'The Roar of L'Amour'

CHEAP TRICK - How I convinced them and almost was the reason for a cancellation

Taken from a Facebook post

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Most know Cheap Trick is/was my favorite band.

From their Midwestern punk vibe first album through the horrendous The Doctor to their current stuff (which are awesome), I loved the band.

Where to begin ...

Ok, I am at the Limelight with Gus a bartender from L'Amour.

I get us in the VIP lounge, and he goes "Tom Petersson is here", Tom was the bassist in CT but left in 80 (not my story to tell, but I know it).

I never run up to famous people. Even in L'Amour where I had access. Heck I should tell my Gandolfini story one day

I digress  ...

Gus goes "you have to say something" and before I could reply, Tom taps me on the shoulder.

I had on my L'Amour jacket, and he heard about the club and asked someone if I worked there and they told him my name.

ONE OF MY IDOLS WALKED UP TO ME TO INTRODUCE HIMSELF

"HI Chuck, I am Tom Petersson and I used to be in Cheap Trick ..."

NO FN KIDDING

My life is insane ...

We hung out all night, and I gave him my number. He wanted to invite me to see his new bands debut performance at CBGB, in his band on guitar was Pete Comita who replaced him for a bit on bass in Trick and renowned songwriter Janna Allan on vocals.

About 10 days go by and one of my idols is calling me at my mom's house to put me on his guest list ... WHAT A FN LIFE

I go to the gig and the band SICK MAN OF EUROPE killed it.

Seriously they were awesome.

I go backstage and CBGB had a closet for a dressing room, and I couldn't get in, Tom sees me about to leave and yells "Chuck!!!" and emptied the dressing room to talk to me ... WHAT THE F?

We became good friends and talked weekly. I went to every show I could go to.

At one show Tom was adding "Chuck" to lyrics on songs he sang and even said I was in attendance ... I LIVE A WEIRD LIFE.

I told him I could book them as a headliner, but it wouldn't be packed as if he opened for a known band and as the non-ego pro he was, he said "let's wait on the right band to open for"

Wait ...

Wait ...

No not White Lion, but I get the call ... CHEAP TRICK FINALLY AGREED TO PLAY L'AMOUR

We been trying for years, they always said no.

I even went to Electric Lady Studios to pitch it to Rick himself.

Rick didn't think they fit the club, I explained to him that we were not just Metallica and Slayer but hard rock and I play Trick on those nights and people love it.

I told him when the Ramones play that the biggest reaction is for ELO KIDDIES.

He loved that and said, "up the offer".

I went back and told George and Richard who was our major acts booker and a deal was worked out.

They actually canceled once but thankfully rebooked and now ...

MY FAV BAND IS PLAYING PARTIALLY DUE TO ME THEIR OLD BASSIST IS MY BUDDY

Perfect, right?

NO, THE DRAMA BEGINS ...

I tell Tom that Trick is booked and he ask me if his band SMOE could open, I said I would love it, but would Trick allow it?

He said, "good point" and would ask Rick.

He calls me back the next day and said, Rick said sure.

Now I know a little bit about the industry by this point and while I completely believe Tom, I had to get CT's teams word before booking it.

I call up Richard Sanders and said to contact Tricks team to confirm.

He calls me back and said they replied "absolutely not"

So, now I call to tell Tom and Daryl Hall answers (my life is weird) and after speaking with him a bit, I tell Tom.

Tom is surprised and said he is calling back Rick to find out what is up.

I tell him to say hi for me and await the next call in this insanity.

15 minutes later, Tom tells me that Rick said to book it.

Now I call Rich (Sanders) and tell him that Rick (Nielsen) said its ok and he contacts Tricks agent at ICM.

The agent calls the bands manager again and the manager calls Rich back with ... "if you or Chuck doesn't stop with this, we are canceling AGAIN."

After 2 years of working to get Trick to play, convincing Rick in person, etc., I might be the reason the cancel for good.

I inform Tom that Ken (Cheao Tricks manager) is threatening to cancel, and Tom says something I cannot repeat and ask me if I could put him on my guest list that night instead of theirs ...

Tom Petersson is on my guest list instead of Cheap Tricks?

MY LIFE IS WEIRD

I get there early for soundcheck and watch the band debut a new song (that stuff is awesome to see) and say hi fast to Rick.

Even though I had all-access to bands and even knew some, I rarely did the "dressing room" thing.

After soundcheck I go to my car with L'amour lighting director, Ed Javaruski  to grab some pizza and Ed starts laughing.

We are driving away from the club and to our right is Bun E, walking alone.

Ed says, " I never thought I would casually see Bun E Carlos walking alone in Bay Ridge" and we all laughed.

Club opens and gets packed quickly.

Tom comes with Janna, and they make their way to the booth, and the place is buzzing that Tom is there and now in my booth.

I set up Tom and Janna at the bar, and they come back to watch Trick with me.

I ask Tom if he is going backstage and he says "f-em" ...

Trick fn kills it ... and Tom says, "wave me backstage" and I did

As I am spinning the end of the night Tom and Janna come back and Tom said, "that was weird".

I expected to hear a story about them arguing, but Tom said, "once they all saw each other it was like 10 years ago".

Janna said Jon Brant (current bassist) obviously felt like the odd man out.

As they were leaving, I whispered to Janna (is he back in?) and she whispered back "maybe".

I talked with Tom about a week later and he said watching them live without him was surreal and brought back so many memories and he kidded and said ... " only Chuck could get me to go see Cheap Trick"

WHAT A CRAZY LIFE I LEAD

He said it felt comfortable to see them and who knows what might happen and if he will rejoin ...

He would up rejoining and Trick went back to platinum status and 37 years later he is still with them.

ALL BECAUSE OF ME

Just joking. But it's a crazy story to tell.

I saw Tom a few years later for the last time and we reminisced and talked about that night.

Sadly, Janna had passed (RIP) and that was most of our convo.

Recently an author of a Cheap Trick book that covered their early years contacted me about telling my Trick/Tom stories.

He was actually in the club that night when Tom was watching Trick with me.

Oh, and Tom did play the club as an opening act for UFO and I remember bringing up Tom to get paid and Tom laughing that he was rich because George handed him $300 lol.

George semi-kidded that the only reason they got that was because of me ... the club was very frugal

That was the long drama-filled story of almost 2 years of trying to get Trick in the venue and finally getting them there and almost losing them ... TWICE.

Chuck Kaye

Ah Yes Indeed

BACK

"My favorite memory of Chuck, was when he finally got Cheap Trick to play at L'Amour. He sat on the edge of the DJ booth with his feet dangling and swinging like a happy little boy. The

security and wait staff were cracking up"

- James Gheida (L'Amour original staff and long time security)