Stylecurated: PLAY IT LOUD: INSTRUMENTS OF ROCK & ROLL @MET MUSEUM

Stevie Ray Vaugh's "Number One" composite Stratocaster guitar by Fender (1963) on view at Play It Loud: Instruments of Rock & Roll

Tucked behind building-height Roman and Greek statues (some missing limbs), Ringo Starr's first Ludwig drum set, Elvis' guitar and Jerry Lee Lewis' baby grand piano join an impressive array of prized possessions assembled into Play It Loud: The Instruments of Rock & Roll at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. In partnership with the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and notable names in rock, the MET hosts its first-of-a-kind tribute to Rock 'n Roll. At the press preview Monday afternoon, Jayson Kerr Dobney (curator of the MET's musical instrument department), Max Hollein (Director of the MET), Greg Harris (President of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame), Jimmy Page (lead singer of Led Zeppelin), Steve Miller and Tina Weymouth (bassist of the Talking Heads) present remarks of their experiences with Rock & Roll. Don Felder (lead singer of the Eagles) closes the session with a solo performance of Hotel California. Keep reading for a peek inside...

Eddie Van Halen's 1978 touring rig + original "Frankenstein" guitar

Against matte black letters, Chuck Berry's guitar greets guests at the exhibit entry. Step in further and seven decades of artistry have propagated the over 130 instruments of significant historic, symbolic and visual appeal. While electric guitars (or pieces of) dominate the exhibit, a smattering of history and theory line the walls; most impressive is a hulking Moog synthesizer that Keith Emerson rigged on a Hammond organ. Though Rock & Roll flourished at a time that spurred an obvious gender imbalance, relics from women rock icons such as Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Joan Jett, Lady Gaga, Nancy Wilson, Sheryl Crow, Kim Gordon (Sonic Youth), Patti Smith and others are displayed among those of male counterparts.

Installation view

Curator Dobney, in partnership with the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame aptly source a thematic collection of Rock & Roll's most celebrated items; the bland walls of the exhibit forces focus on them. The irony for me is the relative quiet of the instruments as they sit silently, many years after the loud twangs, wails and distortions they once produced. Classic statues and classic rock both make a visual statement, though the latter confounded an era of unparalleled artistic expression. Play It Loud: The Instruments of Rock & Roll runs from April 8 to October 1 at the MET.

[2nd from left] GOFF Professional Customized Hammond "Tarkus" C3 with Chrome stand and MOOG synthesizer

"Play It Loud celebrates a formative chapter in 20th-century art and culture, and the extraordinary objects featured in this presentation convey the innovation, experimentation, passion and rebellion at the heart of rock 'n roll. The exhibition allows us to appreciate the artistry of the instruments as well as their powerful role in the creation and expression of rock's legendary sound and identity"

--Max Hollein, Director of the MET Museum

Early Instruments of Rock & Roll

"Loud is not just the description of a sound. It is an attitude. Rock and roll musicians took "loud" and built it into one of the defining artistic movements of the twentieth century. Fashion, art, politics--all were influenced by rock music and its countercultural appeal"

--Exhibit Introduction #MetRockandRoll