Red Hot Chili Peppers, the Beastie Boys and Green Day kept the five-and-a-half-hour Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductions party hopping last night (April 14) at the Public Auditorium in Cleveland, Ohio. The show, which sold out, also brought in a full house of fans around the corner at the actual Rock Hall, which was having its own party showing the concert on various screens throughout the Museum.

Green Day, on hand to introduce Guns N’ Roses, kicked things off with the punchy ‘Letter Bomb,’ leading Billie Joe Armstrong to drop a few bombs of his own; as in f-bombs. Armstrong yelled for people to “stand up,” reminding everyone in the room that “this is f—in’ rock ‘n’ roll!” Later when they would introduce their heroes, Armstrong declared, “‘Appetite for Destruction’ is the best debut record in the history of rock ‘n’ roll!”

When Public Enemy’s Chuck D and LL Cool J walked out on the stage to honor the Beastie Boys, a huge applause followed. Chuck D went on to explain how “the Beastie Boys brought spirit and flavor to music.” LL Cool J shared that it was the Beasties who first played Rick Rubin the demo tape that scored him a recording contract, capping off the comment with a “God bless the Beastie Boys.”

Though Adam (MCA) Yauch is fighting cancer and was not in attendance, Michael (Mike D) Diamond and Adam (Ad-Rock) Horovitz were joined by DJ Mix Master Mike to accept the honor. What followed was a tribute by Kid Rock and other artists, who ran through a medley of B-Boy hits. The younger folks in the audience could be seen mouthing along to every word, fists held high, proud of their band and the fact that hip-hop was getting some respect in a rock ‘n’ roll forum.

Comedian Chris Rock couldn’t resist making a “sock” comment as the Red Hot Chili Peppers stood at the side of the stage waiting for Rock to introduce them. “They’re the quintessential California band; you can hear all of their influences” he said before singer Anthony Kiedis and clan came to the podium.

Bassist Flea was nearly in tears as he expressed his gratitude, congratulating his friends Guns N’ Roses and thanking his mother, amongst others. His heartfelt comment “I love music so much, it means so much to me” couldn’t have been more evident as the performance that followed took on a spirit of its own.

Their edgy set, which included ‘By The Way,’ ‘The Adventures of Rain Dance Maggie’ and ‘Give It Away,’ was a power-packed way to end the night, becoming all the more lively when Green Day and others joined them on stage for a climatic version of Stevie Wonder’s ‘Higher Ground.’

HBO will broadcast an edited, two-and-a-half hour version of the ceremony on Saturday, May 5.

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