Music notes: Cheap Trick rocks the Arcada

‘Local' show

Indie-rock band Local Natives will perform this weekend at Wheaton College. The Los Angeles-based band plays a sophisticated brand of pop — a mix of guitars, clattering percussion and vocal harmonies that often elicits comparisons to bands like Fleet Foxes and Grizzly Bear.

7:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 1, at the Edman Chapel Auditorium at Wheaton College, Washington and Franklin streets, Wheaton. $35. Go to wheaton.edu/Calendar-of-Events.

New residency

Chicago-based singer-musician Nora O'Connor really should be famous. She has a fantastic voice and delivers the goods on guitar and bass, too. So far, though, her career has basically been one of service to other artists; she's provided either vocals or musical accompaniment to Kelly Hogan, Neko Case, the New Pornographers, Andrew Bird, the Blacks and more. O'Connor recently launched a Tuesday night residency at the Hideout in Chicago, giving fans a chance to see her perform front and center.

9 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 4, at the Hideout, 1354 W. Wabansia, Chicago. $10. Go to hideoutchicago.com.

Power-pop pioneers

Rockford's favorite rock 'n' roll sons — the band Cheap Trick — will hit the stage in St. Charles next week. Cheap Trick burst on to the scene with a stellar and influential debut album in 1977. Containing now-classic tracks like “ELO Kiddies” and “Oh Candy,” the self-titled album occupied a middle ground between raw hard rock and melodic Beatles-style pop. It was a hit with the critics, but didn't do much in terms of commercial success. The band didn't become a hit with the masses, in fact, until it released the live album “Cheap Trick at Budokan” in 1979. Since then, the band has released numerous albums, scored a huge hit with “The Flame” and toured with some of the biggest bands of the alternative 1990s, bands that cited Cheap Trick as an influence.

7:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 6, and 8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 7, at the Arcada Theatre, 105 E. Main St., St. Charles. Tickets start at $59. Go to oshows.com.