Well, we were sold a dud. The lights barely rose and the band was sitting…that’s right, SITTING. Playing acoustic songs and letting more than just this audience member down. Where in rock music does sitting come into play? Wasn’t this that band that, when appearing on VH1’s Greatest Song countdown, said they’d never play The Flame live because it just wasn’t a Cheap Trick song?

Well, this is where it has gone since that moment. Nielsen standing up for artistic integrity had turned into old men sitting around playing like they’re in some corner club for soccer moms, quite the letdown.

After four songs of this, the band’s Viagra kicked in and they were ready for action. Lights got bright, Nielsen got his electric strapped on and we were off. The meat of the set was peppered heavily in new tracks leaving those who had not yet picked up Special One to have a confused stare.

Old favorites were spaced out enough to keep everyone involved, but then the most horrible thing I could imagine happened, they played The Flame. I started doubting the fact that I had ever seen Nielsen denounce this song, but upon research, it was true, the band said they’d never play it because it was not one of their songs and then they played it.

The Flame was Cheap Tricks equivalent to a glam band doing a power ballad, yes, it was cute and all, but most real fans say it as lame and cheesy. This was definitely lame and cheesy. Zander did hit the high notes beautifully, but it just shows this band is on the way down. When you lose creditability, everything else follows soon after.