Sat 10/19
The 2024 Rock Hall inductions took place in Cleveland Saturday October 19. The now three-year rotation found the inductions here for the first time since 2021. It was a grandiose evening, with some of the best staging and lighting ever seen at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse.
Classic acts were paired with a new generation of performers, making for some phenomenal duets and performances. Cher and Dua Lipa kicked off the evening. Peter Frampton and Keith Urban delivered a scorching performance of “Do You Feel Like We Do.”
Foreigner was tributed by Kelly Clarkson. Dionne Warwick was joined by Jennifer Hudson, Demi Lovato pulled off a spectacular version of “Feels Like the First Time,” while Sammy Hagar added his unique vocal stylings to their hit “Hot Blooded.” That song featured Slash on guitar as well as Kelly Hansen, Foreigner’s current vocalist. One of the loudest audience responses was when Foreigner founder and original vocalist Lou Gramm joined Kelly Clarkson for an emotional and powerful rendition of “I Want To Know What Love Is.” Gramm, who left the band in the early 2000s, really pushed himself and sounded as good as he did when the band was in their prime.
Ozzy did not perform, but gave a short speech, prefaced by profanity-laced word salad by Jack Black, who these days resembles a geriatric Aqualung. The Prince of Darkness did open the performance by screaming his classic “ALLLL ABOOOARD” intro to the classic “Crazy Train.” The medley paying tribute to Ozzy featured such greats as Tool’s Maynard James Keenan, Wolfgang Van Halen, Metallica bassist Robert Trujillo, Jelly Roll, Chad Smith, Zakk Wylde, and Billy Idol.
It was an event and broadcast that really made Cleveland look good. Eloquently produced with pristine audio, well-edited and -produced video tributes, and a comprehensive tribute to those performers who have passed in the last year, even obscure musicians and industry execs, which added a nice and respectful touch to the closing portion of the festivities.
Cleveland rocks! Indeed.
View the PHOTOSTREAM here.
