Even before I showed up for the concert, I had no doubt that the induction night show was going to be somewhat memorable, if not as glitzy as the Grammy Awards. But the Hall ceremony has more permanence to it — while NARAS gives acts a slap on the back for an album or single, the Hall is the music equivalent of a ball player making it into Cooperstown. But would it be worth the wait until the end of May (when HBO broadcasts it) for music fans to see the show otherwise? I’d never attended a Hall ceremony before and honestly didn’t know how excited I should or shouldn’t be, based on all I knew — see my preview of the ceremony.
If I noticed one particular theme from the show last night at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center (the first time the public could buy tix to an NYC Hall induction ceremony), it was “women power.” It wasn’t just that there was a very sizable women’s contingent in the audience, despite the audience being pretty much all white, but it was also that even though only one woman was being inducted for the night, it wasn’t men who dominated the proceedings overall. Also, the normally abundant male testosterone of rock wasn’t the order of the day for a lot of the music heard — Peter Gabriel, Hall & Oates, Cat Stevens and Linda Ronstadt were all proof of that. As for women being represented, in addition to the five famous females who sang in Ronstadt’s stead, the E Street Band boys kept shouting out to their ‘sister’ in the band, Patti Scialfa (aka Mrs. Springsteen), and all four of the people who sang lead for the Nirvana segment were women also. Think that the Hall itself might take a hint and start nominating more women next time? Here’s hoping.
Theme-wise, you’ve probably seen the edited TV versions of the show and know the routine — some vintage clips of an act are shown, a famous singer comes out to the podium and speaks glowingly of the inductee, who then comes out to make a speech and then performs three songs. Though the Hall was determined to keep the show at a lean four hours, even with Kiss bowing out of performing and Ronstadt not attending, the seven acts who performed pushed the show over the five-hour mark with things starting at 7 p.m. and wrapping up around 12:30 a.m. The normal jam session at the end (where all of the acts do a few songs together) was scrapped as a result. It wasn’t just that some of the speeches ran way over the allotted 30 seconds they were granted (E Street was especially a big offender here), but the logistics of it was just too much, even though there were remarkably short spans between each segment.
Also notable was how the floor of Barclays, which is usually reserved for moshing and standing crowds, had dozens of round dining tables set up for the inductees and their friends, just like they’ve done for previous Hall ceremonies.
Was it exhausting? Sure. Emcee and Rolling Stone honcho Jann Wenner thanked the crowd for their patience at the end before informing them that the party was over. Was it exhilarating to see? Aside from one exception noted below, yes. Should you tune in to see the edited version when HBO broadcasts it at the end of May? I’d say yes to that too. They’ll cut out some of the speeches (which is mostly a good thing), plus some of the songs (not as good an idea), but you’ll still see some good highlights. If you’re a real fan, you can also wait for a DVD version with all the extras.
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(NOTE: Thanks to my nose-bleed seats, my shots mostly come from a near-stage screen, which had a very fan-unfriendly electrical cord hanging in front of that — if you can forgive that black line you see in some of the photos, you have some nice shots of the ceremony)
Brian Epstein/Andrew Loog Oldham
Peter Asher, once of pop duo Peter and Gordon, spoke lovingly of Beatles manager Brian, having worked with him back in the day. He also stressed how much Bri loved the Fabs and how hard he worked for them. He also praised Oldham, who was the Rolling Stones’ original manager and also originally worked for Eppie (who died in 1967). Oldham had previously said that he was boycotting the ceremony because he was miffed that they didn’t consult him about the way he was being inducted (was he pissed at Asher?). Nice to see the two of them get the props they deserve, but it wasn’t a highlight of the night.
Peter Gabriel
Chris Martin of Coldplay inducted the ol’ art rocker, reading from “The Book of Genesis” (get it?) , using dry Brit wit to tell of how Gabriel left his old band (Genesis, you know) to start his solo career and noted that PG helped John Cusack get his girlfriend back (hopefully you remember that famous boombox scene from “Say Anything”) and pioneered the goatee. PG himself was very humble and grateful when he accepted, individually thanking each of his band members as well as his wife and family. For his set, PG started off with his band doing “Digging in the Dirt” and then did a duet with Martin on “Washing of the Water” and finishing up with a glorious, tear-jerker version of “In Your Eyes” with African singer Youssou N’Dour. Great way to kick off the music for the evening.
Kiss
Here’s where you expected ugliness and cat fights, so what happened? You know about the ugliness and sparks that have been flying beforehand between the original foursome of these heavy metal giants, partially thanks to the Hall’s weird and changing rules about which band members get in and who they wanted to perform for the show. So, out comes Tom Morello, Rage Against the Machine’s amazing guitarist, to induct them. He talks about how Kiss was his first concert. “Kiss was never a critic’s band — they were a people’s band.” He went on to say how they influenced everyone from Garth Brooks to Lady Gaga to Metallica to Nine Inch Nails and Tool. By now, he’s really riled up the crowd. He also honors the band’s “fifth member,” the Kiss Army. “Tonight, it’s not the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame,” he concluded. “It’s the ‘Rock and Roll All Night and Party Every Day’ Hall of Fame!” (which of course the crowd ate up). I noticed beforehand that there were Kiss fans decked out in t-shirts and jackets, and one of them admitted to me that he was disappointed by the snipping among the band, but he was glad to see them getting into the Hall finally.
So, when the foursome came out … they were perfectly nice to each other! Without the make up, they looked like exactly what they were — older Jewish guys from New York. Gene Simmons didn’t spit fire, but instead he was actually pretty low-key and friendly, gently prodding his old comrades as ‘knuckleheads.’ Original drummer Peter Criss (no longer in the band) told how nice it was to be back in Brooklyn and was proud that he was now seven years without male breast cancer. “You gotta live and forgive,” he concluded, which seemed to be the theme for the boys that night. Original guitarist Ace Frehley (also not in the band now) had to find his prescription glasses to read his speech (which drew laughs). “First there was the Summer of Love (1967), and then I met these clowns!” he said, again lightly ribbing his bandmates. He was also celebrating a medical milestone — he had been sober for seven and a half years now. Paul Stanley (who’s still in the band with Gene and who’s said the most acid-dripped comments about the band recently) told the crowd, “This is a special night; this is vindication.” He told of how he’d seen heroes like Sly Stone, Otis Redding, Jimi Hendrix and Solomon Burke back in the day (note the race of all the performers he toasted). “If you have the spirit of rock and roll, follow your path regardless of critics and your peers,” he advised. He had special words for the fans too. “People want to be part of the induction and nomination [process at the Hall]. Fans are the ones who buy the tickets and the albums, not the people who nominate,” he said directly at the people on the floor of the Barclays who repped the Hall itself. (No offense taken, Paul.) He concluded with, “I’m here because of the people who inspired me and the people I inspired. God bless you all!”
And that was it. There was no onstage fights or verbal lashings but there was also NO MUSIC. They were the only act for the night who didn’t perform or have someone else perform for them. It was great to see the four of them play nice but also a letdown to not hear any music, especially considering what an incredible, pioneering live act they’ve been. But it still led to a jarring transition to…
Cat Stevens
OK, I know that it’s important to have journalistic integrity but I have my limits and this was my allotted bathroom break time. Art Garfunkel came out to make some funny comments but I didn’t need to see this segment- Cat’s music is just so boring and lifeless that I couldn’t bare to sit through this. But even after an extended break and a drink and a chat with a friend I ran into, I came back to discover that Cat (now Yusuf Islam, after converting to Islam) just began his set. I had to endure “Father and Son,” “Wild World” and “Peace Train,” much as I had to endure them and him through the magic of AM radio back in the ’70’s. As much as I still can’t stand those songs, I gotta say that he still has a nice voice and there was something that sweet and moving about seeing him up there, doing his old numbers- “bet you thought you’d never hear me do that again!” he told the crowd after the second song. Still, I do hate those songs and wished that I took a longer break.
Linda Ronstadt
Glenn Frey of the Eagles came out to induct this great singer/interpreter from the ’70’s, which was appropriate since he and Don Henley were her backup band originally. He reminded the crowd that she later helped them out when they started the Eagles, but I didn’t consider that a plus in her favor myself. Frey went on to outline not just her hits but also all the interesting side paths she took with Latin albums, collaborations and such. Sadly, since Ronstadt is suffering from Parkinson’s Disease, she herself couldn’t perform and wasn’t in attendance for the show either.
Luckily, she had a power contingent to rep for her. Country star Carrie Underwood couldn’t help oversinging a bit but still did a moving version of early LR hit “Different Drum” (written by Michael Nesmith of the Monkees). Bonnie Raitt (who looks GREAT) came out to join her for another LR hit, Roy Orbison’s “Blue Bayou.” Country singer Emmylou Harris (who collaborated with LR before) and Sheryl Crow then came out to join Underwood and Raitt on yet another LR hit “You’re No Good,” one of her best and an appropriately female-power anthem. As if that wasn’t enough, the assembled were then topped off by Stevie Nicks, who showered praise on LR as an influence on her, doing more hits from LR’s catalog- Buddy Holly’s “It’s So Easy” and Everly Brothers’ “When Will I Be Loved.” An exhilarating show of force, all done in front of projected pics of the women being honored.
E-Street Band
As if anyone doubted what would be the most popular attraction for the evening… “BROOOOOOOOCE!” chants were heard again and again by the crowd hours before the Boss himself hit the stage. Springsteen talked about his early music days, growing up in the Jersey shore area and how he met each member of what would become his backing band in small clubs in the area. He reserved special attention and emotion for two gents. Guitarist Steve Van Zandt he called “my blood, blood, blood brothers.” To late sax man Clarence Clemons, he said “Miss you, love you, Big Man!” and later saying “my one regret is that (late keyboard player) Danny Federici and Clarence aren’t with us tonight.” Also nicely summing up things about his band: “I told a story with E Street bigger and better than I could have told on my own.” He did also choke up a bit when he spoke of his own original induction and a discussion/argument he had with Van Zandt about whether E Street should have been induced then or not, something that still seemed to trouble him.
E-Street itself is a big band so maybe it wasn’t surprising that their acceptance segment took so long. Original keysman David Sancious had nice words for his family but definitely hogged up a lot of time making his speech and mentioning everyone he could think of to thank. Similarly, original drummer Vini “Mad Dog” Lopez had lots to say, though he was much funnier and a better raconteur. Jason Federici made a short moving speech to honor his dad. Similarly, Clemons’ widow Victoria spoke in a halting tone, choking back tears at times, but also joking “he was known as ‘the big man’ for many reasons” and concluded by playing a brief tape of Clemons himself singing. Throughout it all, the band keep referring to each other as “brothers and sister” (in reference to singer to Patti Scialfa). Van Zandt was succinct, mostly saying how moved he was to be in the Hall alongside many of his heroes.
For the music segment, Lopez and Sancious were on hand with the present members of E Street and of course Mr. Springsteen. Appropriately enough, they started off with Bruce’s own toast to the band “The E Street Shuffle” (from his second album 1973’s The Wild, the Innocent and the E Street Shuffle, which included Lopez and Sancious) and then the title track to 1980’s The River (one of his most moving ballads) and finishing off with “Kitty’s Back” (also from the second album) with the Boss calling out for solos from as many E Street members as he could. As great as he and the band are always live (this is about the 7th time I’ve seen them), I also noticed how old and frail the Boss himself looked. I know, he’s 64 but is Father Time finally catching up with him? Also, as he did on the last tour, Clemons’ absence was addressed by having a whole horn section replace him, including his nephew Jake Clemons. Having a larger-than-life and absent persona whose space is filled by several people recalled the Ronstadt set and would be seen and heard again with the final act of the night.
(there was a brief ‘IN MEMORY OF’ film segment, noting some music figures who passed away last year, including Pete Seeger, Phil Everly, Bobby Bland, Ray Manzarek (the Doors) and Lou Reed, who got the biggest applause at the end, and who will probably be in the Hall next time)
Hall and Oates
This, I thought, was another obvious bathroom break time. I don’t dislike them like Cat Stevens but it just seemed to me that their music was ‘pleasant’ and ‘catchy’ but nothing more and definitely not something that the Hall should necessarily honor. One person who disagreed was Roots drummer/mastermind/producer (and fellow Philly resident) Questlove, who inducted them. Q is just a force of nature that any music lover has to dig- not only did he have a H&O t-shirt on but he did a quick medley of their songs in his speech. He also noted how they became hip hop icons, being sampled by De La Soul, Wu Tang Clan, J. Dilla and others. My break time made me miss most of the acceptance speech except for the Hall Vs. Hall segment where Daryl H railed against the RnR Hall for not including Todd Rundgren and Chubby Checker among its ranks.
For their segment, technical problems plagued them at first as Hall wondered “did Bruce blow out the speakers?” Once technical order was restored, they pulled out a trio of hits- the sweet, smooth “She’s Gone,” “I Can’t Go For That (No Can Do)” (with an extended sax jam) and the bouncy “You Make My Dreams Come True.” On the floor of Barclay’s, the Hall special guests were dancing up a storm and I admit, it was entertaining but I still never thought “Wow, these guys are great! I can see why they belong here!”
Nirvana
The best for last? As their video segment began, loud cheers erupted throughout the crowd. And indeed, seeing the old footage of Kurt and the boys was still exhilarating. R.E.M.’s Michael Stipe came out to give the induction speech and it was pretty sober but also pretty moving, as he kept referring to ‘lightning in a bottle’ when describing the band’s sound and saying how it countered the terrible cultural devastation of Reagan/Bush, AIDS, Iran-Contra- “Nirvana blasted through that… they defined a movement and a moment.” Later, he stressed “this is not just pop music- this is something much greater than that.”
For their acceptance speeches, drummer Dave Grohl (now of Foo Fighters of course) tipped his hat to the four (!) previous Nirvana drummers that came before him and thanked his family especially- “(I had) parents that never told me to not listen to f*cking Slayer… so thanks, Mom!” He also spoke of musical heroes he had when he was younger and how it changed his perspective after he got famous: “People who are your heroes are there to inspire you, not intimidate you!” Bassist Krist Novoselic remembered the one important person not there “I wish Kurt (Cobain) was here tonight- he was an intense artist and he connected with a lot of people.” He also thanked their original label Sub Pop and the producers and label people who boosted them. After a brief, tearful word from Cobain’s family, which included his sisters and his mom, there was the dark horse of the evening, singer Courtney Love, who was of course Kurt’s widow. The moment she stepped to the mike, there were LOTS of boo’s from the audience- I understand their feeling, especially how she’s trashed Dave and Krist over the years, not to mention her own irresponsible behavior with her (and Kurt’s) daughter Francis but the Hall has a history of widows appearing and accepting on behalf of their late hubbies- i.e. Marie Elena Holly for Buddy Holly and Yoko Ono for John Lennon. Love was tearful and brief in her comments, thanking fans and saying how they’re family and that Francis couldn’t attend because she was ill (though one wonders about that statement since Francis has had legal fights with Courtney before). And then, seeking to wipe away years and years of acrimony, she ran back and hugged Grohl and then Novoselic, trying to at least temporarily bury the hatchet. It was a strange and moving moment for sure.
For the last music segment of the night, women were in force and there was some calculated thinking about that. Cobain himself had been a booster of women himself and would have definitely appreciated the sentiment though perhaps because of the lingering ill-will in the pre-concert planning, Courtney herself wasn’t part of the show. First up, Krist introduced someone who he was amazed wasn’t in the hall already, singer Joan Jett, who joined them (along with guitarist Pat Smear, who joined Nirvana for their final tour) for a raucous take on “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” reminding the crowd why Jett should be in the hall and what a bad-ass drummer Grohl is. Next guest was Kim Gordon, late of Sonic Youth and now newly divorced, to sing “Aneurysm” in a fevered, intense way that Kurt would have loved. Next up was singer St. Vincent (aka Anne Clark) for “Lithium.” With Vincent remaining and Jett and Gordon returning, they were all joined by probably the biggest surprise guest, hot-shot pop singer wunderkind Lorde for the sweet, endearing “All Apologies,” an all-too-appropriate ending for the set, which was only one of the evening that went past three songs.
Though it was wonderful and moving and exciting to see this tribute to the band, after the last song and the end of the whole concert for the evening, there was also a sense of loss and emptiness- even with Nirvana being remembered and toasted, you also had the sense that Krist and Dave were also saying goodbye to the band in some way. They’re not the type to tour on the name without its famous singer and exploit it endlessly. That’s only appropriate but for all of us indie music fans, it’s also a reminder of a heart-breaking loss.
Even with Cat performing and without Kiss performing, it was a pretty freakin’ magical evening of music for any but the most jaded fan. I’m glad I went and saw the whole thing but I’m also glad that I didn’t have to wake up for work at the regular time and that I now have the weekend to recover. It did seem little strange also to fete rock in this historical moment when the whole music biz is in such flux and turmoil but evenings like this are all about toasting history, which the Hall did well this particular evening. What kind of music biz is going to be left for the Hall and the rest of us in the coming years and decades is open to question but hopefully, it will be worth celebrating as much as we’re able to do now. Otherwise, what are we gonna have to keep us motivated, inspired? In an ideal world, the Hall should be about not just toasting the past but making sure there’s a future too.
