In November, when the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame opened its Annex
in the heart of SoHo, rock and roll found a home in New York City, and
the city’s love of music hit a high note. Just like its Cleveland
counterpart, New York City’s Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Annex focuses on the greatest moments in rock history, and will resonate with everyone who loves music. In its 25,000-square-foot exhibition space, the Annex showcases selected artifacts from the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s vast collection, and the $9 million dollar structure houses six unique galleries containing hundreds of artifacts, images, recordings and symbols of rocks past and present.
History can be told in many ways, and at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Annex a big part of the telling is with music. Upon arriving at the Annex, visitors receive personal Sennheiser guidePORT headphones that are keyed to where you are standing in the exhibition space. Place yourself in front of a photo of Billie Holiday and one of her jazz ballads plays, or stand by Bruce Springsteen’s 1957 Chevy and you hear songs by the Boss.
The exhibit starts with the on-site “Hall of Fame,” which pays tribute to every artist inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. The room is dark and the walls are lined with plaques naming each inductee. As songs from each performer or band play, their tile on the hall of fame lights up.
Next is the Immersive Theater, which highlights some of the most explosive performance moments in rock history. Currently, the theater is unreeling a 10-minute film that dynamically encapsulates the history of rock, and uses immersive audio and visual technology to highlight some of its most explosive performances, including those by Bob Dylan, The Beatles, Chuck Berry, Elvis Presley, The Who and Patti Smith.
The Annex’s “Roots and Influences” exhibit examines how yesterday’s music legends influenced today’s chart-toppers. This area of the Annex brings to life musical timelines of genres such as R&B, hip-hop and blues-rock. Hear how the best-selling albums of 50 Cent and Notorious B.I.G. have been shaped by the genius of James Brown, and how the Velvet Underground has guided Coldplay’s expressive style.
The “Moments to Movements” area takes visitors on a journey of the moments that created and defined movements, and showcases exciting and rare rock items, including: Madonna’s Jean Paul Gaultier bustier, which she wore on her 1990 Blonde Ambition world tour; Michael Jackson’s gloves; one of Prince’s purple sequined overcoats; and many other invaluable items. An electrifying soundtrack—on the guidePORT system—brings these items to life throughout this gallery.
The “New York Rocks” area is an homage to the city that has been so integral to music history. Not only do these rooms include memorabilia, but the striking centerpiece is a 26-foot scale model of Manhattan. Touch screens circle the diorama and allow visitors to mark key locations in rock history—ranging from the site of CBGB’s to the original Knitting Factory—on the map. As visitors touch the screen, the history of the site appears, while the location of the site is lit up on the map.
The final exhibit at the Annex rotates exhibitions that feature one select artist or band and focuses special attention to their time spent in New York. The inaugural show is dedicated to the seminal punk band The Clash, and opens with a giant photo of the band taken in New York City. Upon exit, patrons can get a taste of the larger experience at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland, and also visit the Rock Annex shop.
Make sure to be one of the first to visit the Annex and go beyond the typical museum experience—be engaged in a dynamic and immersive music journey that recalls some of the defining moments in rock and roll history.
76 Mercer St. (Spring-Broome Sts.), 866-976-2569; www.rockannex.com
