John Varvatos takes his heritage as a native of Detroit—aka “Rock City”—very seriously. Varvatos is a rock 'n’ roll connoisseur, and has found a way to give back to the musical genre that has so inspired him. When the space formerly held by legendary rock club CBGB was looking for a new tenant, Varvatos stepped in and created a unique venue that is a true fashion-rock hybrid.
The John Varvatos Bowery store, in Manhattan’s East Village, is the home of Bowery Live, a series of killer live rock performances. One of the bands to recently take the stage there (yes, the stage) was the one-and-only Cheap Trick. These dudes have been doing it for 35 years, and whether or not you consider yourself a fan, when songs like “I Want You to Want Me” or “Surrender” come on, you’re bound to do a little head banging.
Check out the video above for the band’s performance of “Surrender,” and feel the power of an American classic.