DMC at Hard Rock Cafe.

On the morning of April 4th, I took the day off work so that I could take My niece, Brianna, to see DMC of Run DMC to a small intimate performance at the Hard Rock Cafe (a Benefit for the Felix Organization). My niece is only 8 years old and doesn't really know Run DMC's music but I figure one day she'll be able to brag that she saw DMC in concert on the day he got inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. A DMC concert and breakfast buffet for $15, not bad. While all of them were worthy, of all the Rock and Roll Hall inductees this year I was most excited about Run DMC.

My Niece Brianna and Sully

I grew up on their music, I remember watching the videos for King of Rock, It's Tricky, Walk this Way, etc. As for the other groups (Little Anthony, Bobby Womack, Jeff Beck, Wanda Jackson), most were before my time. Metallica were more my time, but I really didn't listen to heavy metal until I was senior in high school and didn't even know who they were until they made the video for "One". But Run DMC were a favorite when I was a kid and still a favorite now.

Now there are those who think Run DMC don't belong in the Hall of Fame. They do belong there, let me explain. Hip hop music is an extension of Rock and Roll. It comes from the same roots as rock. If you refuse hip hop/rap in the Hall why not reject heavy metal, R&B, Rockabilly, Blues and Doo-Wop too? Then nobody would have been inducted this year.

DMC on Stage.

Run DMC were one of the most ground breaking and influential groups of the 80s, they belong there. Besides, when Alan Freed coined the term Rock and Roll, he was putting all black music in that category, why would black music no longer be considered Rock and Roll?

I wanted to take Brianna because my parents never took me to concerts when I was a kid. Growing up in the 80's I could've seen Run DMC in their hey day, or maybe Metallica with Cliff Burton on the bass. Instead I didn't see Run DMC in concert until 2001. Brianna will have the chance say tell her friends that she went to concerts as a kid. This, in fact, wasn't even her first concert. I took her to see Ozomatli just before she turned 5 years old, she even got to get on the stage.

The Hard Rock Cafe in Cleveland is inside Tower City Mall, My niece was amazed at the giant guitars in the lobby.

DMC being interviewed for TV.

The place was packed, it's the first time I'd ever been to a concert there. We were sat down at a table that was already full, Everybody there was good and cool and among them was a  local Cleveland MC named Chango. The food pretty good, but limited on what I eat because I don't eat red meat, but my niece loved the sausage. This was a pretty big deal so a couple news stations were there and mascots for most of Cleveland's sports teams were hanging around (I got a picture of Brianna with Sully, the lake erie monters' mascot, I think). DMC was scheduled to come on at 10:00 am but as any show, he came on alittle later, about 10:30.

My niece Brianna and a giant Guitar.

It was a short but nice set. About half of his 45 minutes on stage were him just talking to the crowd. It's cool though, even if he hadn't done a song it would've still been worth every penny. DMC came out and thanked everybody for coming out this morning and admitted that after all these years of performing it's still TRICKY to rock a rhyme! His voice sounded great. I had seen Run DMC back in 2001 and DMC's voice was horrible, Jam Master Jay had to do most of DMC's vocals (proving just how amazing JMJ was!). After the conclusion of "It's Tricky" DMC talked about how important the children are and how music can and should be used as a tool to help educate them. He began "Block Education Music", a song from his upcoming album, that sounded like an updated version of "its like that" with lots of guitar.

Run DMC excepting their induction on the big screen.

It was a pretty good song, much better than the stuff off of his first solo album, in my humble opinion.

Upon learning that he was adopted, DMC wrote a song about it. It samples Harry Chapin's "Cat's in the Cradle" and features Sarah McLachlan. D explained that it wasn't until after they were finished recording the song that he had found that Sarah McLachlan was also adopted, that's what Rock and Roll does, it brings people together with a purpose they didn't even know they had. The song is called "Just Like Me" and being that many people there were more familiar song Harry Chapin's song than they were with DMC's solo, the song worked well with the crowd singing the chorus. So well that I had to go buy the CD (I used to not like that song). After thanking the audiance, DMC gave us one more Run DMC classic, "Walk This Way". He had the crowd stand up and sing the chorus on this one too.

After the show we tried to get close enough to meet him and get an autograph but there were too many people around, but I did get some good pictures. Before heading home Brianna wanted a picture with a giant guitar and a chance to walk around tower city. Than it's back home to get ready for the Rok and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony simulcast tonight at the Rock Hall!

Stay Tuned...