LIVE REVIEW: Cheap Trick in Lincoln, RI (09.18.26)
On a balmy Friday night in the woods of Lincoln, Rhode Island, I was back at the Bally’s Event Center, where I had the opportunity to see the classic rock band Cheap Trick perform a 70 minute headlining set as part of their ongoing All Washed Up Tour, a name which frankly describes the complete opposite of the band these days.
All the way from Rockford, Illinois, Cheap Trick was founded in 1973 by current founding members Rick Neilsen (lead guitar, backing/lead vocals) and Tom Peterson (bass, backing/lead vocals), alongside former founding drummer Bun E Carlos and vocalist Randy “Xeno” Hogan. After Hogan’s departure in 1974, the band added frontman Robin Zander (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), forming the “classic” lineup fans know of today. With Tom Peterson taking a hiatus in the 80s after relentless touring (until he returned to the band in 1987), Nielsen and Zander remained, now performing for over 50 years together. As of late 2026, the band is backed by Nielsen’s son, Daxx Nielsen (drums, backing vocals), who replaced Bun E. Carlos in 2010, and Robin’s son, Robin Taylor Zander (lead guitar, lead/backing vocals).
With AC/DC’s “Live Wire” blasting through the speakers, the lights went down, with a lady voiceover announcing: “Boys and girls, please welcome to the stage, the best f***ing rock band you’ve ever seen, Cheap Trick!” Kicking off the show with back-to-back action of the opener “Hello There” and the Billboard Hot 100 hit “Dream Police,” the band came out firing, far from being washed up. But even then, there comes issues after touring for so long. About a week beforehand, guitarist Rick Nielsen had been having some health issues onstage, where he (according to The Rock Revival) ended up going offstage twice due to him having a “hard time breathing.” And at the age of 77, I originally did not expect this show to even happen–whether it ended up being postponed or cancelled. Instead, Rick came out in full force, throwing handfuls of guitar picks into the crowd, and commanding every foot of the stage.
Walking to the front of the stage with a police cap and glittered pants, Robin shouted, “Yeah! What a fine lookin’ bunch we got here tonight. Just in case you’re not sure, we are the one, the only, Cheap Trick,” followed by a round of applause. Rick followed up Robin, stating, “We’ve got 21 albums, 8 live albums, and 20 compilation albums. Here’s one from our latest record All Washed Up, ‘The Riff That Won’t Quit’.” Even though this was the only new song performed during the night, I got a pretty good impression that this is a pretty “heavy” era for the band—and I love it.
After an extended jam session of my personal favorite Cheap Trick song, “California Man,” the band moved into a stretch that highlighted some of the more underrated members of the group. Robin Taylor Zander took over lead vocals on “High Roller,” while Tom Petersson followed with his bass solo leading into his own lead vocals on “I Know What I Want.” It was a great reminder that Cheap Trick is far more than just Nielsen and Zander, even if those two have been the constant faces of the band. The main set then came to a close with two of Cheap Trick’s biggest staples, “I Want You to Want Me” and “Surrender,” sending the crowd into the encore.
Opening the encore with the vivid and energetic “Auf Wiedersehen,” the band once again filled the stage with movement, lighting, and sheer volume, headbanging along to the song’s driving melody. Finally, they brought the night to a close, with “Goodnight.”
The 70-minute set ultimately served as a live greatest-hits record, reminding the audience just how many great songs Cheap Trick has released throughout their career. Backed by a multilayered wall of amps and a large backdrop displaying their latest album, the band looked and sounded exactly like the rock-and-roll institution they have spent more than 50 years becoming.
Overall, even with all of the highlighting remarks throughout the night, I can’t help but wonder how long the band will keep the train running for. Unfortunately, the energy has seemed to have slowed down somewhat compared to the last time I saw them two years ago, and their set length has shortened a bit. That’s not to say the band didn’t deliver—they absolutely did—but at 77, Rick Nielsen and 73-year-old Robin Zander are now well into their career, and the realities of performing for more than five decades are becoming harder to ignore.
Even then, there’s something special about watching a band with this much history continue to get up there and play the songs that made them legends. If this really is one of the later chapters of Cheap Trick’s story–and potentially the last time I may get to see them–they’re still making sure it’s a memorable one.
Featured image by: McClister
