Rock Hall of Famers to headline the Strip in the spring

The rock outfit from Rockford, Illinois, is coming back to Las Vegas.

Cheap Trick has a weekend date April 17-18 on the books at The Venetian Theatre (go to Ticketmaster.com for info). The show celebrates the “Live at Budokan,” the 1978 album captured at the Nippon Budokan in Tokyo. “I Want You to Want Me” was the lead single and top-10 hit from that album.

Robin Zander (vocals), Rick Nielsen (guitar) and Tom Petersson (bass) remain from the band’s original lineup. Daxx Nielsen, Rick Nielsen’s son, has been the touring drummer for the past 15 years. He steps in for Bun E. Carlos, with the band from 1973 to 2010.

The band’s all-time classics include “Surrender,” “The Flame” and “Dream Police.” They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2016.

Cheap Trick has played several Las Vegas venues, most recently International Theater at the Westgate in February. The band headlined including the then-Las Vegas Hilton showroom in 2009, before it was renamed International Theater. The production was the inspired “Sgt. Pepper Live,” an end-to-end concert covering The Beatles’ classic album, with a full orchestra.

The band has also played Fremont Street Experience, Pearl at the Palms, Paris Theater (for the second “Sgt. Pepper” run) and The Strat Showroom.

John Katsilometes’ column runs daily in the A section. Contact him at jkatsilometes@reviewjournal.com. Follow @johnnykats on X, @JohnnyKats1 on Instagram.