Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Museum Opens in New York

Posted on Dec 2nd 2008 3:00PM by David Chiu
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Whether it's Bruce Springsteen's 1957 Chevy, James Brown's cape or Jimi Hendrix's 1968 Fender Stratocaster, music fans in New York City can now observe rock 'n' roll history up close. They are just some of the many objects on display at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Museum Annex NYC, which opened on November 25.

Located on 76 Mercer St., in New York City's SoHo neighborhood, the annex is an extension of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Museum in Cleveland. According to James Henke, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Museum's Vice President of Exhibitions and Curatorial Affairs, the annex was two years in the making.

"We thought it made perfect sense to be in New York, given New York's history in the rock 'n' roll world," he tells Spinner. "Plus it's such a big tourism capital that we thought if people come to see the annex here in New York, it might cause them to go to Cleveland."

Upon entering the annex, visitors will first encounter the 'Hall of Fame' gallery, which is made up of individual plaques containing the name and signature of every Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee. Next, a theater area with seven projectors shows performance clips of musical giants such as Buddy Guy, Bob Dylan, the Beatles and U2.

"We also tried to show the history of rock 'n' roll," Henke says, "and give a sense of the roots and where it's been."

The annex is both a visual and aural experience. When a visitor wears special headphones provided by the annex and passes by video monitors in the 'Roots and Influences' gallery, he or she will immediately hear a piece of music by the artist depicted on the monitor, whether it's Aretha Franklin or 50 Cent.

Further into the annex is the 'Moments to Movements' gallery, which contains objects such as Paul Simon's handwritten lyrics to 'The Boxer' and 'Graceland,' Pete Townshend's Les Paul Deluxe guitar from 1972 and AC/DC guitarist Angus Young's schoolboy outfit.

Appropriately, there is also the 'New York Rocks' gallery, which pays tribute to the city's rock 'n' roll past. Objects of note in this gallery include John Lennon's piano, Billy Joel's lyric book containing songs from 'The Stranger' album and an awning of the famed and now-defunct club CBGB. As a visitor passes by a display case, he or she will hear music in their headphones by the artist associated with that object.

Finally there is a special exhibit on the Clash, who were inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2003. It traces the history of the band through items such as posters, a 1982 tour itinerary and 45 RPM singles, including 'Keep to Your Heart' by the 101'ers, the group that preceded the Clash. Additional highlights include singer Joe Strummer's lyrics to 'Ice Age' in 1979, which later became 'London Calling,' and Mick Jones' 1959 Gibson Les Paul electric guitar. (The special exhibits at the annex will rotate about every six to nine months.)

Curator Henke hopes that the annex will provide a fun experience for visitors. "If they are rock fans, this would be a thrill for them to see some of the stuff," he says. "We also hope they walk away learning something and find out about some bands they've never heard of before."