Rock Hall series pairing old, young runs out of juice
Thursday, January 13, 2005
John Soeder
Plain Dealer Pop Music Critic
´In Tune´ is off the air.
The VH1 television series originating from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum has been canceled after only one episode.
´In Tune´ premiered in June with a joint performance by singer-songwriters Paul Simon and John Mayer, taped one month earlier in front of an invitation- only audience at the Rock Hall.
It was supposed to be the first of four specials shot at the museum.
After the debut, however, the Rock Hall and series sponsor Bailey´s, the cream liqueur company, ended their partnership because of creative differences, says Todd Mesek, the hall´s senior director of marketing and communications.
´We´re parting amicably,´ Mesek says. ´We hope to work with [Baileys] again.´
In place of ´In Tune,´ VH1 and Baileys put together a new show, ´The Set,´ with no involvement on the part of the Rock Hall. ´The Set´ first aired last month with a performance by Duran Duran, taped at Sony Studios in Los Angeles.
Baileys opted out of ´In Tune´ in favor of a different concept, says Melissa Woodbury, a spokeswoman for the spirits brand.
´The new show prominently brings noteworthy artists of today together with their fan base,´ Woodbury says.
´In Tune´ was conceived as a musical summit meeting between veteran artists and younger artists. ´American Idol´ judge Randy Jackson was the host.
The ´In Tune´ taping with Simon and Mayer at the Rock Hall in May did not go off without a hitch. It got under way 3½ hours behind schedule because bad weather delayed Simon´s flight to Cleveland.
Concertgoers cheered on cue. Off-camera, however, they stifled yawns. The taping concluded shortly before 2 a.m.
The Rock Hall teamed up with VH1´s sister network MTV in 2001 and 2002 for ´Live at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.´ It featured performances by Mayer, Alicia Keys, Linkin Park and other rising stars.
Rock Hall executives had hoped ´In Tune´ would further elevate the national profile of the museum.
The hall is looking to revive the series in the future with a different sponsor, Mesek says.
© 2005 The Plain Dealer. Used with permission.
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