A lot of the people they grew up with became doctors, lawyers, concrete contractors, and more. That’s what Cheap Trick is all about. “We just try to have a good time and make people happy,” Nielsen said.

“Rick’s guitar playing is like nobody else’s,” Zander said. “His solos are like classical music.”

The band formed in Rockford, Illinois, in 1966, when Rick Nielsen and Tom Petersson were still in junior high school.

“It was the era of the Beatles and the British Invasion,” Nielsen said. “We wanted to be in a band, too.”

Moreno Valley will be one of the last stops on their tour. Zander said the band loves playing Southern California because “the weather is so nice and the crowds are great.”

Cheap Trick will be playing at the Moreno Valley Conference and Recreation Center on Saturday, Nov. 4. The show starts at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $39.50 for general admission, $59.50 for reserved seating, and $79.50 for VIP seating. They can be purchased online or at the box office.

The band is best known for their hits “I Want You to Want Me,” “Surrender” and “The Flame.” But they’ve also recorded eight albums of original material, including this year’s “We, ‘re All Alright!”

Zander said the band likes to mix up its setlist so that it doesn’t get stale.

“We’re always changing it around,” he said. “We want it to be fresh.”

The band has stayed together for more than 40 years.