On August 10th and 11th, nearly 35,000 people filled the Hollywood Bowl to witness what was billed as “Sgt. Pepper’s at 40 … A Beatles Celebration.”
Since the Beatles never perfomed the Sgt. Pepper' s Lonely Hearts Club Band live, the idea was to present the album in its entirety. The evening featured veteran rockers Cheap Trick, as well as solo acts by Aimee Mann, Joan Osborne, Rob Laufer, Ian Ball and Al Jourgensen from Ministry. All were backed by the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra with Edwin Outwater conducting and longtime Beatles engineer Geoff Emerick handling the in-house sound.
The first half of the show highlighted various well-known songs from albums such as Rubber Soul, The White Album, Magical Mystery Tour, Let It Be and Abbey Road, while all the songs on Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band were performed by Cheap Trick after the intermission.
Though I didn't attend the concerts, the feedback was extremely favorable. Many in attendance were very impressed with not only the sound of the orchestra and guest artists, but with Cheap Trick. Trick fans gushed all over the band's message boards about how proud they were of the guys, and many reviews from the LA Times and other news outlets were blown-away by lead singer Robin Zander's voice. It was a great night to be a Cheap Trick fan.
These four men are incredible musicians, and although their career has had its share of highs and lows over the past 30 years, for decades they suffered from a terrible negative image. If I told someone I was a Trick fan in the mid 1980’s, the incredulous looks and comments I received such as, “Ewww….You like Cheap Trick???” made me keep my fandom a secret. At the time, radio station program directors shunned Trick, and the press totally ignored them. It seemed as if the guys would never experience a comeback, and I was pretty much resigned to being an outcast among rock fans.
So, why are Cheap Trick and Rodney Dangerfield cousins in that “they don’t get no respect?” Even a Rolling Stone online reader poll recently voted them as the third most underrated rock musical group or artist of all time. Why, why, why has this amazingly talented band had such difficulty gaining respect during their career? My take on the situation? Karma.
Karma is a significant theme throughout my book, and it is what propelled me to embark upon my spiritual journey with the band. What’s your understanding of karma? Is karma limited to an individual, or can there be something such as “group karma?” Could there possibly be a karmic tie between the guys in Cheap Trick and the Beatles, particularly John Lennon?
Think about it. Trick and their music has always been described as “Beatle”esque,” and Rick Nielsen and Bun E. Carlos worked with John Lennon briefly not long before he was assassinated. There’s lots more to discuss, but as per Mr. John Lennon, Instant Karma’s Gonna Get Ya. However, exploring your karma with a rock band takes more than an instant. So, I’ll continue this shortly. Until next time…
Since the Beatles never perfomed the Sgt. Pepper' s Lonely Hearts Club Band live, the idea was to present the album in its entirety. The evening featured veteran rockers Cheap Trick, as well as solo acts by Aimee Mann, Joan Osborne, Rob Laufer, Ian Ball and Al Jourgensen from Ministry. All were backed by the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra with Edwin Outwater conducting and longtime Beatles engineer Geoff Emerick handling the in-house sound.
The first half of the show highlighted various well-known songs from albums such as Rubber Soul, The White Album, Magical Mystery Tour, Let It Be and Abbey Road, while all the songs on Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band were performed by Cheap Trick after the intermission.
Though I didn't attend the concerts, the feedback was extremely favorable. Many in attendance were very impressed with not only the sound of the orchestra and guest artists, but with Cheap Trick. Trick fans gushed all over the band's message boards about how proud they were of the guys, and many reviews from the LA Times and other news outlets were blown-away by lead singer Robin Zander's voice. It was a great night to be a Cheap Trick fan.
These four men are incredible musicians, and although their career has had its share of highs and lows over the past 30 years, for decades they suffered from a terrible negative image. If I told someone I was a Trick fan in the mid 1980’s, the incredulous looks and comments I received such as, “Ewww….You like Cheap Trick???” made me keep my fandom a secret. At the time, radio station program directors shunned Trick, and the press totally ignored them. It seemed as if the guys would never experience a comeback, and I was pretty much resigned to being an outcast among rock fans.
So, why are Cheap Trick and Rodney Dangerfield cousins in that “they don’t get no respect?” Even a Rolling Stone online reader poll recently voted them as the third most underrated rock musical group or artist of all time. Why, why, why has this amazingly talented band had such difficulty gaining respect during their career? My take on the situation? Karma.
Karma is a significant theme throughout my book, and it is what propelled me to embark upon my spiritual journey with the band. What’s your understanding of karma? Is karma limited to an individual, or can there be something such as “group karma?” Could there possibly be a karmic tie between the guys in Cheap Trick and the Beatles, particularly John Lennon?
Think about it. Trick and their music has always been described as “Beatle”esque,” and Rick Nielsen and Bun E. Carlos worked with John Lennon briefly not long before he was assassinated. There’s lots more to discuss, but as per Mr. John Lennon, Instant Karma’s Gonna Get Ya. However, exploring your karma with a rock band takes more than an instant. So, I’ll continue this shortly. Until next time…