The Spectrum
New York Nights ... Direct from the Bowery
Award-winning fashion designer John Varvatos’s monthly show, with co-host and acclaimed New York musician Jesse Malin, features Varvatos’ passion for music — from the Velvet Underground to Green Day — and the two New York icons trading stories of memorable music experiences.
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This month's episode:
This month John Varvatos and his co host Jesse Malin are joined by Cheap Trick and treated to a live concert at 315 Bowery. The show includes an interview with the band on the bus and then a performance of their live album Budokan originally released in 1978!
Duration: 01:35:05 | Expires in 11 Days | Aired 5/6 10:00PM EST
Cheap Trick's "At Budokan," recorded in Japan and first released in 1978, is considered one of the greatest classic rock albums of all time by many fans and critics.
It sold more than three million copies and was named one of the 500 best albums of all time by Rolling Stone. To celebrate its 35th anniversary, Cheap Trick will perform their entire Budokan set. However, this time, instead of playing in front of thousands of screaming Japanese fans, they'll do it in a small space located in the John Varvatos boutique on the Bowery, the original site of the legendary punk rock club CBGB's, in New York on Sunday, April 28. The live stream begins at 8 p.m. EDT.
The New York performance of "At Budokan" will be one of two shows the band will play to commemorate the album's 35th anniversary. Cheap Trick will also perform their Budokan set in Los Angeles, Calif., on Apr. 30 at the El Rey Theatre. The two dates are special because they coincide with Cheap Trick's original Budokan dates, when they performed at Japanese theater on April 28 and April 30, 1978.
Cheap Trick, whose members hail from Rockford, Ill., first gained success in Japan -- not America. The Nippon Budokan, located in Tokyo, was the perfect venue for the band to perform before a large, appreciative audience and record a live album.
Although other bands had performed at Budokan prior to Cheap Trick, including the Beatles and Santana, the arena was originally used for martial arts competitions, in particular Judo, and it was constructed for the 1964 Summer Olympics.
"The 1970s were very much the decade of live albums, and anybody who was of any significance had to rush out a live album," Paul Simister wrote in his blog, besttlivealbums.com. "The recording and release of Frampton Comes Alive and Live Bullets gave the careers of Peter Frampton and Bob Seger a major push."
Bob Dylan would also go on to record a live album at Budokan in 1979.
"I'm proud to host this momentous show for my friends Cheap Trick at my Bowery store, which is celebrating its own 5th anniversary this month," John Varvatos said.
Cheap Trick's Budokan set will include the hit singles "I Want You To Want Me," "Surrender" and "Ain't That a Shame."
While only a few tickets were made available to the public, fans from around the world can watch Cheap Trick perform "At Budokan" at the John Varvatos Bowery boutique via live stream.
The Cheap Trick 35th Anniversary performance of "At Budokan" can be viewed below beginning at 8 p.m. EDT on Apr. 28.
