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to New York's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Annex A SoundPress.net Feature Article by Rich and Laura Lynch The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Annex is a 25,000 square foot facility that has recently opened at 76 Mercer Street in New York City. The music museum has five themed galleries filled with history, multi-media and personal mementos from some of rock's most prominent musicians. As its name suggests the Annex is a companion to the much larger Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio and represents a desire by the organization to move its brand beyond the shores of Lake Erie.
 The Annex experience begins when patrons are ushered into the "Hall of Fame" - a vault-like space which pays tribute to all the artists that have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The room is filled metallic plagues with individual signatures that light up when the music of that artist or group is played. Some such as Eric Clapton and Paul McCartney are listed multiple times for their influential work from different time periods. When a band like Pink Floyd is featured five name plaques in close proximity to one another light up simultaneously. As patrons wait a wide selection of Hall of Fame artists are featured until the music builds to a crescendo featuring second long snippets of rock's most famous songs. As this occurs the plaques are firing on and off providing a psychedelic experience well suited to the subject matter. The final notes from The Beatles "A Day In The Life" herald visitors to enter the next gallery. "The Power and the Glory" features live concert footage and clips from major rock moments including The Beatles at Shea Stadium and Hendrix at Woodstock on big screens at the front and side of the auditorium. The film honors the early blues men such as Muddy Waters and shows the evolution to Jerry Lee Lewis and Elvis Presley. The next progression is R&B with the likes of Ray Charles and Aretha Franklin. The English invasion includes The Stones, The Who and Led Zeppelin followed by the American Revolution with emphasis on Dylan and Springsteen. The Jackson 5, The Police, U2 and others are respectfully represented in the stirring surround sound sequence. After the "The Power and the Glory" guests are supplied with a set of Sennheiser stereo headphones to hear commentary on the contents of the other rooms. "Roots and Influences" looks at how the present builds on the past. It also examines how history is intertwined with music. For example, the Civil Rights movement was propelled by music and black artists at the time were denied many opportunities for advancement and exposure. Yet, white musicians were borrowing and building on the blues, and R&B and soul were given radio play and promotion. Time corrected these wrongs and the building blocks of the 60's opened the doors for hip/hop and rap in later years. The multi-media panels that tracked the evolution of four main bands in similar genres were informative and invigorating. It was pointed out that groups from The Velvet Underground through Coldplay - were also influenced by fashion, film, painting and poetry in addition to music.
 "Moments to Movements" was filled with memorabilia ranging from clothing, concert posters, hand written lyrics, instruments and personal items. The display included a flamboyant peacock jumpsuit worn by Elvis and his annotated Bible in which he personally noted in the margins of the Book of Nehemiah, "everything in life can wait but our search for God cannot". Madonna's pointy bustier from the early 90's was next to Janis Joplin's dress circa 1968 along with some wild garments worn by Alice Cooper. Angus Young's school boy outfit was on display with a note on how a one night gag turned into an on-going and lucrative gimmick for the guitarist. The next room featured Springsteen's 1957 convertible that he purchased for $2,000 in 1975 along with a few other Bruce bits before flowing into the "New York Rocks" section. The emphasis there was on New York City's notable musicians and legendary venues. The awnings from CBGBs and The Bottom Line are here. Of course, The Ramones are represented as are the New York Dolls who only put out 2 albums but influenced the likes of Kiss and Guns 'n Roses. Of particular note, is The Record Plant piano used by John Lennon for a number of albums including Imagine. "The Story of the Clash" is the Annex's first featured display. This exhibit gives visitors an in-depth look into how the band's politicized lyrics, musical experimentation, and rebellious attitude shaped part of rock history. The display included combat clothes, commentary, records and more. Future rotating exhibits scheduled are John Lennon (May 2009) followed by Bruce Springsteen in early 2010. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Annex has a lot to offer the music history fan. The multi-media productions and interactions are educational and exhilarating. The displays are diverse yet have room to grow, which along with the special rotating exhibits will give visitors a reason to return to this venue in the artistic SOHO area time and time again.
 Related Links: For more information on The Roll and Roll Hall of Fame Annex and the other organizations mentioned please visit the following links -- RockAnnex.com
 (Originally Published on March 02, 2009) |
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