if you’re like me (and I suspect a few of you are), you were surprised but hardly outraged at the NFL’s recent announcement that Bun E. Carlos would be headlining the Super Bowl halftime show next February. Granted, a 15 minute drum solo is not everyone’s brand of entertainment (and technically, since this is an instrumental performance, no one will be singing in English) but given Cheap Trick’s election to tour without Bun E. for several years now, this is a unique opportunity to remind the world what an incredible player he is and at the end of the day that’s all that matters. It’s a shame this is being politicized like everything else these days but if some enterprising kook wants to counter program (Appice brothers drum clinic, rig rundown with Bobby Blotzer, etc.) by all means, go for it.
This week’s show will not feature any Cheap Trick songs with Bun E., not for the usual rights clearance issues but rather because all of my Cheap Trick records are in deep storage and every time I go to the storage space there’s a guy working there who wants to argue that Off Broadway were the better band.