Cheap Trick sent mild alarm through their fan community earlier this week when they quietly cancelled all their 2027 shows, even though they have 10 booked in November that are going forward as planned. To quell concerns, the band posted an explanation on their social media channels.
“Many thanks to everyone who has expressed concern for us,” they wrote in a group statement. “To clear things up, we’ve decided to take some time off after decades of touring because we need a break. Not for health reasons. We’ll play our November shows and then take our first break in 50 years. Thank you for all your support!”
Their claim of having been on the road for 50 years is not an exaggeration. And the original lineup of singer Robin Zander, guitarist Rick Nielsen, bassist Tom Petersson, and drummer Bun E. Carlos remained intact from their formation in 1973 all the way until 2010, with the exception of 1980 to 1987 when Petersson briefly stepped aside.
But in 2010 they had a rather bitter split with Carlos, and replaced him with Nielsen’s son, Daxx Nielsen. In 2016, Zander’s son, Robin Taylor Zander, joined the group as a rhythm guitarist. But he’s also played lead guitar, drums and bass when the other members had to miss various gigs.
In 2022, the younger Zander had to substitute for Rick Nielsen when the guitarist briefly left to undergo a “minor procedure.” “If anyone knows about this band, they know that a lot of the personality is through Rick,” Robin Taylor Zander told Rolling Stone in 2022. “He’s the main entertainer. He’s the guy who runs across one side of the stage to the other. I’m never going to be that, because I’m standing. I have to sing most of the night. I’m not going to run around and throw guitar picks into the audience like Rick. I just had to focus on getting the guitar parts right. All I could do was my best.”
Last month, Nielsen, who suffers from COPD and asthma, had to briefly leave the stage during a show at Riveredge Park in Aurora, Illinois, due to breathing troubles. A few weeks later, he announced that he was cancer-free at the Pinktober event at Hard Rock Casino Rockford, Illinois. “Let everybody know I took an MRI last week,” he said. “I have no cancer, so that’s good news.”
Cheap Trick last performed October 9 at the VyStar Pavilion, in Savannah, Georgia. The set was their usual mix of classics like “Dream Police,” “I Want You to Want Me,” and “Surrender” with deeper cuts like “High Roller, “Big Eyes,” and “Lookout.”
They are next booked to take the stage November 5 at the Clyde Theatre in Ford Wayne, Indiana. The 10-show run concludes November 22 a the Sound Board Theater in Detroit, Michigan. If you’ve been putting off your next Cheap Trick fix, these shows are your chance. There’s no way to know when their hiatus is going to end.
