Summer Vacation Part Two : Rock And Roll Hall of Fame

Posted on by J. Hubner

July 9th:

So last night, after 30 minutes of driving around searching for a decent pizza place to eat in the general area of Vermilion, OH we came across Olde Towne Pizza House in nearby Amherst. It was worth the road trip as the place was perfect. Located in a beautiful old brick building right in the quaint downtown of Amherst, the atmosphere was super chill and it was perfect place to wind down after the 4 hour drive of the day. I had two amazing beers, a pilsner and some sort of hoppy, fruity beauty at 7.2%. The wife and my son and I split a pizza while the girls each got sandwiches. Everyone left full.

IMG_2064Before we headed back to the hotel we stopped down at the beach and watched a storm roll in over Lake Erie as the last bit of sun dropped into the horizon. It was great way to end the day. Despite the sun dropping out of sight the enormity of Lake Erie still sunk in. There was a storm off into the distance and a pretty amazing lightning storm would occasionally light up the Ohio sky. It was pretty awe-inspiring.

After our complimentary breakfast we hit the road for the Hall of Fame. We were maybe 40 minutes away, so the ride went quickly. Once we could see the Cleveland Indians stadium we knew we were getting close.

IMG_2052I wasn’t aware as to how old of a city Cleveland was. It was founded in 1796, which makes it a pretty old f*****g city. As we drove through some of the neighborhoods it felt like a city with history. Lots of beautiful, old brick homes and gorgeously ornamented churches, the town in some spots seemed to have been frozen in time from nearly 50 years ago. I told my wife as we drove through these storied, Midwest streets I couldn’t help but think of the movie Major League. Growing up in the 80s we had a copy of that movie on VHS and it was watched many, many times. It was a great baseball flick, but it was also a pretty great portrait of Cleveland as well. I wasn’t a sports kid, but that movie made me nostalgic for ballparks, homeruns, hot dogs, peanuts, and Cracker Jacks.

IMG_2085But anyways, on with the show.

As we arrived at the R&R Hall of Fame I was blown away by how different the area was. When my wife and I were there in 1997 it seemed as if the Hall of Fame was the only thing in the area. I didn’t remember the Science Center next door, and I certainly didn’t remember the Cleveland Browns stadium that was located just across the street. I guess things change a bit in nearly 20 years, but I digress. One thing that hadn’t changed was the building itself. It still looked like a glass pyramid sitting just off the lake. It’s still an impressive construct, and once you get inside it’s even more so.

IMG_2088So the Hall of Fame has 7 levels. Each one has its own theme. The lower level is kind of the history of Rock and Roll. Presley, Beatles, and Stones exhibits are showcased down here, with an impressive display of artifacts and films playing in each of the areas. There’s also a Hendrix display, Music of the Midwest, Sub Pop, punk, and heavy metal exhibits. For me, this was the most extensive and intriguing area of the Hall of Fame. There was still so much I wasn’t able to take in down there. The main level is where you enter, then the second floor has some interactive kiosks with some one hit wonder info, a Les Paul exhibit(sooo cool), as well as a ‘Video Killed The Radio Star’ music video montage(my son said it felt like subliminal brain washing…he’s not far off.) I believe the Beastie Boys exhibit was on this floor as well. The third level is the Hall of Fame section, complete with a movie theater highlighting past inductions and a darkened hallways that has a wall of signatures of past inductees. The last two floors are for temporary exhibits. Inside these floors were exhibits that dealt with political strife in music, artists writing about political issues in their music, ranging from Dylan, and The Clash to Green Day to Kendrick Lamar. Both activism and patriotism were represented here, which I liked. I side more on activism, but I appreciate having both sides represented.

IMG_2095So what were highlights for me you ask? Well, a section talking about the misappropriation of rock songs used in political campaigns was pretty interesting. Reagan using Springsteen’s “Born in the USA”, or Paul Ryan saying Rage Against The Machine was his favorite band truly showed that politicians pay little to know attention to the world around them. I loved seeing the Midwest exhibit and having bands like Wilco, Husker Du, The Replacements, Liz Phair, and Afghan Whigs represented. Seeing the Strat that Jimi Hendrix played “The Star Spangled Banner” on at Woodstock was pretty awe-inspiring. Getting to gawk at one of Angus Young’s schoolboy uniforms, or a crazy double neck Flying V(whose it was I can’t recall at the moment.) There was this incredibly gorgeous bass of John Paul Jones’ that was there, too. It looked like it was outer space. Really, there were so many incredible instruments there it’s hard to remember them all(John Lennon’s Mellotron and his famous Epiphone Casino he played on the recording of “Revolution” and the rooftop concert.)

IMG_2093I guess the biggest thing for me was sharing this place with my kids. I know my son was pretty bored a half hour in, but I think there are things he’ll take away from this trip. He thought Bo Diddley’s guitar was pretty cool, and the Beastie Boys exhibit, too. He also thought the Wilco guitar was pretty excellent. My oldest seemed to get the most out of this trip. I guess being 16 years old she’s soaked up the most music out of the three of them. She was super thrilled to see some of Beyonce’s dresses(she’s a fan…wanna make something of it??) She also seemed really interested in the more political exhibits, which made me a proud papa. My 13-year old didn’t complain and went along with it, which I greatly appreciated. Overall, my wife and I were extremely impressed with the Hall of Fame and with what our kids got out of everything. We definitely want to come back again without the brood so we can take our time and let it all soak in a little better.

IMG_2099It’s easy to be cynical about a place like the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and at times I’ve been cynical about it(Green Day over NIN? Madonna??), but for the most part I still have great respect for the institution and for what the original intent of the Hall of Fame was(and possibly still is.) There’s plenty of blues and R&B artists that never got even a pinch of respect until the Hall of Fame put there names up on that wall. With every questionable inductee, there’s three or four obscure artists that you may have never heard of but should have. It’s gone from a museum to a business, for sure, but I think the original intent and spirit of the place lives on. It was a trek I’m glad the wife and I took the kids on. Indoor pool, hot tub, pizza, and bookstore perusing helped round out the trip quite nicely, but at the heart of it all was rock and roll.

Always, rock and roll.

Editor’s Note : My camera battery died so I was only able to take a handful of photos when we first arrived. I have more on my wife’s camera. I will post those later in the week. 

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47 thoughts on “Summer Vacation Part Two : Rock And Roll Hall of Fame”

  1. That’s a family trip worth embarking on! I’ve never been and I’m also cynical about it all, but I would still like to see some of the gear and ephemera etc.
    More importantly to me were your observations on how old of a city Cleveland is and the overwhelming power of The Great Lakes. specifically Erie as I grew up in Buffalo which is slightly older than Cleveland (1789) and also sits on Lake Erie. I’ve also explored Cleveland and cities like Boston, NYC and Providence RI (lived there for a year) and there is an overwhelming sense of history in these cities. The architecture especially. I’ve been in California for 20 years and everytime I go back it’s like travelling in time. The West Coast, the last frontier, is sooooooo modern that you feel it in your bones if you grew up back East…it’s interesting.
    I’ve also had great experiences that have left indelible impressions like sitting in the picture window of a house right on Lake Erie while a giant blizzard rolled in essentially burying us over night! ‘Lake effect snow’ is also something unique to the region.
    I lived on the West Side of Buffalo which is actually walking distance to the lake if you want to brave some of the rougher parts of the Lower west Side. We used to skateboard down there and find spots to ‘thrash’. Growing up there made it so that any move I ever made had to be near a large body of water, so The Pacific Ocean it is, though I miss that sense of history you can only find in those East Coast cities.

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    1. Lake effect snow…that must sound so alien to anyone not familiar with the Great Lakes area. For guys like you and I, that phrase brings so many memories . You growing up in Buffalo know it first hand. It’s especially merciless there. We get bits from Lake Michigan in north east Indiana, but not like lower Michigan and east Chicago does.

      The history is palpable, isn’t it? It’s unlike anything I’ve experienced before.

      I’d recommend at least one visit to the R&R Hall of Fame. The Rock and roll relics are worth seeing up close, if just once.

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    2. Lake effect snow, known it all my life! We got whatever Lake Huron could throw at us, and now I live right on the shores of Georgian Bay. Spent a lot of this lifetime shovelling, that’s for sure.

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      2. Yup! It was only AFTER I’d moved out to go to university that my Dad bought his first snow blower… hey wait a minute… 😉

        I’ve been going to the shores of Lake Huron since before I was born. Yup, I’m a July baby, and I was onboard with Mom my first summer ‘there.’ We still get a cottage there every year.

        My house now is ten minutes’s drive from putting my feet in the cold waters of Georgian Bay. It’s a lovely life!

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      4. Haha I wouldn’t describe swimming in Georgian Bay as ‘lovely,’ per se, unless hypothermia is on your bucket list… but it sure is pretty to look at. This whole area is gorgeous. Anyone interested in the outdoors, this place is a playground.

        Absolutely yes on the Reset button. The beach cures all!

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  2. All in all, an excellent trip! I’ve always been torn about whether I’d want to go see the RaRHoF or not, but your post pushes me towards yes, for tonight. It’d be a long way for us to go, but I thikn it could still be worthwhile.

    Also, there’s another huge fan of Major League right here. One of my all-timers comedies. Well done!

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      2. Oh yeah. Ohio is Guided By Voices territory. I know a few folks that have met Bob and they say he’s a super nice guy. And then there’s the whole prolific songwriter thing, too.

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      3. Man, I’ve been following GBV (and as many of the side projects as I can find) since the late 90s. I’ve bought everything I can get my mitts on. It has turned into… a substantial pile. Crazy good! I love ’em. Love love love!

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      5. Yes, and unquestionably worth it!

        I’ve gotten so much enjoyment out of these albums, over the years.

        If you wanna have a look, I made a Page on the KMA (at the top of the screen) called GBV WOM – A. WOM stands for What Owns Me (my theory is our record collections also own us), that lists everything I have here so far.

        I have quite a bit! 🙂

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      9. Yup! When I think of all the time, energy and effort that goes into collecting, storing and maintaining a collection, I might not even say it’s a mutual ownership – I think the collection is winning! 😉

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      15. Well, it hasn’t got any candles or incense, but it does inspire awe every time I look at it. Borrowing a disc from that gorgeous library for a play-through feels like an occasion!

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      20. I am sadly lacking in my Leonard Cohen knowledge. I need to get with the program. I know the guy’s a genius. “Everybody Knows” and “If It Be Your Will” move me in strange ways(thanks ‘Pump Up The Volume’), so I really need to jump into the Leonard Cohen waters and see what happens.

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      21. I’d be happy to help and answer any questions. We have all the books, and all the albums, so I might know a thing or two, though certainly not everything.

        Myself, I started by reading all his books. My Dad gave me his old schoolbook copy of Let Us Compare Mythologies and I was off to the races from there.

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      23. That way can work, he was a writer before he started making records. But you can usually get albums of his in the $5 bins, too, so if you see any in your travels, snag ’em! 🙂

        That book I mentioned, Stranger Music, it’s a pretty good primer. It culls from all of his writing and does a fairly good job of getting the main bits of his work. Of course, I say it should be three volumes, but what can a guy do? 🙂

        Good luck!

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    1. That is strange. I noticed that occasionally I lose sight of notifications of new posts of folks I follow. I’m supposed to get emails but I only get them occasionally. WP is messing with me.

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      1. I know, right? Weird! As it is now, I have to come back to your post in the Reader and hit Refresh to see new comments. I oly know they’re there if you Like my last comment!

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    1. There’s a lot to ignore, for sure. But I found there was just as much that grabbed my attention that years ago wouldn’t have. I think seeing some of the guitars, like Bo Diddley’s guitar and Hendrix’ Woodstock Strat really made the trip for me. The history of punk exhibit was really great, too. It was much more interactive than I remembered.

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      1. My musical tastes have expanded a thousand fold since my last visit, so I would appreciate it more now. I also have a 16 year old daughter that is into Beyonce and her ilk, so I feel your pain. Especially on road trips in which they now tell us that they have a say in the music.

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Published by J. Hubner

Complex Distractions is a little corner of the universe where music and conversation reign supreme. Intellectual discussions and essays written about heady records, both big and small, that despite what you might think can truly change your life. Spinning the records for the good of mankind.