Hall Watchers

We’re bringing 2020 and Season 2 in for a landing!  We talk about what our listeners can expect in our upcoming Season 3, what we’re tweaking on the podcast in 2021 and in the spirit of Festivus, deliver some brutally honest critique on the state of the Rock Hall.

One of the finest ’60s girl groups, the Shangri-Las were gum-smacking, boot-wearing teenagers that sang about rebels, high school romance, and death. George “Shadow” Morton was their producer, but these young women radiated emotion, creating legendary songs that impacted an entire generation. Along the way, they influenced everyone from the New York Dolls to Sonic Youth to Amy Winehouse.

In this episode, Mary interviews Eric about his less than fairy tale experience at the infamous Woodstock ‘99 festival. We discuss America’s political and cultural climate at the time, and Eric recounts the event’s poor conditions and insane musical performances. We also read memories written by Eric’s festival companions. Music credit: FairyTale Waltz by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

While working at Cleveland’s WMMS In 1974, DJ Donna Halper introduced Rush to an American audience, and her efforts also secured the band a record deal. As a result, the band dedicated their first two LPs to her, cementing her place in Rush history. Today, we’re honored to chat with Donna about her career, her life now, and everyone’s favorite Canadian power trio. We discuss Rush’s journey to the Rock Hall, what their induction ceremony was like and the story behind the infamous Alex Lifeson “blah blah” speech.

The class of 2020 has finally been inducted! We react to the HBO televised Rock Hall 2020 ceremony, discuss our overall impressions of the ceremony and break down how we felt about each artist’s induction package. We also discuss the new Rock Hall podcast, and because we can’t help ourselves, the Singles category.

The South has something to say, but is the Rock Hall listening? Today we’re joined by fellow hall watcher and friend, Nick Bambach to talk about the legendary group OutKast in honor of the 20th anniversary of their album Stankonia. We discuss their career, influence, Rock Hall credentials and why they should be inducted in the same class as Kate Bush.

We’re joined by fellow hall watcher and friend Michelle Bourg to talk about her recent piece, “Prophets Without Honor”. We discuss the strange phenomenon of artists who have received some of America’s highest honors but aren’t in the Rock Hall, whether we think the events of 2020 will affect next year’s ballot and more.

We discuss Mary’s recent piece on Rock Hall gender issues in a casual episode that’s part therapy session, part call to action. First, we begin the episode with a remembrance of Eddie Van Halen.

There is technically no limit to how many times an artist can be inducted. This elite group, known as the Clyde McPhatter Club, was the ultimate boy’s club until 2019 when Stevie Nicks became the first woman to get a double induction. We discuss 5 women who can and should join her as double inductees, as well as 11 women with multiple projects who also qualify.

Jethro Tull is overdue for recognition in Cleveland. This week, we make a case for these mystical purveyors of flute and guitar-driven prog rock (with a key assist from our friend Steve). But first, we discuss recent Rock Hall news and the current state of nominations and inductions.

He wasn't just a soul stirrer with a golden voice, but a disruptor who penned one of the most iconic Civil Rights songs ever written. Today we look back at the life and career of Sam Cooke, one of the Rock Hall’s 1986 inaugural inductees. We discuss his powerful sense of justice and why his title as the “Father of Soul Music” still rings true.

There’s a quiet storm, and it’s heading for the Rock Hall’s door. This week, hear us whisper our advocacy for the extraordinary and influential Sade, whose elegant torch songs have become their own genre. Put on your headphones, breathe easy, and let this episode soothe your jangled 2020 nerves.

We’re back for Season 2 and we have lots to cover! We start with a discussion of the Go-Go’s documentary and whether this will finally give them Rock Hall momentum. We then segue into commentary on this summer’s biggest music related stories - including Garth Brooks, Kanye West, Britney Spears and Megan Thee Stallion.

We’re back to say hello, catch up with our listeners, and most importantly, discuss the cancellation of the 2020 Rock Hall ceremony and the impact it’s going to have on future inductions.

Today we’re hitting not just one, but two big milestones: the end of our first season and our one-year podcasting anniversary! Join us as we reflect on the highs and lows of podcasting, recap our recent interviews with Troy Smith and Jason Hanley and talk about why the Rock Hall needs the hall watcher community.

This week, we’re thrilled to welcome Jason Hanley, Vice President of Education and Visitor Engagement at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. This is a fun, illuminating conversation about the museum’s mission and operations, public engagement, the perils of social media, and so much more. We also cover a wide range of music, from the Carter Family to Krautrock to Queen Latifah.

This episode’s special guest is Troy Smith, Entertainment and pop culture reporter for Cleveland.com. Don’t miss this candid talk about his experiences covering the Rock Hall, from induction ceremonies to museum events to high-profile interviews. We also discuss the balancing act of being supportive of the hall while also being critical of it. 

She was irresistibly charming, gifted and ready to conquer the world when she was taken from us at the age of 23. Today we discuss the beautiful legacy of Selena, her impact on many popular music artists today and why we need to start including her in the Rock Hall discussion. We also begin the podcast with a discussion about this week’s tragic loss of Kraftwerk’s Florian Schneider.

In this episode, we’re thrilled to welcome fellow Rock Hall watcher Mark Lempke, the man behind the blog The Northumbrian Countdown and Twitter handle Alex Voltaire. We discuss Mark’s journey as a Rock Hall follower and prognosticator, how well the Hall is faring as an American institution, and talk about his personal Rock Hall snubs.

There’s a thrill up on the hill, so let’s go, let’s go, let’s go listen to Eric revisit the tremendous work of Rock Hall inductees Hank Ballard and the Midnighters. He looks back at the band’s career, Hank’s racy lyrical content and the intriguing way their music was used in film.