Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony in Cleveland and how to take part

by Jamie Rhein on

This past week, Cleveland has been a buzz with Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony activities. People flock to this city by Lake Erie for such occassions. For that reason, the Hall of Fame has worked hard to get the ceremony back where it belongs.

Over the past several years–as in more than 20, the power house people who organize the inductions have opted for New York City instead of Cleveland, the city accredited to the birth of Rock and Roll when 1950s DJ Alan Freed coined the term during his Cleveland broadcasts.

I guess those who are New York prone have decided that Cleveland’s not a “Mistake on the Lake” after all. The induction festivities will be in Cleveland once every three years starting this year. That was the buzz a couple years ago, and I heard yesterday on the news that this is a done deal. This is great news for Cleveland because the ceremony brings in millions of dollars and will hopefully create a renewed interest in the museum. For the public, it’s great. Today, for example, admission to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is free. Several Cleveland restaurants have been offering special drinks and dishes and there have been special concerts. Plus, Cleveland is sure cheaper than Manhattan.

According to the events page on the Hall of Fame website, if you want to watch the simulcast of the three hour ceremony, you can buy a $5 ticket at Ticketmaster outlets or online. You can also call 1-800-745-3000. Or, if you’re in Cleveland, head to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. There will be broadcasts throughout the museum and on the huge screen on the Main Stage.

Starting at 6 pm tonight you can also watch the induction ceremony hoopla including the red carpet arrivals and backstage interview buzz at Public Hall via live streaming video at www.cleveland.com.

Who is getting inducted this year?

Performers

  • Jeff Beck
  • Metallica
  • Little Anthony and the Imperials
  • Run-D.M.C
  • Bobby Womack

Early Influence

  • Wanda Jackson

Sideman Category

  • Bill Black
  • DJ Fontana
  • Spooner Oldman

Playing for Change: The U.S. Tour

by Brenda Yun on

Awesome. If you haven’t heard of “Playing for Change” or its international renditions of “Stand By Me,” “One Love,” or “Don’t Worry,” you no longer have to worry: the documentary’s favorite musicians are coming to a U.S. city near you during the month of March only!

General Admission to all shows are just $20, or opt for the VIP (including a meet-and-greet with select musicians) ticket for $100.

Here’s a little clip of the documentary trailer, which gives just a brief glimpse of how we can unite the world through music.

Proceeds go towards the Playing for Change Foundation, which aims to connect the world through music. The foundation provides musicians around the world facilities to play music and enhance their skills, therefore not only making their lives better but also demonstrating how music brings people together regardless of cultural and socio-economic differences.
Here are the dates for this special (and limited) concert series:

Austin:
Thursday, March 19th, 2009
Momo’s
618 W. 6th St.
Austin, TX 78701

Friday, March 20, 2009
Opal Divine’s Freehouse
700 W. 6th St.
Austin, TX 78701

Los Angeles: Monday, March 23, 2009
The Knitting Factory
7021 Hollywood Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA. 90028
323-463-0204
www.knittingfactory.com
Concert starts @ 9PM

San Francisco: Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Slim’s
333 11th St.
San Francisco, CA. 94103
415-255-0333
www.slims-sf.com
Concert starts @ 9PM

Seattle: Wednesday, March 25, 2009
The Showbox at the Market
1426 1st Ave
Seattle, WA. 98101
www.showboxonline.com
Concert starts @ 9PM

New York City: Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Highline Ballroom
431 W. 16th St.
New York, New York 10011
212-414-5994
www.highlineballroom.com
Concert starts @ 9PM

Those of you in Austin, L.A., San Fran, Seattle, and N.Y.C. are the lucky few who will be able to share in the musical revolution sweeping the globe. If you are privileged enough to attend, please let Gadling know how the concert is!!

Amplified Journeys

by Brenda Yun on

Road trips can often be infuriating if you don’t have the right musical ambiance. That’s why the Hong Kong-based company Amplified Journeys is introducing an easy, pain-free way of compiling a special soundtrack for your journeys cross-continent.

Whether you’re driving from Maine to California or from Paris to Istanbul, Amplified Journeys will help you create a personalized music collection for your journey. The way it works is quite simple:

  1. From the Amplified Journeys website, enter your destination starting and ending point
  2. Then, select your preferred genre of music and a musical artist within that genre
  3. Hit “Play” and you will be given driving directions as well as cool tune suggestions that are easily downloaded from the site itself!

It really is that simple, and even the least computer savvy individual can figure it out. When I tested the site (entering Boston to New York City and rock/Boston music), I was transported to a page with a split screen where I could view my journey on a map (with driving directions), as well as a pretty eclectic playlist that matched the locations I would be driving through with songs that would match my genre preference.

You can further personalize your soundtrack by selecting the ones that you want and ignoring the rest. Within minutes you will have a great soundtrack to your awesome, amplified journey. It’s a pretty cool tool for your iPod or iPhone, or just download the songs into your iTunes library and burn your own CD!

One little tip: search for shorter (maximum 5 hours travel time) destinations, as it takes longer to compile music for lengthy trips. Just piece your trips together later.

[via Springwise.com]

“Don’t Worry”: Playing for Change–music around the world

by Jamie Rhein on

Here’s another song from Playing for Change, the project that joins various musicians from around the world. The musicians are filmed singing the same song, but each sing in the country where they live. The parts are then combined into a whole with the footage of the musicians woven together. The intention of the project, as we’ve posted before, is to inspire people to make the world a better place by building music schools around the world with an aim for peace-building.

Of the three songs I’ve seen of this project, “Stand by Me,” “One Love,” and this one, “Don’t Worry,” I like this one the best, although they’re all excellent. The CD/DVD of the project will be released in April. Enjoy.

Mozart’s birthday and images of Salzburg

by Jamie Rhein on

If Mozart was alive today, he’d be 253. January 27 was his birthday. I found that out this afternoon when my husband told me Mozart’s Bakery and Piano Cafe, a lovely European-style bakery/restaurant in Columbus was giving out free pastries yesterday in honor of the occasion.

Thinking about Mozart reminded me of my two visits to Salzburg and eating Mozart balls chocolate. Don’t go to Salzburg without trying one. Yesterday, however, I savored pastries in Mozart’s honor and remembered those two days of wandering around his birthplace. Now that I’ve had an elegant sugar feast, here’s a visual and musical feast for you.

The blend of Salzburg’s scenery and sites with Mozart’s music is nicely done in this video. Consider it a taste. The combination captures Salzburg, Austria–as I remember it–breathtaking. Its streets steeped in elegance. If you’re ever in Salzburg, you can take a Mozart tour to see the city similar to how Mozart might have seen it.