Tune in Saturday January 6th to Faction Talk, channel 103, at 4 PM East, 1 PM West.
Phone #: 844-686-5863
Twitter: @lefsetz
If you miss the episode, you can hear it on demand on the SiriusXM app. Search: Lefsetz
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Friday 5 January 2024
Thursday 4 January 2024
Final Berlin
Spoiler alert: Plot points of the series revealed.
"Love is all that matters
Faithful and forever
Keepin' us together
Love is all we need
Prisoner of illusion
Sentence is suspended
Loneliness is ended
Love has set me free"
"Love Is All That Matters"
Eric Carmen
That's from Eric Carmen's expensive stiff album "Boats Against the Current," the 1977 follow-up to his solo debut with multiple hits. Oh, "She Did It" made some headway on the charts, but in truth this uber-expensive record was unjustly ignored in the marketplace. Yet it's one of my absolute favorites, songs from it run through my head on a regular basis, and doesn't that mean it's installed in your personal pantheon? The piece-de-resistance is the finale, the eight minute "Run Away," and you can check these cuts out on your streaming service of choice, or not, it won't affect my love for these songs.
And "Love Is All That Matters" started playing in my head after the finale of "Berlin."
Yes, some stupid things happened, like the snakebite. And the escape from the hotel was almost too perfunctory, too easy, but to escape on bikes at the end, on their own personal Tour de France, that was unexpected genius.
Not that "Berlin" wasn't formulaic. The "Money Heist" blueprint redux. But still...
You could tell how much fun the writers/producers had thinking this stuff up. There were unexpected twists, but ultimately it was all about love.
You had Damián with that woman at the campsite. "Are you hitting on me?" Guys are dumb, you can be incredibly obvious, but it takes a long time for the light bulb to go off in their heads. But it played so real. Damián distraught from the breakup of his marriage, his pleading on the phone was so real, if you've been on the losing end of a breakup, you know. But then he crawled out of the wreckage into a brand new car. When you least expect it, good stuff happens, you've just got to stay in the game.
As for the relationship between Keila and Bruce... People can appear so together on the surface, but be a complete mess underneath. The only sex she'd ever had was virtual. Keila is fighting her emotions, Bruce is beneath her, but his smell... Love is absolutely primal, after all we're just animals. Instincts kick in and...
You had Roi and Cameron testifying. You've been there, at least I hope you've been there, when you get close enough to another to reveal your honest truth. This is something most people don't reveal in public, they don't wear it on their sleeve, they're embarrassed, they feel inadequate compared to what's exhibited by celebrities and on social media. We're all flawed, we're all looking for someone to listen, understand and love us, accept us. And when you find them you create a bond that lasts forever, even if the relationship does not.
Which brings us back to Berlin himself, and Camille. At first I thought Camille would turn, and then just when I was convinced she wouldn't, she's infatuated with Berlin once again.
We are wandering through life, and when we find someone real, when we experience the real thing, we can't escape it, we're drawn to it, we'll sacrifice everything for it. Camille thinks she's got her life together, and then it turns out it's all an illusion. You'd forgotten all about the safe, and then when the contents were revealed...you didn't expect François to be a duplicitous heel. Wasn't he innocent, a hero?
No. And Camille is at loose ends. But before that, when she feels shame over the affair with Berlin... You expected it earlier in the series, so when it comes up you're surprised, and heartened. Guilt is a powerful emotion.
Which brings us back to Berlin himself. Debonair, yet oftentimes caught up in his own mystique. But ultimately he sacrifices it all for love.
That's the funny thing about life. The men? They like their success, they like their money, but ultimately love triumphs. Look at Bill Gates, hitting on everything that moved, sacrificing his marriage. Or Gary Hart. Or even Bill Clinton. They're willing to put it all on the line, for love.
Which you don't have to be rich to have. It's about two people, chemistry and magic. All the clichés are true, triumphs don't mean much without someone to share them with.
Watching "Berlin" in 4k on a big screen...
I haven't been to the movies in eons. I've been reading all the Oscar hype, about there being too many good movies. But that's a different paradigm, that's a short story, a series is a complete novel. You get to know the characters.
And it isn't easy to pull off. And the funny thing is how "Berlin" alternates between comedy/shtick and real tension, obvious and then surprising.
Not that it's the best series I've ever watched, but ultimately the characters become three-dimensional, in a way they cannot in a film. You know who they are, their foibles. Everybody's got a story, and in "Berlin" we hear it.
I don't think "Berlin" could be made in America, it'd be hard to get the tone right. Sure, production values were high, but ultimately story was king. Today's film directors, sans Greta Gerwig and a few others, are so interested in image that they sacrifice the plot.
So if you watched "Money Heist" and want more, I give "Berlin" two big thumbs up. Takes a while to find its footing, but it ultimately delivers, truly.
And just when you think they're going to draw it out, make you wait for another season for a conclusion, they wrap it up.
Then again, the returning Spanish police people are on the hunt. And the Spanish put-downs of the French are hysterical.
Maybe you've got no idea what I'm talking about. Maybe you only watch HBO, or even Apple, week to week. You're inured to the old formula. Maybe you think the strike killed all your favorite shows, or at least delayed them. But the cameras still rolled overseas.
The news is overwhelming. For those who need escape, who think "Ted Lasso" is the best show ever, watch "Berlin," you'll be taken even further from everyday life. You see life has comic elements, but ultimately it's not light, but serious, it's deadly real. And "Berlin" hits this note.
I thoroughly enjoyed it.
--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
--
Listen to the podcast:
-iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj
-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
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"Love is all that matters
Faithful and forever
Keepin' us together
Love is all we need
Prisoner of illusion
Sentence is suspended
Loneliness is ended
Love has set me free"
"Love Is All That Matters"
Eric Carmen
That's from Eric Carmen's expensive stiff album "Boats Against the Current," the 1977 follow-up to his solo debut with multiple hits. Oh, "She Did It" made some headway on the charts, but in truth this uber-expensive record was unjustly ignored in the marketplace. Yet it's one of my absolute favorites, songs from it run through my head on a regular basis, and doesn't that mean it's installed in your personal pantheon? The piece-de-resistance is the finale, the eight minute "Run Away," and you can check these cuts out on your streaming service of choice, or not, it won't affect my love for these songs.
And "Love Is All That Matters" started playing in my head after the finale of "Berlin."
Yes, some stupid things happened, like the snakebite. And the escape from the hotel was almost too perfunctory, too easy, but to escape on bikes at the end, on their own personal Tour de France, that was unexpected genius.
Not that "Berlin" wasn't formulaic. The "Money Heist" blueprint redux. But still...
You could tell how much fun the writers/producers had thinking this stuff up. There were unexpected twists, but ultimately it was all about love.
You had Damián with that woman at the campsite. "Are you hitting on me?" Guys are dumb, you can be incredibly obvious, but it takes a long time for the light bulb to go off in their heads. But it played so real. Damián distraught from the breakup of his marriage, his pleading on the phone was so real, if you've been on the losing end of a breakup, you know. But then he crawled out of the wreckage into a brand new car. When you least expect it, good stuff happens, you've just got to stay in the game.
As for the relationship between Keila and Bruce... People can appear so together on the surface, but be a complete mess underneath. The only sex she'd ever had was virtual. Keila is fighting her emotions, Bruce is beneath her, but his smell... Love is absolutely primal, after all we're just animals. Instincts kick in and...
You had Roi and Cameron testifying. You've been there, at least I hope you've been there, when you get close enough to another to reveal your honest truth. This is something most people don't reveal in public, they don't wear it on their sleeve, they're embarrassed, they feel inadequate compared to what's exhibited by celebrities and on social media. We're all flawed, we're all looking for someone to listen, understand and love us, accept us. And when you find them you create a bond that lasts forever, even if the relationship does not.
Which brings us back to Berlin himself, and Camille. At first I thought Camille would turn, and then just when I was convinced she wouldn't, she's infatuated with Berlin once again.
We are wandering through life, and when we find someone real, when we experience the real thing, we can't escape it, we're drawn to it, we'll sacrifice everything for it. Camille thinks she's got her life together, and then it turns out it's all an illusion. You'd forgotten all about the safe, and then when the contents were revealed...you didn't expect François to be a duplicitous heel. Wasn't he innocent, a hero?
No. And Camille is at loose ends. But before that, when she feels shame over the affair with Berlin... You expected it earlier in the series, so when it comes up you're surprised, and heartened. Guilt is a powerful emotion.
Which brings us back to Berlin himself. Debonair, yet oftentimes caught up in his own mystique. But ultimately he sacrifices it all for love.
That's the funny thing about life. The men? They like their success, they like their money, but ultimately love triumphs. Look at Bill Gates, hitting on everything that moved, sacrificing his marriage. Or Gary Hart. Or even Bill Clinton. They're willing to put it all on the line, for love.
Which you don't have to be rich to have. It's about two people, chemistry and magic. All the clichés are true, triumphs don't mean much without someone to share them with.
Watching "Berlin" in 4k on a big screen...
I haven't been to the movies in eons. I've been reading all the Oscar hype, about there being too many good movies. But that's a different paradigm, that's a short story, a series is a complete novel. You get to know the characters.
And it isn't easy to pull off. And the funny thing is how "Berlin" alternates between comedy/shtick and real tension, obvious and then surprising.
Not that it's the best series I've ever watched, but ultimately the characters become three-dimensional, in a way they cannot in a film. You know who they are, their foibles. Everybody's got a story, and in "Berlin" we hear it.
I don't think "Berlin" could be made in America, it'd be hard to get the tone right. Sure, production values were high, but ultimately story was king. Today's film directors, sans Greta Gerwig and a few others, are so interested in image that they sacrifice the plot.
So if you watched "Money Heist" and want more, I give "Berlin" two big thumbs up. Takes a while to find its footing, but it ultimately delivers, truly.
And just when you think they're going to draw it out, make you wait for another season for a conclusion, they wrap it up.
Then again, the returning Spanish police people are on the hunt. And the Spanish put-downs of the French are hysterical.
Maybe you've got no idea what I'm talking about. Maybe you only watch HBO, or even Apple, week to week. You're inured to the old formula. Maybe you think the strike killed all your favorite shows, or at least delayed them. But the cameras still rolled overseas.
The news is overwhelming. For those who need escape, who think "Ted Lasso" is the best show ever, watch "Berlin," you'll be taken even further from everyday life. You see life has comic elements, but ultimately it's not light, but serious, it's deadly real. And "Berlin" hits this note.
I thoroughly enjoyed it.
--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
--
Listen to the podcast:
-iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj
-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
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Stewart Copeland-This Week's Podcast
Drummer for the Police. And more.
https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1119-the-bob-lefsetz-podcast-30806836/episode/stewart-copeland-140311986/
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/stewart-copeland/id1316200737?i=1000640527614
https://open.spotify.com/episode/0fB4ZMSlXmB3DgY6UXxsA5?si=9NGTWX7cQ629PfzmMCsYqQ
https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/9ff4fb19-54d4-41ae-ae7a-8a6f8d3dafa8/episodes/cdd9da2e-5efe-4a08-aaec-58676ce765de/the-bob-lefsetz-podcast-stewart-copeland
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Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
--
Listen to the podcast:
-iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj
-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
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https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1119-the-bob-lefsetz-podcast-30806836/episode/stewart-copeland-140311986/
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/stewart-copeland/id1316200737?i=1000640527614
https://open.spotify.com/episode/0fB4ZMSlXmB3DgY6UXxsA5?si=9NGTWX7cQ629PfzmMCsYqQ
https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/9ff4fb19-54d4-41ae-ae7a-8a6f8d3dafa8/episodes/cdd9da2e-5efe-4a08-aaec-58676ce765de/the-bob-lefsetz-podcast-stewart-copeland
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Tuesday 2 January 2024
Mailbag
Re: Stage Dolls
Hi,
I've just read your post about our band and want to say thank you so much.
You really nailed it to the point about the song 'Ammunition'.
My brother was studying in West-Berlin in the mid 80's and I visited him there.
We went over to the other side one day and you could climb up on stairs to look over. I remember how strange it felt standing there knowing that the people next to me were stuck here while I could freely go back..
I didn't get the idea for the song right then but I guess the experience stayed in my mind..
Thank you again and a Happy New Year!
Best,
Torstein Flakne
_________________________________
Subject: RE: Re-Stage Dolls
When I was a writer for Kerrang! during the mid-eighties I thought Stage Dolls would blow up big time. The hooks, songwriting and the melodies were stupendous. And let us not forget the incredible production by Norwegian studio master Bjorn Nessjo - a man that was every bit as talented as Mutt Lange who went on to produce TNT, another Norwegian act that should have broken through. I was flown out to Oslo to see the band live and they delivered big time. Wow wonderful memories.
Derek Oliver
_________________________________
From: Sepp Donahower
Subject: Re: Aspen Live-Day One
Bob
Nice write up here….good to see all the accolades for Louis Messina….He is one of the last of the first generation promoters active, along with Don Law, and few others. Thank you for the mention of California Jam, the festival we helped put together at Pacific Presentations. It was game changer….It was the precursor to the modern festival as a business endeavor, and not just a cultural endeavor. At the time, it set the record for the highest PAID attendance at any event in the world at anytime…over 200,000 PAID…My partner and I, Gary Perkins, were under 30 at the time. Paul Tollett, Mr. Goldenvoice / Coachella, graciously sent me a text a few years ago when they released the Goldenvoice / Coachella documentary, that basically said " without California Jam, there would have been no Coachella " . Being a promoter is a special gig….Not for everyone, and not many able to do it correctly. Most of the event production these days is herding cattle through a gate….what Louis Messina does is different….it echoes back to what us old timers considered being " Impresarios " of a sort….We all crafted events and experiences, with memorable lineups…….along with creative and memorable marketing that is actually ART and now highly collectible. Also, back in those days, kids went to shows in mass every week….they were tribal gatherings….and they could afford the tickets.
_________________________________
Subject: Re: Consensus Hits
I am a former music biz guy, both retail and radio. It's been 10+ years since…your emails, my son, and a couple of good music pals keep me abreast of what is good. Note I did not say popular. Because that's not really an adjective used before the word music, here's proof.
As a high school golf coach we listen to music in the team van to and from matches. Used to be kids wanted to control the tunes. Now? It's on me (which I like!). No one wants to play "their" music because of their fear of being judged. Kids have no clue if others like what they like. To lay yourself out there?! It's scary. They literally refuse to plug in their iPhones.
They never talk music nor movies…even video games are less ubiquitous. And it's not that they don't listen to music, watch movies or play video games…it's just awkward "sharing."
They text each other more than they talk. In the van.
I have to pull conversation out of them. And those are the best times when we find common ground. It's not that hard.
We may think the generations behind don't have the same need for something soul bending. I think they do. It's just no one it pushing them toward the deeper waters where truth and courage exist. Far be it from me to think it was us parents who didn't have the courage to challenge our kids to search. To teach critical thinking, the desire to explore and engage in the uncomfortable.
-Frank Jenks
listenin.org
_________________________________
From: Conor McNicholas
Subject: Re: Consensus Hits
Exactly this.
The past was an anomaly. We were lucky to have it. Now music is democratised again it's owned by no-one and drifts.
But people buy narrative. I've always felt that. It's the frame around the picture. Strong stories promote emotional connection. We need a platform for more of them.
There is a land beyond the Spotify jukebox. For many years now the storytelling of music was largely dumped because people thought it was just about the audio and the storytellers should get out of the way. Now we discover that that was 50% of what we fell in love with.
I have thoughts on what the future could look like if anyone wants to hook-up.
Conor McNicholas,
Previously Editor of NME.
_________________________________
From: Nico Moolenaar
Subject: Re: Best Streaming TV 2023
What an honour to be mentioned in this list, Bob. Netflix will make another Ferry movie, but the series you have seen this year was my last contribution in this Undercover/Ferry universe. I want to quit when I'm still having fun and am currently developing something completely new (also for Netflix). Which is amazing and terrifying at the same time, the best place for a creator to be. Thanks for watching my shows.
Best,
Nico
_________________________________
From: Ron Ozer
Subject: Re: Final Aspen Live
So very glad to see you mention NIVA and our work on Save Our Stages and Fix The Tix and the amazing Dayna Frank who I first met on Zoom in May 2020 when I was suddenly on a team trying to save all of my favorite venues from closing for good. It's hard to separate the fear at the beginning of the pandemic from the fact that joining this group of people was truly life changing. Here were buyers, promoters, venue managers and owners who only months before were fighting each other in the marketplace for the best shows, but now were a team with a common goal. And I discovered they were powerful personalities, as entrepreneurs can be of course. By the end of 2020 Dayna and the many other crucial leaders in the organization like Hal Real (World Cafe), Audrey Fix Schaefer (IMP), Chris Cobb, Adam Hartke (WAVE) and Rev. Moose (Marauder) had somehow gathered support from the Broadway League, Museums, Talent Agents and even Independent Movie Theaters to move Congress to do the impossible, pass the largest investment in the arts in US history ($16 billion, 100X the typical annual NEA appropriation). And what did being around these people do for me? It made me realize that after 20 years as a volunteer running a small music series in Delaware, it was time to try this work full time and give up my day job in chemical engineering. Helping start a new independent (NIVA member!) music venue in a small town in Maryland? Why not! Bob, do come join us in New Orleans in June at NIVA Con.
_________________________________
From: Marty Walsh
Subject: Ursus and Raf
Bob, unreal. What an interview. Everyone who wants to be in the entertainment sphere needs to listen to this.
Well done.
Marty Walsh
BTW every student I have next semester is going to write me a report on the podcast episode.
_________________________________
Subject: Re: Re-Promotion
I couldn't agree with you more that promotion is in the artists' hands. I am routinely asking myself and our staff, "What's the role of a label in 2023/4? Why should an artist sign with us? What value do we bring?" The answers are moving targets. Adaptability to constant change is the key. Today (and this could very well change in a few months), it's helping the artist be effective with short form video. Provide the tools and teach them how to be good at it. Invest in stealth digital marketing, build email lists, nurture the artist-fan connection by trying to grow a community … rinse, wash, repeat. Tour, tour, tour. Have a point of view. Be vocal about it. Be willing to alienate the wrong people in exchange for bonding with the right ones. Understand that TikTok is not social media…. it's a pure entertainment platform on which you must be visible. If you're not on TikTok or using Spotify Marquee, I probably have no idea that you're active. Boycott it at your peril, unless you're so adored by your fans who do the work for you (i.e. Ghost "Mary On A Cross")… truly no substitute for that, but yeah, good luck. Go ride that unicorn.
If you can build a meaningful audience through this kind of daily grind, then PR and radio can be really effective in broadening your reach…. telling the story, not breaking the story. Big difference.
Anytime I see one of these old school campaigns I cringe, but I understand how and why they happen. It seems that whatever era in which an artist first broke, they think that the same rules apply and if they don't do X, Y, and Z like they did in 19-whatever, the record won't happen. They put out new music and they're scared that it won't reach anyone. Too often, instead of embracing the new, they rely on the old. It doesn't work and they ask why the music business is so hard. Tell me, Bob, when was it easy?
Niels Schroeter
Blue Élan Records
_________________________________
Subject: Re: The Slate Skiing Article
Hi Bob,
Brian Shirley here, writing in from Boise, Idaho. Proud to say that my father, Mike Shirley, was a key driver in the ski industry's return to affordable skiing.
He took over as General Manager at Boise's local non-profit ski mountain, Bogus Basin, as a second career in the early 1990's. At the time, Bogus was charging a baseline rate of over $500 for a season pass, with layers of stratified "special deals" that were confusing and hard to use. And partially as a result, season pass sales and skier visits were declining, as they were across the entire industry.
After a few financially tough years in the red, and with mounting capital needs required to replace the old slow two-seater chairlifts with new "high-speed quads" but no way to afford them, Dad knew something had to change.
In 1998, he tried an experiment, slashing season pass prices to $199, and removing the accreted layers of "special deals": Make it so mindlessly cheap and simple that it would be stupid NOT to purchase a season pass. The only requirement was that you had to buy the pass in spring, so that Bogus had the capital when they needed it the most, over the summer when mountain improvements are made.
While this sounds like an obvious solution now, it is hard to overstate the vocal opposition at the time to even attempting such as experiment, including by large swaths of the industry, several members of his own board, and plenty of local residents that would have loved to keep skiing a "luxury experience". The entire ski industry was watching carefully to see what the results would be.
The innovation proved a stunning success, immediately driving a nine-fold increase in season pass sales, and supercharging Bogus's capital improvement fund. Dad's model moved from an object of derision to something copied by dozens of ski areas across the country, including Vail, and helped recharge an industry desperately in need of new skiers.
The new model was here to stay, and Bogus Basin's finances remain on solid ground to this day, with several new chairlifts helping keep lift lines short. Dad steadfastly kept prices at $199 EVERY YEAR after that, until his retirement in 2012, despite continued pressure from his own board. Part of his rationale for $199? "This is what a lot of families spend at Costco without thinking too much about it."
Thousands of local skiers that would have otherwise been priced out of the experience owe their lifelong love of skiing to him, and the National Ski Area Association eventually honored him as the "Father of Affordable Skiing". At one such event, Warren Miller introduced him as "The man who figured out how to sell 39 thousand passes in a single season, and has enough parking for at least five thousand of those…"
On a sad note, my father passed away this last August, at 81 years of age. Below I include a photo of a plaque his friends and supporters created to honor him, which will be mounted at Bogus Basin later this season.
Bob, thanks for allowing me the chance to share the story of my father and his innovation, and keep up the great work!
Brian
_________________________________
Subject: Re: 2023 Deaths Playlist
Date: December 30, 2023 at 11:31:55 PM MST
Dear Bob,
Yesterday my longtime client, musical collaborator and wonderful friend and Brother Les McCann 'graduated with honors at 3: 55 PST..............His massive Soul Jazz hit "Compared To What" from the Live at Montreux "Swiss Movement" and the more than 80 albums, 150 samples of his recordings by a who's who of rap and hip hop made him one of the most beloved and influential musicians of our time. He discovered Roberta Flack and signed her to Atlantic.............he 'produced' Lou Rawls first album "Stormy Monday" with his Jazz Trio Les McCann Ltd.
'They are not making any more Les McCanns' I am sure most of the Artists on your list knew his work as well as your readers too.
Sincerely,
Alan Abrahams
Woodside Ca.
Hi,
I've just read your post about our band and want to say thank you so much.
You really nailed it to the point about the song 'Ammunition'.
My brother was studying in West-Berlin in the mid 80's and I visited him there.
We went over to the other side one day and you could climb up on stairs to look over. I remember how strange it felt standing there knowing that the people next to me were stuck here while I could freely go back..
I didn't get the idea for the song right then but I guess the experience stayed in my mind..
Thank you again and a Happy New Year!
Best,
Torstein Flakne
_________________________________
Subject: RE: Re-Stage Dolls
When I was a writer for Kerrang! during the mid-eighties I thought Stage Dolls would blow up big time. The hooks, songwriting and the melodies were stupendous. And let us not forget the incredible production by Norwegian studio master Bjorn Nessjo - a man that was every bit as talented as Mutt Lange who went on to produce TNT, another Norwegian act that should have broken through. I was flown out to Oslo to see the band live and they delivered big time. Wow wonderful memories.
Derek Oliver
_________________________________
From: Sepp Donahower
Subject: Re: Aspen Live-Day One
Bob
Nice write up here….good to see all the accolades for Louis Messina….He is one of the last of the first generation promoters active, along with Don Law, and few others. Thank you for the mention of California Jam, the festival we helped put together at Pacific Presentations. It was game changer….It was the precursor to the modern festival as a business endeavor, and not just a cultural endeavor. At the time, it set the record for the highest PAID attendance at any event in the world at anytime…over 200,000 PAID…My partner and I, Gary Perkins, were under 30 at the time. Paul Tollett, Mr. Goldenvoice / Coachella, graciously sent me a text a few years ago when they released the Goldenvoice / Coachella documentary, that basically said " without California Jam, there would have been no Coachella " . Being a promoter is a special gig….Not for everyone, and not many able to do it correctly. Most of the event production these days is herding cattle through a gate….what Louis Messina does is different….it echoes back to what us old timers considered being " Impresarios " of a sort….We all crafted events and experiences, with memorable lineups…….along with creative and memorable marketing that is actually ART and now highly collectible. Also, back in those days, kids went to shows in mass every week….they were tribal gatherings….and they could afford the tickets.
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Subject: Re: Consensus Hits
I am a former music biz guy, both retail and radio. It's been 10+ years since…your emails, my son, and a couple of good music pals keep me abreast of what is good. Note I did not say popular. Because that's not really an adjective used before the word music, here's proof.
As a high school golf coach we listen to music in the team van to and from matches. Used to be kids wanted to control the tunes. Now? It's on me (which I like!). No one wants to play "their" music because of their fear of being judged. Kids have no clue if others like what they like. To lay yourself out there?! It's scary. They literally refuse to plug in their iPhones.
They never talk music nor movies…even video games are less ubiquitous. And it's not that they don't listen to music, watch movies or play video games…it's just awkward "sharing."
They text each other more than they talk. In the van.
I have to pull conversation out of them. And those are the best times when we find common ground. It's not that hard.
We may think the generations behind don't have the same need for something soul bending. I think they do. It's just no one it pushing them toward the deeper waters where truth and courage exist. Far be it from me to think it was us parents who didn't have the courage to challenge our kids to search. To teach critical thinking, the desire to explore and engage in the uncomfortable.
-Frank Jenks
listenin.org
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From: Conor McNicholas
Subject: Re: Consensus Hits
Exactly this.
The past was an anomaly. We were lucky to have it. Now music is democratised again it's owned by no-one and drifts.
But people buy narrative. I've always felt that. It's the frame around the picture. Strong stories promote emotional connection. We need a platform for more of them.
There is a land beyond the Spotify jukebox. For many years now the storytelling of music was largely dumped because people thought it was just about the audio and the storytellers should get out of the way. Now we discover that that was 50% of what we fell in love with.
I have thoughts on what the future could look like if anyone wants to hook-up.
Conor McNicholas,
Previously Editor of NME.
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From: Nico Moolenaar
Subject: Re: Best Streaming TV 2023
What an honour to be mentioned in this list, Bob. Netflix will make another Ferry movie, but the series you have seen this year was my last contribution in this Undercover/Ferry universe. I want to quit when I'm still having fun and am currently developing something completely new (also for Netflix). Which is amazing and terrifying at the same time, the best place for a creator to be. Thanks for watching my shows.
Best,
Nico
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From: Ron Ozer
Subject: Re: Final Aspen Live
So very glad to see you mention NIVA and our work on Save Our Stages and Fix The Tix and the amazing Dayna Frank who I first met on Zoom in May 2020 when I was suddenly on a team trying to save all of my favorite venues from closing for good. It's hard to separate the fear at the beginning of the pandemic from the fact that joining this group of people was truly life changing. Here were buyers, promoters, venue managers and owners who only months before were fighting each other in the marketplace for the best shows, but now were a team with a common goal. And I discovered they were powerful personalities, as entrepreneurs can be of course. By the end of 2020 Dayna and the many other crucial leaders in the organization like Hal Real (World Cafe), Audrey Fix Schaefer (IMP), Chris Cobb, Adam Hartke (WAVE) and Rev. Moose (Marauder) had somehow gathered support from the Broadway League, Museums, Talent Agents and even Independent Movie Theaters to move Congress to do the impossible, pass the largest investment in the arts in US history ($16 billion, 100X the typical annual NEA appropriation). And what did being around these people do for me? It made me realize that after 20 years as a volunteer running a small music series in Delaware, it was time to try this work full time and give up my day job in chemical engineering. Helping start a new independent (NIVA member!) music venue in a small town in Maryland? Why not! Bob, do come join us in New Orleans in June at NIVA Con.
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From: Marty Walsh
Subject: Ursus and Raf
Bob, unreal. What an interview. Everyone who wants to be in the entertainment sphere needs to listen to this.
Well done.
Marty Walsh
BTW every student I have next semester is going to write me a report on the podcast episode.
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Subject: Re: Re-Promotion
I couldn't agree with you more that promotion is in the artists' hands. I am routinely asking myself and our staff, "What's the role of a label in 2023/4? Why should an artist sign with us? What value do we bring?" The answers are moving targets. Adaptability to constant change is the key. Today (and this could very well change in a few months), it's helping the artist be effective with short form video. Provide the tools and teach them how to be good at it. Invest in stealth digital marketing, build email lists, nurture the artist-fan connection by trying to grow a community … rinse, wash, repeat. Tour, tour, tour. Have a point of view. Be vocal about it. Be willing to alienate the wrong people in exchange for bonding with the right ones. Understand that TikTok is not social media…. it's a pure entertainment platform on which you must be visible. If you're not on TikTok or using Spotify Marquee, I probably have no idea that you're active. Boycott it at your peril, unless you're so adored by your fans who do the work for you (i.e. Ghost "Mary On A Cross")… truly no substitute for that, but yeah, good luck. Go ride that unicorn.
If you can build a meaningful audience through this kind of daily grind, then PR and radio can be really effective in broadening your reach…. telling the story, not breaking the story. Big difference.
Anytime I see one of these old school campaigns I cringe, but I understand how and why they happen. It seems that whatever era in which an artist first broke, they think that the same rules apply and if they don't do X, Y, and Z like they did in 19-whatever, the record won't happen. They put out new music and they're scared that it won't reach anyone. Too often, instead of embracing the new, they rely on the old. It doesn't work and they ask why the music business is so hard. Tell me, Bob, when was it easy?
Niels Schroeter
Blue Élan Records
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Subject: Re: The Slate Skiing Article
Hi Bob,
Brian Shirley here, writing in from Boise, Idaho. Proud to say that my father, Mike Shirley, was a key driver in the ski industry's return to affordable skiing.
He took over as General Manager at Boise's local non-profit ski mountain, Bogus Basin, as a second career in the early 1990's. At the time, Bogus was charging a baseline rate of over $500 for a season pass, with layers of stratified "special deals" that were confusing and hard to use. And partially as a result, season pass sales and skier visits were declining, as they were across the entire industry.
After a few financially tough years in the red, and with mounting capital needs required to replace the old slow two-seater chairlifts with new "high-speed quads" but no way to afford them, Dad knew something had to change.
In 1998, he tried an experiment, slashing season pass prices to $199, and removing the accreted layers of "special deals": Make it so mindlessly cheap and simple that it would be stupid NOT to purchase a season pass. The only requirement was that you had to buy the pass in spring, so that Bogus had the capital when they needed it the most, over the summer when mountain improvements are made.
While this sounds like an obvious solution now, it is hard to overstate the vocal opposition at the time to even attempting such as experiment, including by large swaths of the industry, several members of his own board, and plenty of local residents that would have loved to keep skiing a "luxury experience". The entire ski industry was watching carefully to see what the results would be.
The innovation proved a stunning success, immediately driving a nine-fold increase in season pass sales, and supercharging Bogus's capital improvement fund. Dad's model moved from an object of derision to something copied by dozens of ski areas across the country, including Vail, and helped recharge an industry desperately in need of new skiers.
The new model was here to stay, and Bogus Basin's finances remain on solid ground to this day, with several new chairlifts helping keep lift lines short. Dad steadfastly kept prices at $199 EVERY YEAR after that, until his retirement in 2012, despite continued pressure from his own board. Part of his rationale for $199? "This is what a lot of families spend at Costco without thinking too much about it."
Thousands of local skiers that would have otherwise been priced out of the experience owe their lifelong love of skiing to him, and the National Ski Area Association eventually honored him as the "Father of Affordable Skiing". At one such event, Warren Miller introduced him as "The man who figured out how to sell 39 thousand passes in a single season, and has enough parking for at least five thousand of those…"
On a sad note, my father passed away this last August, at 81 years of age. Below I include a photo of a plaque his friends and supporters created to honor him, which will be mounted at Bogus Basin later this season.
Bob, thanks for allowing me the chance to share the story of my father and his innovation, and keep up the great work!
Brian
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Subject: Re: 2023 Deaths Playlist
Date: December 30, 2023 at 11:31:55 PM MST
Dear Bob,
Yesterday my longtime client, musical collaborator and wonderful friend and Brother Les McCann 'graduated with honors at 3: 55 PST..............His massive Soul Jazz hit "Compared To What" from the Live at Montreux "Swiss Movement" and the more than 80 albums, 150 samples of his recordings by a who's who of rap and hip hop made him one of the most beloved and influential musicians of our time. He discovered Roberta Flack and signed her to Atlantic.............he 'produced' Lou Rawls first album "Stormy Monday" with his Jazz Trio Les McCann Ltd.
'They are not making any more Les McCanns' I am sure most of the Artists on your list knew his work as well as your readers too.
Sincerely,
Alan Abrahams
Woodside Ca.
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