Rock & Roll Ruhmeshalle Ruminations

Ruhmeshalle -- the world's original hall of fame circa 1853 -- was not at all on my radar during 2009, 2018 and twice in 2022 travels to Munich. 

According to online sources, the structure near the city's center endured terrible damage during WWII, with a multi-year restoration completed in time for the 1972 Olympics. 

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. 

Learning this history only since returning from Germany in September, Ruhmeshalle now tops the personal "must-see" list for the next Bavarian visit.

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. 

One glance at the honorees list (see below) instantaneously elevated ticketing research from "interested" to "must attend" status. 

Quite simply, they had me at Eurythmics. 

The journey to confirm a seat at the Nov. 5 ceremony proved surprisingly simple, easily achieved from the home office:

1. Buy a Rock & Roll HOF membership (bargain-priced at $50)
2. Await induction event deets and member online presale (encircled on calendar with red Sharpie)
3. 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
4. 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. 

It shall be interesting to learn what show elements make the cut when HBO premieres the edited event broadcast Nov. 19. 

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. 

Alice Cooper emerging for the speech, combined with the digital flames engulfing the stage during "Breaking the Law" got me fist pumping and dancing.  

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.

Lon-Done! -- 2012 Olympic Closing Ceremony Critique

Writing about London's Olympic Closing Ceremony is not easy.

In the hours immediately after the August 12 event, I was too tired. Though the 2012 adventure never did quite push me to hit the Olympic wall as in Games gone by, going into the final day of the XXXth Olympiad I was still standing, but just barely.

In the days just after the Closing, there was also a lot to tend to ... consolidating Olympic swag to fit my luggage. Sightseeing across London to visit the many sites on hold during the Games. A day trip with friends to Stonehenge. Chasing down gifts and final pin trades for folks at home. My brain just was not ready to write.

Then there was the long flight home, the 24 hours layover in Atlanta before a fun weekend with my girlfriend in Milwaukee, and now 10 days since the big party, there seems to remain endless unpacking (I entered London with two bags and returned with four). Also prepped then attended a new client meeting in Washington, D.C., yesterday.

Timing and mental energy aside, writing about London's final Olympic bow is challenging because I wanted to like the Closing Ceremony. And there are plenty of spectacular moments that will always remain with me. But there could have, and I think should have, been even more.

First, the good stuff.

I love it that the London Philharmonic Orchestra performed John Barry's soundtrack themes from "Dances With Wolves" (a nod to the former British colony, as the film was an all-American epic?) -- they performed Barry works during the event's preamble and again as the Olympic flame flickered out just a few paces from my second row seat behind the Olympic and U.K. flags.

The music also wowed me with Annie Lennox (finally performing at the Games), Emeli Sande, Pet Shop Boys, Queen, Taio Cruz and George Michael, whose "Freedom" lit up the arena via 640,000 LED audience pixels. I appreciated The Who medley including "Pinball Wizard" (during which a giant pinball prop nearly broke my left arm in the stands).

The best musical surprise: "Running Up That Hill" by Kate Bush, a longtime favourite. Also enjoyed tunes by David Bowie, John Lennon and even the Spice Girls.

But this is where the questions and criticism kick in and my POV on the London Olympic closing ceremony gets negative.

Where was Kate Bush? Where was David Bowie? Nowhere to be seen, only heard (and larger than life Brazil icon Pele was never formally announced, so no one in the stadium knew of his arrival in the Rio 2012 handover as predicted).

If you're going to showcase deceased legends (Lennon, and Freddie Mercury of Queen), then why not also showcase LIVING legends of British rock such as Elton John, Sting, Phil Collins, Peter Gabriel and The Rolling Stones?

If you're going to have a reunion performance by the Spice Girls, whadayasay also inviting Genesis or The Police to the party?

Where was Adele? And Coldplay? And Sade? And what happened to Sarah Brightman? Not invited? Not available? We may only wonder. But thank goodness "Stomp!" was available (snicker).

It's kind of like the Atlanta Olympic closing ceremony which lacked obvious Georgia hit makers R.E.M. and the B-52's. But who remembers Olympic closing ceremonies anyway?

I did enjoy the athlete entry in London. The fireworks were amazing, albeit brief compared to Beijing. Loved the stadium-sized "canvas" by Damien Hirst, from one of his spin paintings. And "Read All About It" performed by Sande is now on my hit list. Cheers for Russell Brand cast as Willy Wonka (a nickname Brand earned months ago) singing "Pure Imagination." LOL for Eric Idle singing "Always Look On The Bright Side of Life."

But then, here we go again with moments to hate. A human cannonball. Really? A giant octopus as Fatboy Slim's stage? WTF!?! Supermodels = Approved! Supermodels on trucks and lost in a sea of thousands of athletes = Denied!

No other Monty Python performers? Boooooo!

End of a wonderful XXXth Olympiad ... boooooo. But it was a brilliant Olympics worthy of "best ever" status if such nomenclature still existed in the Olympic family. I think over time the London Olympic closing ceremony will settle better in my memory than in this critique. Until then I'll think of some of the music and also play some Genesis tunes while unpacking.

Photos and videos by Nicholas Wolaver