Hopeless Records Celebrates 30th Anniversary with Historic Rock Hall Exhibit and Festival

The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland will celebrate thirty years of the seminal punk label Hopeless Records this August. On August 24th and 25th, the Museum will host Hopeless’ traveling road show – the “Hopeless Museum” – during a special weekend of performances by Hopeless artists, and an additional exhibit dedicated to the label’s thirtieth anniversary will be opening that weekend in the Museum’s Main Exhibit Hall. This new exhibit is a first of its kind celebration of a modern independent label central to the young alternative movement.

The “Hopeless Museum’s” weekend visit to the Rock Hall on August 24th and 25th follows its debut at The Valley Relics Museum in Los Angeles, and a stop in NYC this June. The Museum’s 1,000+ unique artifacts from across 150+ Hopeless artists’ careers include everything from All Time Low’s first gold single plaque, Synyster Gates’ guitar from Avenged Sevenfold’s platinum album Waking The Fallen (2002), and lyrics from The Wonder Years’ album Suburbia I’ve Given You All And Now I’m Nothing, to on-stage outfits, instruments, and other items from Hopeless’ new stars like PVRIS, Destroy Boys, Scene Queen, Fame On Fire, LØLØ, NOAHFINNCE, and Point North. Other memorable moments from Hopeless’ last thirty years – like a letter from the estate of Leonard Bernstein praising Punk Side Story (1995) a cover of the West Side Story soundtrack and a signed guitar from the 2008 Take Action Charity Tour – are on display as well.

Hopeless Museum Traveling Exhibit (Credit Hopeless Records / Lisa Johnson)

More Hopeless Museum: Schlong’s ‘Punk Side Story,’ and letter from the Bernstein Estate (Credit Hopeless Records / Lisa Johnson)
In October, the Museum will conclude its national tour at the Punk Rock Museum in Las Vegas.

The Rock Hall’s Hopeless exhibit, which opens the same weekend, will feature curated items ranging from the Van Nuys, CA label’s first-ever release, Guttermouth’s 11 oz and several of their original-pressing zines from the 90s, to lyrics from Neck Deep’s self-titled album released in January, and a custom shirt created for the Illuminati Hotties POWER album cover. Additional items will include Avenged Sevenfold’s Bass Guitar, a Hoodie from Waterparks’ Awsten Knight (that he wore in the “Watch What Happens Next” music video), lyrics from The Wonder Years’ album The Greatest Generation (2013), Scene Queen’s stage-worn top (2023), and other artifacts from some of Hopeless’ best-known acts such as Thrice, The Used, and Sum 41.

Avenged Sevenfold’s Bass Guitar, which will be included in The Rock Hall’s Hopeless Exhibit (Credit Hopeless Records / Melissa Be)
To celebrate the launch of the Rock Hall’s Hopeless exhibit, and the “Hopeless Museum’s” Rock Hall stop, Hopeless and the Rock Hall will host a special grand opening event on Saturday, August 24th that will feature acoustic performances from Awsten Knight from Waterparks (acoustic), Illuminati Hotties (full band), Dan Campbell from The Wonder Years (acoustic), and a special guest DJ set from Scene Queen. Alt Press founder Mike Shea will host a Q&A panel as well (separate ticket required). Guests will be able to purchase a vintage design Hopeless shirt in the Rock Hall gift shop, take home 30th-anniversary Hopeless zines, and even take a selfie with Hank the Pigeon, the six-foot-tall mascot of The Wonder Years, who will be flying in for the day.  Tickets for the live performances on the Rock Hall’s Union Home Mortgage outdoor plaza are $5; a “concert-plus” ticket is also available for $35 which includes the concert as well as the ability to tour all Rock Hall exhibits.  A limited number of Rock Hall Hopeless Bundle tickets, which additionally include access to the Q&A panel with Mike Shea in the Museum’s Foster Theater, are available for $45.

Greg Harris, President & CEO of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, said “We are excited to celebrate this impactful, stand-out, independent label. For thirty years, Hopeless has been a trailblazer in punk, and pop-punk, and it’s awesome to honor that genre and its fans with this celebration/exhibit.”

Since label founder Louis Posen put out that first Guttermouth EP through to today, Hopeless Records has been dedicated to fostering a home for the most cutting-edge alternative artists on the scene, and making that scene a better place for everyone involved. Read more below on its story and its evolution over time, including the launch of its charity arm, The Hopeless Foundation, which has raised over $3 million for more than 150 causes.

Louis Posen said ahead of the Rock Hall exhibit “Alternative music is ever-evolving, and the hundreds of albums we have released for 150+ artists these past thirty years has really reflected the diversity and possibilities that stem from the punk rock attitude, ethos, culture and community. We’re beyond thrilled to get to work with the awesome people at such a revered institution like the Rock Hall to celebrate this milestone in such a meaningful way – as  representatives for our artists, for our scene and for independent music.”

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