PUREHONEY 72

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Jaime Salazar

VAN JONES Commonalities versus differences. Seems like a nobrainer fight but the sad truth is evidenced all around— America is in the midst of a political stranglehold and the divisions that plague this great land have not been this wide and seemingly as out-of-control as they currently are in a long while. Russian collusion, the longcon of the Trump administration, weakened political sensibilities on both sides of the aisle; all of these causes and more have steered the current political climate.

It is not the time to point fingers VAN JONES but at the root of all of this are both political parties and their leadership camps. No political entity in this nation serves the people without serving themselves first. Was Hillary Clinton a good choice for the Dems? No. Not against a rabid, toupeéd Soviet puppet. So while this piece is not about the state of political affairs within the Democratic Party, it is hard to mention Van Jones and not cross a finger or two in hopes that he is taken into consideration for the next electoral race. Jones, a young non-practicing attorney, political commentator, and activist has carved his politics out of human rights and environmentalist platforms and has been on the national consciousness since joining CNN’s Crossfire and continuing as a commentator after its cancellation. Partnering with Roc Nation, Jones is hitting the road with the We Rise Tour powered by #LoveArmy to bring artists, athletes, and local and national leaders to cities across the USA to engage in dialogue. This event is open to attendees in the sense that questions and engagement are encouraged. Jones and company will visit community centers, schools, and organizations to “spend time with our partners in social change on the ground.” The underlying focus hinting at Jones connecting with the hardest economically hit neighborhoods. 100% of net ticket sales will benefit Dream Corps initiatives and local charities. It might not be billed as such, but this will put Jones out there, in a good way. Hopefully the Democratic brass will take note and groom this effort into a political reality. The WE RISE Tour Powered by #LoveArmy with Van Jones at 8pm on Sunday, August 13 at the Fillmore Miami Beach. Visit vanjones.net. ~ Abel Folgar


Epitaph Records

SOCIAL DISTORTION Michael Ness has spent years in and out of rehab, done a few stints in prison and battled through the deaths of former band members. The one constant that seems to have stayed is his dedication to punk rock band Social Distortion, whose tour lands at a now soldout Revolution Live on August 26.

Ness has seen more than 21 musicians float in and out of the group since he founded it in SOCIAL DISTORTION 1978. In a March interview with the Phoenix New Times, he said he feels his current lineup helps him “execute what I see and what I hear, and that’s invaluable to have guys who can speak your language and understand your insanity.” It seems like a solid achievement for Ness, who at 55 has spent more than half his life developing the music of one of the most recently influential rock bands, which has inspired the likes of pop punk bands such as Blink-182 and Pennywise. The last time they toured, Social Distortion celebrated the 25th anniversary of their eponymous debut album, and this time around their influence has reached their opener: gothic-folk singer Jade Johnson, whose album Ness produced. The four-man Fullerton ensemble defied the traditional ’70s California punk sound on their 1988 second album, Prison Bound. Their new “cowpunk” style of music, which added elements of country Western and blues rock, came through here and would become a defining trait of the band, leading to more commercial success on Social Distortion. Angsty anthems such as “Story of My Life” and “Ball and Chain” paved the way for emo and showed troubled kids that there was someone who understood their pain and struggles. Their 2011 release Hard Times and Nursery Rhymes saw a shift from Ness’ first-person worldview and instead delivered a tighter rock ‘n’ roll sound that showcased a lifetime of hard lessons learned. True to their fashion, Social Distortion will keep exploring new genres on their upcoming eighth studio album, which they’re set to begin recording in the fall. Although Social Distortion might have matured their lyrics and sound, their songs about running from the cops are still relevant with young listeners, so expect to hear the old favorites along with the new when they rock their way into Fort Lauderdale. Social Distortion will perform with special guest Jade Jackson at 7pm Saturday, August 26 at Revolution Live. 100 SW 3rd Ave., Fort Lauderdale. Sold out. socialdistortion.com. ~ Olivia Feldman


DEAP VALLY Lots of things were happening six years ago. PureHoney was nearing its debut, Lena Dunham was filming the first season of Girls, Obama was nearing the end of his first term, and Lindsay Troy was making the acquaintance of Julie Edwards in a Southern California crochet store. What happened next was Deap Vally, the likely codename for a government stem cell project combining the DNA of The White Stripes, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and Sleater Kinney--or the natural consequence of the DEAP VALLY resurgence of blues rock, alt punk and the explosion of post-feminist feminism in a digital world. Whatever it is, it is the right time for a band like Deap Vally. From their first single “Gonna Make My Own Money” on, their work is musically, politically, philosophically both instinctual and informed and accompanied by wellappointed visuals. Bold, gritty videos invite us to riot grrl from our bedrooms or in the streets. The band are currently touring Europe and the U.S.A promoting their second album Femijism, released almost a year ago in September with Nevado Records. Tracks like “Royal Jelly”, “Critic”, and “Teenage Queen” reflect the questions faced by women for time immemorial like existing in a world where you’re physical and mental states are open topics of discussion for random strangers even. “Smile More”, is the musical answer to the common phenomenon of women being told to smile.. Troy bemoans the oppression of everyone trying to tell her what to do before telling the drunk guy at the bar that she’s just fine not smiling and that, “I am not ashamed of my mental state/ And I am not ashamed of my body weight/And I am not ashamed of my rage/And I am not ashamed of my age/ And I am not ashamed of my sex life/Although I wish it were better/I am not ashamed I am no one’s wife/Although the idea does sound kind of nice” While promoting Femijism, Deap Vally jump on the Rage and Rapture Tour for fourteen stops with rock icons Blondie and Garbage. Catch them August 8 at the Seminole Hard Rock in Hollywood. Doors open at 6pm. Show starts at 7pm. Tickets start at $50. Bonus: Visit their website for a selection of shareable band gifs. ~ Jessica Chesler


SATURDAY, JULY 29

DADA: Diogo Das Virgens Band KILL YOUR IDOL: Breaks Yo! RESPECTABLE STREET: Cavity AD, Ten Volt Shock (Germany), YC-CY (Sweden), Kill Your CULTURE ROOM: Dragonforce PERFECT VODKA AMP: Lady Antebellum, Kelsea Ballerini CWS: Bobby Lee Rodgers Trio HAROLDS: InBetween Sets: DJ Networking Party BREW 772: Gravel Kings, Pathos, Pathos, Wes Raffa BREWHOUSE GALLERY: Summer Gill CHURCHILL’S PUB: Nuclear Valdez, Humbert, Shark Valley Sisters, Jim Wurster, Drawing Bored KELSEY THEATER: Back to School Jam for the Boys & Girls Club with Felicity JERRY’S DEERFIELD: Free Demo Lukas 1862 Oil Paint with Cangshu Gran SALTWATER BREWERY: Closer to the Ocean

GUANABANAS: Noche Latina ft. Cortadito, The Nag Champayons

SUNDAY, AUGUST 6

FILLMORE MIAMI BEACH: Bill Maher KILL YOUR IDOL: Baseline Miami TWO& LAS OLAS: Ink & Drink Sunday Social with Galen Todd Traxler CWS: Joey Tenuto Jr. BREWHOUSE GALLERY: Eric Ryan

SUNDAY JULY 30

CWS: Joey Tenuto Jr. BREWHOUSE GALLERY: A Sunday Kind of Blues, Nip & Tuck

MONDAY JULY 31

DADA: Open Mic KILL YOUR IDOL: Drag Mondays

TUESDAY, AUGUST 1

PERFECT VODKA AMP: Foreigner, Cheap Trick, Jason Bonham’s Led Zeppelin Experience DADA: Spoken Word Open Mic KILL YOUR IDOL: Open Mic PROPAGANDA: 80’s Karaoke O’MALLEYS: Sabella, Distinguisher, Unity TX

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 2

DADA: The Necessities KILL YOUR IDOL: Peyote Coyote GRAMPS: Spectral Voices, Sorrowseed Ring Of Malevolence

THURSDAY, AUGUST 3

DADA: Mike & Jeff of Heavy Pets CWS: Periphyton KILL YOUR IDOL: Karaoke w/ Shelley Novak RESPECTABLE STREET: Lightstar O’MALLEYS: ’68, Whores, Letters To Part, Stay For Tonight BREWHOUSE GALLERY: Open Mic Night

FRIDAY, AUGUST 4

DADA: Sunghosts PROPAGANDA: Weird at First BREWHOUSE GALLERY: Joey George and the Dead Beat Daddies CWS: Wilkes Oswald STACHE: The Holidazed FUNKY BUDDHA: Girl Jerry – Dead Tribute

SATURDAY, AUGUST 5

FILLMORE MIAMI BEACH: Bill Maher DADA: Raff the Band KILL YOUR IDOL: DJ Val Verra RESPECTABLE STREET: Peyote Coyote, The Water Colors, Treetops BREWHOUSE GALLERY: The String Assassins CWS: Unlimited Devotion SEMINOLE HARD ROCK: Freestyle Loves the 90’s FUNKY BUDDHA: Summer Comedy Show GRAMPS: Cave Of Swimmers, Smut, Dracula

MONDAY, AUGUST 7

DADA: Open Mic HULLABALOO: Rick Fantasies KILL YOUR IDOL: Drag Mondays

TUESDAY, AUGUST 8

SEMINOLE HARD ROCK: Blondie, Garbage, Deap Vally DADA: Comedy Open Mic KILL YOUR IDOL: Open Mic

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 9

CULTURE ROOM: Psychedelic Furs DADA: Rio Peterson GUANABANAS: Sam Price & the True Believers

THURSDAY, AUGUST 10

DADA: The Holidazed KILL YOUR IDOL: Karaoke w/ Shelley Novak RESPECTABLE STREET: Pyros SEMINOLE HARD ROCK: Australian Pink Floyd Show O’MALLEYS: Kingdom of Giants, Currents, Afterlife, Fame on Fire BREWHOUSE GALLERY: Open Mic Night CWS: The Blues Crusaders

FRIDAY, AUGUST 11

DADA: Big Chief KILL YOUR IDOL: Bermuda Beach CWS: The Holidazed STACHE: Spider Cherry BREWHOUSE GALLERY: Rogue Theory FUNKY BUDDHA: Bear Witness w. Evolve de Selekia

SATURDAY, AUGUST 12

JJ MUGGS: Project: Project w. Mike Mineo, The Prosthetic Minds To Benefit HopeFromHarrison.org DADA: King Complex KILL YOUR IDOL: Keep It Deep RESPECTABLE STREET: Everymen, Que Lastima, Wolf-Face, The No Name Ska Band, The Vibes Farm, Old Habits, Church Girls, Seven Serpents, Heel Turn BREWHOUSE GALLERY: NMBR 11 CWS: Cleveland Jones


STACHE: Havana Nights GUANABANAS: Ellameno Beat FUNKY BUDDHA: Gary Lazer Eyes, Electric Flannel, Holy Dances

SUNDAY, AUGUST 13

FILLMORE MB: Van Jones: We Rise Tour BREWHOUSE GALLERY: A Sunday Kind of Blues CWS: Joey Tenuto Jr. O’MALLEYS: Northbound, The Blonde Tongues, Intervention

The Magician CWS: Joey Tenuto Jr.

MONDAY, AUGUST 21

DADA: Open Mic HULLABALOO: Beartoe KILL YOUR IDOL: Drag Mondays

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 23 DADA: Eric Ryan

THURSDAY, AUGUST 24

DADA: Open Mic HULLABALOO: SloFunkPump KILL YOUR IDOL: Drag Mondays

RESPECTABLE STREET: Yung Tarzan DADA: Redlye Reggae KILL YOUR IDOL: Karaoke w/ Shelley Novak CWS: Victoria Cardona

TUESDAY, AUGUST 15

FRIDAY, AUGUST 25

MONDAY, AUGUST 14

DADA: Comedy Open Mic KILL YOUR IDOL: Open Mic

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 16

DADA: Dobro Mike and the Frish KILL YOUR IDOL: Drawing Bored PERFECT VODKA AMP: Matchbox 20, Counting Crows GUANABANAS: The Expanders

THURSDAY, AUGUST 17

DADA: Southern Tier KILL YOUR IDOL: Karaoke w/ Shelley Novak RESPECTABLE STREET: Pans Permia PROPAGANDA: Diogo Das Virgens CWS: Mike Mineo BREWHOUSE GALLERY: Open Mic Night

FRIDAY, AUGUST 18

GRAMPS: Shroud Eater Album Release Ether, Orbweaver DADA: Eternal Boner CWS: Solemark STACHE: Mike Mineo

VOLTAIRE: Dead and Loving It Album Release w. The Grumps, Prison Warder KILL YOUR IDOL: Shameless Burlesque CWS: Bobby Lee Rodgers Trio DADA: Public Sounds STACHE: Black & Creme FUNKY BUDDHA: Loch Ness Monster, Bitter Blue Jays, King Complex

SATURDAY, AUGUST 26

DADA: The State Of REVOLUTION LIVE: Social Distortion KILL YOUR IDOL: The Wire Hip Hop Party BREWHOUSE GALLERY: Josh Miles KELSEY THEATER: Smells Like Grunge CWS: Headspace STACHE: Bobby Lee Rodgers Trio FUNKY BUDDHA: Aaron Lebus Reality, Tchaa SEMINOLE HARD ROCK: Jo Koy, Anjelah Johnson GUANABANAS: Spam Allstars

SUNDAY, AUGUST 27

BREWHOUSE GALLERY: A Sunday Kind of Blues, Joey George CWS: Joey Tenuto Jr.

MONDAY, AUGUST 28

DADA: Open Mic HULLABALOO: Jordy Nashville KILL YOUR IDOL: Drag Mondays

TUESDAY, AUGUST 29

DADA: Comedy Open Mic KILL YOUR IDOL: Open Mic O’MALLEYS: Make Them Suffer, Enterprise Earth, Spite, Valley Intruder, For The Future

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 30

DADA: Brett Staska KILL YOUR IDOL: The Brand

SATURDAY, AUGUST 19

RESPECTABLE STREET: Authority Zero, Supervillains, No Name Ska Band THE GATE AT 4278: The Water Colors, Two Coin, Pesh Kab, What, Bitter Lake DADA: Xotic Yeyo KILL YOUR IDOL: Breaks Yo! CWS: Spider Cherry BREWHOUSE GALLERY: Spider Cherry, Sprockets & Spokes Custom Bicycle Show FUNKY BUDDHA: Ramon Garcia

SUNDAY, AUGUST 20

KELSEY THEATER: Shakewell, Ramirez, Germ, Mikey

THURSDAY, AUGUST 31

RESPECTABLE STREET: Dirtbike DADA: Bitter Blue Jays REVOLUTION LIVE: Nirvana & Facelift. A tribute to Nirvana and Alice In Chains CWS: Future Prezidents KILL YOUR IDOL: Karaoke w/ Shelley Novak

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 2

500 BLOCK of CLEMATIS, DOWNTOWN WEST PALM:



Jaime Salazar

CAVITY AD After more than twenty-five years spent mercilessly assaulting South Florida’s music scene, Cavity bassist and founding member Daniel Gorostiaga insists he escaped his band’s most punishing era unscathed.

“I would say I’m a 3,” he says, assessing his hearing loss on a scale from 1 to 10, 10 being completely deaf. “I can still hear surprisingly well.” Not everyone who has experienced Cavity at full tilt can say the same. CAVITY AD Thunderously loud, visceral, and unpredictable, Cavity is revered in underground circles as a pioneering force of 90s sludge metal, a band capable of sending their genre forefathers running for cover. At their peak, Cavity was on the radar of labels like Hydra Head Industries and bands like Bongzilla and The Refused. Their past lineup alone reads like a Florida punk rock roll call: members went on to play in Load, Floor, The Crumbs, Black Cobra, and Torche, among others. When they broke up in the early 2000s, however, no one expected a reunion; knowing Gorostiaga and vocalist Rene Barge’s fiery resolve is key to understanding the finality of that gesture. It should be said, then, that Cavity’s resurrection at Churchill’s Pub in 2015 was even more shocking than their demise: absolutely no one saw it coming. Now Cavity is back, newly rechristened as Cavity A.D. Their new album, After Death, is a clear indication that Cavity A.D. isn’t keen on giving fans exactly what they want, specifically what secured them a place in Florida’s music history. Brutal yet unhurried, After Death finds the band experimenting with sounds that defy easy categorization, eschewing sweat and swagger for songwriting that unfolds at an uncharacteristically deliberate and thoughtful pace. Songs like “Collision” and “Fangs on Beyond” highlight the band’s expanded palette, weaving strands of sunburnt Americana and Swans-style industrial electronic grind into their sludgy mix. When Cavity A.D. hits the stage at Respectable Street later this month with international touring German barnburners Ten Volt Shock and Swiss noise punks YC-CY and local favs Kill Your, it will mark their first time in West Palm Beach in nearly two decades. “Driving to West Palm will be our first time on the road since reforming… literally,” Gorostiaga jokes. “Fans should expect a lot of our newer, slower songs, as well as some surprises.” PureHoney and Quiet Mind Recordings present Cavity A.D. with Ten Volt Shock (Germany), YC-CY (Switzerland), and Kill Your. Saturday, July 29, 8pm at Respectable Street, 518 Clematis St, West Palm Beach; sub-culture.org/ respectable-street. $10 cover. 18+. ~ Handsome Howie


PSYCHEDELIC FURS Serge Levin

It took a second recording of their single “Pretty in Pink” and a friendship with “Brat Pack” director John Hughes to cement the postpunk ambition and romantic vision of new wave survivors the Psychedelic Furs. The band’s hit 1981 album, “Talk Talk Talk,” which featured “Pink” and the sneering track “Dumb Waiters,” gave the Furs clout among hardcore punk adherents, but it was their glossy reimagining of “Pretty in Pink,” re-recorded PSYCHEDLIC FURS for the same-titled Hughes movie, that delivered the band to the realm of ‘80s flashback playlists. As a result, “Pretty in Pink,” mark deux, landed the Furs its biggest U.S. Billboard hit in 1986. Which is why the band, forged in the raw muck of the ‘70s British postpunk scene (The Cure, Joy Division, Echo and the Bunnymen, New Order), spent the mid-1980s evolving its sound. The band took its suave, ferocious guitar solos and raspy wail of singer Richard Butler and his brother, bassist Tim, and replaced it with a synthy, radio-friendly veneer, best captured in followup singles such as “Heartbreak Beat.” The Psych Furs continued bridging post-punk and new wave until its last album, 1991’s “World Outside,” before disbanding in the early 1990s. But when the brothers Butler reconstituted the group in 2000 and began touring its older material, fan response convinced Tim and Richard to plunge deeper into the band’s back catalog. Now, the 2017 version of the Furs, reassuringly, is still as sonically aggressive as ever, conjuring up a sound filled as much with bittersweet New Wave flamboyance as postpunk melancholy. At recent concerts, the Butlers have been touring with new saxophonist Mars Williams, drummer Paul Garisto, keyboardist Amanda Kramer and guitarist Rich Good, combining hits and rarities from earlier albums (“Forever Now,” “Mirror Moves”). The Furs have also been road-testing new music, part of a long-gestating new album the Butlers have tinkered with since 2004, which means the band’s Aug. 9 performance at the Culture Room may include the Furs’ newest music in 25 years. New music is always a good thing, but the Psychedelic Furs have endured the longest when they’re in a constant state of reinvention. The Psychedelic Furs will perform Wednesday, Aug. 9, at Culture Room, 3045 N. Federal Highway, Fort Lauderdale. Doors open at 7:30 pm. $32 plus fees. 954564-1074 or CultureRoom.net. ~ John Doane


SHROUD EATER Lisa Martin-Owens

You want doom bands? Miami is rife with riffs, drone and drums reminiscent of Kong at the gates. However, much like coffee (and weed?) not all strains are created equal. Some bands are cut from a similar cloth and some are tempered steel emerging from the flames of hades and beaten into the formidable weapon that will clear paths and emerge victorious atop a throne of skulls. That would be Shroud Eater; they rule. While for some Miami’s metal scene may seem strange amidst a backdrop of palm trees and beaches, SHROUD EATER we have a storied history with uncompromising music. Cavity, a band that has probably housed any number of currently relevant metal musicians, hails from the 305; Torche have their roots here; Holly Hunt; CRUD; Orbweaver and WRONG, to name a few. Miami does not kowtow to false metal and if your band isn’t up to the challenge, don’t bother coming here; the locals will eat you alive. Shroud Eater’s new album, “Strike the Sun” is a monster record that was written in spurts over the last few years. The writing process for any band can be grueling; dealing with personalities, smoothing out rough spots in songs and in some cases shooting down song ideas, all together. It’s tough for even the most luke warm of pop rock bands; bring in a metal band and scotch and the process can be downright contentious. True to that idea, some of the material was written at a transitional time for the band, which lead to some line-up changes and an overhaul of Shroud’s sound. However, much of the material is a product of the trio’s trek to Las Vegas’s Psycho Fest last year as direct support for the band SLEEP. That in and of itself is a feat worthy of heavy praise, however, the band did as much of the recording as D.I.Y as possible; with drummer and facial hair sculpture model, Davin taking the reins as engineer. It is, without a doubt, the best produced Shroud Eater output to date and a solid record of dark musings, thick with thundering blows and witchy vocals. I’m just saying: I would be careful not to play this record backwards, or anywhere near a ouija board, preferably not while burning candles in a dark room; there’s no telling what would happen if the conditions were right for conjuring a good time. Shroud Eater play with Ether and Orbweaver at Gramps on Friday, August 18; doors at 10pm, $5. ~ Tim Moffatt


PureHoney

DEAD AND LOVING IT Leslie Nielson; the silver haired, funny man with the deadpan delivery, loved Fort Lauderdale. He’s buried in the cemetery right behind Tom Jenkins barbecue off Davie Boulevard and Federal Highway. You can go visit his grave, and I suggest you do. It reads, “Let ‘er Rip!” Dead and Loving It, are a band of dudes who enjoy Mel Brooks films and punk rock in all its forms. In their quiet moments they refer to themselves as: “Art punk,” however, there are others who refer to them in every possible way but that. No matter; what’s punk if not an open field of interpretation of all things rock and roll? And what’s “Art punk” if not a distillation of all things that may not fit into that last category?

Dead and Loving It, is an amalgamation of members of the bands Chaucer and Problem Child. This festering boil of deliciousness came together at a warehouse party where both DEAD AND LOVING IT bands played; everybody was goofed out of their gourds and someone marked their territory on a biker’s chopper; which almost resulted n gunplay. A good time was certainly had by most. If you’ve been paying attention for the last year or so, you might realize that those two bands are not, exactly, synonymous with the same circles of music. It’s sort of like, if the Frogs and the Dwarves decided to co-habitat and made a baby band: dwarf frogs? Anyway, despite their best efforts to sound aloof and underwhelmed with their growing popularity in the region, they average a new song every practice. Direct quote: “That’s what Dead and Loving It is all about: Not really doing our best.” Currently, the band is recording its first full length, “the first of many, hopefully.” Per drummer, Taylor Yakk. Hopefully, this group of freak-punk, artsy aggregators can take what they love and build on it in a way that sways the direction of the music into an arena of uncompromised awesomeness. It wouldn’t surprise me if this pastiche of odd ball ideas was one of the freshest things to come out of the tri-county area in a while; I’m just saying, I have high hopes. Dracula: Dead and Loving It, isn’t the greatest Mel Brooks film ever, but it’s a fun ride. More importantly, Leslie Nielson started his acting career as a very serious dramatic actor. But, just when people expected him to do what he always did, he did Airplane! It was a parody of every role he had ever played up until that point and he never returned to dramatic roles. Who knows, maybe Dead and Loving It, will be the Police Squad of these fellas musical careers? Maybe the culmination of these two crazy sounds is exactly what was needed to get to what really, really works? Hey, if not their normal bands are all rad too. In the meantime: “Let ‘er Rip!” Dead and Loving It album release 9pm August 25 with Prison Warder and The Grumps at VOLTAIRE: 226 Clematis Street, West Palm Beach above Lost Weekend. ~Tim Moffatt


David McClister

CHEAP TRICK Cheap Trick arrived in early 1977 as puzzle for audiences and marketers deciding what to make of this band. Visually, they were a summit of nerds and hipsters. Sonically, they were almost as odd, thrashing like The Tubes or New York Dolls on “He’s a Whore,” quoting the Beatles outright on “Taxman, Mr. Thief,” channeling the menace of “Clockwork Orange” with “Elo Kiddies,” or laying themselves bare with the heart-melting “Mandocello.”

Who were these guys from Rockford, Illinois, with their locker full of hooks, playful duality and grainy loveletter typewriter font logo? Eventually, the music business classified them as a boy’s idea of a rock band that girls would like, too. On Cheap Trick’s breakthrough 1979 album, At Budokan — a standout from the brief golden age of live recordings as hit CHEAP TRICK records — the roar greeting frontman Robin Zander’s song introductions (“I want you … to want me.”) was audibly feminine. The music itself — on Budokan and a clutch of studio albums released before and after — could be as lovestruck as anything by Fats Domino and Elvis Presley, both of whom the Cheap Trick covered. But they didn’t stop there, and didn’t condescend to their audience, male or female. Bow-tied guitarist and principal songwriter Rick Nielsen delved into darker corners. “Heaven Tonight” acknowledged and lamented the romantic allure of suicide. “Dream Police” was a paranoid’s tour-de-force. The narrator of “High Roller,” embodied by Zander’s beguiling mix of power and crooning, could have been a textbook sociopath — attractive and creepy. And then there was “Surrender,” also made famous by At Budokan, and possibly the greatest rock song ever written about a generational divide. Cheap Trick ebbed and then had a late-’80s resurgence with “The Flame,” the kind of outsourced, career-extending power ballad that helped the likes of Heart and Aerosmith make waves on MTV. But like those bands, Cheap Trick’s most durable work predates music television. They’re still at it, knocking out albums with three of four original band members, even as Nielsen cheerfully told Vice, “Nobody’s clamoring for a new Cheap Trick record.” Cheap Trick performs with Foreigner and Jason Bonham’s Led Zeppelin Experience, 7pm. Tuesday, August 1, at Perfect Vodka Amphitheatre in West Palm Beach. Tickets at livenation.com ~ Sean Piccoli



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