The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame held their annual induction ceremony on Friday night at the Barclay Center in Brooklyn, NY with an evening with a few surprises, just as many disappointments and a VERY long running time of four hours and fifty minutes.
The evening opened with a tribute to the late Chuck Berry, including a performance of Roll Over Beethoven by new members the Electric Light Orchestra, and went on to induct ELO, Joan Baez, Yes, Tupac Shakur, Journey, Nile Rodgers and Pearl Jam.
On the surprises side, Rush’s Geddy Lee DID join Yes in place of Chris Squire for the song Roundabout. It had been said that the collaboration was going to happen but the Rock Hall denied that Yes would have any special guests. It looks like they were just trying to put the cat back in the bag on what was supposed to be the surprise of the night.
The crowd was also enthusiastic when Steve Perry took the stage with Journey for their acceptance speeches but that turned to disappointment when current lead singer Arnel Pineda was the only singer on Journey’s three numbers.
The other disappointment was the lack of performances for Nile Rodgers. While his band, Chic, had been nominated for eleven years without success before it was decided to bring in Rodgers in the “Special Achievement” category, there was little reason (except, maybe, show length) to not have artists take the stage for one or two songs from either the Chic or Rodgers songwriting/production catalog with David Bowie, Duran Duran, Sister Sledge and others.
Unlike other years, the original artists pretty much took care of their own performances over the evening. Joan Baez was joined by Mary Chapin Carpenter and The Indigo Girls for two songs and the Tupac Shakur segment was, obviously, filled with guests.
In the place of a longer segment for Rodgers was a two-song tribute to Prince by Lenny Kravitz.
The proceedings:
Opening comments – Jann Wenner
Tribute to Chuck Berry
Roll Over Beethoven – Electric Light Orchestra (ELO)
Induction of the Electric Light Orchestra
Evil Woman – Electric Light Orchestra
Mr. Blue Sky – Electric Light Orchestra
Dhani Harrison inducts ELO
ELO acceptance speeches
Induction of Joan Baez
Jackson Browne inducts Joan Baez
Joan Baez acceptance speech
Swing Low, Sweet Chariot – Joan Baez
Deportee – Joan Baez, Mary Chapin Carpenter, the Indigo Girls
The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down – Joan Baez, Mary Chapin Carpenter, the Indigo Girls
Induction of Yes
Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson induct Yes
Yes acceptance speeches
Roundabout – Yes with Geddy Lee
Owner of a Lonely Heart – Yes
Induction of Tupac Shakur
Snoop Dogg inducts and accepts for Tupac Shakur
Medley: Ambitionz Az a Ridah, I Get Around, I Ain’t Mad at Cha, Dear Mama – Alicia Keys
Changes – Alicia Keys
2 of Amerikaz Most Wanted (Gangsta Party) – Snoop Dogg and YG
Hail Mary – Treach (Naughty by Nature)
Keep Ya Head Up – TI
Induction of Journey
Pat Monahan (Train) inducts Journey
Journey, including Steve Perry, acceptance speeches
Separate Ways – Journey
Lights – Journey
Don’t Stop Believin’ – Journey
Induction of Nile Rodgers
Pharrell Williams inducts Nile Rodgers
Nile Rodgers acceptance speech
In Memoriam Segment
When Doves Cry – Lenny Kravitz
The Cross – Lenny Kravitz
Induction of Pearl Jam
David Letterman inducts Pearl Jam
Pearl Jam acceptance speeches
Alive – Pearl Jam
Given to Fly – Pearl Jam
Better Man – Pearl Jam
Jam Session
Rockin’ in the Free World – All
