Arts Alive! podcast: Cheap Trick’s Robin Zander

According to Webster, the definition of estimable is “worthy of esteem.”

Your Arts Alive! host refers to today’s guest as estimable in the opening moments of this conversation, sparking a brief back-and-forth about what, exactly, the word means.

Hey, Robin Zander is estimable.

A resident of Safety Harbor for more than 30 years, the lead singer for the midwestern power pop band is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, a platinum-selling icon, and a dedicated family man.

The latter is probably the most important to him, but Zander is the historical authority on all things Cheap Trick, from the early days in Illinois bars and bowling alleys (“I thought we would last a year”) to the era of Cheap Trick mania in Japan, when the band members got chased down Tokyo streets and lived as virtual prisoners in their hotel, to their breakthrough in the homeland with “I Want You to Want Me,” “Surrender,” “Dream Police” and a fistful of still-highly-regarded albums like Cheap Trick in Color and Heaven Tonight.

 Mr. Z is speaking with us today because Cheap Trick, which is celebrating its 50^th anniversary this year, is performing Saturday (May 3) at St. Petersburg’s Mahaffey Theater, which is celebrating its 60^th anniversary this year.

Today, the band includes founding members Zander, guitarist and chief songwriter Rick Nielsen and bassist Tom Petersson, along with Nielsen’s son Dax on drums and Zander’s son Robin Taylor Zander on second guitar. Here’s the ticket link.

It’s a fast and funny podcast, both historical and hysterical.

Click on the arrow to listen to the interview (it’s the audio from a Zoom conversation).