Hard Rock Casino Rockford is part ultra modern casino, part entertainment mecca and a love letter to the city’s favorite son and Cheap Trick legend Rick Nielsen.

Not only does a 63-foot tall version of Nielsen’s famed checkerboard Hamer guitar adorn the marquee of the new nearly 180,000-square-foot casino resort, but his and Cheap Trick’s mark is virtually everywhere. Dozens of the more than 150 pieces of memorabilia on display commemorate Nielsen and Cheap Trick.

A neon version of the checkerboard guitar adorns the ceiling over part of the gaming floor. At 10 a.m. and 10 p.m. the chandelier plays a show featuring Cheap Trick music.

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