Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and MuseumAs The Rolling Stones make their way across America on their 50 & Counting Tour, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is set to celebrate the debut of an expansive new exhibit about the legendary band. The display, titled "The Rolling Stones: 50 Years of Satisfaction," will open to the public today at 10 a.m. CT and will take up two-and-a-half floors of the Cleveland facility.
Craig Inciardi, an associate curator for the museum who helped oversee the exhibition's creation, says he and his co-workers are very excited to see the multifaceted project come to fruition.
"We've wanted to do a major retrospective exhibit on The Rolling Stones literally since the museum opened in 1995," he reveals to ABC News Radio. "The Stones are the first major act to hit that 50-year milestone, and this exhibit covers their roots, their childhood, how the band formed and traces them through the '60s, '70s, '80s, '90s and up through the present."
In putting the display together, the Rock Hall utilized memorabilia from its own extensive archives, while also gathering items from collectors and from the band members themselves.
Inciardi says the exhibit features "a variety of different types of artifacts," including guitars and other instruments, stage clothing, handwritten letters by the band members, rare posters, blueprints of the stage designs for various tours and much more.
Among the historic instruments featured in the exhibit, reveals Inciardi, are "Brian Jones' first guitar that he used in The Rolling Stones [and a 12-string acoustic that was] one of the first guitars that Keith Richards [used] to write songs."
Inciardi points out that some of the instruments and clothing items that will be displayed can be seen in some of the most famous photos taken of the band. "It's just exciting to see, up close, objects that are iconic," he declares, "that have been photographed and have been reproduced throughout the world."
"50 Years of Satisfaction" also offers a number of interactive programs and video displays that focus on various aspects of the group's history and career. Inciardi reveals that one of the multimedia stations "shows the root of how [The Stones] developed their sound," while another "shows the development of songwriting," while highlighting how two classic tunes -- "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" and "Gimme Shelter" -- were constructed.
Inciardi also insists that the exhibition isn't only for older and/or diehard Stones fans.
"I think this exhibit definitely has multi-generational appeal," he notes. "Young people who might not be aware of The Rolling Stones' history, after seeing the exhibit will realize how much ground The Rolling Stones broke and how many rules they changed and they re-wrote." Inciardi adds that the exhibit also could serve to show younger rock fans that "a lot of bands, the way they dress, the way they act, the way they play, emanates from The Rolling Stones."
"The Rolling Stones: 50 Years of Satisfaction" is scheduled to remain on display at the museum until March. In conjunction with the exhibition, a variety of special as-yet-unconfirmed Stones-related events, such as lectures, Q&A sessions and film screenings will be held at the Rock Hall. Inciardi tells ABC News Radio that the museum will be announcing details about the events "gradually throughout the year." Check RockHall.com for updates.
Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio
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