
 
 
 
           
News, Suburban Chicagoland Tags:Cheap Trick, Daxx Nielsen, Last Fling, Naperville, Rick Nielsen, Robin Zander, Tom Petersson

Post navigation

Previous Post: The two faces of John McCain
Next Post: Orland Park Cardiologist warns of rising cardiovascular risk among women

Related Posts

  • Congressman Dan Lipinski
    Lipinski introduces bill to help taxpayers hurt by SALT deduction Government
  • house fire on the 9100 block of 169th place in Orland Hills on the evening of March 18, 2022
    The Orland Fire Protection District is hiring Firefighters/Paramedics. Employment
  • Cook County Treasurer Maria Papas
    Treasurer Pappas urges homeowners to pay late taxes and avoid Annual Tax Sale as 23,270 owe less than $1,000 Cook County
  • Fire Truck, Fire District. Photo courtesy of the Orland Fire Protection District
    Brush fire in Orland Park extinguished Fire
  • Steelworker Constructionman Joseph Synowiec, a Lockport, Ill. native, is participating in Pacific Partnership, the largest annual multinational humanitarian assistance and disaster relief preparedness mission in the Indo-Pacific region. Photo courtesy of the U.S. Navy. CHON BURI PROVINCE, Thailand (May 20, 2019) U.S. Navy Steelworker Constructionman Joseph Synowiec, assigned to Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 4, prepares to weld two pieces of metal together on the roof of a library at the Ban Surasak School project site during Pacific Partnership 2019. The scope of the project includes construction of a library, which is also designed to function as a shelter in the event of a natural disaster. Pacific Partnership, now in its 14th iteration, is the largest annual multinational humanitarian assistance and disaster preparedness mission conducted in the Indo-Pacific. Each year, the mission team works collectively with host and partner nations to enhance regional interoperability and disaster response capabilities, increase stability and security in the region, and foster new and enduring friendships across the Indo-Pacific. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Kelsey L. Adams)
    Lockport enlistee serving in Pacific Naval Partnership Features
  • Road construction concrete pavement. Photo courtesy of Ray Hanania
    New, improved Weber Road and interchange opened, celebrated in Will County DuPage

More Related Articles

SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview Chicago Fire sets dates for “home games” at SeatGeek Stadium because of date conflicts with Soldier Field and Bears classifieds
Aviation Boatswain's Mate (Handling) 3rd Class Oterrius Pouncy, from Chicago, Ill., (U.S. Navy video by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class John McGovern) Active duty sailor sends cheers to Chicago family Chicago
Mineshaft, music cover, by Aaron Hanania Mineshaft, a song to calm concerns in the Coronavirus Pandemic wake Aaron Hanania
Hollywood in Lyons News
Happy Halloween Keep Halloween Spooky and Fire Free Culture
Gunner's Mate 2nd Class Sergio Medina. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Maria I. Alvarez:Released) Photo, Military Profile: Chicagoan aboard the USS Sergipo Gonzalez Chicago

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Login with your Social ID
  • OPINION
  • Cook County Treasurer Maria Papas
    Your Mortgage Company May Pay Your Taxes — But You Still Need to Watch
    October 17, 2025
  • Mohammed Faheem The Lightning Strike Radio Show small
    The Politicization of the Nobel Peace Prize — and Trump’s Fury Over Losing Again
    October 11, 2025
  • 06-04-25 Two Guys on Politics Background Zoom LOGO with images
    Video Podcast: Trump Kimmel Kirk Great American Divide Illegal Aliens polling and Illegal Aliens and ICE
    September 20, 2025
  • Illinois House Speaker Emanuel "Chris" Welch speaking at a West Side affordable housing dedication
    Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch, one of the best candidates to become Illinois Governor
    September 7, 2025
  • Cook County Treasurer Maria Papas
    What You’re Missing on Your Property Tax Bill
    September 5, 2025
Subscribe to Ray Hanania's column graphic

Enter Your Email to Subscribe to Ray Hanania’s Columns

  • The-Kings-Pawn-Book-300-x-300.png

Mohammed Faheem The Lightning Strike Radio

  • NEWS
  • Michael Frerichs Illinois Treasurer
    Illinois State Treasurer Michael Frerichs Announces $50 Million Loan Program to Help Federal Workers During Shutdown
    October 30, 2025
  • Kat Abughazaleh 9th DIstrict Congress 2026 candidate democrat
    Federal Grand Jury in Chicago Indicts Six Individuals on Charges of Impeding Federal Agent Engaged in Immigration Enforcement Operations
    October 30, 2025
  • 05-23-25 Jeffery M. Leving
    Little Girl Rescued from Feared Danger and Reunited with Dad
    October 30, 2025
  • Hastings insurance legislation
    Hastings announces legislation to ensure fair homeowners insurance rates for Illinois families
    October 29, 2025
  • Mahnoor Ahmad campaign photo
    Mahnoor Ahmad runs for DuPage County Board seat
    October 29, 2025
John Kass Columns

Order the book PoweR PR; Ethnic Activists Guide to Strategic Communications

YOUTUBE VIDEOS

CLICK TO SUBSCRIBE TO RAY HANANIA'S YOUTUBE VIDEOS


Click here to view the video on YouTube or use the widget below.

Follow Ray Hanania at
Twitter
Facebook
TitkTok
BlueSky
RayHanania Columns

Creative Commons License
All works on this website is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Do not edit original work. Give credit to the original source.

Categories

Copyright © 2022 Suburban Chicagoland & Urban Strategies Group

Powered by PressBook Premium theme