The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, whose Hall of Fame section honors acts whose first recording was released at least 25 years ago, has long grappled with how to engage fans of all ages — not just the phalanxes of baby boomers in Beatles T-shirts who descend on it every day.
For years, it has displayed artifacts by a random assortment of contemporary artists in a nook behind its lobby stage, hoping to grab younger people with something from Britney Spears or the Jonas Brothers.
“It was hidden away in a corner and people were missing it,” says Rock Hall curator Meredith Rutledge-Borger.
So she set about remedying that, as well as the fact that the display included a lot of obscure artists and passing fancies.
The result is an exhibit called “Right Here, Right Now,” just installed in the Rock Hall’s main exhibition hall on the lower level. It comes at what’s intended to be the finale of the tour through that space prior to exiting, and demonstrate, says Rutledge-Borger, “the evolution of rock up to the present day.”
The selection of artists is also a more thoughtful survey of who is significant in today’s rock and pop scene. It includes cases devoted to Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Rhianna, the Black Keys, Grace Potter, Bruno Mars, Fall Out Boy, and even much-lauded newcomers Alabama Shakes who, says Rutledge-Borger, declined to participate when first contacted because they didn’t think they were ready for the honor. That changed after singer/guitarist Brittany Howard toured the Rock Hall when the band was in town earlier this year and “was like a kid in a candy store.” She loaned the Rock Hall the guitar she learned to play on, a gift from her father.
Alabama Shakes’ display, like the Black Keys’, is low on the flash provided by costumes worn by more theatrical artists like Katy Perry and Lady Gaga (no meat dress this time, like the one that was in the Rock Hall’s Women in Rock exhibit three years ago: this one is a metal contraption). But each display contains information pertaining to the artist’s accomplishments and influences, grounding viewers in their context.
There’s more to come. Video and audio presentations will be added to the display and, says Rutledge-Borger, the exhibit should evolve over time, with new contributions promised by the artists already on display and the possibility of including other acts in the future.
But, she says, the fledgling exhibit, which was open informally during the week prior to its official July 1 debut, has already accomplished its purpose.
“I see people with their noses up against the glass,” she says. “They are fascinated.”
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is open seven days a week from 10am-5:30 pm and Wednesdays until 9pm. Admission is $22 for adults, $18 for greater Cleveland residents, and $13 for kids ages 9-12. “Right Here, Right Now” is included with museum admission.