Concert review: Cheap Trick & Heart, Buffalo, NY, 3/31/25

After the fire, the flame still burns...

Heart (L) and Cheap Trick, Buffalo, NY, 3/31/25.

My winter concert activity took place almost exclusively in clubs and smaller venues this year, but I attended my first arena show in a good long while on Monday, and had a far better experience than I expected, frankly.

The Cheap Trick & Heart double-bill at KeyBank Center was postponed from its original date, due to Heart singer extraordinaire Anne Wilson’s recent health concerns, but that didn’t seem to dissuade many folks from hanging onto their tickets - the house was mostly full on Monday, when what’s been dubbed ‘The Royal Flush Tour’ made its way into a brisk and breezy Buffalo.

The last time I’d seen these two bands on the same bill was in 1985, at the RPI Fieldhouse in Troy, NY, and I won’t pretend to remember the experience all that clearly, though I do recall that both bands were in the middle of a weird phase at the time - and by weird, I mean that they were struggling with the changing production values of the day, and facing down pressure from their record companies to conform to the glitzy, power-ballad-infused mania that ultimately makes so much music from that era unlistenable (for me) today.

I went on to see both bands in various scenarios over the ensuing years - particularly Cheap Trick, who I’ve seen in the area of 75 times, as both opening act and headliner. Both bands made it out of the 80s with their dignity intact, and spent the time since returning to the raw, rootsy sound that made them great from the get-go.

It’s easy to write off double-bills by legacy acts as simple exercises in nostalgia, and sure, there was clearly some of that going on at this show. But I found both bands to remain in possession of both vitality and fire during this gig, which was bolstered by some of the cleanest and most intelligently mixed live sound I’ve ever heard in a building designed for sporting events, and not high-volume rock shows. (At least that was the case from my vantage point.)

I’ll come clean and admit that I’ve been a serious Cheap Trick fan-boy since the 7th grade, which was when I heard both “At Budokan” and the band’s self-title debut within a brief span of weeks. They are, for my money, one of the greatest American rock bands ever.

Perhaps this fact makes me less than objective, but I’d like to think not. Regardless, in my view, Cheap Trick absolutely tore it up at KeyBank Center, their massive, dense and almost gothic ensemble sound - the result of a “wall of guitar” approach that at some points during the show found two 12-string guitars, a 12-string bass, and a six string electric - creating awe-inspiring overtones that the band somehow made sound incredibly melodic.

This was heard to full effect during a four-pack of opening songs that celebrated the band’s glorious early days - “Hello There,” “Elo Kiddies,” “Big Eyes” and “Lookout,” bangers, one and all. I could hardly stay in my seat, but staying in your seat seemed to be the rule of the evening, a fact which aging has not made more palatable to me - this music was not made to be taken in in a passive manner. But, hey, waddya gonna do? I get it.

A few thoughts on the 2025 edition of Cheap Trick…

These days, both guitarist Rick Nielsen and singer Robin Zander are joined by their sons - drummer Daxx Nielsen replaced original skins-man Bun E. Carlos in 2010, and guitarist/vocalist Robin Taylor Zander has been the bands utility man for more than 5 years now. Both of these guys are complete beasts, and they add abundantly to the ferocious Cheap Trick attack.

At 76, Rick Nielsen is no longer ping-ponging around the stage like a raving lunatic in nerd’s clothing. These days, he shuffles about rather sedately, but his playing and guitar tone have lost none of their fire, blending as ever the snarl of punk rock and the grit of the garage with an always evident love for the melodic frameworks of the British Invasion greats - the Beatles, principally.

Robin Zander’s voice is still a miraculous force to behold, and when he was joined by his son, the combined effect was breathtaking.

And Tom Petersson remains one of the most interesting and idiosyncratic bassists in rock.

So, yeah - time has done a little damage, as it will. But Cheap Trick is still one of the greatest live rock bands going.

Cheap Trick, Buffalo, NY, 3/31/25. Photo credit L to R: Alex Lynne, Jeff Miers, James Seney.

The list of obstacles that Heart has had to overcome in order to be mounting a sizable arena tour in 2025 is a considerable one. But then, overcoming obstacles seems to be something Ann and Nancy Wilson were born to do. Consider the male-dominated music business Heart first erupted into with the force of a jet, back in 1975, an unforgiving boys club fueled by sexism, cocaine, and a seemingly implicit belief that “women can’t rock.” The Wilsons have been proving the naysayers wrong ever since.

A falling out between Ann and Nancy found them working separately for the better part of a decade. A reconciliation was squelched by the pandemic. And then last year’s full-blown reunion tour plans were postponed as Ann underwent cancer treatment.

And yet, here they were, taking the stage before a clearly appreciative and adoring audience, many of whom probably had their first taste of the band even earlier than I had mine.

Due to an injury that wasn’t discussed, Ann has been performing from a wheelchair on these rescheduled dates, her long dark tresses shorn and gone grey, but her voice still a force to be reckoned with. Nancy performed the entire Buffalo set standing next to her sister, their trademark vocal harmonies still creating hair-raising moments, and their sibling’s telepathy still apparent.

The band - in addition to the sisters, guitarists Ryan Wariner and Ryan Waters, keyboardist Paul Moak, bassist Tony Lucido and drummer Sean Lane - took the stage following an awesome intro video that placed Heart’s evolution in historical perspective, and slammed right into a favorite of mine - the funky, Zeppelin-esque strut of “Bebe Le Strange.” Any doubts about the 74 year-old Ann Wilson’s ability to live up to her own formidable talent were vanquished immediately. Seated or otherwise, she’s still got the power, the pitch control, and the majesty that have long commingled to make her one of the greatest rock singers ever.

Heart, Buffalo, NY, 3/31/25. Photo by Alex Lynne.

I’m not a big fan of some of the band’s 80s mega-hits - “Never” and “These Dreams,” for example, both of which made the Buffalo setlist. I was clearly in the minority at the show, however, and both were performed impeccably.

The core of the concert consisted of inspired takes on songs that continue to resonate, most of them culled from the band’s flawless 1970s run of albums. “Magic Man,” “Love Alive,” “Crazy On You,” “Dog & Butterfly,” a pair of Zeppelin covers, and a scorching take on “Barracuda” - these were all played with vigor, passion and precision. Stunning stuff.

The struggles the sisters have been through and the unavoidable evidence of time’s passing lent an added poignancy to the show, undeniably. To borrow a line from Pete Townshend, “we can’t pretend this growing older never hurts.” But Heart’s best music is transcendent, and its spirit is stronger than the flesh.