Rock Hall show dazzles in Cleveland

The home of Rock and Roll welcomes music stars

At what event can you witness big rock and roll stars as diverse as Cher, Ozzy Osbourne, Dave Matthews and Mary J. Blige sharing the stage?

That broad group of talented musicians was honored together in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction show October 19 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland, Ohio. And I’m here to share my review from my seat in the stands.

This was the fifth time I’ve attended one of the annual awards events, which rotates between Cleveland, Los Angeles and Brooklyn, New York.

And oh, what a night… the performances lasted 5 hours, 20 minutes. That beat last year’s show in Brooklyn by nearly an hour.

Cleveland, home of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, hosted the annual induction concert last week. (Photo by John Naughton.)

I’ve now attended two shows in Cleveland and three more in Brooklyn. There’s something special about holding the concert and awards event in Cleveland, far from the media markets of the east and west coasts and not far from the physical building hosting the Rock Hall.

The concert intersperses musical performances, induction and acceptance speeches. While there are certainly arguments about who is in and who’s out of the Hall, it’s a special night when artists take their turn at recognition.

The odd mix of fans is something special, too. All under one enormous roof: formally dressed big-money donors who pay to sit at long tables on the arena floor; T-shirt and jeans clad fans in the upper deck sporting Dave Matthews gear; “Parrotheads” in Hawaiian shirts on hand to remember Jimmy Buffett; and colorful gowns and jackets sported by hip-hop fans of Blige and A Tribe Called Quest.

Cher was one of the biggest names on this year’s induction list. (Photo by John Naughton.)

You’re not going to find such a collection at the same location elsewhere, even for fundraisers that draw blended crowds.

A look back at last year’s induction show in Brooklyn, New York.

There were some wonderful moments this year. While some problems with microphones and some long-winded speeches, the upsides of the program always outweigh the negatives.