Concert Review: ‘All Washed Up’? Not Even Close!

Cheap Trick’s Seneca Niagara Casino show was a fiery family affair

Daxx Nielsen. Cheap Trick, Niagara Falls, NY. 4/4/2026. Photo by Michael Lee Jackson.

It’s a testament to the depth of Cheap Trick’s catalog that the band can ostensibly be touring to promote a new album - 2025’s All Washed Up, an undeniable later-career masterpiece - play exactly nothing from that new album, and still turn in one of the strongest, most vibrant set-lists you’re likely to get from a band of their (or any, frankly) vintage. Only Cheap Trick could put out new music widely viewed as the equal of their very best and then proceed to completely ignore it.

Some fans might find this frustrating. But really, it’s completely on point for America’s greatest power-pop band. In essence, Cheap Trick has been on a non-stop tour since 1974. Since they’ve only released one stinker of an album during all of this time (1990’s Busted), the band can basically open its songbook, close its eyes, and point randomly at any album/era when it’s time to craft a setlist.

Last weekend’s show at the Seneca Niagara Casino Events Center was a notable one for several reasons.

First, as a Cheap Trick maniac of multiple decades - my first CT gig took place at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center on the One On One tour in July of 1985, and I’ve lost count of the shows I’ve attended since - I treat ‘An Evening With Cheap Trick’ shows as manna from heaven. The band ends up as opening act on so many bills, some perfect, some decidedly less so, and these opening slots always feel waaaaaay too short. Forty-five minutes with Rockford’s Finest just doesn’t cut it.

Secondly, the current touring version of Cheap Trick is an absolute powerhouse, principally due to the fact that the principals have wisely fleshed out their core quartet with the addition of singer Robin Zander’s uber-talented son, Robin Taylor Zander. Cheap Trick still kicks ass, to be sure, but with principals Zander (73), Rick Nielsen (77) and Tom Petersson (75) dealing with the inevitable challenges of aging, Robin Taylor’s strength as guitarist and secondary vocalist ensures the band’s ability to proceed in an undiminished state.

Rick Nielsen’s son Daxx has been CT’s drummer since 2010, when OG kinsman Bun E. Carlos opted out of roadwork, and his steady virtuosity is an essential factor in the band’s patented blend of muscle and musicality.

Cheap Trick. Niagara Falls, NY. 4/4/2026. Photo by Michael Lee Jackson.

All of this was in full evidence as the faithful filled the Events Center, rose to their feet as the lights went down and the taped intro (“Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, please welcome to the stage, the best effin’ rock band you’ve ever seen, Cheap Trick”), and stayed that way throughout the majority of the set.

And what a set it was, the complete lack of All Washed Up material notwithstanding.

There’s was plenty of what you’d expect from a CT set, but there were also some deeper cuts, of the sort that folks who’ve been with the band a long time truly appreciate.

“Just Got Back,” from the often overlooked, George Martin-produced barn-burner All Shook Up, offered an early smack in the face. The pure, raucous punk rock of “He’s A Whore” and the frankly still frightening “Ballad of T.V. Violence” reminded us of the undiminished majesty of the band’s self-titled 1977 album, one of the greatest debut albums in rock history. A gorgeously eerie “Heaven Tonight” shimmered in all its Beatle-esque brilliance. Robin Taylor handled the lead vocal on another Beatle-ish beauty, “Downed”. And first encore “Never Had A Lot To Lose” underscored the fact that 80s Cheap Trick is still essential Cheap Trick.

Shows like this one prove that Cheap Trick’s intro declaration is on the money.

Ladies and gentlemen, the best effin’ rock band you’ve ever seen…

Cheap Trick. Niagara Falls, NY. 4/4/2026. Photos by Michael Lee Jackson.