Cheap Trick: Jan. 14, 2009

Though their late-career sales don’t always show it, Cheap Trick has stood the test of time better than most bands spawned by the ’70s hard-rock movement. Hits kept them popular through the ’80s; Steve Albini, Nirvana and Weezer kept them relevant well into the ’90s; and “Guitar Hero” and the dozens of pop-punk bands that have covered “Surrender” should guarantee the group infamy for at least another generation. Of course, it also helps that the band never jumped the shark. Their latest album, 2006’s Rockford, is a true highlight of their discography, rife with great songs that effortlessly capture the hard and sweet power-pop hooks that made their At Budokan-era hits so memorable. The new year promises a new album, but first Cheap Trick does three nights in Milwaukee at the Potawatomi Bingo Casino, starting tonight with an 8 p.m. show.