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The Rock Hall uses the "It's Only Rock and Roll" Spring
Benefit to raise money for its many music education programs,
including summer seminars, inner-city programs with Cleveland
city schools and my personal favorite,"Toddler Rock," a
program that gets the kindergarten and pre-school crowd
in touch with their inner Keith Moon and Jimi Hendrix.
My
wife and I have been traveling to Cleveland since 2005 to
attend the benefits, which are usually held in mid-May.
Balcony tickets are a steal at $15 and even the VIP packages
are affordable and mostly tax deductible.
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This
year's "It's Only Rock And Roll" Benefit, held Saturday,
May 15, 2010, at Cleveland's Public Hall, was the
best one I've experienced. The theme this year was
"Cirque de la Musique" (apologies to Mick and Keef
as well as Cirque de Soleil). The theme was apt because
the Rock Hall's Executive Director Terry Stewart has
always struck me as an affable ringmaster at these
fundraisers.
As
in the past, the main floor of Public Hall was reserved
for VIP ticket holders. The VIP packages include dinner
and drinks before the 8pm concert, with doors opening
at 6pm.Corporate types,long-of-tooth rock true believers
and curious first-timers with money or connections
mingled easily. All were bemused by the outlandishly
costumed Cirque performers wandering the silent auction
exhibits, gourmet food stations and multiple bars.
A noticeable few VIPs took liberal advantage of the
free libations, which wasn't unexpected when the invitation
to the Benefit encouraged all comers to "party like
a rock star."
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Cirque de
la Musique Performer Drinks Crystal
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The
invited performers to the Benefit are usually on the Boomer
generation's rock camp fantasy list. But, this year the
Hall added an electrifying millennial: Canadian FeFe Dobson.
Oh. My. Goodness. This young woman has rock and roll DNA
to spare. Dobson has whisper-to-a-scream pipes. She prances,
preens and prowls the stage with a feline presence that
can't be taught. I scribbled on my table napkin "Ronnie
Spector and Pat Benatar reincarnated in one body."
Poor
Terry Sylvester of The Hollies had to follow FeFe. After
Terry's performance, Sheila E hit the stage for an energetic
but annoyingly short two song set.
Next,
Ringmaster Terry Stewart and chief auctioneer Morris Everett
cajoled the deep-pocketed VIP's seated near the stage into
pledging nearly $300,000 for auctioned items, including
a Rolling Stone magazine summer internship in New York City
and a backstage pass /private plane travel package to an
East Lansing, Michigan performance of U2.
Richie
Furay, Buffalo Springfield alum, kicked off the second half
of the concert with a strong solo performance, strumming
his guitar and crooning in his clear mountain air voice.
Gene
Chandler Makes All of Cleveland His "Dukedom'
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Then,
the party REALLY got started. Windy City soul singer
Gene Chandler blew onstage with a truly rockin' version
of "Rockin' Robin" and followed it up with his 1970
hit "Groovy Situation." Chandler flashed a brilliantly
white,broad smile. He looked to be in excellent health
and was still strong of voice. Chandler quickly disappeared
from the stage and magically reappeared near the back
of the main floor. He strutted to the stage,
now adorned in top hat and cape with a silver-handle
walking cane in hand to |
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opening strains of his classic doo wop hit, "Duke of
Earl." In terms of consummate showmanship, Gene Chandler
stole the show from all other male performers that night,
including MC Hammer and his large stage entourage from
Oak-town.
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Mark
Farner "Walks Like A Man"
Before
the VIP attendees, two-thirds of whom had deserted their
dinner tables and crowded the dance floor in front of the
stage, could catch their breath, the well-muscled fireplug
of a rocker, Mark Farner, charged the stage with his Grand
Funk cover of "Some Kind Of Wonderful." Farner followed
up with crowd-pleasers ,"Bad Time," and another million
selling Grand Funk cover, Little Eva's "Loco-Motion." On
cue, the VIP throng started dancing dodgy versions of the
Loco-Motion- - -most of them were really doing the Twist.
The
evening was getting long when M.C. Hammer was inexplicably
allowed to play a far too long set. Did we really need the
buzz-kill of Hammer's tedious version of the Chi-Lites'
"Have You Seen Her?" when everyone, including FeFe Dobson,
who was standing next to my wife and me at the lip of the
stage, wanted to hear Mark Farner do at least one more song?
Farner's "Footstompin' Music" would have shaken Public Hall
to its foundation.
Still,
dozens of VIPs clamored onstage for cringe-inducing dancing
when Hammer invited them to do so during his closer, "U
Can't Touch This." Jumbotron sized video screens mounted
around the auditorium displayed close ups of Clevelanders
onstage trying to emulate Hammer's moves. Terry Stewart
must have assured them that these proceedings would NOT
be videotaped. But, haven't these folks heard of cell phone
cameras?
The
official Benefit ended with Tommy James, still able to hit
all the high notes with that keening tenor of his, singing
a welcomed extended set of all his big hits, including "Crystal
Blue Persuasion." The concert was supposed to end at 11pm
but it was pushing midnight when my wife and I left, bopping
to the driving beat of Tommy James and the Shondells' "Mony,
Mony." We were among the first to leave. Public Hall was
still crowded. Attendees didn't want it to end. Well, there
was always the unofficial "Afterparty" which Stewart wickedly
hinted would go into the wee hours of the morning.
As you might have concluded by now, the "It's Only Rock and Roll" Benefit is the best party you've never attended. The next "It's Only Rock and Roll" Benefit happens in May 2011. Be there. Because, as Mick Jagger famously confessed,"you'll like it."
Article
and Photography by Jack Marchbanks ©2010
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