Cheap Trick Lights it up at MGM Fenway

Concert Date: August 3, 2024

Venue: MGM Concert Hall, Fenway Park, Boston

Genre: Hard Rock

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Blazing onto the punk rock scene in the mid-70s and rubbing elbows with arena rock legends, Cheap Trick mixes gritty guitar, quirky lyrics, and catchy sing-along hooks to forge an unwavering, uncompromising, and immersive live act.  Their signature sound combines pop elements of the '60s with rock and punk elements of the '70s and has evolved and matured while remaining true to their roots. 

Their live act has not only aged gracefully but has taken on an even snarlier predilection emphasized in full after the opening "Hello There"'s sonic blitz when, during a resounding ovation, Rick Nielsen turned his back to the crowd and threw his middle finger in the air.  This only served to amplify the admiration as his guitar tech ran out to swap his guitar out for their next number.  He closed his hands in prayer, bowed, and then ripped into the opening riff of "Big Eyes." In less than 3 minutes, the jam-packed crowd at MGM concert hall alongside historic Fenway Park in Boston was on their feet shouting and screaming, evoking the soul-soaring vibe of their landmark 1978 live album, Cheap Trick Live at Budokan. 

The acoustics in the MGM Concert Hall played well to the band's strengths.  It was loud, like a punch in the shoulder, forcing you up and on your feet.  Rick's son, drummer Daxx Nielsen's Bonham-esque style pounded and resounded through the venue, creating a solid foundation for the band to explore more creative renditions of their signature songs.  

The band ran off a string of deep cuts, including a nod to Jeff Lynne's first band, The Move, with a "California Man" cover.  After some masterful guitar riffing on "Southern Girls," Rick Neilsen gave the obligatory shoutout to Boston and a nod to Kirk Hammett, who was in the crowd and had played Gillette Stadium in Foxboro a few nights earlier.  Rather than bring Kirk on stage, the band called up Extreme frontman and Boston native Gary Charone, who borrowed the mike and the stage from Robin Zander for "Baby Loves to Rock."  

Amidst the barrage of the first ten songs was this writer's favorite song of the night, a profoundly rockified cover of Fats Domino's "Ain't That a Shame." With a thunderous rhythm providing the canvas, Rick Nielsen painted a masterpiece on guitar as he blazed through a solo that burned through the night like a fire through the soul.  The sudden stop, like a firehose flooding the flames, followed by Robin Zander's cryogenic crooning, sent a wave of euphoria through the crowd.  The song underscored the history of Rock and Roll.  A Rockford, Illinois band interpreting a Fats Dominos interpretation of Mississippi Delta Blues.  After hitting #1 in 1955, a new incarnation lights up a sold-out crowd almost 70 years later. 

The band saved their best for last, taking the audience to new heights through a string of incredible songs that underscored Cheap Trick's legendary status.  "The Flame" rolled into every rock fan's favorite opening stanza: "I want you to want me."  "Dream Police" finished the set with Rick Nielsen taking over the mike to belt out in his inimitable style:  

I try to sleep; they're wide awake, they won't let me alone

They don't get paid to take vacations or let me alone

They spy on me, I try to hide, they won't let me alone

THANK YOU, BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTES!!

Rick's guitar handed him what must have been the 10th guitar of the night.  Nielsen's playing was sharp and rife with attitude.  He strolled across the stage, stopping suddenly to lower himself toward the flow and lay down riffs, like exclamation points, accentuating and amplifying the moment. 

The encore became the crescendo of the evening with "Clock Strikes Ten," followed by "Surrender," a song that gave millions of teenagers in the late 1970s the best advice they may ever get in their entire lives: "Surrender, Surrender, but don't give yourself away." "Goodnight" with Nielsen sporting a 5-neck guitar
bookended a night I won't soon forget.  The crowd did not want the evening to end, and I sensed the band didn't either, and we all walked away feeling we had experienced something special.  If you've been on the fence about seeing these living legends, jump off and go.

- Tom Endyke | Guitar & Pen

Surf-Rock Review: Olivia Jean - Night Owl

Score: 79
Genre: Surf-Rock, Punk
Release Date: August 30, 2019

After waiting five years for something new, fans finally got their fix with Olivia Jean’s latest release, "Night Owl." On her debut album, the versatile Ms. Jean plays all the instruments.  Night Owl brings reinforcements in the form of a backing band that helps to refine her unique and enigmatic sound. Ms. Jean blends rockabilly, surf & punk with soft and expressive vocals to produce a sharp and infective result. 

Born out of Jack White's Third Man Records incubator, Ms. Jean broke from her first band, The Black Belles, and now stands apart from Mr. White's shadow with her signature hook-driven sound. And they call them hooks for a reason. They're sharp and instantly take hold of you. Her signature black Gretsch guitar is searing, burning holes through the listener's preconceived notions and expectations. Like a pro surfer riding a cruncher, Ms. Jean's haunting melodies ride the shifting riffs masterfully. Occasionally veering off for a stunt or two, she returns to ease the listener safely to shore. 

"Garage Bats," "Night Owl," and "Brushfire" are rockers while the obscure cover of the classic Bollywood song "Jaan Pehechaan Ho" is a ride to the ocean in a convertible with the top down. Unlike her debut album, where Ms. Jean breaks out the acoustic guitar for the aforementioned "Haunt" me, on Night Owl, she opts to stay plugged in. Therein lies my sole wish for this album, that she gives us more of a taste of the stripped-down Patsy Cline inspired sound, which exposes both her vocal range and musical vulnerability. It seems "Can You Help Me" and "In Two" pose significant opportunities to unplug for a bit.

All told, Night Owl crackles with an energy that a 3-minute song structure struggles to contain. The fourteen songs packed into this thirty-seven-minute album pull no punches whatsoever. Play it loud, play it often, and please, Ms. Jean, don't keep us waiting another five years for another release.    

- Tom Endyke | Guitar & Pen