Why A Trip To The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Surprised Me
Tonight's the night for the official induction ceremony for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and it will add lots of new memorabilia to a collection that's already pretty incredible. I stopped by the Hall on a trip to Cleveland, and I was really surprised by what I saw.
I was surprised at how great it felt to experience the exhibits in person. We all spend so much time looking at pictures and videos on screens, that it was really amazing to be close to things that are usually inaccessible. Like Michael Jackson's white sequined glove. It was on his tours, it was on TV, and it was on posters, but to actually stand a foot away from it was pretty surreal. It was under glass so curious types like me couldn't touch it, but it was pretty cool to stand next to something that had been an iconic pop music symbol for so long.
I also saw hand-written lyrics from Sir Paul McCartney. I remember the paper off-white and slightly tattered at the edges like maybe Sir Paul had rubbed the edge of the paper as he was staring off into space dreaming up killer lyrics. It was hard to read his writing, but then it seems that all geniuses can be a little messy.
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is full of clothing that the artists have worn on stage. The suits and dresses are usually on mannequins and some of them were tiny! It made me realize how small rock stars can be. Again, something we can't really grasp if we're seeing them on screens.
The 2019 class of inductees includes Janet Jackson, Stevie Nicks, Def Leppard, The Cure, The Zombies, Radiohead, and Roxy Music. The Induction Ceremony happens tonight at the Barclays Center in New York, and HBO cameras will be there to capture it all. Janelle Monet will be there to honor Janet Jackson, and Harry Styles will induct Stevie Nicks. The special will air on HBO on April 27th.
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame sits on the shore of Lake Erie in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, and it's totally worth the trip. Just take plenty of money for souvenir t-shirts from your favorite artists. They've got 'em all.