2. What touched me very personally: a flyer for a Byrds concert at Newark Symphony Hall on March 27, 1966. I was there. It was my first rock concert.
3. I enjoyed all the stage costumes. Real effort is put into the fashion side of rock music. Many nondescript outfits of jeans and T-shirts have been worn on stage, but a lot of people have really put their art into the visuals. I stood a couple feet away from the bronze-colored bustier Madonna wore in the "Like a Virgin" go-ahead-and-arrest-me performance on the "Blonde Ambition" tour. And you could violate the rules and reach out and touch the hem of three or four ruffled shirts worn by Jimi. But the most impressive costume, I think, is that amazing thing David Bowie wore in the "Ashes to Ashes" video.
4. You can see Jimi's handwritten lyrics for "Purple Haze," with the original title: "Purple Haze/Jesus Saves."
5. There's a tower of TV screens showing fast cut clips from MTV videos. When "Thriller" comes on, a group of five young guys does the zombie dance along with Michael. They do it perfectly. It makes me think about how much love there is for Michael Jackson. People aren't really talking about his trial -- his tragedy -- very much. Maybe we're all just waiting. It will end soon, and when it's over, Michael will go home, right?
6. There's a film that focuses on each year of Hall of Fame inductees. I find myself liking everybody. (Well, I couldn't care less about ZZ Top, but other than that...) I was sitting next to a lady who sang along with each clip. It was annoying, but I realized that if the audience was bursting with sing-along people, it would have been cool. Only one clip drew applause: Led Zeppelin. One clip elicited a mass "aw": The Jackson Five. I became conscious of how much I want Michael Jackson to be acquitted.
7. In front of a case full of Elvis memorabilia, a parent took it upon himself to translate Elvis to his 9-year-old daughter. They were gazing on a classic Elvis-in-Vegas costume.
DAD: When he started wearing these white jumpsuits that was kind of weird.I loved that. I mean, us older folk assume we know that Elvis went wrong when he put on the white jumpsuit. But here's this girl, and she's correcting her dad. She thinks she knows. She's grounded in some new world. And there, the suit is awesome.
GIRL: That was awesome!
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9 comments:
I don't know if he's guilty or innocent. How could I know? I'm not there listening to the evidence.
Ann:
I think that all of us who read your blog should pool our resources and hire you to do travelogs on your site. Your one- or two-sentence takes on things are a lot more interesting than most of the travel-tales I read. (Although I do think that Bill Bryson is hilarious and intelligent.)
Mark
By the way, I share the feelings you have about the Michael Jackson case: I want him to be innocent, not only for him, but for the children he allegedly abused.
But like you, I can't express any opinion about his innocence or guilt. (I don't think that any of us not in that court room day after day possibly can.)
This post is literally the first thing that has ever made me want to visit the Hall. Thanks, Ann.
I find the 'no photos' policy offensive.
I had a blind date with someone, and during the course of conversation found that I had a copy of a whole live Beatles show that she had been at. I made her a tape...and never saw her again!
ah, well...
Uncle Jimbo: If Michael's guilty I want him to be punished the same as anyone else is punished who did what he's accused of. The same rules apply to everyone. Thinking you can do what you want because you're rich or famous is an ugly thing, as ugly as thinking it doesn't matter what happens to people who are poor and unknown.
Mark: I love Bill Bryson too.
Ron: Allowing photography would have screwed up the crowd flow and been awfully annoying. And flash photography would have been damaging to the printed material and the costume fabrics.
What annoyed me most when I visited the hall about a decade ago was how little music there seemed to be -- every time I saw a piece of fashion or memorabilia, I wanted to be able to press a button and hear a song from that artist/era. Made the place feel too sterile for me.
Ann, I'm sitting in Fair Trade Coffee House on State Street and they're playing "ABC" by the Jackson 5. So, of course, I immediately thought of your post about wanting Michael to be innocent of his charges. I share those feelings, but I am feeling very doubtful. Very, very doubtful. But, in honor of the Michael Jackson and the great music he gave us . . . "Shake it, shake it, shake it baby. A - B - C, easy as 1 - 2 -3. That's how easy love can be. That's how easy love can be. Oh!!"
Safe travels.
Stranger: Yes, New Jersey. I lived in Wayne at the time. It was the only time I ever went to Newark in the whole 5 years I lived in Wayne. Will try to say more about it later.
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