Robin Zander of Cheap Trick, 1/11/01 photo by Glyn Emmerson, © 2001 NY Rock

And so, America carries on, regardless of nebulous election results. And Cheap Trick's rock 'n' roll flame still burns, though not for as many, nor for as long as before. Not that you could tell how many miles Cheap Trick have by looking at them. King of all quirky guitarists Rick Nielsen, his "favorite singer in the whole wide world" Robin Zander, dreamboat bassist Tom Petersson and deadpan drummer Bun E. Carlos look amazingly well preserved for guys who started playing individually in the late '60s. It wasn't until 1974 that Nielsen and Petersson, who had been jamming together in Europe, teamed up with Bun E. (allegedly short for Bunezuela) in Germany and eventually found Zander who had been singing in "Scotland or someplace" according to Nielsen. The band's imaginative history is subject to change depending on whom you ask and what they had for lunch. Fast forward to NYC, 2001 and you'll find each Cheap Trickster sporting his individual trademark; be it necktie, baseball cap or spotless white suit and shoes. Like fellow '70s rock 'n' roll war horses Kiss, Aerosmith and AC/DC, Cheap Trick are known as much for their image as their music and to perform dressed otherwise would win them few new fans and disappoint the faithful that remain of Cheap Trick's once arena-sized following.

Rick Nielsen of Cheap Trick, 1/11/01 photo by Glyn Emmerson, © 2001 NY Rock

To further preserve the noisy nostalgia of the evening, Nielsen deployed an impressive arsenal of guitars, of which he once said, with his typical irreverence, "I can make any guitar sound as crummy as the next." Included in the night's instrumentation was one of the multi-neck custom models Rick is as renowned for as the hit songs he plays on them. Not content to let Nielsen be the only guitar hero in the house, Robin showed surprising diversity and dexterity as he switched off between a heavenly sounding hollow body and a none-too-crummy cache of electric axes. Clearly, this is one band I would not want to be guitar roadie for.

But enough of my career aspirations. Without question, Cheap Trick know what their fans want and are sure to bring it on with the almost too polished precision that only a quarter century on the road can bring. Guaranteed crowd pleasers like "Southern Girls," "I Want You To Want Me" and, of course, "Surrender" were as exhilarating as expected, maybe even more so thanks to Irving Plaza's intimate size. More obscure album cuts like "He's a Whore," "I Know What I Want" and "Never Had a Lot To Lose" were also immaculately played and enthusiastically received as was their rarely performed cover of the Beatle's "Magical Mystery Tour."

The only sour note left ringing after Cheap Trick left the stage was that they didn't play a longer set. Obviously, with over a dozen albums to their credit it's impossible to play everyone's request, but a full two-hour show would at least allow time for classic cuts like "Oh Caroline," "Clock Strikes Ten" and "California Man." Savvy show biz veterans know it's best to leave the crowd wanting more. But this was a bit much, or less actually. If set time were food, tasty as it was, this evening's show would barely make a meal for Ally McBeal.

That said, if the band's energy at Irving Plaza and its sold-out attendance was any evidence, Cheap Trick's "Dream Police" will be busting down the door again next year. And when they do, "New York's Finest," as Nielsen called the oversized crowd, which was packed in like thirteen donuts in a box built for twelve, should be sure to get their tickets early, or risk missing out and singing "Ain't That a Shame" for all the wrong reasons.