Wednesday, October 10th, 2007
This past weekend, Rebecca and I made the trip to Ohio for a good friend’s wedding. Wedding was great — good food, fun people, nice location. On Sunday, we had some time to kill, so we decided to venture into Cleveland, and possibly hit up the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
We arrived into Cleveland, and were shocked how lifeless it felt, in terms of people walking around. But then again, it was Sunday and it’s a smaller city compared to what we’re used to, New York City, which is absolutely crazy twenty-four-seven. Okay, okay, lifeless is a bad word. Maybe empty is a better substitute? And I was surely wrong when comparing apples to oranges. The buildings were new and delightful to gaze upon, and the city was super clean, which, lets be honest, is the complete opposite of some parts of New York City. Okay, again, comparing apples to oranges. Anyways.
We ended up driving to the edge of Cleveland, near the Brown’s stadium, to check out Lake Erie. Never seeing a large lake before, we had no idea what to expect. Sure enough, it appeared to be like any large body of water near a city — it was almost endless, and it smelt like, well, a large body of water. So, we walked a bit, and then had no idea what to do.
We opted to check out the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. I mean, how could that be a let down? Yeah, well forty bucks and about an hour or so later, we sure felt let down.
The bottom floor, which has all the memorabilia, and the like, was worth the visit — just not a twenty bucks each visit. There were items that sent chills down my spine, certain things that I couldn’t stop glaring at, and music I just wanted to go home and research more about. Reading the real written lyrics of John Lennon and Jimmy Hendrix was just inspiring — there were times where you could actually feel what they were feeling just by reading their lyrics made up of their handwriting.
But every floor above this floor was a complete let down. They all felt like space killers, as if they didn’t know what to do with the four additional floors above the bottom floor. Maybe they were planning on using this space as the years go on and need more room to expand? Possibly? Maybe they designed the place from the outside (outside, which is awesome) in? Whatever the case might be, charging twenty bucks each to get in just didn’t feel worth it.
Also, there was an entire lack of 1995 and onwards mention of music. None, zilch. I know that today’s music cannot be compared to yesterday’s music, but there is still quality songs being produced that could have been showcased in some of the extra space in some manner. I remember being in Cooperstown (baseball hall of fame), and they had a section specifically for players who, if remain healthy, could top records later on in their careers. The section made no mention that these players were the best, but it still showcased today’s players and their future potential.
To conclude, they overcharge. Lets face it, money sets the bar and the standards — And twenty bucks each to get in? Well, that sets the bar quite high. Cleveland was well worth checking out — I’m sure when it’s alive, it’s an awesome big small city. But the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame? I’ll pass the second time around.
