My 4 day odyssey is now complete.  I had some reservations along the way, but I was more than satisfied with what transpired Saturday night.  Don't get me wrong, there were some obvious negatives.  Unrelated to GNR, I haven't gotten a chance to read up on the reason for Rod Stewart's no show, but that was a bit of a bummer.  I thought the singer for the Faces was pretty damn good though.  Also, not a huge Green Day fan but I thought they did a great job opening the show and setting the tone.  Also thought they fared well with inducting GNR.  Couldn't help but crack up at Chris Rock's joke about Axl Rose either.

Anyway, as for GNR, since that's what really matters here.  It was sad in a way that they lost out top billing to the Chili Peppers.  No offense to them, because they were deserving and they did a great job as well.  It just wasn't meant to go down that way.  And honestly, I think GNR still could've closed the show even without Axl, of course I'm a little biased.  There were a few cheers for Axl, when he was referenced or shown on the screen, but the boos heavily outweighed the cheers.  If he thought the public wasn't on his side before in the US, he's in for some tough times in the future if they ever tour here again.  I mean, I guess time heals all wounds (well at least most, ahem).  But he was probably the most hated man in the building that night.  the mayor of Cleveland and governor of Ohio may have given him a run for his money, but it was close.

I felt bad for him, and I know I shouldn't.  It's all his own doing.  And I understand why he didn't want to be there.  I get it.  I really have no problem with it or his letter.  I just wish he would've congratulated the rest of the guys or something.  That would've taken some of the sting away.

Anyhow, I thought the speeches were really good, genuine, and heartfelt.  I was surprised Steven was so brief.  I have to say, I have a whole new appreciation for Myles for stepping up on Saturday.  I know he's not loved by all, but he allowed me to see Slash, Duff, Matt, Steven, and Gilby rocking out to 3 classic GNR songs that I so dearly love.  That alone was worth the 9 1/2 hour trip to Cleveland for me.  Getting to finally see Slash live, ripping up those solos was mesmerizing.  The man is a larger than life figure on stage.  I think he got the loudest ovations all night of anyone that was there.  I'm all for Myles in Velvet Revolver, not that I wasn't before.  Although, that's a discussion for a different day.  But I honestly appreciate Myles coming through when things looked so bleak.  And in the end, it probably worked out better that Axl didn't show up because then a performance may not have happened at all.

Overall, I had a great time.  And for all the shit the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame gets, I thought they put on an amazing show with all things being considered.  The night had all the makings of being a complete and utter disaster, but it exceeded my expectations and made the trip well worth it.