At a glance I love the busts of individuals immortalized for their achievements and contributions to society and the world. There's also proximity to the Oktoberfest grounds to explore.
A more contemporary hall of renown was often on my mind this summer as the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland announced its 2022 induction class.
Quite simply, they had me at Eurythmics.
It shall be interesting to learn what show elements make the cut when HBO premieres the edited event broadcast Nov. 19.
Alice Cooper emerging for the speech, combined with the digital flames engulfing the stage during "Breaking the Law" got me fist pumping and dancing.
The journey to confirm a seat at the Nov. 5 ceremony proved surprisingly simple, easily achieved from the home office:
- Buy a Rock & Roll HOF membership (bargain-priced at $50)
- Await induction event deets and member online presale (encircled on calendar with red Sharpie)
- Endure nail-biting on sale hour eventually picking up a single balcony ticket ($250+ fees), a preamble of sorts to what Taylor Swift ticket seekers apparently endured earlier this week
- Book travel to LA noting the local destination: Microsoft Theater at LA Live
Here's a peek at walking into the venue about 15 minutes before showtime:
The in-person experience -- over 5.5 hours of music and speeches -- proved to be well worth the effort and expense, which also included a bargain-priced Hotels.com reservation at the downtown Biltmore and pre-show/poolside Tuscan feast at Sparrow.
Will it be a two or three hour showcase? We shall see.
No matter, now 13 days since the big night, I am still processing many aspects of the experience.
Inductees, my personal fandom notes, and live ceremony highlights to watch for on HBO include:
- Eurythmics, whose album "Touch" was my very first music purchase for a penny, thanks to a fellow fifth grader answering a music club newspaper ad. The Edge from U2 introduced the duo with a rousing and aptly activism-charged speech before Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart brought down the house with "Would I Lie to You?" then "Missionary Man" and "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)." Finally experiencing the band live was indeed sweet.
- Duran Duran, another British pop group that captivated me as much in the 1990s as their earlier hits "A View to a Kill" and "Rio," appealed greatly. Hearing their "Save A Prayer" during a Torino 2006 Olympic workday in Italy rekindled interest and they've been a favorite since. Their induction by Robert Downey Jr. and performance of "Girls on Film" (which had an audio false start) with "Hungry Like the Wolf" and "Ordinary World" built upon high energy experienced while attending their recent tour stop at Madison Square Garden. They punctuated their acceptance speech reading an open letter from absent bandmate Andy Taylor, who disclosed four years of treatment for prostate cancer.
- Dolly Parton, whom I had seen perform live at two client events and one concert, lightened the evening as she had at previous events. When provided the opportunity to ask her Olympic interests in 2009, for instance, she smiled and admitted to none while cheerfully telling me, "It was sweet of you to ask!" I found it heartwarming that Brandy Carlile and P!nk performed "Coat of Many Colors" while Parton changed outfits to debut a new song and close out the evening with most of the other inductees.
- Lionel Richie, who performed in Atlanta at a client venue in the early 2000s where my boss opted to work that evening, so I missed the meet and greet and ever since have truly wanted to ask him about performing "All Night Long" at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic closing ceremony, which was referenced a time or two in his HOF induction video. On Nov. 5, he performed this hit as well as "Hello" and "Easy" which left me wondering why a duet rendition of "Endlesslove" with one of the female inductees went unsung.
- Terry Lewis and Jimmy Jam, who was building a massive Lake Minnetonka mansion west of the Twin Cities when I visited a Minnesota friend in 1991. I walked through the construction site including a tour bus garage (on Google Maps it's on Hardscrabble Circle in Mound, Minn.). Loved LOVED that Janet Jackson welcomed these collaborators into the HOF with one of the best speeches of the evening.
- Carly Simon, another James Bond soundtrack singer ("Nobody Does It Better"), unfortunately did not attend nor perform following the recent loss of two sisters. However, reliable crowd-pleaser Olivia Rodrigo sang "You're So Vain" in her absence.
- Eminem, a.k.a. The Real Slim Shady, a.k.a. another huge performer yet to be experienced live, rocked one of the longest sets including new-to-my-ears "Rap God" followed by "Stan" with Ed Sheeran subbing for Dido then a commanding performance of "Forever" with Dr. Dre, his mentor-turned-HOF inductor. In his acceptance speech, Mr. Mathers described an overdose that nearly killed him, later listing with appreciation dozens if not hundreds of acts who inspired him.
- Pat Benatar and her husband Neil Giraldo, yet another iconic act from my earliest radio days, performing "Love is a Battlefield" bookended with "All Fired Up" and "Heartbreaker"
- Harry Belafonte, now 95, still another musical legend and longtime favorite, did not appear but was heralded for early achievements in the history of rock'n'roll. I also learned a bit of history from the producer and lawyer inductees in this year's class.
Perhaps the biggest overall surprise for me was how much I enjoyed the presentations and performance by Judas Priest, a band with which there was little past connection.
Would I attend another induction? Maybe, depending on the right mix of musicians and the extent to which they resonate personally. Would I return to Cleveland to see the new 2022 inductee display? Absolutely! And anyone in or heading to Ohio may also enjoy the lakeside experience beneath the I.M. Pei pyramid.
Photos by Nicholas Wolaver except Lionel Richie 1984 photo via Associated Press and Eminem photo via Getty Images for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, which also is the credit for the Judas Priest/Alice Cooper and Janet Jackson images.
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