Son of Cheap Trick Member Filling in for Rick Nielsen After ‘Minor Procedure’
Cheap Trick are once again keeping it in the family, as guitarist Rick Nielsen will be stepping away from the road for this coming week due to undergoing "a minor procedure." But in his place will be Robin Taylor Zander sitting in on guitar for the group.
The band delivered the news via a social media post, stating, "A few days ago Rick had a minor procedure that requires him to stay off the road for this week and not travel. Robin Taylor Zander will be stepping up this weekend. We look forward to Rick rejoining the guys on the west coast later next week."
The dates affected appear to be the Port Huron, Michigan show tonight (Nov. 4), as well as Kalamazoo, Michigan on Saturday (Nov. 5), with the band's next show after taking place this coming Thursday (Nov. 10) in Auburn, Washington.
As you might gather from the last name, Robin Taylor Zander is the son of vocalist Robin Zander. But this is not his first time filling in for the group, as he has performed drums, bass and lead guitar in the past when called upon for fill-in duty.
In a Rolling Stone feature this past summer dubbing him the band's "secret weapon," Robin Taylor Zander spoke of filling in for Rick Nielsen during a previous stint, stating, "If anyone knows about this band, they know that a lot of the personality is through Rick. He's the main entertainer. He's the guy who runs across one side of the stage to the other. I'm never going to be that, because I'm standing. I have to sing most of the night. I'm not going to run around and throw guitar picks into the audience like Rick. I just had to focus on getting the guitar parts right. All I could do was my best."
Zander isn't the only offspring associated with the group as Nielsen's son Daxx has been the band's drummer since Bun E. Carlos exited the band in 2010. So for a few shows, core members Robin Zander and bassist Tom Petersson will be joined onstage by Daxx Nielsen and Robin Taylor Zander, keeping things in the family.
The group is currently wrapping up a North American tour leg and will finish out 2022 with late November and early December dates in Japan along with two more West Coast shows. As for 2023, they've already paired up with legendary singer Rod Stewart for dates in August. See all their scheduled stops and get touring info here.