Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame Annex in NYC

So many great concerts over the years














"The Bottom Line Remembered"
Oil on canvas
30 x 36 inches

Heard on the news today that the Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame will be opening an annex museum in Soho. That sounds good to me. Having seen soooo many great shows over the years, it seems only fitting that this town, which provided venues for many performers to get their music out there, will have a spot to highlight some of the memorabilia that accompanies the music.

I got to thinking that a lot of these venues have sadly disappeared from the NYC scene, places like CBGB's, the Bottom Line, The Fillmore East. When I heard that The Bottom Line was closing a few years back, my heart sank. I was in the audience the first week it opened, back in the 70's, and saw some memorable acts - Tim Hardin, Laura Nyro, Tom Russell, Joan Baez, Roy Buchanan, The Turtles, Barry Manilow (!!!!) and so many others. Seeing that familiar blue awning, getting tickets, squeezing into the tightly packed chairs, seeing and hearing the performers up close...it was wonderful. The one concert that I WISH I could have attended was one of the August, 1975 Springsteen shows, just prior to the release of Born To Run, history in the making. I plan to check out the museum when it opens - sure beats the news of the opening of yet another Duane Reade.