Rock the Halls… of Fame!
An exclusive look at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame!
Outside the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio is a museum of the history of rock and an homage to the pioneers that defined the genre. It was first established in 1989 by Ahmet Ertegun, who also founded Atlantic Records. Every year since then, new members are honorably inducted. I was able to experience the Rock Hall in person and took pictures along the way; here are some of the interesting exhibits I was able to see.
This is a collection of bills that would be posted on telephone poles and such to advertise for an upcoming concert or event, and would usually be very eye-catching and imaginative.
An Odd Little Place is a special exhibit the Rock Hall is hosting, focusing on Jerry Garcia’s digital artwork. Garcia was not only a singer, a songwriter, and a guitarist, but he was also a trailblazer in the digital art world. Garcia attended the San Francisco Art Institute when he was a teenager and remained committed to creating until the end of his life. His legacy lives on through his art and continues to inspire countless people.
“Demon” made in 1993, is one of many digital paintings by Jerry Garcia.
The Ramones put an end to what was called the Dark Age of Rock. In 1974, they brought back the sounds of angst that were absent in the early 1970s. The Schott Perfecto leather jacket (on the right) was the defining part of The Ramones’ iconic look because Tommy Ramone wanted to stay out of the “glitter rock” scene he decided they should just wear what they wore every day, which just so happened to be the Schott Perfecto jacket.
“God Only Knows” by the Beach Boys was written in 1966, on their most popular album, Pet Sounds. It’s also Paul McCartney’s favorite song! Above is the manuscript of “God Only Knows.”
This image is of Gregg Allman’s famous spirit jacket and Hammond’s organ, Jaimoe’s drum, and Dickey Betts’s 1957 Les Paul Goldtop electric guitar.
This is image is of Tobi Vail of Bikini Kill’s Rebel Girl drum. “Rebel Girl”, Bikini Kill’s most popular song, is a feminist anthem that defined the riot grrrl movement. Bikini Kill pioneered the movement and continue to be inspirational to the riot grrrls of today.
The signatures of the English rock band, Radiohead.
This is the Pink Floyd tour replica of The Wall, which mimics the Berlin performance in 1990.
These are two of Kurt Cobain’s electric guitars and a drill. On the right is 1960s Mosrite Gospel Guitar, one of Kurt’s favorite guitars. It is one of the few Mark V style Mosrite Gospel models. Kurt owned and smashed many copies of Mosrite guitars, but this one was one of two authentic Mosrites he owned, so it escaped the fate of the other guitars that he used in live performances. On the left is a Fender Stratocaster, which he smashed during a Nirvana concert in 1993, he ran off to the side of the stage and grabbed a drill, and proceeded to drill a hole in the bridge pickup on stage in an attempt to impress Eddie Van Halen, who was standing on stage left.
This is Keith Richard’s of The Rolling Stones Les Paul Custom electric guitar. The guitar was first used by The Rolling Stones when they appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1966. Richards later hand-painted the design with paint pens while on LSD.
Tom Morello of Rage Against The Machine is most well known for pushing boundaries. Many people believe that Morello uses effects in his music because of the unconventional, everyday items he incorporates. He uses a Marshall JCM800 2205 head with a Peavy 4×12 cabinet, which he hasn’t changed the settings on since 1989. His famous and distinguishing pedal board involves an MXR Phase 90, DOD FX40B Equaliser, BOSS DD-2 Digital Delay, DigiTech WH1 Whammy, BOSS TR-2 Tremolo, and a Dunlop Crybaby Wah-Wah, which are all powered by a Voodoo Lab Pedal Power Plus Power Supply.
Stella Londrigan is a senior at WCHS. This is their first year as an editor and second year as a journalist for The Jacket Journal. In her publications,...
