A mixture of casino and club gigs will account for the bulk of Cheap Trick [ tickets ]�s early 2001 tour itinerary. The veteran rock act is set to open its next stint of dates on Dec. 30 in Michigan.

Earlier this year, Cheap Trick�s publicist said that the band was in the studio with engineer Steve Albini, who has worked on critically acclaimed recordings by Nirvana, Nine Inch Nails and others. However, no release date was set for the new material, and the band put additional recording on hold prior to embarking on a summer tour.

Cheap Trick�s last studio album was a self-titled release issued in 1997. The group released the live CD "Music for Hangovers" in 1999, and a best-of set titled "Authorized Greatest Hits" in October.

Cheap Trick--singer Robin Zander, guitarist Rick Nielsen, bassist Tom Petersson and drummer Bun E. Carlos--debuted in 1977 with the release of a self-titled album. The band�s popularity reached its peak with the 1979 release of the live recording "At Budokan."