Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s Rock Week
When: April 6 through 14.
Where: Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, 1100 Rock and Roll Blvd., Cleveland.
Tickets: Price varies per event.
Info: 216-515-8425 or rockhall.com.
All eyes are on the 33rd annual Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, taking place April 14 at Cleveland’s Public Auditorium. However, the institution’s pregame affair, known as Rock Week and filled with events and attractions, shouldn’t be overlooked.
“We’ve always tried to kind of expand to be more than just the induction ceremony,” Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Visitor Engagement Director John Goehrke said. “What you’re noticing now more than ever is that the way we packaged it all as Rock Week. People are paying attention.
“I’d say the volume of events is greater than in past years, but I wouldn’t say it’s entirely unique. Our goals whenever inductions are here in Cleveland — we want to make sure, ultimately, anybody who wants to experience inductions in one way or another have an opportunity to do so.”
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This year’s Rock Week features a slew of different events and attractions. The fun begins with a Cleveland International Film Festival screening of Joan Jett documentary “Bad Reputation” at 7:30 p.m. April 6 at the Rock Hall’s Foster Theater.
That is followed by the free Celebration Day, 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. April 7 (with fireworks at 9 p.m.) featuring live music, family activities, new exhibits, educational programs, a Bon Jovi album listening, food trucks and film screenings.
A noteworthy part of this event is the unveiling of the new multi-year, multimillion dollar transformation of the Rock Hall visitor experience, providing a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to become an inductee.
“The new inductee exhibit is part of our brand-new ‘Power of Rock’ experience, which opened last summer,” Goehrke said. “We’ve had Hall of Fame levels and experiences in this building in years past, but our inductees’ representation will be more powerful (than) it ever has been.
“You’ll be able to see clips from every single inductee’s Hall of Fame induction, which has never really been widely available here in this building. We also have all of these signatures coming back. It’ll be better than ever, where you can touch the signature of some of your favorite inductees, do the old-fashioned rubbing (on a piece of paper) and take it home with you. So all of those kinds of things will be kind of cool.”
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Other free Rock Week events are the weeklong series of spotlights about inductees and other rock topics taking place at the Rock Hall leading up to the Induction Ceremony. That includes at 7 p.m. April 11 author Gayle Wald discussing her book “Shout, Sister, Shout!: The Untold Story of Rock-and-Roll Trailblazer Sister Rosetta Tharpe.” Tharpe is a 2018 Rock Hall inductee.
Then all day April 12, the Rock Hall will be screening Moody Blues’ “Days of Future Passed Live” concert, with the 2018 Rock Hall inductee act discussing its induction, careers and influence at 7 p.m. in the Rock Hall’s Klipsch Audio Main Stage (seating is limited). The event will be live streamed on the Rock Hall’s Facebook page.
“It’s amazing for us, and it’s even cooler for their fans,” Goehrke said. “It’s going to be a real special night to get some of the guys up here a few days before they get inducted to share some of their stories. It was really important for us to be able to offer that to fans of the Moody Blues.”
While the Rock Hall simulcast of the induction ceremony is sold out, fans wanting to party into the night can attend DJ Questlove’s afterparty shindig at 11 p.m. April 14 at the House of Blues.
Looking ahead, Goehrke said the excitement about the Rock Hall Induction Ceremony now taking place every two years in Cleveland is palpable.
“It’s amazing,” Goehrke said. “Just talking to friends and family, people I meet on the streets, there’s a level of excitement and buzz. Cleveland is so vibrant, such an awesome city. I just love every opportunity that the city gets to show off how great it really is.”
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s Rock Week
When: April 6 through 14.
Where: Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, 1100 Rock and Roll Blvd., Cleveland.
Tickets: Price varies per event.
Info: 216-515-8425 or rockhall.com.
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