Back in March, Cheap Trick co-founder and bassist Tom Petersson underwent open heart surgery. He opened up about the procedure in a recent appearance on the Talking Rock with Meltdown podcast, during which Petersson described feeling “much better” and addressed the”post-traumatic stress” of undergoing the operation.
“I’m doing a lot better, which is not saying much. I had open-heart surgery on March 1st, so I’ve been convalescing here at home, and I’m feeling much better and just following my doctor’s orders,” he said (as transcribed by Ultimate Classic Rock).
Petersson went on to describe his “biggest fear” in the aftermath of the procedure. “Has anything come loose yet? Do you have to open me back up?” he said. “I do not wanna have to go through that again — now that I know what happens.”
He continued by explaining how the surgery affected his mental health. “It’s a lot of psychological stuff that you don’t hear about or think about — post-traumatic stress,” said Petersson. “And it’s scary. It’s kind of like being in an auto accident — you’re not thinking of it that much at the time, and later you look back on it and you think, ‘Holy shit. That was close.’”
Thankfully, Petersson didn’t have any other health issues. “I was in good shape, and it was something they discovered unexpectedly,” he recalled. “”I didn’t have any symptoms. But it was the kind of thing where without knowing about it, you would just all of a sudden suddenly drop dead. I was, like, ‘Okay. I’m in. Open-heart surgery? Sounds good to me.’”
Cheap Trick fans first became aware of Petersson’s surgery in April, when he shared a post on the band’s Facebook page explaining why he was sitting down their performance on Late Show with Stephen Colbert.
The band released their 20th studio album, In Another World, in April. Now that Petersson is on the mend, Cheap Trick is headed on back to the road this July.
They will be largely playing North American festival dates like Lakefront Music Fest and Gathering on the Green this summer, with a full-fledged UK and North American trek beginning in February 2022. The North American leg features the band opening for ZZ Top in Canada and Rod Stewart in the US. Purchase tickets at Ticketmaster here, and look for deals at Stubhub once they sell out. Check out the full tour schedule below.
Also check out our recent roundtable discussion on Cheap Trick At Budokan with special guests Corey Taylor, Linda Perry, Butch Walker, and producer Jack Douglas.
Cheap Trick 2021-2022 Tour Dates:
07/03 – Ashwaubenon, WI @ Epic Event Center
07/04 – Loves Park, IL @ Long Play Music Fest
07/07 – Fargo, ND @ Fargo Brewing Company
07/09 – Prior Lake, MN @ Lakefront Music Fest
07/10 – Mequon, WI @ Gathering on the Green
07/11 – Bay City, MI @ Eat Great Food Festival
07/23 – Walker, MN @ Moondance Jam
08/05 – Houston, TX @ Arena Theatre
08/06 – Fort Worth, TX @ Billy Bob’s
08/25 – Memphis, TN @ The Soundstage at Graceland
09/05 – Middletown, NY @ Orange County Fair
09/25 – Camden, NJ @ BB&T Pavilion
10/08 – Biloxi, MS @ Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Biloxi
10/09 – Lake Charles, LA @ L’Auberge Lake Charles
11/18 – Monterrey, MX @ Showcenter Complex
02/01 – Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK @ Boiler Shop
02/02 – Manchester, UK @ Manchester Academy
02/04 – Wolverhampton, UK @ KK’s Steel Mill
02/05 – London, UK @ O2 Shepherds Bush
02/06 – Bristol, UK @ O2 Academy Bristol
04/23 – Abbotsford, BC @ Abbotsford Centre*
04/24 – Penticton, BC @ South Okanagan Events Centre*
04/26 – Kamloops, BC @ Sandman Centre*
04/27 – Lethbridge, AB @ Lethbridge*
04/29 – Saskatoon, SK @ Sasktel Centre *
05/06 – Niagara Falls, ON @ Fallsview Casino’s Entertainment Centre *
05/08 – Laval, QC @ Place Bell *
07/01 – Forth Worth, TX @ Dickies Arena#
07/02 – The Woodlands, TX @ Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion#
07/05 – Nashville, TN @ Bridgestone Arena#
07/12 – Cincinnati, OH @ Riverbend Music Center#
07/16 – Tinley Park, IL @ Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre#
07/19 – Cuyahoga Falls, OH @ Blossom Music Center#
07/22 – Saratoga Springs, NY @ Saratoga Performing Arts Center#
07/26 – Toronto, ON @ Budweiser Stage#
07/27 – Clarkston, MI @ DTE Entergy Music Theatre#
08/12 – Mansfield, MA @ Xfinity Center#
08/13 – Uncasville, CT @ Mohegan Sun Arena#
08/16 – Holmdel, NJ @ PNC Bank Arts Center#
08/19 – Atlantic City, NJ @ Mark G Etess Arena#
08/20 – Hershey, PA @ Hersheypark Stadium#
08/23 – Wantagh, NY @ Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater#
08/27 – Columbia, MD @ Merriweather Post Pavilion#
08/31 – Alpharetta, GA @ Ameris Bank Amphitheatre#
09/02 – Jacksonville, FL @ Daily’s Place Amphitheater#
09/03 – Tampa, FL @ Amalie Arena#
* w/ ZZ Top
# w/ Rod Stewart
