Photo By: Carl Harp / CBS Radio Cleveland
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum hosted its Spring Benefit Concert at Cleveland’s Public Hall on Saturday night to raise funds for the Rock Hall’s education programs. More than 3,000 people braved the cold rain to watch performances from Wanda Jackson, Darlene Love, Mavis Staples, Curt Smith, Chuck Jackson, and Cyndi Lauper. The event corresponded with the Rock Hall’s latest exhibit, “Women in Rock.”
The Queen of Rockabilly, Wanda Jackson kicked off the evenings performances and promoted her new album, The Party Ain’t Over, which is produced by Jack White and put out by White’s Third Man Records. Jackson ripped through a 4-song set that included “Riot in Cell Block #9″, “You Know I’m No Good’ (by Amy Winehouse), “Shakin’ All Over”, and her first major hit “Let’s Have A Party”.
Up next was Curt Smith of Tears for Fears. Smith opened his short set with “Shout” from Tears for Fears’ 1984 album The Big Chair, followed it with the hit “Sowing the Seeds of Love” and concluded with “Everybody Wants to Rule the World”.
R&B legend Chuck Jackson followed Smith, opening with his 1964 hit, “Since I Don’t Have You”. Jackson followed that with his biggest hit “Any Day Now”, before ending his set with his first single, “I Don’t Wanna Cry” (by Burt Bacharach & Bob Hilliard). Jackson spiced up the hit it with lyrics from R. Kelly‘s “I Believe I Can Fly”.
Intermission followed Jackson’s set and those lucky enough to afford floor seats were allowed to participate in a live auction that featured Swedish Open Tickets, A Super Bowl package, passes to the American Idol Finale, and other great items. Terry Stewart, President and CEO of the Rock Hall headed the auction that also benefited the education programs at the Rock Hall.
After the auction, the entertainment resumed with a performance from the Mavis Staples of the great gospel family band, the Staples Singers. Although the set was limited to three songs, Mavis’ set was one of the many highlights of the evening, especially when she was joined by Cyndi Lauper to perform the Bands “the Weight”. Staples ended her 3-song set with “I’ll Take You There”, the Staples Singers #1 hit from 1972.
2011 Rock Hall Inductee Darlene Love was the evening’s fifth performer. She began her set with 1963′s “Today I Met The Boy I’m Gonna Marry” and went into “Da Doo Ron Ron”, a Crystals hit from 1963 that was produced by Phil Spector. Love took a few shots at Spector and his current state, but still paid thanks to the creator of the ‘Wall of Sound’, giving him credit for her fame. Love ended her set with the Crystals #1 hit, “He’s A Rebel”, another song produced by Spector.
The evening’s final and longest performance came from Cyndi Lauper. Lead vocalist of the Ronettes, Ronnie Spector introduced Lauper while impersonating the Queens native. Lauper’s set began with “She Bop”, “The Goonies ‘R’ Good Enough”, and “Down Don’t Bother Me”, before she was joined onstage by Spector, Love, and Staples for an all-star rendition of “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun”. “I’m Gonna Be Strong” followed, before Lauper ended her set on the lap dulcimer with her second #1 hit, “True Colors”.
The exhibit “Women Who Rock: Vision, Passion, Power” is now open through February 26, 2012.
SET LISTS:
Wanda Jackson
Riot in Cell Block #9
You Know I’m No Good
Shakin’ All Over
Let’s Have a Party
Curt Smith
Shout
Sowing the Seeds of Love
Everybody Wants to Rule the World
Chuck Jackson
Since I Don’t Have You
Any Day Now
I Don’t Want to Cry
Mavis Staples
Wrote a Song for Everyone
The Weight (with Cyndi Lauper)
I’ll Take You There
Darlene Love
(Today I Met) The Boy I’m Gonna Marry
Da Doo Ron Ron
He’s a Rebel (with Cyndi Lauper)
Cyndi Lauper
She Bop
The Goonies ‘R’ Good Enough
Down Don’t Bother Me
Girls Just Want to Have Fun (with Ronnie Spector, Darlene Love, and Mavis Staples)
I’m Gonna Be Strong
True Colors
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