In honor of the 40th
anniversary of the “Summer of Love,”
in which the hippies frolicked, wore
beads and fought to end THE WAR, the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and
Museum has six relevant exhibits and
displays. 1967 was a musical high
water mark with many of the most
legendary rock and roll musical
artists of all time doing their best
work. The Rock Hall’s exhibits,
displays and lectures perfectly
cover all aspects of that incredible
watershed summer in American Pop
Culture. Forty years later, the
collection of exhibits and displays
at the Rock Hall offer incredible
perspective on music, politics and
culture. Other notable museums like
The Whitney are also launching
exhibits on the Summer of Love but
it’s the Rock Hall which connects
the visitor to the time through the
music itself. It’s the perfect rock
and roll travel story – people will
be coming from all over the country
to share their experiences of the
Summer of Love with their kids and
grandkids; other music fans will
come to discover this important era
themselves for the first time. The
beautiful I.M. Pei-designed museum
on Lake Erie is truly stunning and Cleveland offers its visitors great hotels at
bargain rates. The Rock Hall has
special packages which bundle hotel
& tickets to the museum (http://www.rockhall.com/visit/plan).
Rock Hall Summer of Love exhibits
include:
The Doors – “Break On Through; The
Lasting Legacy of The Doors” opens
May 25th (NEXT FRIDAY!)
and was produced with the full
cooperation of the three surviving
band members as well as the estate
of Jim Morrison. 2007 is also the 40th
anniversary of The Doors’ first
album and the band’s founding. Ray
Manzarek, Robby Krieger, and John
Densmore are all planning to attend
the exhibit’s early opening days.
The Beach Boys – “Catch A Wave: The
Beach Boys” opens June 22nd
and explores the early years of the
band that many consider to be “America’s Beatles.” Special emphasis
is placed on the band’s near-perfect
1966 album “Pet Sounds” as well as
documenting the band’s relationship
to the emergence of Southern California’s surf culture.
Monterey
Pop – This legendary musical
festival was held in the summer of
1967 & launched Janis Joplin’s
career as well as making Jimi
Hendrix, the Mamas and the Papas and
dozens of other artists into the
icons they became. The Rock Hall’s
exhibit opens July 25th
with a special lecture by Monterey
Pop founder and famed producer Lou
Adler.
San Francisco City Scene – This smaller but incredible display
documents the music scene in
San Francisco
from 1965 to 1969 and includes
artifacts from The Seeds to The
Charlatans to the Grateful Dead and
Quicksilver Messenger Service, as
well as Moby Grape, Janis Joplin,
Santana, and more.
Otis Redding – The Rock Hall’s Otis
Redding collection spans from 1965
to his death in 1967 and includes
many artifacts of perhaps the
greatest male singer in popular
music history. The intimate
collection includes everything from
his cuff links to the plane he died
in; from his performance contracts
to his never recorded original
lyrics.
Jimi Hendrix – No trip back to the
Summer of Love could ignore its
virtuoso and greatest sex symbol.
The Rock Hall’s permanent Jimi
Hendrix collection includes family
snapshots, his original drawings,
school and Army yearbooks, original
lyric manuscripts, guitars and stage
wear.
