Cheap Trick perform “Dream Police” on Conan

I’ve never been the biggest of Cheap Trick fans, but I’ve always had an appreciation. My oldest brother cranked the Budokan album when I was a wee lad. And it was from him that I inherited the Dream Police record. “Way of the World”, “Gonna Raise Hell”, and of course the title track… at 9, 10, 11 years old, I was eating these songs up!

I’m sure you have a similar album – one where you’re not necessarily a fervent follower of the band, but there’s one seminal album that made a huge mark on you way back when? Count Foreigner 4 among those for me too (and every other preteen and teen in 1981)…

So it was a trip back in the time machine when Cheap Trick dropped by Conan last week. There’s Rick Nielsen (he’ll be buried in that hat, don’t you think?), Tom Petersson on bass, and the ageless Robin Zander on vox. The one missing link in the performance – drummer Bun E. Carlos! I asked the question on Twitter, and someone mentioned that he may have some back problems holding him down. So Bun – get well bro!

Cheap Trick brought along a string section for the “Dream Police”, and they kick some ass during the mid-song breakdown. Good times!