There’s something permanently unruly about Cheap Trick. They don’t just play a show — they barrel through it like a getaway car with the top down, daring you to jump in and hang on. At Merriweather Post Pavilion, recently opening for Rod Stewart, they reminded us all that being tight, loud, and charmingly unhinged is still the gold standard in rock and roll.
It was a reunion with an old gang of misfits who still knew exactly how to knock over a liquor store and make it look like a magic trick — but that’s kind of what Cheap Trick does. They show up, flash that crooked grin, and suddenly you’re right back in the backseat of some beat-up ’78 Pontiac Trans Am listening to “Dream Police” being reminded of what actual rock and roll sounds like.
No frills, no auto-tune, no pyrotechnic stunts or synchronized dancers. Just Rick Nielsen, Robin Zander, Tom Petersson, and Daxx Nielsen walking out onto a Maryland stage like on July 19 it was still Rockford, 1979, and they had something to prove.
They kicked the set off with “California Man,” immediately grabbing the crowd by the collar and yanking us into their world — a place where power pop is played with punk energy, and melody comes with a side of mayhem. Rick Nielsen hit the stage throwing guitar picks before he even played a chord, Robin Zander showed up looking ageless in a jacket and wide brimmed hat, and that was it. The lights could’ve stayed off for the rest of the set, and we still would’ve seen everything we needed.
Watch Cheap Trick perform “California Man” live from Budokan on YouTube:
From “Ain’t That a Shame” to “Dream Police,” the hits didn’t feel like relics. They felt wired, present, and rocking. Daxx Nielsen (on drums) was absolutely feral behind the kit on “Dream Police,” making the whole thing sound like it was about to boil over, while Zander’s voice gave every chorus its sting. “High Roller” barreled in with a reckless groove, and the band ripped through “If You Want My Love” like it had just been written backstage that morning. No nostalgia act plays this hard.
They dusted off deep cuts like “Lookout” and “Clock Strikes Ten,” and let Tom Petersson step to the mic for “I Know What I Want,” which swaggered across the stage like a barfight dressed in velvet. These weren’t filler tracks. They were secret weapons.
“The Flame” arrived, of course — big, soaring, unapologetically sentimental and Zander wrung every ounce of hurt out of it. It’s easy to forget how massive that song really is until you’re surrounded by 15,000 people singing it slightly off key.
They closed with the triple shot we were all waiting for: “I Want You to Want Me,” “Surrender,” and “Goodnight.” “Surrender” in particular detonated like a firework in slow motion. Every parent, every kid, every former teenager in the place screamed “Mommy’s all right, Daddy’s all right…” like they were losing their minds.
Watch Cheap Trick perform “Surrender” live from Budokan on YouTube:
Even as the band walked offstage, everybody realized one thing; Cheap Trick doesn’t coast. They tear through the night and leave scorch marks on the pavement.
Rod Stewart may have headlined the night, but Cheap Trick didn’t open — they invaded. They’re not a warm-up act. They’re a full-speed, high-volume reminder of what rock and roll still looks like when it doesn’t care what decade it is.
Setlist
1. California Man
2. Ain’t That a Shame
3. Dream Police
4. High Roller
5. If You Want My Love
6. Lookout
7. Clock Strikes Ten
8. I Know What I Want
9. It All Comes Back to You
10. The Flame
11. I Want You to Want Me
12. Surrender
13. Goodnight
Here are some photos of Cheap Trick performing live at Merriweather Post Pavilion on July 19, 2025. All pictures copyright and courtesy of Michael Sprouse/ Odd Rocker Photography.
