Cheap Trick

Buckle up for a raucous blast from the past with Cheap Trick’s incendiary live performance on Don Kirshner’s Rock Concert, filmed November 10, 1977, in Los Angeles—a raw, unpolished gem that captures the band at their hungriest. These Rockford renegades storm the stage like a gang of musical outlaws, delivering a set that’s less a concert and more a declaration of war on the disco-drenched ‘70s. With Robin Zander’s golden pipes, Rick Nielsen’s guitar heroics, and Bun E. Carlos’ drum-pounding fury, this is Cheap Trick before Budokan made them legends, serving up power pop with a punk sneer and a classic rock swagger. It’s the kind of performance that makes you want to ditch your desk job and start a revolution. The setlist, a lean mean rock machine, runs: Hello There, Come On, Come On, Elo Kiddies, Southern Girls, Downed, Clock Strikes Ten, and Goodnight. Each track hits like a sledgehammer, with Elo Kiddies taking a jab at conformity and Southern Girls oozing charm sharper than a switchblade. Anecdotes? Oh, they’re juicy. This was one of the band’s earliest TV appearances, introduced by Don Kirshner’s son, Ricky, which left a mark on fans like a 14-year-old kid in Flushing, NY, who saw it air and begged his mom for a drum set. The footage, dug up from an eBay tape lot, is shockingly pristine for second- or third-gen stock, a testament to analog grit. And keep your eyes peeled for Bun E. Carlos wielding comically oversized drumsticks in Goodnight—a cheeky nod to the band’s flair for showmanship that’d make P.T. Barnum jealous. Shot when Surrender and I Want You to Want Me were still months from their Budokan glory, this performance proves Cheap Trick was already a force of nature. It’s raw, it’s real, and it’s a middle finger to the polyester era. Crank it up, and let the neighbors complain.

In the grand tradition of rock’s unapologetic rebels, Cheap Trick’s ELO Kiddies official music video bursts onto your screen like a Molotov cocktail of raw energy and sardonic wit. From their 1977 self-titled debut album, this track, penned by the riff-slinging maestro Rick Nielsen, is a three-minute middle finger to societal norms, wrapped in power chords and Bun E. Carlos’ relentless drumming. The video, directed by Chuck Lashon, captures the band in their prime—mugging for the camera with a smirk that says they know something you don’t. It’s pure, unfiltered Cheap Trick: groovy guitars, pounding beats, and lyrics that taunt the “kiddies” to revel in their youth before the world grinds them into dust. Why ELO Kiddies? The title’s a sly wink, either a play on “hello” or a nod to Electric Light Orchestra’s Roy Wood, a hero to these Rockford renegades. Nielsen once quipped the song’s about “real maniacs from nuclear power plants,” while Carlos saw it as a battle cry for kids to “go nuts and have fun” before life’s ulcers and headaches kick in. The song’s got layers—part satire of education’s soul-crushing grind, part call to arms for youthful rebellion, all delivered with a Gary Glitter-esque thump that’d make your grandma clutch her pearls. The video itself is a time capsule of ‘70s grit, shot with the kind of bare-bones charm that screams “we spent the budget on beer.” Expect Nielsen’s iconic checkerboard guitar, Robin Zander’s sneer, and a performance that radiates the band’s live-wire stage presence. Fun fact: this was one of the first songs recorded at The Record Plant in NYC under Aerosmith’s producer Jack Douglas, giving it that raw, in-your-face edge. Rumor has it, the band’s love for The Move’s California Man influenced the song’s vibe, tying their sound to the roots of power pop royalty. Crank the volume, let the riff hit you like a freight train, and revel in Cheap Trick’s gloriously defiant anthem. ELO Kiddies isn’t just a song—it’s a reminder to stick it to the man while you still can. Watch now, and don’t let the squares tell you to turn it down.