Overview
- Cheap Trick posted a statement on Dec. 17 saying they performed only to honor KISS and to support artists and the arts, adding, “We agreed to do it for those reasons, and no others.”
- The group played “Rock & Roll All Nite” at the Dec. 7 ceremony in Washington, D.C., which was hosted by President Donald Trump.
- Reaction on the band’s social media ranged from fans renouncing their support to others praising the decision, reflecting a broader divide over the event.
- The band pointed to decades-long ties with KISS, including opening on the 1977 Love Gun tour, as context for their participation.
- The Kennedy Center Honors broadcast, featuring Cheap Trick’s tribute, is scheduled to air on CBS on Dec. 23.