Re-Howard Kaufman

Hey Bob,

Long time no see or talk to. I guess it takes something like this. Well, as usual, you were right on the money with your piece on HK (pardon the pun). I haven't told a lot of people this story, but I think you would appreciate it. (code of the road, of course ha ha). Once upon a time, back in the days when conflict of interest actually was a problem, Irving went to run Universal and divested himself of Frontline, my management company. It was a puzzling time for me, because Irving told me, it would be okay, but Irving was my manager and the one I talked to the most back then. HK, was the accountant and fire brigade for some of Irving's incendiary moments. That is when HK management started, and since none of us in those days had contracts (can you even fucking imagine that in this day?), I was free to make that switch or look for an option. My decision, at the time was to ask Nina to manage me. She politely refused and said these few words. "You should stick with Howard. You will be ok."

As might be expected, it was a tough day for all of us, having just spoken to him on Tuesday, planning to have breakfast with him yesterday and go over the summer tour. I got a call in the morning, saying he wasn't feeling well and I rescheduled for today. Well, that meeting did not happen. But what did happen, was that Howard Rose, Charlie and I went to work and locked in the May run of the tour, because that is exactly what HK would have wanted us to do. Three-quarters of the way through your piece, I broke down and had a good cry, which I needed to do. Thanks for that. I finished it, and was laughing by the end. Thanks for you no bullshit expose on the man who figured out to just let me be myself. It worked, and I am still here and will thank him and toast him, for a good while. I was incredibly lucky that he came into my life, and I will try and pass on a little of that wisdom to those who might be interested. Keep writing. Fins Up

Jimmy Buffett

_____________________________________

Howard and I started Caribou Management for Jim Guercio in 1967. He was an accountant and I was only a few years out of the William Morris mailroom in Beverly Hills. Howard was the business manager and I was the personal manager. Jimmy had a vision of how a management company should work. He called it a "creative community" and it was our job to create, or rather invent the business model and make it work. There were no rules or no road map. We figured it out on the fly and Howard figured it out quickly. In ten years, Caribou was a multi million dollar business but when he left, I left. When I did, I took what Howard taught me and now 40 years later I still feel his presence when a deal is on the table in front of me.

Rest Well Partner. You've earned it.

Larry Fitzgerald
FITZGERALD HARTLEY
Nashville

_____________________________________

Howard was a wonderful man, kind, generous, caring. I've been with HK Management for 38 years. The clients adored him, and most of the people at the company have been here for decades. He was so brilliant, you couldn't help but learn from him. We are devastated and will miss him so much. A very sad day for all of us.

Laurie Gorman

_____________________________________

Hi Bob. I wanted to share an HK story with you. It was 1988, and I was working with Jimmy Iovine as an A&R guy, at our offices on the A&M lot, before Interscope was built in Westwood. I was living with Stevie Nicks as her roommate, and had just resigned as Stevie's personal assistant. I was approached by Sheryl Louis and Gerri Leonard and told that Howard Kaufman wants to meet with me to be his partner, and co-manage Stevie. Howard and I had a conversation and I said to Howard, that Stevie had a manager! Howard said.... Glen! I know she has a manager but her ticket prices are to low, and so are her guarantees! ("Typical Howard looking out for the artist"!) I told Howard, that I was working with Jimmy Iovine already and didn't know if Stevie would want to make a move. Howard said whatever Jimmy is paying you....I'll pay you double! I was at a crossroads in my life and torn of which decision to make. Either be Howard's partner and manage Stevie Nicks or leave Stevie and stay a part of Interscope with Jimmy. I really liked the idea of co-managing Stevie, plus Stevie and I had been roommates for 10 years and were best friends! I wanted to make sure she was in good hands, so I said to Howard, that I was in.... if Stevie would agree to fire her current manager and hire Howard and myself. Howard said Glen! set up a meeting and I'll talk to Stevie. I then told Stevie the plan and she agreed to hear us out! Howard and Stevie talked and after their conversation Stevie asked me to call her current manager and fire him!

I did, and the rest is history! Howard and I came on board as Stevie's managers. Howard gave me my start as a manager in the music business, and I will always be grateful! HK will be missed by many! Rest in peace Howard..... XX

Best,
Glen Parrish

_____________________________________

Thank you for acknowledging how great of a manager and a person he was I'm saddened to hear about his passing he was a friend and a supporter I really loved him
There was only one HK and there will not be another
We lost a great man

Louis Messina

_____________________________________

I never had a conversation with Howard in which I didn't learn something…….or have a chuckle.
Clearly he was one of a kind.

Jim Morey

_____________________________________

Howard did love his job and that was the first thing i noticed when i first was introduced to him. Was lucky to have had several conversations and absorb a little bit of his wisdom. He was a mentor to a lot of colleagues who are half his age.

Ryan Kravontka

_____________________________________

They don't make them like HK anymore, Bob. I hope he and his longtime assistant Lynda Lou Bouch are up in heaven rolling calls as we speak. Sadly we lost them both in the past year.

Peter Rinker

_____________________________________

I loved working with Howard and learned so much about the business from him- do's and dont's- when and when not to pull the trigger. He always believed in his artists more than anything and we were there to support him and bring their vision to life.

I learned from the best, the guy we called Howard.

He will be missed...Rest My Friend.

Matt Gaines

_____________________________________

If you had Howard Kaufman on your side, you really didn't need anyone else.

He was a gentleman and an icon.

He will be missed.

John Ferriter

_____________________________________

From: Danny Zelisko

"If my act goes into percentage, I didn't charge you enough."

It's just business.

Howard Kaufman

_____________________________________

Thanks Bob kind words for Howard he was the winner he worked hard and made a lot of artist very successful.

Don Fox

_____________________________________

"If a show goes into percentage, I made a bad deal on the guarantee." That's my favorite HK-ism. The combination of Howard and Howard .... Kaufman as manager and Howard Rose as agent..... were like Gehrig and Ruth. Feared and respected like none other.

Tom Rooney

_____________________________________

Thank you for this. I had not heard. I once sat next to him on a plane. At the time I was exhausted, nervous, stressed and had been interviewing job candidates on a market visit. Worried about money. He said "The money is the easy part" then that man kindly went over and basically redid a whole radio programming budget between the time the movie ended and before we landed, showing me how we could make it work.

I kept his card, and followed up with a note. I never forgot him.

Valerie Geller

--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/?utm_source=phplist5714&utm_medium=email&utm_content=text&utm_campaign=Re-Howard+Kaufman
--
http://www.twitter.com/lefsetz?utm_source=phplist5714&utm_medium=email&utm_content=text&utm_campaign=Re-Howard+Kaufman
--
If you would like to subscribe to the LefsetzLetter,
http://www.lefsetz.com/lists/?p=subscribe&id=1&utm_source=phplist5714&utm_medium=email&utm_content=text&utm_campaign=Re-Howard+Kaufman

If you do not want to receive any more LefsetzLetters, http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=unsubscribe&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25&utm_source=phplist5714&utm_medium=email&utm_content=text&utm_campaign=Re-Howard+Kaufman

To change your email address http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=preferences&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25&utm_source=phplist5714&utm_medium=email&utm_content=text&utm_campaign=Re-Howard+Kaufman

-- powered by phpList, www.phplist.com --

The Inauguration

I couldn't watch.

People have been sending me notes all day, about Trump's speech, about the few people in attendance.

I lived through the election of Nixon. The sixties had brought so much positive change, we thought it was impossible to retreat. But the truth is, we didn't.

We've got gay marriage.

For now, you can get an abortion.

And believe it or not, in many states marijuana is legal, amazing that we had a black President before that, but both were unthinkable back then.

But the truth is, socially we live in a very liberal country. Democratic principles win in the end. It's just that the sixties ended and greed became good and there was a tear in the fabric of our nation far exceeding the gap between hippies and rednecks, it's between the rich and the poor, and I don't know how we find our way out of this.

And the funny thing is you can be educated and poor. Elite in thinking but empty of wallet.

But what drove the revolution, what drove change back in the sixties, was art.

Art is our only savior.

And if you noticed, very few artists wanted to show up at the inauguration. And that's a start. Because a true artist has a backbone, will not do what's expedient, but knows that character is everything and what you choose not to do is oftentimes just as important as that which you do.

But art has become about money. My inbox is filled with musicians bitching. And I'll argue all day long that no one should go to bed hungry, or without a roof over their head, but I'll also say that not everybody is entitled to make a living as an artist, but I will say that living is worthless without art.

Everybody's looking over their shoulder, at what the other person's got. And they want theirs. Whereas artists are singular, they march to the beat of their own drummer. And the power of the individual...

Can never be overstated.

I'm not saying all corporations are evil, but most are. People love Apple, but it doesn't pay taxes, not many anyway. And when confronted with this fact, the Cupertino majordomos just point their fingers at the other guy, and say he's doing it too. Kinda like the "artists" who make me-too music. We've had enough of that.

They rolled up radio and added a ton of commercials yet it's a dead format for music anyway, kinda like MTV, but once upon a time it had power, they both had power, I believe that young people's minds were opened by the music television service, they saw people of different colors, different sexual orientations, and they came to the conclusion...that we're all the same under the skin.

But when things are going badly, you need a scapegoat.

In Germany, it was the Jews.

In America, it's the capitalists who stole the jobs. Then again, these same finger-pointers venerate the capitalists. And if that doesn't make your head spin, you know which newspaper to trust, but suddenly it's every man for himself.

That's what America has turned into, a nation where it's every man for himself. Safety nets are for losers and need to be eviscerated and you'd better not take my job, not if you're an immigrant, not if you're an environmentalist...

Once upon a time we were all in it together, or at least it felt that way.

Now you wonder if anybody's on your team, if anybody will be there when you need a helping hand.

And if you think protest and news pieces will bring down Trump...

They would have brought him down already.

But art?

Art can topple him. Not overnight, but in time.

People don't have time to watch the news, but they go to the movies.

Hip-hop kills on streaming services, the right anti-Trump song could be...

But we've been hearing for years that bands are brands. You're a mini-empire.

No, that's completely untrue. You're an artist, that's it, the rest is trappings.

Artists lent their hand to the Dakota Pipeline protests...

Artists voiced their concerns about transgender rights in North Carolina...

And they made a difference. Hell, at least most people know what "transgender" means now, and that's a start.

We could be on the eve of destruction. But when one heard Barry McGuire's voice come out of the transistor, you felt like someone was speaking for you, someone had your back, and for others...they could finally see the truth of the situation.

Believe me, most people were for the Vietnam War before they were against it. It's fine to change your mind. It's the mark of an educated person.

So...

The public does not believe in Washington.

Most don't believe in Fox.

But they do believe in Beyonce and Jay Z and the more stories you read about artists speaking truth to power, the more blowback there is, the more you know they're doing it right.

Hell, Toby Keith showed up in D.C., but none of the rest of the supposedly right wing Nashville acts did. They don't want a stain on their image, ain't that a switch.

So I don't know exactly where it goes from here, but there's got to be some way out of this place, said the joker to the thief.

And Bob Dylan was the product of a long history of folk music, of protest music. And if you listen to his old records you'll see they're closer to hip-hop than they are to the Beatles, he's almost talking the words, at a mile a minute. And Ice-T and the rest of the rappers were right about the police and...

We've still got a tradition of speaking the truth, it might be buried under a bit of detritus, but...

If we can inspire artists to create something undeniable...

The business people will fall in line.

And then the public will rally.

And when you unite the people behind a message, nothing can stop them, nothing.

We are in charge, we, the people. And we pay fealty to artists. We spread the word online.

We're just waiting for instruction.

Help us out, speak the truth, illuminate the situation, tell us what to believe and what to do.

Because we're hungry to know.

And we're depending upon you.


--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/?utm_source=phplist5713&utm_medium=email&utm_content=text&utm_campaign=The+Inauguration
--
http://www.twitter.com/lefsetz?utm_source=phplist5713&utm_medium=email&utm_content=text&utm_campaign=The+Inauguration
--
If you would like to subscribe to the LefsetzLetter,
http://www.lefsetz.com/lists/?p=subscribe&id=1&utm_source=phplist5713&utm_medium=email&utm_content=text&utm_campaign=The+Inauguration

If you do not want to receive any more LefsetzLetters, http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=unsubscribe&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25&utm_source=phplist5713&utm_medium=email&utm_content=text&utm_campaign=The+Inauguration

To change your email address http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=preferences&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25&utm_source=phplist5713&utm_medium=email&utm_content=text&utm_campaign=The+Inauguration




-- powered by phpList, www.phplist.com --

Howard Kaufman

He famously told a household name band he'd make them more money in two years than they had in the previous twenty.

And then he did.

Most people don't know who he was. Because unlike those that followed him into the business, Howard was not about fame, he was about protecting the interests of his artists, and money.

And everybody cares about the money. Knock around this business long enough and you'll hear the famous cliche... "It's not about the money, it's about the money."

And Howard started off as an accountant. He worked with James William Guercio. And then he went on to partner with Irving Azoff and steer the careers of Jimmy Buffett and Stevie Nicks and Aerosmith and Def Leppard and... You want someone in your corner, and that was Howard. He could be funny and he could be stern, but one thing's for sure, you could not pull the wool over his eyes.

The first time I met him was on a plane down to Chula Vista, to see Jimmy Buffett, and he told me Fleetwood Mac was gonna reform and I asked him about new material and he told me he'd be happy if they never made another record. This was 2003, he already knew where the bucks were buried, on the road. You see old does not mean dumb, does not mean over the hill, oftentimes it means wisdom and foresight and Howard had it.

And now he's dead.

I won't say he died before his time, prematurely, that he was cut down in his prime, he was 79, but yesterday he was in the office, manning the phones, working, he had time left on his clock.

Only it turned out he didn't.

Huh.

This has been a very strange year. Although the press has gone on about the passing of legends, from Bowie to Frey to Prince to George Michael to lesser luminaries like Dan Hicks, even Leonard Cohen, the story has been about the individuals and their work.

But really, it's about the passing of an era.

This music business didn't sprout in its present incarnation overnight. There were a lot of twists and turns, it was invented along the way. Bill Graham may have institutionalized rock concerts, but it was Led Zeppelin's manager Peter Grant who flipped the script, who had Jimmy and the boys getting ninety percent of the money, because after all, everybody knew the show was gonna sell out.

And in the twenty first century, Jimmy Buffett was getting over a hundred percent of the gross. How can that be, you ask. Because even if you give him all the ticket revenue you're gonna make bank on parking and merch and food and beverage. Hell, if you're a guaranteed sell out there's enough money for everybody.

And there was plenty of money in the seventies. There were no billionaires. Rock stars were as rich as anybody in America. The only difference was, they were beholden to nobody. If they acted out, the manager just peeled off enough hundreds to make it right. It was the wild west, no wonder the Eagles made a concept album entitled "Desperado."

And we've had a couple of revolutions in this century. We had Napster and the changing of distribution to all you can eat streaming. And, of course, the internet has also fostered the social media revolution, and tech has made it so the cost of production has sunk.

But the era of the one of a kind musician, riding through town defining the game as he played it? That's through. Most of the business has become institutionalized.

So, it's not as simple as David Bowie's body of work, it's also about hearing of an act that's not on the radio and buying the album and becoming infatuated and going to see the act at a club or a theatre where they blow you away and you tell everybody you know and you drag them to the next show and eventually they get a song on the radio and everybody knows and you tell them you were there first but all the time you're foraging for new acts.

And the acts neither sounded the same nor used the same producers. And their skills were paramount, how they looked was secondary. If you couldn't sing, write and play, you couldn't make it.

And if you didn't have the right team, your career was a nonstarter.

You ended up with Howard. After you'd been ripped off by others, because Howard knew the landscape, he knew where every dollar was buried. In a world where concert promoters show you books that say they lost money, how do you figure out the real numbers? The kickback from the hall, the advertising shenanigans...only through experience.

There was a plethora of people who learned this way. There were no school programs, there were no books, because it was being invented along the way.

And now they're passing too.

You can read about some thirty year old wanker getting a promotion at the label but that person... It's like working on the assembly line making cars in Mexico. You're filling a role, but it's very different and with a lot less excitement than it was working at Ford a hundred years ago, never mind being Ford.

But the baby boomers remember. Right time, right place. The Beatles were on TV and it all blew up. But that was more than fifty years ago. Some of the music survives, but most of the story does not. How we got from there to here. From terrible sound systems with no production to great sound systems with hi-def projection. From tickets sold for $3 at record stores to clicking to buy on your mobile phone from StubHub for over a hundred.

I'll let others who knew Howard better tell his story. But I was always intrigued by both his intensity and his laughter, and his dedication to the job.

Because it's about the work.

Whether you're slinging burgers at McDonald's or pushing paper at Goldman Sachs, you spend a lot of time there and you've got to enjoy it. And, if you dislike where you are, you have to find a way to something better. To the point where the day before you die, despite having enough cash for your whole neighborhood to retire, you go to work, because you love it.

Howard Kaufman loved his job.

And those he represented loved him.

And in a world where we're all ultimately forgotten, that's all you can ask for.


--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/?utm_source=phplist5712&utm_medium=email&utm_content=text&utm_campaign=Howard+Kaufman
--
http://www.twitter.com/lefsetz?utm_source=phplist5712&utm_medium=email&utm_content=text&utm_campaign=Howard+Kaufman
--
If you would like to subscribe to the LefsetzLetter,
http://www.lefsetz.com/lists/?p=subscribe&id=1&utm_source=phplist5712&utm_medium=email&utm_content=text&utm_campaign=Howard+Kaufman

If you do not want to receive any more LefsetzLetters, http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=unsubscribe&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25&utm_source=phplist5712&utm_medium=email&utm_content=text&utm_campaign=Howard+Kaufman

To change your email address http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=preferences&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25&utm_source=phplist5712&utm_medium=email&utm_content=text&utm_campaign=Howard+Kaufman




-- powered by phpList, www.phplist.com --

Trump

This is a classic case of disruption. And until the Democrats recognize this, change their strategy, they're doomed. Talking about the popular vote is no different from record labels saying customers preferred CDs in the era of Napster. Trump won with a new playbook appealing to a broad swath of the public and until the left wing wakes up and adjusts its plan it will not succeed.

Then there are those who think it's the same as it ever was. That shenanigans were employed and all the markers pointing to a sea change don't apply, because politics never changes, wrong. First we had Brexit, then we had Trump, now people are laughing at the World Economic Forum, the elites lost control, and now they keep circling the wagons whilst telling us they're right and one would laugh if it weren't so scary.

Clayton Christensen tells one to beware of servicing the same old audience.

The Democrats decided to appeal to Wall Street and Silicon Valley and took for granted that minorities would vote for them, believing the disadvantaged had no other choice.

Christensen also says the disruptor is laughable at first, inadequate, but it keeps getting better until it triumphs. Donald Trump is laughable, and he continues to be, but he appealed to people who felt they were not being listened to and they voted him into office.

Who were these people?

The left-behinds. The ones who used to have high-paying blue collar jobs, the ones who used to be in unions. And you can say a vote for Trump is worse for them, but they were ready to upend the table to get attention, because no one was listening to them.

And the response from the left wing elite?

They're idiots! The left wing cannot stop denigrating the Trump voter, at the same time blaming it all on someone else. All those stories about the advantaged voting for Trump... The Donald won because of Ohio, Michigan and Wisconsin, where jobs are scarce and there's economic depression, not that this was unknown, for years touring acts have avoided the Ohio Valley, because people don't have enough money, they just went where the bucks were.

The left wing went where the bucks were.

And ran the wrong candidate.

The establishment is always blindsided. Blame Debbie Wasserman Schultz. Blame the entire Democratic Party apparatus. They couldn't see the disaffection with Hillary, they couldn't see the Bernie Sanders groundswell. People wanted anybody but her, and they didn't want Joe Biden, they wanted an outsider. To this date the Dems can't admit they've lost touch with their base. Once again, the disruptor is imperfect at the advent, Bernie was too old and a socialist and...that didn't stop him from almost getting the nomination.

And then Trump kept rolling over his competitors. How come no Democrat got scared, why did they think this could never happen to them?

And in the general election, the Democrats played by the old rules. It's all about the ground game, which Trump didn't have. You play civilly, while Trump is bloviating everywhere. It didn't work, now what?

The news...

You can print the truth in the "New York Times" all day long, it won't make a difference. It's not that people didn't know about Trump's faux pas, they didn't care! The right wing has decimated the reputation of the "Times," however unfairly. But to think it can be resuscitated...

The move to make MSNBC a left wing outlet, to compete with Fox, was a masterstroke. The only problem is television does not control the debate. The internet has been here for decades, and the left wing, although it features numerous blogs, has been left behind.

Did you read any of Hillary's tweets? Spoken like a robot from "Westworld," only with less personality. Everybody's addicted to their phones and the left is oblivious.

The Donald knew it was all about immediacy. With his Twitter account. Direct access to millions. And what do the Democrats do? Laugh and complain!

He's on to something here folks. Where is the left wing Twitter account everybody is talking about? It doesn't exist. The Democrats are like a rock band in the age of hip-hop. Remember Geffen Records? Toast of the town and then death when it wasn't in black music.

And the left is just waiting for the musicians to wake up. But Trump knows they never will, that they do not matter, that they're business people, with less acumen than he has. Today's artists color inside the lines while he's all over the place, kinda like Van Halen with the brown M&M's. You want a story that can spread, even if the truth is contrary to what the public believes.

And Trump knows it's about star power. Anybody in the music business will tell you it's less about talent than star power. But the Democrats ran Hillary Clinton because it was her turn? It's like trying to get Donnie Wahlberg to number one today, it just can't happen. Times change.

So how did the music industry reverse its fortunes?

First of all, it denied there was a problem for a decade, blamed piracy on its audience, unaware of the perspective of consumers.

Consumers were sick and tired of overpaying for one good track on a CD, when they got an alternative, they employed it. But the fat cats in the industry thought they were entitled to the CD paradigm forever. They didn't even use Napster, they didn't understand its advantages. The left wing refuses to walk in the Trump voter's shoes. All the Democrats can do is cross their arms and say Trump voters are idiots, not understanding that they're worried about their jobs and sick and tired of the left wing playing to special interests that don't include them. And this applies to all of Washington, the average person thinks the government is both corrupt and ineffective, that's why they went for an outsider, why Trump overran all his competition. Where is the outsider on the left? Well, there's kinda one, Elizabeth Warren, who is not afraid to bark back and takes no prisoners, but just like the Republicans, the Democrats are scared of her, do not rally around her, they let her stand on her own. And she's 67. Who is next?

And then Steve Jobs got the music industry to take a risk, with the iTunes Store.

No one is making the Democrats take a risk, they continue to live in an echo chamber.

And then came Daniel Ek and Spotify. Illustrating that disruption always comes from the outside.

The young Democratic voter demonstrated this, by supporting Bernie, but he was ignored. But he will rise again. In a party that does not want to hear his message.

And, of course, it could be a she too. But there you go again, Democrats. So busy playing by rules most don't care about that you're marginalized.

Human rights are important. As are gender rights. Everybody should be protected. But if this is your main message, you're screwed. Everybody was lining up with hosannas that we would finally have a woman President. Sometime, we will. But Hillary was a bad candidate. The public had no problem electing a black man, it's the person, not the color or the gender. But it's easier to blame it on sex than look at the real issues.

The Democrats are a rearguard party that have lost touch with their principles. They used to be for the working man, the downtrodden, their goal was to lift everybody up. Now they've left these same people behind, and they turned on them.

This is not about fake news. This is not about the Russians. Why the left refuses to look at itself, I do not know. Instead of reading the "New York Times" they should be studying business, the aforementioned Clayton Christensen, then again, the "New Yorker" famously printed an article saying disruption does not exist.

Hogwash.

The truth is the rich have gotten richer and jobs are disappearing and it's only getting worse. And the disaffected are not looking for platitudes, but solutions. And the left wing is proffering few.

Yes, Obama passed health care. Yes, if it disappears it will be to the detriment of millions. But the person working for a living just can't make it here anymore. Kinda like that James McMurtry song, wherein he catalogued the travails of the working class. Once upon a time that was a left wing number, but now "We Can't Make It Here" is the story of the right. How they're working at Wal-Mart without any upward mobility. Meanwhile, the elite Democrats are laughing at them.

But the people who elected Trump do not see him as an elite. They know he's flawed, but they're counting on him to make change. Look at the voters, not the man they put in office. And know that there's nothing wrong with protests, stand up for your rights, but you've got to admit you played it wrong and start over employing today's tools, getting ahead of the populace.

But the Democrats refuse to do this.

--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/?utm_source=phplist5711&utm_medium=email&utm_content=text&utm_campaign=Trump
--
http://www.twitter.com/lefsetz?utm_source=phplist5711&utm_medium=email&utm_content=text&utm_campaign=Trump
--
If you would like to subscribe to the LefsetzLetter,
http://www.lefsetz.com/lists/?p=subscribe&id=1&utm_source=phplist5711&utm_medium=email&utm_content=text&utm_campaign=Trump

If you do not want to receive any more LefsetzLetters, http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=unsubscribe&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25&utm_source=phplist5711&utm_medium=email&utm_content=text&utm_campaign=Trump

To change your email address http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=preferences&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25&utm_source=phplist5711&utm_medium=email&utm_content=text&utm_campaign=Trump

-- powered by phpList, www.phplist.com --

Re-Kenny Aronoff

I go back to engineering for John Mellencamp at Belmont Mall in Indiana in the 80's and I have recorded Kenny on more projects then any other drummer I've ever recorded.
Kenny is class act. The best of the best and a one of a kind unique energy and force to be reckoned with. His spirit comes through every take and his finesse and expertise is a thing of beauty.
He does chart every song he has ever done and keeps a file cabinet with them archived. When you hire Kenny you get all of Kenny and this is why he is still so busy.
I love him like a brother and he makes me smile every time I see his head do the Kenny bobble head pivot while he is grooving.
Thanks for giving him the props and the shout out. He deserves every bit of the accolades that he is getting now.
Self promotion is not a bad thing if you work hard for it and Kenny is the hardest traveling , hardest hitting and hardest working drummer I know ..
The only musician pal of mine that can rival Kenny for his work ethic now is Steve Lukedaddy Lukather.
Great musicians bring their personalities into the room and into their music.
I only hope that the younger upcoming pups take note of the timeless energy that is generated like alchemy by these guys twice their age.
Success is the good fortune that comes from aspiration, perspiration, desperation, and inspiration.
Thanks again Bob for giving Kenny the much deserved shout out.

Ross Hogarth

____________________________________

From: Steve Lukather

I LOVE Kenny.
We have done a lot of records and live shows together over the years and he is a joyful man... funny as hell and a great drummer.
The 2 of us together are trouble.
He is a bad ass pro that rarely if ever makes a mistake... but he writes out every note he plays!
He is THAT good of a schooled musician but he still plays like a punk.
His parts are well thought out and creative but if you wanna fuck Kenny up.. steal his music.
Or better yet.. what I did was I RE-wrote some impossible odd time drum fills on his chart for a pop record we did a millions years ago.. might have been Belinda Carlisle in the 80's.
( Some record producers did not find us as funny as we thought we were haha)
He was reading his part and I looked up and he fell apart laughing and stopped playing cause it was an impossible drum fill. I was curious if he just read all that music for show cause lets face it.. we were NOT playing ' The Black Page' by Zappa. haha
But always a pro, a rocker and one of the really good guys in this business. I love him, love working with him, and he plays his ass off EVERY time!

Luke

____________________________________

Love the Aronoff book and love Kenny. Pure energy. He and I have connected and interconnected over the years and are working on one or two things now. Excellent insight into our business. Ken Kragen

____________________________________

thanks for writing about Kenny,hes the hardest working man I ever met and as you said such a great,nice guy. Joe Cocker was co headlining but going on first for The American Woman tour 2001 with the reunited original Guess Who band.Joe insisted on a full 90 minute rehearsal ?every showday,Kenny would sometimes do a drum clinic for 75 minutes at noon before his soundcheck at 4 pm and show at 7 pm..and always a smile or time to say hello to crew guys etc backstage..it was a gruelling 9 months considering we spent 911 in NYC and wondered if we should all just go home or finish the remaining 6 months tour. On our final month together I was there when Joe's people had added a few casino shows on the end of the tour and Kenny was explaining he couldn't do the dates because 3 days post Joe's tour he was doing a Sheryl Crow record and a TV show with Willy Nelson...man's a machine!

Regards
Sam Boyd

____________________________________

Great story. Kenny is a gentleman. And a pro. Needed someone to fill in for a show with The Tearaways. He learned ten songs in a day and played them perfectly. Sweetheart.

John Ferriter

____________________________________

What a guy. He came through the town I live in about 10 years ago (or maybe more, time flies) doing a gig at our local mom n pop music store (Make N Music in Frederick, MD). Was absolutely professional, courteous, kind, and thorough. I'd followed his career a bit and knew of the big names he'd played for so it was a tad shocking years later to see him at a local spot in my town-but he treated it with the same level of respect as if it was a gig at MSG. All this time later, I've never forgotten that. MUCH respect.

-Justin Gosnell
Vestascension

____________________________________

Kenny's a great guy and helluva drummer. He has a groove you can sit on for ages. Beautifully written and thanks for saluting a genuine musician.

Best,
Fuzzbee Morse

____________________________________

Kenny just outworks everyone and says YES to everything! I mean everything! He's always 100% engaged in every session I've ever used him on.

I was at United producing Echosmith's record and we ran into him and he had just come from an 8 hr session at Capitol and was doing an 8 hour at United then flying out at midnight for a show in NYC the next day. This is his life 365 days a year!

He's a lot of fun and and always positive. He never complains and can eat a full jar of peanut butter in 10 minutes. Lol

A true pro and great friend!

Jeffery David

CRANBERRY MANAGEMENT

____________________________________

Kenny Aronoff is fucking music God.

Blessings and Gratitude~
Cathy Goodman

____________________________________

Hi Bob - no mention of Kenny having an identical TWIN? I thought that was pretty interesting, that his twin brother is also a very driven & successful person (& also as hyper as Kenny).

My first concert was Heart in 1981 or '82 - I was 9 or 10 - and John "Cougar" opened. American Fool had just dropped (Kenny describes the tour in the book) and actually Kenny Aronoff was the first rock musician I ever saw hit the stage in concert EVER because he came out first and starts playing a killer beat, the lights are going, it's LOUD (I still remember the crazy beat he played today (and it's still hard to replicate!) and the rest of the band comes out one by one & finally John.

I was completely hooked and became a nut for John Cougar/ Mellencamp (until The Police, Men At Work, Van Halen etc. the next year) after that show, and ultimately I became a drummer, too. I guess I owe a debt of gratitude to Mom's questionable parenting for bringing me to rock concert at that tender age (she really wanted to see Heart & dad was called out of town on business) but my life definitely changed that night, and Kenny was a part of it.

I have huge respect for Kenny (though I don't listen to any of the stuff he's working on anymore & haven't for 30+ years) I heard him on a podcast a couple months before his book came out & was so surprised listening to him speak. His accent, his stories, his humor, his confidence - impressed me all over again. So I got his book & devoured it.

I'm not going to pick it apart, but it wasn't my favorite auto/bio by a long shot. (I was really hoping he'd talk about that killer beat he played when the lights went down on the American Fool tour.. alas) but I've got to hand it to him for being so driven, so focused, so competent and so SUCCESSFUL. Glad you gave us the book report.

Justin Gray

____________________________________

You would have enjoyed last night's performance of Kenny with Phil X and Daniel Spriewald. Outstanding work.

I've been fortunate enough to know Kenny for a number of years now, and can verify that he is single minded, built like a freight train and in his realm, is without flaw.

His inspiration to those around him is astounding. He lifts you up while he talks to you like both a family member, and a friend. He care about everyone, regardless of knowing them, and does not have a negative thought in his skull. If we were all more like that, well, the world would be a better place.

The last thing about Kenny Aronoff that everyone should know ... he did all that himself. He chose how the future was going to be and was told that it wouldn't be that way, and he proved them wrong. Mellencamp rejected Kenny, and Kenny wouldn't take no for an answer. He's been that way ever since. He knows what's right for him, and he proves it. I honestly want to be more like Kenny Aronoff, and you should too.

Here's the video from last night:

http://sonicmag.com/drills-hijack-set-three-soundcheck-live-take-41/?utm_source=phplist5710&utm_medium=email&utm_content=text&utm_campaign=Re-Kenny+Aronoff

Joe Dolan
www.joedolanphotography.com

____________________________________

I'm a big Smashing Pumpkins fan and I've always loved Jimmy Chamberlain, but when he got kicked out of the band, and the group went on tour for their Adore album, Kenny did a tour with the group. I only know this because I've seen some great live videos of the Smashing Pumpkins playing in Bilbao and I was like, "Man, I love Jimmy, but this bald guy is kicking ass and taking names behind the kit." I had to find out who he was and I've been a fan anytime I've seen him play. Definitely going to pick up this book now!

Regards from a longtime reader/fan,
Evan Sanchez

____________________________________

So you're right about Kenny...he's one of the nicest guys I've ever met. And I think that he actually disproves the theory that "nice guys finish last." If you are really good, and really driven, and really smart and have the X factor--that special charming personality--you can make it. You don't have to be a prick.

My story about meeting Kenny is a good example of his good natured ways... it's 1990...I'm the drummer in a band on A&M records called "Hearts & Minds." We are about to record our first album at Mellencamp's recording studio in Indiana. I've hit the big time! (Although--ha ha-- we got dropped the following year)

Then my singer calls me--the record company wants to use another drummer---Kenny. After all, at the time he lived in Indiana, he was Mellencamp's drummer and the record company never heard of me. But my singer fights for me-- I am a really good drummer after all, and the record company agrees to have Kenny play on half of the album and me play on the other half.

I figured I could learn a lot by being there when Kenny is recording. So I ask if that's OK....and it is. So I go and I meet Kenny, and he is one of those people--I know you've met them, Bob---he's got that charisma and warmth that immediately puts you at ease and you like him right away. He could have been a dick-- but no, he answers all my questions during the sessions and we hang out and become friends. He takes an interest in me and encourages me!

Kenny has gotten me backstage at countless gigs since then, with so many artists. I also got some great auditions because he recommended me. He's genuine and open and warm and I believe that's a very big part of his success. I'm looking forward to reading the book.

Regards,
Mark Feldman
NYC

____________________________________

Thanks for sharing with us your enthusiasm for one of the greatest drummers I've had the pleasure of working with in the studio. He would fit into any musical setting, whether it was in Melissa Etheridge's recording and touring band, working with newcomer Jaime Kyle on her debut record, or driving the beat behind Bob Seger.

It was during a Seger concert at the Forum, that I went backstage during the show, underneath the stage, and came up behind the drums. They were laying down "Hollywood Nights", a slamming up-tempo song that has the drummer pounding away on the hi-hat on 1/16th notes for seven minutes, interspersed with the crack of the snare! I'll never forget the image of that bald head, bobbing to the beat, the spotlight streaming past him, sweat flying off in every direction. Kenny leaves a circle of sawdust from the obliterated drum sticks around his throne, he plays SO fucking loud! He's a prize fighter of a drummer. When the band came off-stage, he passed me with a huge little kid smile and gave me a big wet hug. Talk about passion...

His musicianship, his chameleon-like adaptation, and his endless work ethic are keys to his success. But it's that smile and wicked sense of humor that seals the deal.

-David Cole

____________________________________

Thanks for the tip on this one. Ordered!!

Paige J. Mann

____________________________________

Bravo Bob givin the drummer some!
Kenny is a legend to all of us who know and love him. He is not only an amazing musician but he has the special ability to make you feel like your the most important person on the planet when talking to you.
When I was writing and Producing the Sass Jordan Rats record in the early 90s Sass and I copied one of Kenny's fills from a JCM single and used it as a hook for her song....Why?because his fills are like hooks!
Then when I saw him I told him to his face that I nicked his drum fill without an ounce of shame...That's how much I respect him.

Stevie Salas

____________________________________

I remember seeing Kenny on drums for the Jefferson Airplane reunion in 1989. At the start of the show, the stage was dark, and suddenly Kenny explodes with the drum into to "She Has Funny Cars" and the spotlight is on him only. Exciting way to start the show! I've never heard that song played with so much power. I gained a lot of respect for him at that moment, despite having seen him drum with Mellencamp previously.

Bob Helm

____________________________________

Good stuff Bob. All about competence, discipline, hard work. Then, like Hal Blaine, you lose everything. No bitterness. You go on. I would never have picked up this book but now I will.

David Murphy

____________________________________

Apparently Kenny was so good and worked so fast in the studio that his nickname was Kenny Whip 'Em Off.

Iain Taylor

____________________________________

Nice . Kenny is one of the few drummer I consider to have a signature sound . I guess mainly because as you point out he attacks his drum kit . Another who comes to mind is Fred Young of the Kentucky Headhunters . The kit takes on a different sound with the force these guys release on them . Thanks for the read on Craig Fuller "American Flyer " was short lived . The song that caught my attention was "Flyer " . Caught Little Feat in Houston and Telluride when they regrouped it was quit a treat to see him and Paul pull together to cover Lowell's position in the band . Thanks for the read .

Ross Tilbury

____________________________________

So great to read your e-mail about my "big brother" Kenny Aronoff.

In the early 90's I was a 20 year-old aspiring singer, songwriter and producer working 52 hours a week at a local music store when Kenny stopped in for one of his famous drum clinics. I lived closest to the airport so I was offered up to drive him to his hotel afterward. We drove in my car and talked about music and touring and he asked to hear my stuff. After listening - he asked if he could have the cassette of my demos and I gave it to him. The next day at the music store, I was told I had a call waiting over the stores PA - it was Kenny. I thought it was a joke, but it was Kenny. He was very complimentary of my music and told me he wanted to work with me. Believe me, I found a way to make it happen with Kenny Aronoff playing drums on my songs - on a number of occasions. When I had a studio in my parents basement - Kenny came in and ROCKED their living room - without making me feel weird that we weren't recording in one of the biggest studios on the planet. My 20+ year relationship with one of the worlds greatest drummers isn't just professional. I was just some kid schmuck from bumble-fuck Wisconsin - and Kenny validated my choice and path. My career took me from a fledgeling artist, grammy-nominated engineer and mixer to now artist manager. Kenny has always offered up his experience and advice all along my journey - that is the purest support anyone could ask for. In a business that's filled with ugly people and practices - very few stand out to the human being that is Kenny Aronoff.

Best,

Kevin Sucher

____________________________________

He was my second first favorite drummer (Peter Chris was my first). Thanks for bringing this to my attention.

Thad Steele

____________________________________

I'm a singer/songwriter/front man/performer. I always found it challenging to play other people's music as a sideman. But, in 2012 through 2013 I was offered the gig of a lifetime that I actually struggled in accepting. It was to be a guitarist/sideman for John Fogerty. Hell yeah I was gonna take it, but I rarely played other people's bands and I was going were very few have gone before. The big time. Arena tours. Private Jets. Late Night shows, etc. I learned over 40 songs in a few days and flew from my current home of Kansas City to Los Angeles to rehearse/try out with the band. It was one of the most do or die moments in my life, but I knew my skills as a guitarist and my ability to work diligently would come through.

And there I got to know Mr. Kenny Aronoff. As well as other members of John's band. A few days into the tour while sitting in the van on a short 30 minute drive to the airport Kenny had a note pad, laptop and headphones out working on some material. When he took a few seconds break I managed to ask him what he's doing. Now, remember, I was fairly new to this world and still had illusions of rockstar grandeur. He was taking notes on Levon Helm's drumming style. What? Apparently after our three week tour across Canada he was going to play with Eric Clapton and others on a Levon Helm Tribute in Woodstock. This went on for days and days. He was constantly reading and writing charts for music that he was going to play in the near future. Led Zeppelin tribute with Kid Rock at the Kennedy Honors…on and on… All this in between quick moments at the hotel, on the van, or plane to the next gig.

I started to realize that others in the band were equally assertive in their craft. John Fogerty would spend hours playing scales and finger exercises on his carryon guitar. Our bassist Dave Santos (Billy Joel, CSN, Melissa Etheridge) told me the story about how he got the Billy Joel gig. He went out (before streaming) and bought every Billy Joel CD and charted and memorized his entire catalogue just on the chance that Billy might start up touring again!

Then I found out that on any given day off we had Kenny would find a local drum shop or music store and offer drum clinics! WHAT, ON YOUR DAY OFF?! This is when I realized there was something more to being just a musician hammering out rock and roll. I could tell he loved what he does and I never once considered him a prick. He knew everyone everywhere we went, whether he knew their name or not. He always had a smile and a handshake. He made me want to be a better player and always made me feel a part of the band!

David George

____________________________________

I love that you wrote about the guy who is behind the scenes/drums. One of the friendliest guys I have ever met in the business, and equally as talented.
I've ordered his book!

todd gallopo

____________________________________

Growing up in the Berkshires, I worked at Tanglewood for a few summers back in the early 90s. Kenny's mother had a season pass and was a frequent visitor - loved talking about her son the rock & roll drummer, and her other son the doctor (who might be a twin?), and she always gravitated to me because I knew who Kenny was from his gig w Mellencamp. As a young person who was passionate about contemporary music (and now works with hip hop artists more than anything else) but worked for a symphony orchestra at the time, I always appreciated how important it was to her that Kenny was classically trained, and how she viewed her children's successes equally. No way did my parents consider a life in rock & roll on a level with becoming a doctor! And that made me appreciate Kenny (and his mother!) even more.

Matthew Walt

____________________________________

Ah, yes. I remember the first year of marriage when my late wife and I had an apartment in an older Bloomington IN neighborhood. Kenny would come to a house across the street he used as a practice studio and I would enjoy hearing him rock. Friends at the IU music school hung with him on campus. It put him on my music radar from then on.

John Rowland

____________________________________

Thanks for letting us know about Aronoff's book.
Last I heard him play was with Fogerty. Kenny's the real deal.

G.Robey

____________________________________

In Ann and Nancy Wilson's autobiography they mention John Cougar being an asshole. In 1982 JC was opening up for Heart and he was gaining a lot of momentum with his "American Fool" album. He apparently told the Wilson sisters that they should be opening up for him since their album "...was a dud." Meanwhile the tour had nearly sold out before he had been announced as the opener (at least that's what the Wilsons said - I saw two shows on that tour and can't remember the deal, but I was there along with most of the fans to see Heart.)

I had the awkward pleasure of meeting Kenny Aronoff near the tour bus on the Jefferson Airplane reunion tour. I was with a crazy girl who wanted to go back by the tour bus. There are probably a dozen or more people like that in every city. Kenny came out and was super nice. I was embarrassed by my friend and made a sarcastic joke about her being a groupie. She slapped me in the face and Kenny said something to the effect that "I knew that was going to happen!" It was hilarious. I'm sure he had seen that kind of thing dozens of times. But he was a really nice guy. I asked him if he had fun doing the John Cougar videos like "Hurts So Good" and he said "...not really."

John Gaulke

____________________________________

Clearly Kenny is the man
Great interview here, where you can hear HIM tell the tale (great podcast in general, if you're into learning about the great drummers)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jf22x0T5a1A&utm_source=phplist5710&utm_medium=email&utm_content=text&utm_campaign=Re-Kenny+Aronoff

Jesse Lundy

____________________________________

Excellent !
I lived in Bloomington when Kenny did, didn't know him.
My hippy jam band Cottonmouth opened for Mahavishnu at The Ritz in Indianapolis in 1972...we didn't belong on the same stage as them... but nobody else did either.
The upshot...when I moved to NYC in 76' I couldn't believe how bad most of The musicianship was, having been blessed to have played with all those Indiana U. Music School dropouts...
Keep it up !
Kevin
Ps Mellencamp always hated my later Bloomington band
MX80 Sound...you can't please everybody, lol.

Kevin Teare

____________________________________

When the Jefferson Airplane did their one reunion tour in 1989, they didn't call Spencer Dryden, which I thought kind of sucked. But anyway, I go to their show at the Greek Theatre in Berkeley, they open with She Has Funny Cars, the first song on Surrealistic Pillow, with its classic drum intro, and damn if it isn't Kenny Arunoff up there. He was terrific, hitting hard but with Spencer's trademark jazzy stuff, just excellent. That was actually a great show, with everyone in tune and better sound than you ever had back in the day. The album sucked, but at least they tried. I would go see a band I don't know if Kenny is drumming in it.
Larry Fisher
Just a fan

____________________________________

Hi Bob,

Cool post. Aronoff also had a nice FB Live interview with Salon:

https://www.facebook.com/salon/videos/10154298447836519/?utm_source=phplist5710&utm_medium=email&utm_content=text&utm_campaign=Re-Kenny+Aronoff

Best from SF,
Michael Hardy

____________________________________

great interview

http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/art19/rock-solid/e/kenny-aronoff-43213010?utm_source=phplist5710&utm_medium=email&utm_content=text&utm_campaign=Re-Kenny+Aronoff

Frank Lewis

____________________________________

I met Kenny aronoff in the late 90's at a drum clinic at daddys junkie music in New England. this guy connected with all of us in between drumming his Ass off for about 90mins, and he was a very genuine, real, relatable guy. I remember watching him lug all his stuff in and out and thinking, wow, no roadies, entourage..he took the time to engage no Matter how Many were in attendance and thats what separates his kind from most. Amazing. That work ethic speaks for itself. Glad hes still doing well!

Evan Kandilakis
Mainia Recordings

____________________________________

As a fan of Kenny Aronoff, I had to read his book, even though $20 for a Kindle book felt ridiculous. I was blown away by how good it was, and hearing the stories of his hard work as a perpetual student and constant push to work as much as possible (hence the "Can He Earnenough" nickname) perfectly explained his success. But the best part was when I emailed him to praise the book, and mentioned how much I loved his playing on Corey Hart's "Bang" album. The next morning I got a wonderful personal email back from him, and again, his success seemed obvious: He is engaged, plugged in, and turned on ALL THE TIME!

Jer Gervasi
InMusic Brands

____________________________________

Thanks for writing about Kenny Aronoff. In 1989 I worked at HK / Front Line Mgt and had the pleasure of serving as Tour Mgr for the Jefferson Airplane reunion tour, which included all of the original band members and Kenny Aronoff as drummer.

During that tour, my mother was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer. Kenny Aronoff handed me a large folder that he had put together for my family containing information and materials related to this awful disease. His kind deed helped educate and comfort me and my family.

Aside from the fact that Kenny Aronoff is one of the world's greatest drummers, he should also be recognized as one of the world's finest human beings.

Thank you again for bringing attention to this gifted and beautiful person.

Ken Krasner

____________________________________

I've used Kenny Aronoff on a number of projects. He is always personable and positive whether the artists is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame or an artist doing their first record. Kenny insists on getting the songs before hand and he charts them out before he goes in the studio. He always has a game plan for the material and gives 110% with one of the best pockets in the business. As a member of the Los Angeles record making community we are so lucky to have him here in the entertainment capitol of the world.

Peter A. Barker
Producer A&R
www.spinmoverecords.com

____________________________________

Years ago I was flying back from a gig in Korea and noticed at baggage claim that Kenny Aronoff had also been on the flight. He was lugging drums out of The Thomas Bradley terminal but I just didn't have the balls to talk to him. A few weeks later I stopped into a buddy's session and there he was recording tambourine and some shakers. On break he approached me with so much gusto and warmth that it was hard not to be charmed instantly. I mentioned our shared flight back from Korea and he thought it was neat that we played right the same night but different clubs at the W Hotel in Seoul. I told him that his drum break in Jack and Diane was one the most iconic sound in rock history. He was thankful but also explained that he tried to get songwriting credit out of John Melloncamp when recording because he felt the same, but was told no one would even notice the drums.

He's a work horse and while giving clinics to young aspiring drummers these days he has no problem telling them "when you get out there I'M your competition going for the same gigs, so look out!" I've never seen anyone work harder and he deserves Every ounce of respect. I guarantee this story is one of a million you will find in your inbox soon enough.

Tommy Cunningham

____________________________________

Kenny's a sweetheart. Played on my 1st record at a very reasonable rate cuz he dug the music. I played guitar on the PBS Waylon & Cash TV tributes w/ him & a lot of A listers & hes always easily the most fun to hang with. Great letter on him Bob. onward, Jesse Dayton

____________________________________

Thanks Bob...you shine light on the soul of music once again!!
Very grateful for you talking about Kenny Aronoff.
That drum break in "Jack'n'Diane" is as iconic as Phil Collins break-in on "In the Air Tonight"!

I was a Jewish drummer in a gospel Rock band ..Mylon and Holy Smoke....early 70's.
We did Fillmore East with Mountain and Marc Bolen, and then nonstop arena tours with the Who's Next tour, Traffic
Ten Years After, Humble Pie.. etc...
As a drummer you are not respected unless your band-mates KNOW that you are the catcher on the team, every hit, with the glue and spirit to move audiences from
sitting in cold seats to standing encores.

I love to watch Aronoff in Kennedy Centers or Obama Inauguration bands.etc.. He is one of the greatest Surviving working drummers ever!
I can't write code, but I now run a hi-tech-royalty management
company (only) for the top composers of Film scores... I'm as thrilled today as I was playing a back-beat to tens of thousands
of people on Premier Talent tours...but Aronoff was able to do it longer, harder, better than almost anyone. Great that you noticed!

Marty Simon

____________________________________

Hi Bob,

Thank you soooooo much for a brilliant review, story, description, passionate, cool mention about my book in your blog...
I got a lot of emails and some were from ex label presidents, Lawyers, managers, business people, musicians etc etc... They loved what you wrote and your mazing approach... It was like a short story.. IT HAD FEELING!!

amazing...

I sent it to Steve Bellamy, someone I went to Indiana University with who has 8 or 9 films he produced in the Academy Awards this year.. Started the Tennis Channel years ago, owns Kodak film now... I believe he is buying a famous studio in Northern California where the premise is to record all records on Tape and release on vinyl... amazing right... Thank god... He carries the flag as the Analogue guy... Very cool right?

He wants to team me up with a young up and coming director to do a documentary on me... I don't want it to be about ME, the drummer guy. I want it to be like my book, how someone working hard, self disciplined, gets their ass kicked occasionally, never giving up... "fuck the lazy and entitled people' etc etc. Don't get me started on those people.

I want the documentary to be emotional and touch all kinds of people trying to succeed and make it... Even the single mothers trying to raise a family... But drumming and rock n roll is hopefully more exciting than the news we see everyday...

Anyway... Thanks : )

Kenny a

--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/?utm_source=phplist5710&utm_medium=email&utm_content=text&utm_campaign=Re-Kenny+Aronoff
--
http://www.twitter.com/lefsetz?utm_source=phplist5710&utm_medium=email&utm_content=text&utm_campaign=Re-Kenny+Aronoff
--
If you would like to subscribe to the LefsetzLetter,
http://www.lefsetz.com/lists/?p=subscribe&id=1&utm_source=phplist5710&utm_medium=email&utm_content=text&utm_campaign=Re-Kenny+Aronoff

If you do not want to receive any more LefsetzLetters, http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=unsubscribe&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25&utm_source=phplist5710&utm_medium=email&utm_content=text&utm_campaign=Re-Kenny+Aronoff

To change your email address http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=preferences&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25&utm_source=phplist5710&utm_medium=email&utm_content=text&utm_campaign=Re-Kenny+Aronoff

-- powered by phpList, www.phplist.com --

Happy Valley

I used to live at the movie theatre.

One of the greatest thrills of my life was moving to Los Angeles. Back in the days of platforming, when it could take months for a flick to make it to the hinterlands, if it ever got there at all, every single movie opened in Los Angeles. I went every night. I couldn't believe it. And when there was a gap, for this was when you could literally see everything, when there were about 115 movies a year, not counting foreign, I went to the revival house, the Nuart in West L.A., the Rialto in the Valley. Ultimately the Beverly... I'd scour the L.A. "Times" and pick out what I was going to see that night. On a day off, I might see two, maybe even three or four movies. Nowhere was too far to go, back when traffic was bad but not this bad, I'd drive out to Valley Circle. To that dump on Van Nuys Boulevard where during a showing of "Carrie" my girlfriend shushed the girl sitting in front of us and the young woman turned around and said "Shut up bitch." She did, we did.

And go to the movies we did. That was our very first date.

Actually, I asked her to see "Rocky," but she was busy. Not that I was absolutely sure I believed that, and I didn't have any plans to ask her out again, but then she called me up on a Monday night and asked me what I was up to and we ended up going to that revival house in Beverly Hills, that ultimately turned into a Fiorucci, then a bank and then god knows what and saw two Cary Grant movies. And I didn't think she was into it, but the next day at school...

She learned to shush people from me. Because, you see, I consider movies to be a religious experience. A journey to an alternative land where I'm safe from intrusions and am my best self. I think the first time I realized this was when I saw that Glenda Jackson movie in New Haven, I think it was "Sunday Bloody Sunday," could have been "A Touch Of Class." You see I fell in love with Ms. Jackson.

Now I'm in love with Sarah Lancashire.

Neither is classically beautiful, but in their roles, and I'm savvy enough at this age to realize they're rarely like the people they play, they both exude strength, I'm drawn to them, I can't get enough of them.

And I ultimately sought out every Glenda Jackson flick, another great is "Women In Love," but until the other week I had no idea who Sarah Lancashire was, until Jay recommended "Happy Valley."

That's all anybody wants to talk about, television. As my friend George Drakoulias says, he used to fight over records. Now nobody even talks about them. But they do tell you about their favorite series.

I've given up on a lot of the HBO and Showtime programs, maybe it's the memory of "The Sopranos," I'm not sure. But I'm constantly searching for a new Netflix series to sink my teeth into. Maybe it's because Netflix is breaking the paradigm, making all episodes available instantly, but one thing's for sure, when I pull up the stream I'm in my own little cocoon, with me and nothing but the show. It's kind of like discovering an act back in the seventies, when they'd made a few albums but hadn't broken through. In your heart you knew they had other fans, but when you were listening to an LP that no one was talking about you smiled and felt special, it was soul-fulfilling.

Watching "Happy Valley" is soul-fulfilling.

Actually, it should be called "Unhappy Valley." But Jay testified about it at Casa Vega and I decided to fire it up and...

I became instantly hooked.

Everybody's flawed, nobody's beautiful and the landscape...IT'S SO GREEN!

I'm struggling trying to figure out what's important to me, what I care about, but when I watch "Happy Valley"...I want to go there, to this lush landscape where it's not about being famous or getting ahead so much as putting one foot in front of the other and living.

I grew up in Connecticut, I didn't think twice about the greenery. But when you move to L.A., which is dry and drab, you kinda understand the fascination with New England.

But Happy Valley is New England on steroids, because it rains all the time. And maybe it's the way it's shot, but there's this gravitas. Or maybe it's the fact that it's England, where the buildings are old and the people are just passing through, showing us how insignificant we truly are.

Or maybe it's the accents.

But it's foreign and familiar at the same time.

But I'm savvy enough to know that it's not real. I mean the images are, but the people and the story are not. But I had to pinch myself a few times, tell myself to realize this.

So, the set-up is...

No, I'm not gonna ruin it. Because oftentimes you're not exactly sure what is going on. In today's big screen opuses they spell it all out. That's the essence of a comic book. But "Happy Valley" is no comic. It's real life. What drew me to the movies way back when. I think I originally got hooked when my mother dragged me to Fairfield University to see Frank and Eleanor Perry talk about "Last Summer." Have you seen that movie? One of the few that is better than the book, which I had to read after seeing it. Barbara Hershey is beautiful and bad, which is something we rarely see. And Frank said all the music in the movie only played when there was a radio on or...it was source music. And...

"Happy Valley" is about imperfect people, like you and me. Drug addicts and alcoholics and grudge-holders. And some of the plot twists happen too fast and are less than believable, but then you realize they're just set-up for the actors to do their stuff.

Turns out Sarah Lancashire is a big star, who knew, she's supposedly the highest paid actress in the U.K., she starred in "Last Tango In Halifax," but...

Can you have sex with your ex?

Do feelings ever die?

How come some people categorically can't do the right thing?

How come we need others to keep us on the right path?

Watching "Happy Valley" is like going down a rabbit hole where there's no internet, where none of the rest of life matters. It's complete unto itself. It's not American, where you can see the stars doing their work, people better-looking and richer than us performing for us. Rather, everybody looks like a normal person. AND EVERYBODY CAN ACT! It seems that acting is a profession over there, whereas here it's an avenue to stardom.

And there are only two seasons of six episodes each. So, you want to eat it up at the same time you want to slow it down and savor it.

But when the Jake Bugg song comes on, you know you're ready to be dragged away once again, to a world that isn't real but seems like it is.

This is entertainment.

No, compared to what's playing in the movie houses...

THIS IS ART!

https://www.netflix.com/title/80007225?utm_source=phplist5709&utm_medium=email&utm_content=text&utm_campaign=Happy+Valley

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Happy_Valley_(TV_series)?utm_source=phplist5709&utm_medium=email&utm_content=text&utm_campaign=Happy+Valley


--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/?utm_source=phplist5709&utm_medium=email&utm_content=text&utm_campaign=Happy+Valley
--
http://www.twitter.com/lefsetz?utm_source=phplist5709&utm_medium=email&utm_content=text&utm_campaign=Happy+Valley
--
If you would like to subscribe to the LefsetzLetter,
http://www.lefsetz.com/lists/?p=subscribe&id=1&utm_source=phplist5709&utm_medium=email&utm_content=text&utm_campaign=Happy+Valley

If you do not want to receive any more LefsetzLetters, http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=unsubscribe&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25&utm_source=phplist5709&utm_medium=email&utm_content=text&utm_campaign=Happy+Valley

To change your email address http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=preferences&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25&utm_source=phplist5709&utm_medium=email&utm_content=text&utm_campaign=Happy+Valley




-- powered by phpList, www.phplist.com --

Upstarts Rules

1. Solve a problem.

The world does not need more me-to music, it needs a different sound that enraptures people. The problem we have in the music industry is we're playing to niches, not everybody, and music when done right is for everybody, or almost everybody, there will always be naysayers.

2. Appeal to the people.

They are your greatest strength. And the internet allows you to go straight to them. If you're appealing to middlemen, you're positively old school.

3. Mass is everything.

The reason Uber could break regulations was by rallying its user base, which loved the service. Once the Uber leaders impressed upon lawmakers that their choice was between satiating entrenched interests, the taxi industry, and the public, and that their duty was to the latter, the lawmakers always backed down. If you want to change the course of music history you must have the users on your side. This was first demonstrated with Napster. The public LOVED it! The labels and acts kept pooh-poohing it, not acknowledging who their true customer was. You need to get people on your side and you need to do it yourself to control your messaging.

4. Ignore the rules.

This is a tough one. They teach you to obey, that's the message taught in school, and in most homes to boot. But as Yvon Chouinard says in the "How I Built This" podcast, if you want to be successful study juvenile delinquents, who reject the system and do it their way. Hell, that podcast is littered with people who own 100% of their business, like Sara Blakely of Spanx, disobeying the supposed rule that you've got to sell out to make it, when the truth is those who are in control continue to triumph. And they abhor MBAs. There are two strains of people in this world, those who jump through hoops and those who ignore the hoops. Most of the innovation comes from the latter.

5. Accelerators work.

That's Y Combinator in tech, in music...
Actually, we have songwriter camps, there are competitions to place songs on albums by stars. But we could mentor and encourage talent with the hopes that they would create breakthroughs, but really we just want the same damn thing over and over again. Have you noticed there hasn't been a new sound in fifteen years? Used to be hair bands were killed by grunge and...this doesn't happen anymore. People clamor for the new, and they would in music too, if they just got the option.

6. Disruption works.

Not only with Napster, but "American Idol." And the reason "The Voice" has minted no stars is because it's a me-too product. "American Idol" built stars, name recognition, and then these "talents" were married to A level songwriters. Applaud the success of AI, see it as a beacon, its creators thought outside the box. The spoils always go to those who think different.

7. Rising prices inspire creators.

More Uber drivers hit the road when there is surge pricing. The more concert ticket prices go up, the more talented people will want to become musicians. Think about that, it's basic economics. Until we can inspire the best and the brightest to become performers, we will be in a backwater.

8. Advice, not control.

This is what has screwed up music for twenty five years, the execs think that they are the stars, they are the talent, when the truth is they should aid the performers in midwifing their music, but that's it. The more execs say no to talent the worse the music gets. Talent is in charge of its career, not the handlers. Only talent knows what truly resonates.

9. Mistakes are gonna be made.

When did the music industry become so safe? You have to take risks, take chances, then you might stumble upon a breakthrough. People forget your mistakes these days...

10. Not everybody is paying attention.

A woman died from carbon monoxide poisoning in an Airbnb in Asia. Most people in America didn't know. That's tragic, but the point is when you're at the center of the storm you lose perspective, you think everybody sees that tweet, everybody knows what happens to you 24/7, this is patently untrue.

11. You can recover.

One false move and...
You apologize and change direction.

12. The pivot.

If people aren't buying what you're doing, change it. Don't get married to the sound you're making, be willing to turn on a dime. Kinda like Uber. Which was in the black car business but only switched to citizen drivers after Lyft and Sidecar opened the door.

13. Go through the holes.

That's right, Uber was against citizen drivers until the company was for it, after Lyft and Sidecar proved its legality.

14. Success is followed by imitators.

KaZaA after Napster, you've got to keep improving your product.

15. It's a worldwide business.

America is a small piece of the pie, if you're not thinking globally you're not only missing out on revenue, you will be eclipsed by those who are.

"The Upstarts: How Uber, Airbnb, and the Killer Companies of the New Silicon Valley Are Changing the World": http://amzn.to/2iuK36V


--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
--
http://www.twitter.com/lefsetz
--
If you would like to subscribe to the LefsetzLetter,
http://www.lefsetz.com/lists/?p=subscribe&id=1

If you do not want to receive any more LefsetzLetters, http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=unsubscribe&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25

To change your email address http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=preferences&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25




-- powered by phpList, www.phplist.com --