Some time in New York City

 

Ono and Lennon, out and about in New York City in 1979.

 

MUSIC. It wouldn’t be an appropriate tribute to John Lennon if the exhibit dedicated to him at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s Annex went without white walls and floors, a color that had, by the singer-songwriter and his wife Yoko Ono, been espoused in their campaign for peace.

“John Lennon: The New York City Years” focuses on the musician’s relationship with the city in the ’70s, documenting his struggles with U.S. Immigration Services following their attempts to deport him, as well as his creative output during the era, which, he noted, was influenced by his exploration of the metropolis.

“She made me walk around the streets and parks and squares and examine every nook and cranny,” Lennon said of his introduction to the city by Ono. “In fact, you could say I fell in love with New York on a street corner.”

Perhaps it was love, because Lennon found a kindred spirit in the gruff persona of that recession-era New York.

“I like New Yorkers because they have no time for the niceties of life,” he is quoted in the exhibit.

The most visceral component of the retrospective is perhaps best left unrevealed here, given that its impact serves as the perfect counterpoint to Lennon’s message of peace while also commemorating his assassination in 1980. Just as poignant, guests are invited to sign boards petitioning the Senate for stricter laws on gun control.