“Cleveland is a football town,” says Nwaka Onwusa, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s chief curator/vp curatorial affairs. It’s why, she says, the museum decided to open its latest exhibit, “The Biggest Show on Turf: 55 Years of Halftime Shows,” when the city hosted the 86th NFL draft in April. Ahead of the 36th annual Rock Hall induction ceremony on Oct. 30, Onwusa reveals the reasons for extending the exhibit through the fall — and which new inductee she would like to see play a future halftime show.
Why do you think the exhibit has done well enough to extend its run?
It’s really an opportunity to relive some of those memorable Super Bowl moments that are cultural moments that make a huge impact. You get an in-depth look at what it takes to make this 13-and-a-half-minute show come to life.
What are your favorite halftime shows?
The list really goes on, but the two most significant ones for me are U2 in 2002, a moment of healing for the country five months after 9/11, and Prince — may he rest in peace — in 2007 when it rained purple rain. That was an unforgettable moment.
The exhibit goes back to the early years of halftime shows, which were very different from what we have come to know.
It has not always been star-studded moments with Prince and [2017 performer] Lady Gaga. We have to pay homage and credit to [1993 performer] Michael Jackson, who really set the tone for what a Super Bowl halftime show could be.
What are the most popular attractions with museumgoers?
It’s definitely Prince. We recently added Tom Petty’s performance outfit and guitar [from his 2008 performance with The Heartbreakers]. And we can’t forget about Left Shark and Katy Perry’s [2015] performance. Having Left Shark in the exhibit has been a huge, huge win for us.
Of the upcoming class of inductees — including The Go-Go’s, JAY-Z, Foo Fighters and LL Cool J — whom are you most looking forward to seeing at a future halftime show?
LL is such a dynamic performer. It would be really cool to see him take the stage.
This story originally appeared in the Aug. 28, 2021, issue of Billboard.
Source
