CLEVELAND, Ohio – No inductee in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s Class of 2021 has been more vocal about its excitement for the honor than The Go-Go’s. That showed during the band’s induction Saturday night, right down to the band’s presenter.
I don’t know if any person has ever been happier to induct someone into any institution as Drew Barrymore was to induct The Go-Go’s into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
“The Go-Go’s have been in my personal Hall of Fame since I was 6 years old,” Barrymore said. “Beauty of the Beat blew the doors off my life off. It opened me up to a whole new dimension...it took one album and I was gaga for The Go-Go’s.”
Barrymore made the most of her moment paying tribute to her favorite band. She even got dressed, live on stage, in The Go-Go’s iconic bath towel look.
“I feel like my life came full circle when I knew I was coming here,” Barrymore said with a huge smile on her face. Undoubtedly, many people in attendance at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse felt the same way.
The Go-Go’s followed Barrymore’s heartfelt speech by taking the stage for a performance. When the band was initially announced as an inductee earlier this year, there was some uncertainty as to whether or not all the members would show.
But things came together. In fact, The Go-Go’s sounded a lot better than some may have expected for a band that just started toying with the idea of hitting the road again.
At the age of 63, Belinda Carlisle looked and sounded in peak form. And the rest of the band fell in right behind her, performing the group’s biggest hits “Vacation,” “Our Lips Are Sealed” and “We Got the Beat.”
Barrymore’s speech painted a dream scenario where longtime fans of The Go-Go’s could experience yet another chapter of the band that brought punk, new wave and girl-power to the mainstream in the 1980s. The band delivered on that promise.
The most endearing part of The Go-Go’s’ induction was the band members’ speeches, whether it was Gina Schock dropping F-bombs and apologizing or Kathy Valentine pushing the Rock Hall to evolve.
“The Go-Go’s will advocate for more women to be inducted,” said Valentine. “Women who have paved the way for us and others.”
The members were visibly nervous, but that was part of the charm. The Go-Go’s played the role of underdogs Saturday and the fans loved them for it.
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