Sgt. Pepper — Cheap Trick's Version — Is Marching On In Las Vegas

Sgt. Pepper Live Featuring Cheap Trick is, simply, a dazzling-to-look-at show with great music that has pleased multitudes.

Cheap Trick was invited to perform the Beatles' classic in 2007 at the Hollywood Bowl — with the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra and guests Joan Osborne and Aimee Mann. Geoff Emmerick, who worled on the original Sgt. Pepper album works on this show as sound director. On a platform above the stage stage at Paris Las Vegas is a full orchestra (The Sgt. Pepper Symphony) and six backup singers. With Cheap Trick below are two other musicians, one who also sings backup, on the stage with them and, for one song, an Indian ensemble of six musicians.

In short, there are a lot of people working very hard and succeeding at embracing their audience with the peace and love embodied by the Beatles. And the audience embraces them right back. In fact, a word about the audience is merited here because the audience was a show all by itself.

There were people of all ages, many clearly too young to remember the Beatles heyday. Apparently, lots of parents shared the show with their younge children as a way of introducing them to the music. Of course, most of the music is familiar and the audience at times looked as if it was made up of bobble-head dolls, with people keeping the beat by nodding along. They danced, too, and if they sang the songs, their volume level couldn't compete with that of the performers so they were never distracting. (However, the volume of the video shown at the beginning of the show was painful.)

Vocalist Robin Zander has a perfect voice for doing what he does, essentially standing in for Paul McCartney. Rick Nielsen used many of his hundreds of guitars during the show. (Although, with hand gestures, he encouraged applause. That was superflouous and cheapened the proceedings.  This audience didn't have to be told to clap and cheer.) His son Daxx Nielsen did the Ringo Starr thing while group member Bun E. Carlos is on vacation from touring. Bass player/vocalist Tom Petersson (the quietiest, George Harrison-ike member of the group) did his thing to great effect.

Make no mistake — Cheap Trick is in no way a cover band. They really do bring their own American power pop sensibility to the proceedings and they do a couple of their own songs, including Surrender and I Want You To Want Me, their biggest hits. They note that John Lennon said Sgt. Pepper could never be performed live. Well, he was wrong on that. Thankfully.

The Paris Las Vegas theater is gorgeous, state-of-the-art and is a perfect fit for this show which, itself, is sumptuous. Every facet of the performance reflects the care and thought that went into the production. It is a marvel.

Sgt. Pepper Live Featuring Cheap Trickis a must-see. I am not a Beatles devotee and, yet, had a blast. You should go.

Between now and July 31, Sgt. Pepper Live Featuring Cheap Trick will be performed 18 times. Tickets are $75, $100, $125 and $250 (plus tax and fees). Call 1.888.727.4758 or visit the Ticketmaster website.

 

 

 

 

 

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