Music notes: Bret Michaels to rock Elgin's Festival Park Sunday
Power pop heroes
Rockford band Cheap Trick burst onto the scene in 1977 with an acclaimed and influential debut record, but it was the live album “At Budokan” that sent the band to stardom. Cheap Trick's long career would produce a slew of power-pop gems, including “Surrender,” “I Want You to Want Me” and “Dream Police,” and influence bands like the Smashing Pumpkins and Urge Overkill. Cheap Trick will perform with classic rocker Peter Frampton this weekend in the suburbs. 7:30 p.m. Friday, June 20, at the Rosemont Theatre, 5400 N. River Road, Rosemont. The event is free, with every single ticket being given away by radio station WDRV 97.1-FM. Go to wdrv.com.
Riding high
Bruno Mars is one of those pop stars, like Justin Timberlake, whose appeal transcends the young audience of the moment. Mars' infectious music moves easily from pop to R&B to reggae and back again, and as anyone who saw the most recent Super Bowl halftime show can attest, he brings it onstage. Mars will perform this weekend in the South suburbs. 8 p.m. Friday, June 20, at First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre, 19100 S. Ridgeland Ave., Tinley Park. Tickets start at $35.50. Go to livenation.com.
Vintage metal
Bret Michaels of the 1980s hair-metal band Poison will be joined by some key contemporaries at the Hair Band Heavyweights show this weekend in the suburbs. Performing with Michaels will be former Twisted Sister frontman Dee Snider and Tom Keifer of Cinderella. Head to the show to relive those long-ago days when headbangers wore hair spray, makeup and spandex pants! 5 p.m. Sunday, June 22, at Grand Victoria Casino's Festival Park, 250 Grove Ave., Elgin. Tickets start at $19. Go to grandvictoriacasino.com.