Rock Pilgrimage

This past weekend, I had the pleasure of going to see the rock exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It was a brilliantly well done exhibit, with comfortable layout, easy traffic flow and informative plaques and videos. What struck me, however, was how emotional the experience was. The guitar featured in the above video was there. The video is from Joni Mitchell’s 1983 world tour and is a song I have loved all my life. I wasn’t born at the time this video takes place, but I know that guitar and recognized it before I read the plaque next to it. When I stood near it, I felt like I was closer to her, whose music has had such influence on me throughout my life. And in that moment understood the act of Pilgrimage and just how much objects associated with people can resonate with us. I love going to museums and enjoy looking at historic objects, but never before have I felt such visceral awe just standing near something. If you, dear reader, have the time and enjoy rock, go on Pilgrimage to the Met before these objects go, and may it have the safe effect on you that it did on me.

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