The band played Cleveland's Beachland Ballroom (easily Ohio's coolest rock club, by the way, Cindy and her staff are THE BEST) on Thursday April 18th, the actual date of the Rock Hall induction ceremony. That ceremony isn't held in Cleveland, of course, it's held in Los Angeles, so all the bigshot Music Business assholes can pat themselves on the back and eat shrimp cocktail and foie gras without ever actually having to set foot in Cleveland or any other real rock & roll city in the Great Midwest.
Which is exactly why Cheap Trick ISN'T in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame; because they're from the Midwest and because they're FUN. The Rock Hall loves 'em some Important Artistes (Randy Newman, James Taylor) and some New York City and L.A. acts. Billy fucking Joel is in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Cheap Trick isn't? That talentless fuckhead David Crosby has been inducted THREE SEPARATE TIMES - with The Byrds, Crosby, Stills & Nash and as a solo artist - and Mott The Hoople HAS NEVER EVEN BEEN ON THE BALLOT? Ian Hunter of Mott tours the U.S.A. and England to this day (at 73 years old, mind you) spreading the gospel of the rock & roll AND he wrote "Cleveland Rocks," for Chrissakes, putting Cleveland on the rock & roll radio map and HE can't get a look-in?
And don't even get me started on The Pride Of The Midwest - Detroit's MC5. Abba, The Hollies and Heart are in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and The MC5 aren't? Can anyone honestly tell me those three acts were more important to rock & roll than The MC5? The Stooges were inducted in 2010 and they may never have gotten a gig if it wasn't for their Big Brothers in The Motor City 5 putting them on as their opener at the Grande Ballroom.
Folks, I'm not asking for obscure (but incredibly influential) acts that maybe only me and a few thousand other dedicated rock & roll fans love - The Modern Lovers, Elliott Murphy, The Dictators - to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. I'm asking that a band that has sold MILLIONS of records and toured the PLANET since 1976, continuing right up until today in 2013 - Cheap Trick - get their due and the respect they deserve.
Alright, alright, alright, I could blather on like this all day but that's already more than 400 words and you 21st century kids have the attention span of a meth-addled Chillicothe, Ohio resident, so I'm just gonna turn it over to Colin and the guys......
inspirational verse; "You say it's over / But the world keeps turnin' 'round
It's the way of the world" - Rick Nielsen & Robin Zander, 1978
Pundits are always saying that rock & roll is over (and I hate to admit sometimes I feel that way, too)
but somewhere tonight, red-blooded American boys & girls are singing & playing their hearts out in
little bars all across the U.S.A. But the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame don't care about that.
but somewhere tonight, red-blooded American boys & girls are singing & playing their hearts out in
little bars all across the U.S.A. But the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame don't care about that.
© 2013 Ricki C.
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