Contributing support for “Louder Than Words” has been provided by Hilton Hotels & Resorts, SoundExchange and Altria Group. Louder Than Words: Rock, Power & Politics looks at some of the most important debates in our country through the lens of rock music and explores the power of rock to change attitudes about patriotism, peace, equality and freedom. The exhibit premiered on May 20, 2016, at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland and attracted thousands of visitors as the city hosted the 2016 Republican National Convention that summer. The film will play on the 100-foot-wide video wall in the Newseum’s Robert H. One of the films produced for the exhibit, “Artists Unite,” tells the stories of musicians coming together for charity and relief efforts to raise awareness and encourage donations from audiences around the world. “Louder Than Words” includes exclusive video interviews with Bono, David Byrne, Dee Snider, Tom Morello, Lars Ulrich, Gloria Estefan, Gregg Allman, Ann Wilson and others. “This exhibit is a powerful testament to the role music has played in influencing political and social change.” Included in the exhibit are John Lennon’s acoustic guitar from his 1969 Montreal and Amsterdam “Bed-Ins for Peace” with Yoko Ono, the Fender Stratocaster Jimi Hendrix used to perform “The Star-Spangled Banner” at Woodstock, stage costumes worn by the Village People and original handwritten lyrics to Bob Dylan’s “The Times They Are a-Changin’,” Chuck Berry’s “School Day,” Bruce Springsteen’s “Born in the U.S.A.” and Green Day’s “American Idiot.” The exhibit also features artifacts related to the Vietnam War, the May 4, 1970, shooting at Kent State University, the fall of the Berlin Wall and the Black Lives Matter movement. Louder Than Words: Rock, Power and Politics features bands and artifacts everything from instruments and sheet music to clothing that documents American history through the tunes we.
Through iconic artifacts, compelling images and multimedia experiences, the exhibit examines how music has influenced issues ranging from political campaigns to civil rights. Byrne is one of several artists who contributed interviews about the intersection of music and politics to the Rock Hall’s Louder Than Words: Rock, Power and Politics exhibit, which opens Friday.