by Michelle Leah
According to Urban Dictionary, Steampunk “. . . is a subgenre of speculative fiction, usually set in an anachronistic Victorian or quasi-Victorian alternate history setting. It could be described by the slogan ‘What the past would look like if the future had happened sooner.'” Well, the future is happening sooner at Philadelphia’s own Hard Rock Cafe after recent remodeling. Fashioned between much of the city’s iconic history, from the Convention Center to Reading Terminal Market, the cafe has a certain level of reputation to uphold. Lest it fall down the tourist rabbit hole and become nothing more than another restaurant with overpriced souvenir glasses and flashy collectors pins.
Even before my interview with sales and marketing manager Jacqueline Antonucci, this writer fell victim to thinking the remodeling was going to be nothing more than over-the-top decor and cliché pieces to provide the illusion that the restaurant thought they knew what was “cool.” However, much like the concept of Steampunk, a subgenre ahead of its time, the somewhat minute changes actually provide the cafe with a powerful impact bringing it back to its roots. Bringing it back to the music.
When the company began it was through the genius of two shaggy-haired Americans looking for a good burger joint while living in London. Paul McCartney and The Wings were among one of the first to perform live music at the venue. Since then it has become tradition to have live performances and commemorate music memorabilia. It has also brought about great concern as to how each piece is authentic. Directly above the door oh Philadelphia’s Hard Rock is a mural devoted to John Lennon and encased in glass is one of the musicians own black jackets. David Gilmour of Pink Floyd stares down at you next to an enclosed pink Stratocaster. On the opposite side of the room an elegant gold embossed dress is highlighted next to the smiling wild child Stevie Nicks. And these are but a few of the magnificent new pieces the cafe traded in and traded up for more legitimacy to remove itself from the clutter of having too many pieces, and provides the venue with a crisp and cleaner space.
Now that each piece is carefully encased in glass the restaurant is no longer a restaurant, but rather a museum celebrating a time in music some of us never want to forget. One of the more astounding pieces is a memorial wall complete with candles and hand painted portraits of Jim Morrison, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, and Kurt Cobain- four musicians whose legacies have encouraged some of the most profound experiences in music history. Here is to hoping this is one thing the cafe decides to keep during its next facelift.
Even before remodeling completion, The Philadelphia Room was something everyone was talking about. Steely cold pipes with pressure scales envelope the full bar. Metal slabs fashioned as a work of art and crystal chandeliers bring the room that touch of Victorian-esque, all the while still focusing on how the room as a whole feels the most like what a cafe should feel like. While there are those who may prefer the quiet of the cafe downstairs, upstairs on the main stage it will always be about the music. Philadelphia is called the City of Brotherly Love for a reason, and for a venue like the Hard Rock Cafe, they have a lot of love for local musicians. From acoustic sets to jazz duos to a few of this writer’s personal favorite rock and reggae bands, no musician is too small or too big. Combining the sounds of the locals to the heart of the city is just one more thing that sets this Hard Rock Cafe apart from the rest. Every three months or so the cafe gets in touch with its philanthropic side to give back to the community. From Philabundance to Ronald Macdonald to Toys for Tots and even collaborating with Yoko Ono for Why Hunger, Hard Rock Cafe brings it back old school style to let the power of the music help make a difference.
With the visionary remodeling of the Philadelphia Hard Rock Cafe, it can leave behind the mark that it may have been branded as nothing more than a “chain restaurant.” As with everything historic about our city, what you see at first glance is only the surface. Sweat, blood, and tears went into the creation of something new and all for the sake of the people, whether a student in college or a family with two kids and a dog, that make it possible in the first place. Currently the Hard Rock Cafe has been hard at work with Radio 104.5 and Winter Jam. It recently hosted a special VIP Meet and Greet with the radio station before its annual winter event. Eventually the snow will melt and summer will be on the way; whether you are someone in your 20s living it up in the city, a family with little Tommy, adorable Susie and your dog Max, or you are just a tourist checking out the Convention Center, don’t forget to add one more thing to your list, rocking out at the newly remodeled Hard Rock Cafe.
