Has anyone been to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame?

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Just curious. I may be passing thru Cleveland next week and i'm wondering if it's worth the 15 bucks to go in and walk around.

― Phil Dokes (sunny), Monday, 14 April 2003 02:26 (twenty-one years ago) link

I went through it in two or three hours. Mainly memorabilia, not as much interactive stuff. Certainly interesting. Probably changed in the last four or three years since I've been there.

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Monday, 14 April 2003 02:31 (twenty-one years ago) link

I've been to the museum. It's a Madame Tussaud's/Hard Rock Cafe deal with swanky architecture by I.M. Pei ("not 'I am FREE'" - sez Mr. Pei about his fee scale).

― Jody Beth Rosen (Jody Beth Rosen), Monday, 14 April 2003 02:38 (twenty-one years ago) link

All I remember about it is it was too expensive.

― Evan (Evan), Monday, 14 April 2003 02:59 (twenty-one years ago) link

i am free is world b's brother.

― keith (keithmcl), Monday, 14 April 2003 03:01 (twenty-one years ago) link

Is Pere Ubu in it yet? Or the Raspberries, or the Michael Stanley Band? If they aren't, I suggest you just get a corned beef sandwich and wander around downtown--or go down Cedar to the area near John Carroll Univ., that's nice.

― Jess Hill (jesshill), Monday, 14 April 2003 15:44 (twenty-one years ago) link

Chubby damn Checker

― Horace Mann (Horace Mann), Monday, 14 April 2003 15:49 (twenty-one years ago) link

I went during it's first year and practically no one was there. There was an exhibit on fashion in rock which was just dummies dressed like David Bowie, etc. At least at that point, it resembled an austere and slightly larger version of the Hard Rock Cafe. Strangely though I remember having a pretty good time, although it's not exactly the Louvre.

― Amateurist (amateurist), Monday, 14 April 2003 15:52 (twenty-one years ago) link

They show part of "The Wall", so weigh it out – do you want to see a hall of fame? or would you rather just rent "The Wall"?

― Fivvy (Fivvy), Monday, 14 April 2003 15:57 (twenty-one years ago) link

There are a few interesting artifacts... (Original lyrics scrawled on coaster, Patti Smith's shoe, ...) And there are some videos - but if you've ever watched VH1, you've seen most of the footage already. It might be worth going to sate your curiosity. I went once, and I might be persuaded to go again (so it wasn't a total bust) - but I really didn't think there was much worth seeing. Although there was a great exhibit on the Cleveland punk scene, but it was temporary.

If you have time to kill in CLE, take Jess's advice & go to University Circle .. The Art Museum is way better than the Rock hall.

― dave225 (Dave225), Monday, 14 April 2003 16:03 (twenty-one years ago) link

I WENT THERE

― Aaron Grossman (aajjgg), Monday, 14 April 2003 16:06 (twenty-one years ago) link

I WENT THERE when i was young and all i remember is being very angry at the rockism (yes i know its the "rock and roll hall of fame") but, really, punks were depicted as weirdos with green hair who puked alot (no mention of any political critique behind the movment), and the rap section was dominated by Fat Boys memerobilia. In context, i felt that hip hop was being portrayed as a fad. i didnt eve like rap when i went all those years ago, but, as ambivalent as i was about the music, i still felt really angry.

if you are a vulnerable indie kid who hates being reminded that the world is not on your side, dont go ;-)

― Aaron Grossman (aajjgg), Monday, 14 April 2003 16:12 (twenty-one years ago) link

political critique behind the movment

???

― Amateurist (amateurist), Monday, 14 April 2003 16:17 (twenty-one years ago) link

what are you asking? either:
1) i phrased the above very badly (true)
2) i was mistekenly lead to believe at a certain point in my life that punk was political ;-)

maybe:
I was frustrated to see, in the punk section of the exhibit, little evidence that the curators held the movement in high regard. At the expense of any mention of the beliefs and idologies of the punk movement, punks were portrayed as simply being petty criminals. The whole museum at that time seemed to exist solely to advocate a very baby-boomer orientated outlook, namely that the 60s was the last decade of revolution in music.

― Aaron Grossman (aajjgg), Monday, 14 April 2003 18:07 (twenty-one years ago) link

Punk, politics, blah blah blah. Can we not go down this dark alley again?

BTW: The Fat Boys invented rap. Fuck all that Run DMC hype. It was all about being Fat!

("Is he kidding?")

― Kenan Hebert (kenan), Monday, 14 April 2003 18:17 (twenty-one years ago) link

Yeah, I got that impression too. Very Rolling-Stone oriented. That the museum was for baby boomers to teach their kids about "real music." But as time goes by, the next generation will hold the purse/power... just look at the music in advertisements these days.

― dave225 (Dave225), Monday, 14 April 2003 18:18 (twenty-one years ago) link

I always like the story I heard about Sam Phillips (of Sun) going to Ohio and making a speech at the opening of the RRHOF...he was probably drunk but he said something like "Cleveland is great, ya'll are fine people...but you ain't never gonna be Memphis, motherfuckers..." which is so true...even though I regard Cleveland as the only decent place in the Buck-I state...

― Jess Hill (jesshill), Monday, 14 April 2003 18:24 (twenty-one years ago) link

Punk, politics, blah blah blah. Can we not go down this dark alley again?

heh i am not planning do go down any dark alleys. dont want to discuss punk and politics, but is is obvious that punk was more than just hair dye... there were safety pins too! ;-)

― Aaron Grossman (aajjgg), Monday, 14 April 2003 18:36 (twenty-one years ago) link

actually Jess, that's probably Case Western Reserve Univ you're thinking of, part of the University Circle area along with the Clevo Museum of Art, Severance Hall etc etc. - John Carroll is about 20 minutes east, up in the Heights.

― rh, Monday, 14 April 2003 20:59 (twenty-one years ago) link

thirteen years pass...

Work took me to Cleveland this week, and with fairly low expectations, I visited the Hall and had a great time.
A+
Substantial exhibits from Hank Williams, John Lee Hooker, Lightnin' Hopkins and Elvis. They did a good job on the early/influential stuff.
Cool exhibits from The Supremes T-swift, Rihanna, Jane Wiedlin, Chrissie Hynde, Cyndi Lauper-some of my favorite artists. Felt like a decent effort to represent women.
Any day when I see a handwritten letter from The Damned(!) to the Ramones is swell.
Punk in general was represented well, with great exhibits from The Damned (a personal favorite), The Clash and The Replacements.
Cool cafe with a patio overlooking the lake
Great book selection in the gift shop
Cons
I found the whole 'music changed the world' politics exhibit the height of rockist BS, and ugh, the 60s. But then, people my age hate boomers.

Umm, that's really it. I'd definitely go again, 2 hours wasn't nearly enough.

― campreverb, Friday, 27 May 2016 03:30 (seven years ago) link

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