I'm not sure AI is the bogeyman the major labels have gone on record it is. Don Was said AI will end up being a tool, just like the drum machine.
Then again, a lot of drummers are still pissed about that.
But Don told me he realized the possibilities when he heard Prince's "When Doves Cry." New technology enables creativity.
As for AI itself, did you read that opinion piece in yesterday's "New York Times"?
"The Tech Fantasy That Powers A.I. Is Running on Fumes"
Free link: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/29/opinion/ai-tech-innovation.html?unlocked_article_code=1.8U4.NJB6.z563A54Ac8q1&smid=url-share
Here's the money quote:
"A.I. may be a mid technology with limited use cases to justify its financial and environmental costs."
In other words, AI might not be the revolution everybody thinks it will be.
Anyway, what we do know is every technological breakthrough begins with music, it's the canary in the coal mine for digital disruption. Because the files are small and people want the product. So it's no surprise that the first entertainment industry AI project is one centered on music.
Now if you've been following this story, you give prompts to your software platform of choice, and then it renders almost instantly a product that seems very similar to the music of the act that was inputted. You get a new Beatles or Beach Boys song that may not be innovative, but it definitely sounds like the original act. And this scares everybody.
But now the acts are taking control of the technology. Which the labels refused to do in the era of Napster. Superstars are working with AI to create brand new tracks that everybody in the world will want to hear. I know, I've been privy to some of the recordings, they're AMAZING! Not like that lame McCartney supervised "Now and Then." This is not old recordings, these tracks are BRAND NEW!
Made with OpenAI's new product, MusicGPT.
I don't know if you've been following this, but Sam Altman and Elon Musk hate each other. Once Musk was invested in OpenAI, now he's a competitor. You might have seen that Elon merged X and xAI just a few days ago. Belief is AI is a zero sum game, there will be one winner and a bunch of also-rans.
You may have read this article in today's "Wall Street Journal":
"I Quit Google Search for AI—and I'm Not Going Back"
Free link: https://www.wsj.com/tech/personal-tech/google-search-chatgpt-perplexity-gemini-6ac749d9?st=YYC6Ur&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink
Bottom line, Google may not survive, at least as a dominant company. It may be the new GE, or even Polaroid. I know that I rarely look beyond the AI generated answer, and this article says that Google's AI is inferior.
Anyway, Sam Altman has been working on this music product for a long time now. He just hasn't introduced it because of endless legal issues, fearful it will be shut down before it's even launched. But Altman has been encouraged by Anthropic's victory last week. Hell, I'll quote the AI generated headline from Google:
"Anthropic scored a win this week after a U.S. court denied an injunction that Universal Music Group and other record labels had sought to prevent the artificial-intelligence company from using copyrighted lyrics to train its AI models."
But really, that court decision is just the cherry on top. The real driver here is Trump. That's what this whole album is about, to raise money to stand up to Trump.
So Sam was at dinner with Lucian Grainge and Irving Azoff when this idea was hatched. Lucian controls the lion's share of the acts and Azoff and his family pulled off FireAid in nearly an instant, so...this has been happening at light speed.
Since the album needed a producer, and since Don Was has gone on record about AI as per above, it is Don Was. He didn't produce each and every track, but he's overseeing the project.
So it starts with the Eagles. The new song is going to feature Glenn Frey on lead vocals. It sounds kinda like "Take It Easy," but there's a reference to a private jet instead of a flatbed Ford.
And since Irving manages John Mayer, there's a new Dead track, with John duetting with Jerry. It's called "Futuristic Dead." It's a whopper.
And once you have two superstars involved, everybody else wants in. Scott Rodger told Irving that McCartney wanted to participate.
As for the new track... McCartney wanted to make it his own, but ultimately he decided to follow the model of "Every Little Thing," which he wrote and John sang. Yes, John is truly coming back from the dead. There's another track in the can, a protest number, entitled "Autocracy," but it's not going to be on the album. Yoko's planning to release it on what would have been John's 85th birthday on October 9th.
And everybody knows that you've got to have the youngsters too, so...
There's Billie Eilish and Lady Gaga and...
Morgan Wallen was in, but after he walked off the set last Saturday night on SNL his track was stricken. Yes, secretly Morgan is a Democrat, WHO KNEW?
Of course Jason Alden is a Trumper, so he's not included. But Eric Church is there, along with the Chicks, who I'm not sure are country or pop at this point.
And Jason Isbell, purely for credibility.
And negotiations were interminable, because she needed to own the master, but ultimately Taylor Swift caved and is included, she realized it was a bad look to be left out, and she notoriously endorses Democrats anyway.
But here's the true kicker...
BOB DYLAN!
But it gets better than that. AI has brought the Band back from the dead and Bob has written a new PROTEST song! Yes, it's been decades, but the moment is now. You'll love it.
As for the number of tracks, it hasn't been finalized.
At first the belief was there should be twelve, like on the albums of yore.
Then it was pointed out that the modern paradigm is to record an album of thirty or so tracks, which generate tons of money if the music is a hit. The Morgan Wallen model.
There will be more than twelve, since so many people wanted in, but...the final number has not been decided upon.
The album's release date is July 4th. And it will be celebrated with a live concert at the Sphere, beamed across the world. But to get the full effect, you've got to use an Apple Vision Pro. Go to your local Apple Store and register. They'll be giving away twenty at each location.
It's a win-win for Tim Apple. Who's pissed that Trump is cracking down on LGBTQ people.
So back to the money. It's being given to Bernie Sanders and AOC. Not the usual Democratic suspects. As a matter of fact, Schumer asked for Sphere tickets and he was turned down.
People are sick and tired of the usual suspect Democrats asking for money... To do WHAT? Bernie and AOC are in motion, better to fund their campaign.
But they're not getting all the money. A huge chunk will go to a legal defense fund. If you're a law firm threatened by Trump, if you're anybody threatened by Trump, this money will be available to support your case, so you don't have to cave to Trump.
Now these are not the kind of AI tracks I referenced above, pale imitations of what once was. No, each and every artist is working with AI to create something brand new that sounds like the past, but not exactly. Some acts went back to MusicGPT twenty times, refining their cuts. These are not retreads, no way.
Eno wanted to get in, do one of his atmospheric cuts, but the brass said no. They want every track to be a hit, like on an album of the seventies or eighties.
And since Eno said no, Bono was hesitant. But when he was told that U2 can open and close the Sphere show, he was in. And yes, Larry Mullen, Jr. will be a member of the band.
I don't want to give away any more highlights. But I will say that all these acts are pissed that no one is standing up to the Orange man. Everyone knows politics is show business for ugly people, that D.C. can't compete with Hollywood, it's entertainment that has eyes and ears.
Oh, I forgot to mention that the Sphere show will be streamed live on Netflix. And co-hosted by Chris Rock and Dave Chappell. They're going to introduce the video for the new Biggie Smalls track, that is also part of the project, the clip will be aired before the concert.
This superstar AI album, which at this point is untitled, and is referred to by insiders as SAIA, is a true breakthrough. Employing technology to go back to the future.
Yes, they're taking the best elements of the past and creating something that points to tomorrow.
Lucian already made a deal with Altman and MusicGPT, he's allowing all of Universal's catalog to be scraped and supposedly Sony and Warner are in too.
This is truly a great white wonder. Something inconceivable.
But it's real.
GET READY!
--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
--
Listen to the podcast:
-iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj
-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
--
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
Monday, 31 March 2025
Trump's Ticketing Order
Much ado about nothing. Grandstanding. A joke.
In reality the order says nothing. Other than ticket scalpers make a lot of money and they must pay taxes on their revenue.
Oh yeah, DOGE just gutted the IRS...who's going to enforce that? Where are all the IRS engineers with time to dedicate to researching the receipts of brokers.
As for the BOTS act... It's been on the books for years, but it's been ineffective because there's been no money/assets delegated for ENFORCEMENT!
And in a government where Musk is cutting willy-nilly, where is the extra manpower to focus on...TICKET SCALPING?
Let's be clear, scalpers provide a service. If you can't get in line online and waste hours trying to purchase what oftentimes is a bad seat, you can pay a premium after the fact to the scalper to get the ticket you want. Hell, a lot of the great tickets are not available on the on sale to boot! There are pre-sales and holdbacks and... I'll admit the scalpers and their bots are a huge problem, but no one is forcing anybody to buy a concert ticket. And the dirty little secret is almost all of the people paying exorbitant prices for secondary market tickets were thrilled to be at the venue, THEY ENJOYED THE SHOW!
So, once again, where is the problem?
High prices for concert tickets? Well, if the acts themselves try to capture that revenue the public bitches that they're greedy. As for paperless/tying the ticket to the purchaser...the public is against that, because they want to be able to scalp their tickets themselves!
Concert ticket pricing and availability is a problem, but nothing in Trump's executive order is going to address this.
Price transparency? Big evil Live Nation has been arguing for this for years. It's a game, no different from buying anything in America today. There's the price of the car, and what you pay when you walk out the door. And there's no addressing the breakdown of these fees... So the acts can hide behind the "face value" of the ticket and accuse Ticketmaster, which gets little of the fees, for being greedy! Talk about not having clean hands.
The FTC proposing regulations? Isn't this what Trump and the Republicans want to get rid of? Don't they want to simplify all processes?
As for a report... That ain't never going to pass the DOGE smell test. Isn't this what they're getting rid of, soft costs? You're going to spend all that money creating a report? And it does cost money. And usually nothing happens thereafter. This is antithetical to the DOGE and Trump ethos!
But Trump owes Kid Rock a solid. And this was as much as he could deliver.
Rock has a long history of trying to rein in the abuses in the ticketing world. I applaud him for that. But this executive order is a joke.
Too many people are making too much money off of concert tickets for there to be any change. And the government doesn't have enough money and manpower to solve this problem, because how big of a problem is it? Very tiny.
We've got ignorant fans who believe they're entitled to sit in the front row for twenty bucks. Since they listened to the music, a seat should be guaranteed!
Forget the law of supply and demand. This is kind of like the inane advocates of a penny a stream at Spotify. Did they learn any math? Spotify doesn't take in enough revenue to pay every artist a penny per stream, nowhere even close, the company would be bankrupt nearly instantly.
But it feels good to beat up on Spotify. It feels good to beat up on Ticketmaster. People can't handle the truth.
And all this executive order does is obfuscate. It makes people believe something is being done when in reality...
It's the same as it ever was.
--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
--
Listen to the podcast:
-iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj
-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
--
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
In reality the order says nothing. Other than ticket scalpers make a lot of money and they must pay taxes on their revenue.
Oh yeah, DOGE just gutted the IRS...who's going to enforce that? Where are all the IRS engineers with time to dedicate to researching the receipts of brokers.
As for the BOTS act... It's been on the books for years, but it's been ineffective because there's been no money/assets delegated for ENFORCEMENT!
And in a government where Musk is cutting willy-nilly, where is the extra manpower to focus on...TICKET SCALPING?
Let's be clear, scalpers provide a service. If you can't get in line online and waste hours trying to purchase what oftentimes is a bad seat, you can pay a premium after the fact to the scalper to get the ticket you want. Hell, a lot of the great tickets are not available on the on sale to boot! There are pre-sales and holdbacks and... I'll admit the scalpers and their bots are a huge problem, but no one is forcing anybody to buy a concert ticket. And the dirty little secret is almost all of the people paying exorbitant prices for secondary market tickets were thrilled to be at the venue, THEY ENJOYED THE SHOW!
So, once again, where is the problem?
High prices for concert tickets? Well, if the acts themselves try to capture that revenue the public bitches that they're greedy. As for paperless/tying the ticket to the purchaser...the public is against that, because they want to be able to scalp their tickets themselves!
Concert ticket pricing and availability is a problem, but nothing in Trump's executive order is going to address this.
Price transparency? Big evil Live Nation has been arguing for this for years. It's a game, no different from buying anything in America today. There's the price of the car, and what you pay when you walk out the door. And there's no addressing the breakdown of these fees... So the acts can hide behind the "face value" of the ticket and accuse Ticketmaster, which gets little of the fees, for being greedy! Talk about not having clean hands.
The FTC proposing regulations? Isn't this what Trump and the Republicans want to get rid of? Don't they want to simplify all processes?
As for a report... That ain't never going to pass the DOGE smell test. Isn't this what they're getting rid of, soft costs? You're going to spend all that money creating a report? And it does cost money. And usually nothing happens thereafter. This is antithetical to the DOGE and Trump ethos!
But Trump owes Kid Rock a solid. And this was as much as he could deliver.
Rock has a long history of trying to rein in the abuses in the ticketing world. I applaud him for that. But this executive order is a joke.
Too many people are making too much money off of concert tickets for there to be any change. And the government doesn't have enough money and manpower to solve this problem, because how big of a problem is it? Very tiny.
We've got ignorant fans who believe they're entitled to sit in the front row for twenty bucks. Since they listened to the music, a seat should be guaranteed!
Forget the law of supply and demand. This is kind of like the inane advocates of a penny a stream at Spotify. Did they learn any math? Spotify doesn't take in enough revenue to pay every artist a penny per stream, nowhere even close, the company would be bankrupt nearly instantly.
But it feels good to beat up on Spotify. It feels good to beat up on Ticketmaster. People can't handle the truth.
And all this executive order does is obfuscate. It makes people believe something is being done when in reality...
It's the same as it ever was.
--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
--
Listen to the podcast:
-iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj
-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
--
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
Too Much Of Nothing
You need a direct relationship with your audience.
Let me give you an example. In the last century and the beginning of this one, if you were on terrestrial radio, if you were on MTV, you were part of a community.
That paradigm is kaput.
There's a conception that if you just get enough publicity, if you just break through into this world or that, you'll be golden.
But that is untrue.
I'll give you an example. Taylor Swift. She's in her own business, her own vertical, she competes with NO ONE! It's not buying a ticket for a Swift show or someone else, either you want to go see Swift or you don't.
That's at the top. But what I'm really concerned with here is the bottom.
People are looking for an express train. They want to get on it and journey to greatness. But that train does not exist. Nowhere. A late night TV appearance is meaningless unless it's on SNL. And the SNL brand has been fifty years in the making, acts come and go, but SNL remains, it's bigger than any act on the show. Used to be people tuned in SNL to see a specific act. Now they watch SNL and then view an act. Because this is not the only place you can see your favorites...they're everywhere, assuming you're looking!
Let's take the movie business as an example. Which is cratering, off 11% so far this year. Its problem is it is reinventing the wheel with every film. No one is a fan of the movie theatre itself. Sure, there are some exceptions, but the defining factor of whether you go to the flicks is whether you want to see that particular movie.
Used to be you found out about movies Thursday night, mostly on NBC, with a bombardment of advertising. Now, the target audience doesn't even watch network television. And everybody hates ads, they're easily avoidable.
People are fans of Netflix and the product comes and goes. Netflix gets you with its monthly fee.
How do you get your audience hooked?
Oh, you can try a moonshot. Getting a big story in the paper, on some TV news show, even ginning up a fakokta story for the gossip columns. But it's one and done, you need a continuous story.
When you have a direct relationship you cannot let it lie fallow. You must constantly feed it, or people will go elsewhere. Forget the brands of yore that made it in a prior era, the dinosaurs of rock and metal. They can get away without new music, announcing a big tour every year or two. But if you're a new act, having developed in the last couple of decades, you not only need new music, you need YouTube clips, you've got to burnish the relationship with your audience, which will probably grow slowly, if at all. You milk the audience you have, you don't fantasize about an audience you'd have had in the last century.
This is the fallacy of the bitching about streaming payments. Acts don't realize their status. They think since they're professional, everybody should be listening to them. But they're not. Only a very few are. At least there are many more ways to monetize than there were in the last century.
You must adjust. You must realize that the public is overloaded. The internet may have burgeoned, but people's brains have not. They can only handle so much. How do you penetrate them?
The tsunami of news is overwhelming. Just check out Apple News+, and everybody competing for attention has a clickbait headline.
If you're a student of the game you know more than the average person, but even you don't know everything. Used to be the music business was comprehensible, but if you know every act today you're lying.
So you need to change your focus. You must build upon what you have.
Hell, don't even bother to follow the top-line news. Does it really affect you if Spotify makes a new deal with Universal? It really doesn't affect you if Ticketmaster signs up a new account. But rather than focus on your own career, it's easier to follow the business, and too often people complain about it. YOU'RE IN YOUR OWN BUSINESS! Take care of your home and then everything will turn out all right.
But you want someone to make it easier. Everybody wants it easier. But the paradigm of today is harder, because there's so much in the pipeline. You're competing against TikTok, YouTube, video games...you must be more interesting to a certain sliver of the public than these outlets. You must be more interesting than the hits of the past, because they're easily accessible.
The lift is heavier than ever before. You can declare yourself a musician, but establishing a career is nearly impossible.
So, there are scapegoats. Spotify, Live Nation...
Those are just vessels. They are tools that you employ.
But you must have enough success to take advantage of them.
Have I discouraged you yet?
Good. I'm the antidote to all those websites taking your money and telling you they'll help you have success.
Making music for a living is harder and slower than it's ever been before. Even the major labels can't establish hit acts, and they're trying to do this 24/7.
You must be innovative. You must be focused.
And you must dedicate an incredible amount of time to the process.
Does this sound boring?
Then music is not for you. Go to college and follow a path. Music is the great unknown. Sure, people need it, but they don't need YOU!
How do they convince them they need YOU?
You must be unique. Maybe your music, maybe your stage show, maybe your online personality, MAYBE ALL OF THEM!
There are very few stars, everything is cottage industry these days.
But the upside is anybody and everybody can play.
But not everybody can succeed.
But the internet allows you to get your music out there and play by your rules.
But people would rather have a defined path.
There is no defined path. That was blown up years ago.
We are living in the wilderness.
But people are foraging. How do you hook them and keep them?
That's your job. Go micro, not macro. That's the route to success and survival.
--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
--
Listen to the podcast:
-iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj
-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
--
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
Let me give you an example. In the last century and the beginning of this one, if you were on terrestrial radio, if you were on MTV, you were part of a community.
That paradigm is kaput.
There's a conception that if you just get enough publicity, if you just break through into this world or that, you'll be golden.
But that is untrue.
I'll give you an example. Taylor Swift. She's in her own business, her own vertical, she competes with NO ONE! It's not buying a ticket for a Swift show or someone else, either you want to go see Swift or you don't.
That's at the top. But what I'm really concerned with here is the bottom.
People are looking for an express train. They want to get on it and journey to greatness. But that train does not exist. Nowhere. A late night TV appearance is meaningless unless it's on SNL. And the SNL brand has been fifty years in the making, acts come and go, but SNL remains, it's bigger than any act on the show. Used to be people tuned in SNL to see a specific act. Now they watch SNL and then view an act. Because this is not the only place you can see your favorites...they're everywhere, assuming you're looking!
Let's take the movie business as an example. Which is cratering, off 11% so far this year. Its problem is it is reinventing the wheel with every film. No one is a fan of the movie theatre itself. Sure, there are some exceptions, but the defining factor of whether you go to the flicks is whether you want to see that particular movie.
Used to be you found out about movies Thursday night, mostly on NBC, with a bombardment of advertising. Now, the target audience doesn't even watch network television. And everybody hates ads, they're easily avoidable.
People are fans of Netflix and the product comes and goes. Netflix gets you with its monthly fee.
How do you get your audience hooked?
Oh, you can try a moonshot. Getting a big story in the paper, on some TV news show, even ginning up a fakokta story for the gossip columns. But it's one and done, you need a continuous story.
When you have a direct relationship you cannot let it lie fallow. You must constantly feed it, or people will go elsewhere. Forget the brands of yore that made it in a prior era, the dinosaurs of rock and metal. They can get away without new music, announcing a big tour every year or two. But if you're a new act, having developed in the last couple of decades, you not only need new music, you need YouTube clips, you've got to burnish the relationship with your audience, which will probably grow slowly, if at all. You milk the audience you have, you don't fantasize about an audience you'd have had in the last century.
This is the fallacy of the bitching about streaming payments. Acts don't realize their status. They think since they're professional, everybody should be listening to them. But they're not. Only a very few are. At least there are many more ways to monetize than there were in the last century.
You must adjust. You must realize that the public is overloaded. The internet may have burgeoned, but people's brains have not. They can only handle so much. How do you penetrate them?
The tsunami of news is overwhelming. Just check out Apple News+, and everybody competing for attention has a clickbait headline.
If you're a student of the game you know more than the average person, but even you don't know everything. Used to be the music business was comprehensible, but if you know every act today you're lying.
So you need to change your focus. You must build upon what you have.
Hell, don't even bother to follow the top-line news. Does it really affect you if Spotify makes a new deal with Universal? It really doesn't affect you if Ticketmaster signs up a new account. But rather than focus on your own career, it's easier to follow the business, and too often people complain about it. YOU'RE IN YOUR OWN BUSINESS! Take care of your home and then everything will turn out all right.
But you want someone to make it easier. Everybody wants it easier. But the paradigm of today is harder, because there's so much in the pipeline. You're competing against TikTok, YouTube, video games...you must be more interesting to a certain sliver of the public than these outlets. You must be more interesting than the hits of the past, because they're easily accessible.
The lift is heavier than ever before. You can declare yourself a musician, but establishing a career is nearly impossible.
So, there are scapegoats. Spotify, Live Nation...
Those are just vessels. They are tools that you employ.
But you must have enough success to take advantage of them.
Have I discouraged you yet?
Good. I'm the antidote to all those websites taking your money and telling you they'll help you have success.
Making music for a living is harder and slower than it's ever been before. Even the major labels can't establish hit acts, and they're trying to do this 24/7.
You must be innovative. You must be focused.
And you must dedicate an incredible amount of time to the process.
Does this sound boring?
Then music is not for you. Go to college and follow a path. Music is the great unknown. Sure, people need it, but they don't need YOU!
How do they convince them they need YOU?
You must be unique. Maybe your music, maybe your stage show, maybe your online personality, MAYBE ALL OF THEM!
There are very few stars, everything is cottage industry these days.
But the upside is anybody and everybody can play.
But not everybody can succeed.
But the internet allows you to get your music out there and play by your rules.
But people would rather have a defined path.
There is no defined path. That was blown up years ago.
We are living in the wilderness.
But people are foraging. How do you hook them and keep them?
That's your job. Go micro, not macro. That's the route to success and survival.
--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
--
Listen to the podcast:
-iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj
-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
--
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
Sunday, 30 March 2025
Errol Morris's Finance Movie
"Tune Out the Noise": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T98825bzcKw
I'm intrigued by finance, but I'm not interested in it.
Meaning I want to know how it works, but I don't want to spend any mental energy in investing.
I don't want to become a day trader, which is a fool's errand. I don't want to buy and sell stocks because I'm not a professional, and it's a professional market. Furthermore, today everyone knows you should just put your money in index funds.
These are the guys who did the research proving this is the right way to invest.
Now I read about this documentary in the "Wall Street Journal."
"A Billionaire and an Oscar Winner Have Made a Hit Movie. It's About Investing - The new documentary from Errol Morris makes index funds and passive investing thrilling"
Free link: https://www.wsj.com/finance/investing/investing-david-booth-errol-morris-documentary-4dd7ff80?st=tuJdM1&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink
Not that you have to read the article. But I do recommend you watch the first half of this movie.
Documentaries are all the rage, but too often they're about topics I experienced live, or nooks and crannies featuring crazy people. "Tune Out the Noise" is educational, without being didactic, without beating you over the head.
What we've got here is nobodies who find their way to the University of Chicago for disparate reasons. These are not today's finance bros, wearing tailored suits who are in it only for the money and the attendant lifestyle. No, what we have here are ACADEMICS!
Can you imagine being so intrigued by finance that you want to teach it? Mostly these are oddballs who don't fit in who find their way to this educational institution...
I know, I know, everybody's down on universities and college education today. However, at the bleeding edge of any enterprise is the intelligent, trying to figure out the unknown. And that's thrilling. We're all excited by the new. But most of us are playing it safe, never all-in, especially in enterprises that appear difficult and don't rain down money.
But David Booth decided to employ all this academic research to prove a point and make a ton of money. Which is why the University of Chicago's business school is now named "Booth" (well, he donated $300 million for the privilege).
It's exciting to see people driven by the data, the science, the theories, as opposed to the modern paradigm of working your way back from the money. How do I get rich? That's where most people start.
This is history. And that's where documentaries shine. Errol Morris makes finance come alive.
Until somewhere in the middle of this flick where the focus ends up being on small cap companies and multi-dimensions and conceptually you get it, but something is lost in the process.
But before that...
You'll be riveted. Because Morris is a professional documentarian, and he knows how to make a subject interesting.
Of course if you're a newbie, if you're wet behind the ears, if you truly think you can beat the market yourself...your eyes will be opened. The math says otherwise! That's the genius of these people... They collected the data and analyzed it, instead of just talking out of their rear ends.
And then there's the concept of the theory. The data is meaningless unless you're using it to prove or disprove... This is the kind of stuff you learned in junior high school that rarely comes up in your everyday life, but it's the essence of progress.
You should put your money in an index fund. Sure, round out your portfolio with bonds, maybe real estate, don't go all-in on the index. But if you're going to own equities, this is the way to go. This movie proves it.
As to which index fund you should own with which philosophy... This is where the film gets hazy.
But until that point, you'll be focused and edified. Even those in the industry may not know a lot of these historical details.
And did I mention that the movie is FREE?!
Yup, just click the YouTube link above.
You'll be intrigued.
--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
--
Listen to the podcast:
-iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj
-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
--
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
I'm intrigued by finance, but I'm not interested in it.
Meaning I want to know how it works, but I don't want to spend any mental energy in investing.
I don't want to become a day trader, which is a fool's errand. I don't want to buy and sell stocks because I'm not a professional, and it's a professional market. Furthermore, today everyone knows you should just put your money in index funds.
These are the guys who did the research proving this is the right way to invest.
Now I read about this documentary in the "Wall Street Journal."
"A Billionaire and an Oscar Winner Have Made a Hit Movie. It's About Investing - The new documentary from Errol Morris makes index funds and passive investing thrilling"
Free link: https://www.wsj.com/finance/investing/investing-david-booth-errol-morris-documentary-4dd7ff80?st=tuJdM1&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink
Not that you have to read the article. But I do recommend you watch the first half of this movie.
Documentaries are all the rage, but too often they're about topics I experienced live, or nooks and crannies featuring crazy people. "Tune Out the Noise" is educational, without being didactic, without beating you over the head.
What we've got here is nobodies who find their way to the University of Chicago for disparate reasons. These are not today's finance bros, wearing tailored suits who are in it only for the money and the attendant lifestyle. No, what we have here are ACADEMICS!
Can you imagine being so intrigued by finance that you want to teach it? Mostly these are oddballs who don't fit in who find their way to this educational institution...
I know, I know, everybody's down on universities and college education today. However, at the bleeding edge of any enterprise is the intelligent, trying to figure out the unknown. And that's thrilling. We're all excited by the new. But most of us are playing it safe, never all-in, especially in enterprises that appear difficult and don't rain down money.
But David Booth decided to employ all this academic research to prove a point and make a ton of money. Which is why the University of Chicago's business school is now named "Booth" (well, he donated $300 million for the privilege).
It's exciting to see people driven by the data, the science, the theories, as opposed to the modern paradigm of working your way back from the money. How do I get rich? That's where most people start.
This is history. And that's where documentaries shine. Errol Morris makes finance come alive.
Until somewhere in the middle of this flick where the focus ends up being on small cap companies and multi-dimensions and conceptually you get it, but something is lost in the process.
But before that...
You'll be riveted. Because Morris is a professional documentarian, and he knows how to make a subject interesting.
Of course if you're a newbie, if you're wet behind the ears, if you truly think you can beat the market yourself...your eyes will be opened. The math says otherwise! That's the genius of these people... They collected the data and analyzed it, instead of just talking out of their rear ends.
And then there's the concept of the theory. The data is meaningless unless you're using it to prove or disprove... This is the kind of stuff you learned in junior high school that rarely comes up in your everyday life, but it's the essence of progress.
You should put your money in an index fund. Sure, round out your portfolio with bonds, maybe real estate, don't go all-in on the index. But if you're going to own equities, this is the way to go. This movie proves it.
As to which index fund you should own with which philosophy... This is where the film gets hazy.
But until that point, you'll be focused and edified. Even those in the industry may not know a lot of these historical details.
And did I mention that the movie is FREE?!
Yup, just click the YouTube link above.
You'll be intrigued.
--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
--
Listen to the podcast:
-iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj
-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
--
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
This Is OUR Fight
I haven't been this focused since Napster. Every morning I turn on my phone and am...
Stunned, horrified.
Not that everybody agrees with me. Kind of like those days back in the beginning of 2000. The label execs told us they had it under control. After all, the law was on their side. You had acts and the industry telling its fans/customers to stop...and nothing did. We never did return to normal. And an outsider saved the recording industry. Yes, that's what Daniel Ek did, and the labels know this, but acts consider him a pariah because in the process he got rich and they did not.
Trump is the antidote to not only Biden, but the entire Democratic party. You probably saw the Jon Stewart clip wherein he talks about Schumer waiting for Trump's approval rating to go down to forty and then counters with the fact that the Democrats' is TWENTY SEVEN!
Then again, I don't think elected officials saw this. They're not on TikTok, where this clip exploded. That's the goal of late night TV, not to get you to tune in, but to create viral content that explodes online.
So...
Trump has stopped border crossings, they're down to a trickle. The Democrats could have done this, but somehow this was anti...exactly what? This reminds me of trans women in sports and pronouns... The Democrats lost touch with the will of the people and catered to a cabal that was often vicious. At the end of his term, Biden looked nothing so much as afraid. Never mind the entire fiasco of Joe running again.
Joe's home in the dementia ward. Kamala seems to realize no one likes her and has been licking her wounds off the radar screen. And who is leading the Democrats?
Maybe late night hosts and comedians. And there's Gavin Newsom with his excoriated podcast...doesn't he realize these people are the ENEMY!
And then there's Bernie and AOC...
But nobody in D.C. takes them seriously. They're cranks with little power. No, they're in touch with the heartbeat of the country! Dissatisfaction with not only the government, but life in these United States!
I loved that TikTok video I saw yesterday with the young female tax attorney who explained how the rich pay no taxes. They borrow against their assets. YOU HAVE NO ASSETS! Or if you do, you're probably one of those Democrats who keep telling the electorate how dumb it is. How did that work out? Not well.
So there's this level of agitation and discontent and other than Bernie and AOC, the Democrats are not tapping into it. All they're saying is their hands are tied. These doofuses have been in D.C. so long that they've lost touch with their jobs. They're elected by US! They work for US! How about coming down from their thrones and interacting with US!
I'm not talking about listening tours. F*ck that. No, I'm talking about stirring up the populace, eradicating our depression. Sure, the right may not have liked Black Lives Matter demonstrations after George Floyd, but boy did those gain the attention of the people and the press. At least some progress was made, before Trump came along and undercut it.
The Democrats should leave D.C., where they keep telling us they have no power, and return to their burgs and stir up the public. Have rallies. Otherwise, everybody's going to just go on with their own life until we're living in Hungary.
This is what I don't understand. How countries shifted into authoritarianism and life went on, the people accepted this. This couldn't happen in the United States, BUT NOW IT IS!
Tap into our anger. Show Elon and Trump that we're all not in agreement. Force the issue, either they have to stop the train or own the consequences of their actions. And right now they're doing neither.
Keep the fever up. Make us believers in change. If you think the only way to make change is at the ballot box, you've been in Washington too long.
This is the lesson of Napster. Outside forces can change the world. At first most people had no idea what Napster was. Then they were aware and didn't care. And then they got high speed connections and used the service and were convinced, smiling!
Who is going to lead the populace out of the wilderness? Who is going to disrupt the tsunami of destruction Elon and Trump have executed?
WE ARE!
That's right, you and me. We're the nation's only hope. I want to know who is on my side, who is not afraid, who is willing to stand up for this country as opposed to focusing on lifestyle.
This is the most important issue of YOUR LIFE!
This is the turning point.
Are you going to be somnambulant?
All we need is leaders. This is the opportunity for the Democrats. Don't forget, Trump stirred up his fans, gained constituents before he even ran for office! Trump spoke plain English. You learn the lessons of the enemy, you don't just throw them all away.
The press isn't going to save us.
As for the courts... They ruled against Napster and then we got KaZaA and then lockers. The will of the people could not be tamped down.
So far the courts haven't stopped Trump.
The only thing that can stop him are you and me.
This is like Vietnam, but with much greater consequences. As for all those Trumpers... They were for Vietnam until they too realized the war was fruitless.
Because you can't fight hearts and minds. Hearts and minds always win.
Dissatisfaction is rampant. Back in '68 it was Eugene McCarthy who tapped into this. Ultimately Hubert Humphrey, the Chuck Schumer of the era, was nominated AND HE LOST! Because he didn't have the fervor of the populace behind him.
Your entire way of life is being changed and you're forced to shrug your shoulders because your leaders have let you down.
Something is happening here, and it sure ain't exactly clear.
Either it will happen spontaneously or it will be led by the Democrats or...
It won't happen at all. That's what I'm most worried about. We don't know who each other is. We don't think we have enough people. We don't think we have enough power.
BUT WE DO!
For what it's worth.
--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
--
Listen to the podcast:
-iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj
-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
--
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
Stunned, horrified.
Not that everybody agrees with me. Kind of like those days back in the beginning of 2000. The label execs told us they had it under control. After all, the law was on their side. You had acts and the industry telling its fans/customers to stop...and nothing did. We never did return to normal. And an outsider saved the recording industry. Yes, that's what Daniel Ek did, and the labels know this, but acts consider him a pariah because in the process he got rich and they did not.
Trump is the antidote to not only Biden, but the entire Democratic party. You probably saw the Jon Stewart clip wherein he talks about Schumer waiting for Trump's approval rating to go down to forty and then counters with the fact that the Democrats' is TWENTY SEVEN!
Then again, I don't think elected officials saw this. They're not on TikTok, where this clip exploded. That's the goal of late night TV, not to get you to tune in, but to create viral content that explodes online.
So...
Trump has stopped border crossings, they're down to a trickle. The Democrats could have done this, but somehow this was anti...exactly what? This reminds me of trans women in sports and pronouns... The Democrats lost touch with the will of the people and catered to a cabal that was often vicious. At the end of his term, Biden looked nothing so much as afraid. Never mind the entire fiasco of Joe running again.
Joe's home in the dementia ward. Kamala seems to realize no one likes her and has been licking her wounds off the radar screen. And who is leading the Democrats?
Maybe late night hosts and comedians. And there's Gavin Newsom with his excoriated podcast...doesn't he realize these people are the ENEMY!
And then there's Bernie and AOC...
But nobody in D.C. takes them seriously. They're cranks with little power. No, they're in touch with the heartbeat of the country! Dissatisfaction with not only the government, but life in these United States!
I loved that TikTok video I saw yesterday with the young female tax attorney who explained how the rich pay no taxes. They borrow against their assets. YOU HAVE NO ASSETS! Or if you do, you're probably one of those Democrats who keep telling the electorate how dumb it is. How did that work out? Not well.
So there's this level of agitation and discontent and other than Bernie and AOC, the Democrats are not tapping into it. All they're saying is their hands are tied. These doofuses have been in D.C. so long that they've lost touch with their jobs. They're elected by US! They work for US! How about coming down from their thrones and interacting with US!
I'm not talking about listening tours. F*ck that. No, I'm talking about stirring up the populace, eradicating our depression. Sure, the right may not have liked Black Lives Matter demonstrations after George Floyd, but boy did those gain the attention of the people and the press. At least some progress was made, before Trump came along and undercut it.
The Democrats should leave D.C., where they keep telling us they have no power, and return to their burgs and stir up the public. Have rallies. Otherwise, everybody's going to just go on with their own life until we're living in Hungary.
This is what I don't understand. How countries shifted into authoritarianism and life went on, the people accepted this. This couldn't happen in the United States, BUT NOW IT IS!
Tap into our anger. Show Elon and Trump that we're all not in agreement. Force the issue, either they have to stop the train or own the consequences of their actions. And right now they're doing neither.
Keep the fever up. Make us believers in change. If you think the only way to make change is at the ballot box, you've been in Washington too long.
This is the lesson of Napster. Outside forces can change the world. At first most people had no idea what Napster was. Then they were aware and didn't care. And then they got high speed connections and used the service and were convinced, smiling!
Who is going to lead the populace out of the wilderness? Who is going to disrupt the tsunami of destruction Elon and Trump have executed?
WE ARE!
That's right, you and me. We're the nation's only hope. I want to know who is on my side, who is not afraid, who is willing to stand up for this country as opposed to focusing on lifestyle.
This is the most important issue of YOUR LIFE!
This is the turning point.
Are you going to be somnambulant?
All we need is leaders. This is the opportunity for the Democrats. Don't forget, Trump stirred up his fans, gained constituents before he even ran for office! Trump spoke plain English. You learn the lessons of the enemy, you don't just throw them all away.
The press isn't going to save us.
As for the courts... They ruled against Napster and then we got KaZaA and then lockers. The will of the people could not be tamped down.
So far the courts haven't stopped Trump.
The only thing that can stop him are you and me.
This is like Vietnam, but with much greater consequences. As for all those Trumpers... They were for Vietnam until they too realized the war was fruitless.
Because you can't fight hearts and minds. Hearts and minds always win.
Dissatisfaction is rampant. Back in '68 it was Eugene McCarthy who tapped into this. Ultimately Hubert Humphrey, the Chuck Schumer of the era, was nominated AND HE LOST! Because he didn't have the fervor of the populace behind him.
Your entire way of life is being changed and you're forced to shrug your shoulders because your leaders have let you down.
Something is happening here, and it sure ain't exactly clear.
Either it will happen spontaneously or it will be led by the Democrats or...
It won't happen at all. That's what I'm most worried about. We don't know who each other is. We don't think we have enough people. We don't think we have enough power.
BUT WE DO!
For what it's worth.
--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
--
Listen to the podcast:
-iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj
-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
--
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
Saturday, 29 March 2025
Old School/New School
OLD SCHOOL
Get a record deal.
NEW SCHOOL
Get a fan base.
OLD SCHOOL
Learn how to play your instrument.
NEW SCHOOL
Learn how to use your computer.
OLD SCHOOL
The artist is king.
NEW SCHOOL
If the label doesn't hear a hit, they won't release your album. And the CEO makes more money than any of the artists.
OLD SCHOOL
Hire a publicity person to get noticed in print media.
NEW SCHOOL
Do your own publicity online.
OLD SCHOOL
Radio is everything.
NEW SCHOOL
TikTok is everything, that's where acts break.
OLD SCHOOL
Parents hate the music.
NEW SCHOOL
Parents hate the platform, i.e. TikTok (and some still can't get over physical media and hate Spotify, et al, too).
OLD SCHOOL
Perfect the music and only release what's up to snuff.
NEW SCHOOL
Put absolutely everything up on YouTube so fans can find it if they're looking for it. Live shows, acoustic in the studio, everything. Forget quality, otherwise why would people be watching audience-based videos? They want a taste of what it was like at the show. Fans want to get closer, don't put up a brick wall, but a conduit.
OLD SCHOOL
Spend a fortune recording in a professional studio.
NEW SCHOOL
Record at home, maybe on your laptop.
OLD SCHOOL
Acts are technologically ignorant. They don't know how the studio works.
NEW SCHOOL
Every act must be an engineer and producer. They must know how the music is created.
OLD SCHOOL
Put out an album, shorter than forty minutes in the vinyl era, no longer than eighty minutes in the CD era.
NEW SCHOOL
Either put out an EP with only a handful of songs, or put out an opus, a double album with maybe even thirty tracks. Because if someone is truly into your music, they'll stream EVERYTHING!
OLD SCHOOL
Getting ripped-off by the label.
NEW SCHOOL
Believing streaming services are ripping you off even though they're not.
OLD SCHOOL
Arguing about Spotify payments.
NEW SCHOOL
A focus on software, i.e. the music itself. Sure, business is important, but too many acts spend too much time thinking about it. Create music that draws people to it, then you'll make money, believe me.
OLD SCHOOL
Major labels shuffled the decks every three to five years or so. A new president came in and wiped out all the old employees and brought in his own team. It was a constant game of musical chairs.
NEW SCHOOL
The same people run the major labels ad infinitum.
OLD SCHOOL
An exec is only as good as his or her last hit, money is everything.
NEW SCHOOL
An exec is only as good as his or her last hit, money is everything.
OLD SCHOOL
Print music magazines meant everything.
NEW SCHOOL
Not only is print dead, but the websites of the early twenty first century are irrelevant too, everything is word of mouth these days.
OLD SCHOOL
Lead with your music.
NEW SCHOOL
Lead with your identity/personality. Your image is just as important as your music. To be featured in the gossip columns means you've made it.
OLD SCHOOL
No endorsements, no sponsorships...
NEW SCHOOL
Where do I sell out? I'm dying to sell out, isn't anybody going to give me money?
OLD SCHOOL
Credibility.
NEW SCHOOL
A bifurcation... There are acts playing the game the old way, building their audience live, over years, they are lifers. They truly focus on the bond with their audience, they just don't pay lip service. Credibility is key. And everybody else is in it for the fame and money, and will sign anything put in front of them.
OLD SCHOOL
Stadium shows were rare.
NEW SCHOOL
Stadium shows are de rigueur. There are more people and more acts with huge fan bases. But that does not mean those who do not go to the show care.
OLD SCHOOL
Country sucks. Enough with the rednecks and twang.
NEW SCHOOL
Country is the rock of the twenty first century. But there are still a lot of rednecks.
OLD SCHOOL
Hip-hop is cutting edge.
NEW SCHOOL
Hip-hop is long in the tooth, almost a caricature of itself.
OLD SCHOOL
Rappers got shot.
NEW SCHOOL
Rappers get shot.
OLD SCHOOL
Acts rarely had a hit past their prime.
NEW SCHOOL
Acts rarely have a hit past their prime.
OLD SCHOOL
If you wanted to know what was going on you listened to a record.
NEW SCHOOL
Everybody gets their information from a different source, but one thing is for sure, they don't get it from musicians.
OLD SCHOOL
Musicians stood for something.
NEW SCHOOL
Musicians stand for nothing, they're afraid of alienating a potential audience member, hurting their career.
OLD SCHOOL
There were few acts who were truly superstars.
NEW SCHOOL
There are a ton of acts that they keep telling us are superstars but we can ignore them and sacrifice nothing.
OLD SCHOOL
You had to buy it to hear it. And when you bought it you listened to it over and over again.
NEW SCHOOL
Everything is available at your fingertips, and it's hard to get people to listen to anything, never mind all the way through or more than once.
OLD SCHOOL
Very few could be successful musicians, giving up their day job.
NEW SCHOOL
Everybody thinks they're entitled to be a successful musician and give up their day job.
OLD SCHOOL
You showed off your record collection.
NEW SCHOOL
It's all about experiences, and you post pictures of them online.
OLD SCHOOL
Labels kept the club scene alive.
NEW SCHOOL
The labels don't want to spend and neither does the public. If there's no heat on the act, they're not interested.
OLD SCHOOL
You knew all the hit acts, even if you didn't like their music.
NEW SCHOOL
Acts can sell out arenas, and you've never heard of them, never mind heard their music.
OLD SCHOOL
The charts were manipulated and not to be trusted.
NEW SCHOOL
The charts are manipulated and not to be trusted.
OLD SCHOOL
The tour was an advertisement for the album.
NEW SCHOOL
The album is the advertisement for the tour.
OLD SCHOOL
Recordings were everything.
NEW SCHOOL
Playing live is everything. You may not even need a record. Or one every five years. Assuming your show is not identical every night. People will know songs that were never laid down on tape/hard drive/SSD. From going to the gig and watching on YouTube.
OLD SCHOOL
Music was everything.
NEW SCHOOL
Music is a sideshow.
OLD SCHOOL
Music saved lives.
NEW SCHOOL
Money is everything, don't let anybody tell you otherwise.
--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
--
Listen to the podcast:
-iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj
-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
--
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
Get a record deal.
NEW SCHOOL
Get a fan base.
OLD SCHOOL
Learn how to play your instrument.
NEW SCHOOL
Learn how to use your computer.
OLD SCHOOL
The artist is king.
NEW SCHOOL
If the label doesn't hear a hit, they won't release your album. And the CEO makes more money than any of the artists.
OLD SCHOOL
Hire a publicity person to get noticed in print media.
NEW SCHOOL
Do your own publicity online.
OLD SCHOOL
Radio is everything.
NEW SCHOOL
TikTok is everything, that's where acts break.
OLD SCHOOL
Parents hate the music.
NEW SCHOOL
Parents hate the platform, i.e. TikTok (and some still can't get over physical media and hate Spotify, et al, too).
OLD SCHOOL
Perfect the music and only release what's up to snuff.
NEW SCHOOL
Put absolutely everything up on YouTube so fans can find it if they're looking for it. Live shows, acoustic in the studio, everything. Forget quality, otherwise why would people be watching audience-based videos? They want a taste of what it was like at the show. Fans want to get closer, don't put up a brick wall, but a conduit.
OLD SCHOOL
Spend a fortune recording in a professional studio.
NEW SCHOOL
Record at home, maybe on your laptop.
OLD SCHOOL
Acts are technologically ignorant. They don't know how the studio works.
NEW SCHOOL
Every act must be an engineer and producer. They must know how the music is created.
OLD SCHOOL
Put out an album, shorter than forty minutes in the vinyl era, no longer than eighty minutes in the CD era.
NEW SCHOOL
Either put out an EP with only a handful of songs, or put out an opus, a double album with maybe even thirty tracks. Because if someone is truly into your music, they'll stream EVERYTHING!
OLD SCHOOL
Getting ripped-off by the label.
NEW SCHOOL
Believing streaming services are ripping you off even though they're not.
OLD SCHOOL
Arguing about Spotify payments.
NEW SCHOOL
A focus on software, i.e. the music itself. Sure, business is important, but too many acts spend too much time thinking about it. Create music that draws people to it, then you'll make money, believe me.
OLD SCHOOL
Major labels shuffled the decks every three to five years or so. A new president came in and wiped out all the old employees and brought in his own team. It was a constant game of musical chairs.
NEW SCHOOL
The same people run the major labels ad infinitum.
OLD SCHOOL
An exec is only as good as his or her last hit, money is everything.
NEW SCHOOL
An exec is only as good as his or her last hit, money is everything.
OLD SCHOOL
Print music magazines meant everything.
NEW SCHOOL
Not only is print dead, but the websites of the early twenty first century are irrelevant too, everything is word of mouth these days.
OLD SCHOOL
Lead with your music.
NEW SCHOOL
Lead with your identity/personality. Your image is just as important as your music. To be featured in the gossip columns means you've made it.
OLD SCHOOL
No endorsements, no sponsorships...
NEW SCHOOL
Where do I sell out? I'm dying to sell out, isn't anybody going to give me money?
OLD SCHOOL
Credibility.
NEW SCHOOL
A bifurcation... There are acts playing the game the old way, building their audience live, over years, they are lifers. They truly focus on the bond with their audience, they just don't pay lip service. Credibility is key. And everybody else is in it for the fame and money, and will sign anything put in front of them.
OLD SCHOOL
Stadium shows were rare.
NEW SCHOOL
Stadium shows are de rigueur. There are more people and more acts with huge fan bases. But that does not mean those who do not go to the show care.
OLD SCHOOL
Country sucks. Enough with the rednecks and twang.
NEW SCHOOL
Country is the rock of the twenty first century. But there are still a lot of rednecks.
OLD SCHOOL
Hip-hop is cutting edge.
NEW SCHOOL
Hip-hop is long in the tooth, almost a caricature of itself.
OLD SCHOOL
Rappers got shot.
NEW SCHOOL
Rappers get shot.
OLD SCHOOL
Acts rarely had a hit past their prime.
NEW SCHOOL
Acts rarely have a hit past their prime.
OLD SCHOOL
If you wanted to know what was going on you listened to a record.
NEW SCHOOL
Everybody gets their information from a different source, but one thing is for sure, they don't get it from musicians.
OLD SCHOOL
Musicians stood for something.
NEW SCHOOL
Musicians stand for nothing, they're afraid of alienating a potential audience member, hurting their career.
OLD SCHOOL
There were few acts who were truly superstars.
NEW SCHOOL
There are a ton of acts that they keep telling us are superstars but we can ignore them and sacrifice nothing.
OLD SCHOOL
You had to buy it to hear it. And when you bought it you listened to it over and over again.
NEW SCHOOL
Everything is available at your fingertips, and it's hard to get people to listen to anything, never mind all the way through or more than once.
OLD SCHOOL
Very few could be successful musicians, giving up their day job.
NEW SCHOOL
Everybody thinks they're entitled to be a successful musician and give up their day job.
OLD SCHOOL
You showed off your record collection.
NEW SCHOOL
It's all about experiences, and you post pictures of them online.
OLD SCHOOL
Labels kept the club scene alive.
NEW SCHOOL
The labels don't want to spend and neither does the public. If there's no heat on the act, they're not interested.
OLD SCHOOL
You knew all the hit acts, even if you didn't like their music.
NEW SCHOOL
Acts can sell out arenas, and you've never heard of them, never mind heard their music.
OLD SCHOOL
The charts were manipulated and not to be trusted.
NEW SCHOOL
The charts are manipulated and not to be trusted.
OLD SCHOOL
The tour was an advertisement for the album.
NEW SCHOOL
The album is the advertisement for the tour.
OLD SCHOOL
Recordings were everything.
NEW SCHOOL
Playing live is everything. You may not even need a record. Or one every five years. Assuming your show is not identical every night. People will know songs that were never laid down on tape/hard drive/SSD. From going to the gig and watching on YouTube.
OLD SCHOOL
Music was everything.
NEW SCHOOL
Music is a sideshow.
OLD SCHOOL
Music saved lives.
NEW SCHOOL
Money is everything, don't let anybody tell you otherwise.
--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
--
Listen to the podcast:
-iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj
-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
--
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
Friday, 28 March 2025
Re-Matt Nathanson/KT Tunstall
I was so pleased to read your piece on Matt Nathanson, who's such a great artist and so deserving of recognition and praise. My wife and I have seen him many times, performing solo and with various lineups, and he always delights.
But—as you say—beyond his terrific songs and stand-up-comic-caliber stage presence, Matt offers something more rare and valuable: personal connection. He makes everyone in the joint feel like he's singing and talking to them. In a world of performers who can barely say good evening or mumble a song intro, Matt plays a gracious host at a house party where it's his job to make sure everyone is comfortable and entertained.
My wife and I jokingly keep a running list of people who would be our best friends if we only knew them. Matt's always in our top 5.
Jonathan Mudd
______________________________________
Matt's one of the absolute best. I saw him open for Tori Amos in 2005. He was solo and he pulled out the most amazing cover of Patty Griffin's "Forgiveness." I'll never forget that moment - one of my favorite live music memories ever.
Peter Zimmerman
______________________________________
Matt played for us in our 120-cap listening room, The Point, in Bryn Mawr, PA many times in the early 2000s. When he heard we were closing the venue in 2005, he came back and recorded a live album, "Live at The Point". It was always a madhouse when he was there
Even after we'd closed and Matt had gone on to play significantly bigger rooms, he'd call and offer tickets and a dinner invite.
My business partner, Richard Kardon, and I always thought the world of that guy!
Jesse Lundy
______________________________________
Thank you for this great piece on Matt! I've been a fan of his since 2004, and have been lucky enough to get to know him a little over the years. He is everything you described and there are few like him. To say he's my favorite singer is not a throwaway remark; he's been in that position for more than a decade.
-Anastasia Karel
______________________________________
hi bob, and this is exactly why matt easily blows out multiple shows here. Matt is the best.
Michael Jaworek
The Birchmere
______________________________________
We've hosted Matt in our 422 cap Event Gallery twice, and as support on our 16k cap Pavilion stage a handful more times as support to the likes of O.A.R., Train, etc. Beyond his musical talent, he's FUNNY - on and off the stage. Almost to the point where you feel like you're getting a two-for-one special, both a musical and comedic performance. Always look forward to any opportunity to bring him to our venue.
Julie Kaufman
Bethel Woods Center for the Arts
______________________________________
Matt Nathanson is so damn good. For fun, try his song "Bill Murray." You'll laugh — and then maybe shed a tear.
Harlan Coben
______________________________________
Couldn't agree more...Matt's an absolute showman, and when he leans into the humor, he's hilarious. I was lucky enough to catch him in Fort Collins a while back, and he absolutely owned the room. The next show I caught of his was him opening for Matchbox Twenty in a packed Denver arena, and somehow, he made it feel just as intimate as that small club. Unreal.
Phil Einsohn
______________________________________
Long time follower. I live in the foothills myself, and my wife and I decided weeks ago we were going to make the drive into Denver to see the same show at the Ogden Theater. 35 years ago I lived right there when it was kind of a scary neighborhood and I was an invincible 20 year old.
We were primarily going because we are long time KT fans, she's been doing the playing with her own beats and guitars and vocals since Ed Sheeran was 12, and we've seen her a number of times over the last 20 years.
We knew a couple of Matt Nathanson songs, Spotify suggests him hear and there, and I wasn't expecting much. Wow were we blown away by everything you mentioned here. He never stopped talking to and the interacting with the crowd. It seemed every song had a story including the couple of covers. I felt inspired to write myself. As a mid-fifties guy all the way in "the city" on a Tuesday night I was thinking we'd leave halfway into his set, but it was too good. When he brought KT out for Starship's worst song ever and he's singing "these lyrics suck" while she is absolutely slaying Grace Slick's part reading the lyrics off her hand....
Well they came off like kindred souls who are having the time of their lives touring together. I will definitely see Matt again and bring more folks to see him too, he is the performer we need.
Adrian Pountney
______________________________________
We were fortunate to see KT Tunstall last summer when she opened for -- of all people -- Roger Daltrey at Wolftrap.
The opener goes on when the crowd is still arriving and the hot DC sun hasn't set. But she killed. She was funny and positively delighted to be playing for us. Any one of her songs could have been the break-out hit.
John Hyman
______________________________________
great recap... he's a can't miss when he's in town for me.
Ken Brown
______________________________________
Yes!
Hope he comes to Syracuse...
Steve Anderko
______________________________________
I was a songwriter in the Bay Area (where Matt lives) in the 2010s. Matt was introduced to my music by a mutual friend. Although I was a nobody, he was very generous to me over the years and even took me out for a string of west coast shows in 2019. I eventually returned to school and now do other creative work in Taipei. But the last show I ever played was another show opening for Matt at Wente Vineyards. He is one of the nicest people I've met in the industry, he is effortlessly charismatic on stage, he is a hell of a songwriter, and he was exceedingly kind to me (many times over) when he didn't have to be. Thank you for broadcasting his merits to the world. He deserves it!
Kyle Terrizzi
______________________________________
I loved the review of your Matt Nathanson awakening.
I saw three shows on this current Matt tour when he was in the northeast last month and your missive was spot on! He didn't play my area so each show was a 5-6 hour round trip (three shows in four days), but totally worth it! I've seen him 32 times in the last 15 years and each show has been SO different - as you highlighted, the stage stories and banter aren't a rinse-repeat from the night before.
He has such a love and reverence for great music and he cares so much about music itself. He's just a music lover bringing music he's passionate about to people who are passionate about him and his work. No pretense.
Here's the version of "Thunder Road" from the NJ show - there are dozens of covers of this song, but some performers know how to honor and pay homage to the song. Matt definitely does.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-X6ZmXFy8U
But the communion moment was in Boston as he became one with the crowd on his song, "Boston Accent," at the end of the night at the lip of the stage no mic and no amp - a sing along to cap a night we would not soon forget!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHlYj9fs2Rc
Brad Parmerter
______________________________________
Bob, I'm so happy to read your summary of Matt Nathanson's show. He's the soundtrack of my college years, and I've stayed a true fan.
During college, I attended quite a few singer songwriters in small venues (400 cap) before they broke. I've seen Nathanson four or five times. Every show memorable.
At the Blind Pig in 2001, I stood GA, off to the side of the stage. He used to sing a Bon Jovi cover, and the build up of ranting before the song was equally part of the moment. I stupidly tried to interrupt his banter, trying to be funny, and I became part of the joke. But he wasn't mean. He's so quick. And he reclaimed the flow. (I learned to never interrupted a show again!)
When Some Mad Hope broke out with that hit, us true fans cheered for him: Beneath Those Fireworks had hits, and Universal didn't promote it well. (Even though I bought my copy at Hollister at the mall! How uncool is that…)
When I met Nathanson during that difficult label drop tour, he shared positive stories with me, not laments, at the merch table. He shared how he worked with a dream drummer, Matt Chamberlain. (I wonder if Chamberlain would be a great interview? He's incredible.)
When Nathanson put out Some Mad Hope, it was a master class of using social media at the inception of FaceBook's popularity.
Last year, Nathanson did a solo acoustic tour in small venues for fan club. My friend got a ticket for the Ark (400 cap in Ann Arbor) before it sold out in minutes. I'm still kicking myself for not going.
"Always go to the concert!" my dad says; he got stuck at the traffic jam into Woodstock, and gave up…
Mike Vial
______________________________________
Matt is a big inspiration of mine. When I was in high school in southern Maine in the mid 2000's, a music teacher saw me onstage and told me I had "that Matt Nathanson thing." I had never heard of him, so I had to look him up. He had that one song "I Saw" which had made it into a couple movies and TV shows, but nothing else big yet. But I totally connected with his music and it had a big influence on my songwriting over the years.
One day in 2013 or 2014 I had the chance to open for him at the Hard Rock Café in Boston as part of a midday, "fans only" performance sponsored by ALT 92.9. An old band mate of mine had become the marketing director at the station and threw me a bone. No one in the audience knew who I was, they were all there for Matt, but that was fine with me, I finally got to meet a musical hero of mine.
Backstage we talked for a few minutes and I got the opportunity to pour my heart out and tell him what an influence he was on me. The record promoter who introduced us was mortified that I wasn't "playing it cool" but Matt was so gracious, talking with me, complimenting a couple of my songs, and relating over our shared connections to the Concord/Lexington area of Massachusetts. Watching him during his set, doing crowd work, was like a master class that would further inform my stage show for the next few years. I'll never forget it.
Glad you got to experience the magic of a Matt Nathanson performance!
Keep on,
Skyler Clark-Hamel
______________________________________
Saw him in Toronto. My friend who plays with Rachel Yamagata opened the show. Both were great! And they had seats put in. :)
Jake Gold
______________________________________
First met Matt back in the 90's when he would play the poster room at the Fillmore for $50
What a sweet guy, glad to see he hasn't changed
Go see Matt!
David Repp
______________________________________
My late Wife and I were early fans of Matt Nathanson. We lived in Mountain View in the Bay Area and well over 20 years ago we saw him at several San Francisco venues.
Sadly I haven't seen him for years but your letter reminded me of those great shows. He was, and clearly still is, a wonderful performer. I now live in Oceanside and if he does any shows down here I'll be there. He'd be great at The Belly Up!
Keep up the good work, your letters are something I look forward to.
Regards
Peter Brentnall
______________________________________
KT is a gem. Toured with her a hundred years ago and she was doing this same style of show. Long before Ed seemed to invent it for this generation.
She was a force then and continues to be so.
And kind. It was near the end of the tour and my wife was expecting and it was close, about 3 weeks out. Something told me I had to fly home and end this thing or I may miss the birth of a child. It was hard telling her and she didn't blink- "GO! It's real life and you should be there. Your wife needs you more!"
All class and none of it for show.
(Tell me she had the kazoo and did "seven nations army"?! Slays it)
Don Miggs
______________________________________
A good friend of mine worked with Matt during his earlier days at Pitzer College, so I had the good fortune of seeing him around 2000-2002 several times in the Boston area. Hs connection to the audience was always amazing and what made his shows so much fun. Sure the music was good, but its personality that really made the show.
I will also say that after meeting him a few times during those days, this is truly who he his. It's not just an onstage persona…he's genuinely a really nice guy.
Ty Velde
Needham, MA
______________________________________
I saw KT two years ago at The Ryman in Nashville opening for Joss Stone.
Didn't think much of it going in-- "woo hoo", that's all I could remember.
She blew the doors off the place. Standing ovation. She's smart, funny and sings and plays great.
Has a beat box vibe slapping the acoustic guitar. Seriously entertaining. A great performer.
Rich Carlson
______________________________________
I agree, I saw Matt 15 years ago at the 9:30 club in DC. My wife won tickets from a top 40 radio station and I had low expectations given his pop star status but I was pleasantly surprised by both his talent and his personality. He knows how to engage the audience. I had a great time which is a testament to a live performance. Thanks for the report.
Tom Fitzsimmons
______________________________________
I was you many years ago, reaching out to Matt more in hope that we could connect - I was pushing a UK rock act out of London to an American audience; both Matt & I in our relative infancy and me thinking there was some quid pro quo we could work on. And I was a Matt fan; I made that clear.
Matt connected, we connected and before long I was staying on his sofa for the night. Watching Matt play back then in bars; his connection with his audience a real inspiration to take home to my fan-shy wannabes in the UK.
Cheers,
Dave Johnson
______________________________________
I had the pleasure of being the audio engineer for Teitur on his Midwest tour in 2003. I had never heard of Matt before we opened for him on a few of the stops. I was instantly a fan after the first night! You get a good sense of how intelligent he is from the wit and humor of his onstage banter. And he's a nice guy to boot! It seems like a rare combo these days! Thanks for the reminder about him! I'll definitely try to catch a show when he comes around my area next.
P.S. I checked out a Steve Poltz show a few weeks ago based on your email from a few months ago. Amazing! I'd put him and Matt in the same category: part singer-songwriter, part comedian!
Take care,
Brett Patrick
______________________________________
I've the pleasure of working with both artists in my career. KT at the very beginning. I remember being absolutely mesmerized by this young woman walking up onstage. A guitar, harmonica, and a effects rack. She started 'Black Horse and Cherry Tree' with just that trademark 'whoo hooo' in a loop. All of our jaws hit the ground as she built a song right in front of us. She followed with 'Suddenly I See', chatting with the audience and building a relationship. Connecting with them. Crazy, right? A rare talent.
Matt and I had a great run of shows. He is a master performer in everyway partly because he was a comedian before music. He brilliantly fused them together to create the stage performer, 'Matt'. His energy is infectious. His songs are weaving stores that take you somewhere. Much like KT.
By all rights, these two artists should be huge. Unfortunately, their abilities are not as marketable as they once were. If either had come up in the 60's or 70's when songwriting, talent, and stage presence was it, we would be telling a different story.
I consider both 'artists' in every sense of the word. They both are also some of the nicest, most down to earth people you could ever meet. Just true musicians. I still go back and revisit their music all the time.
They both are people you would want to have a beer with. Real people, real stories, real talent...
Such a rarity now a days...
Chris TridentMMP
--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
--
Listen to the podcast:
-iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj
-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
--
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
But—as you say—beyond his terrific songs and stand-up-comic-caliber stage presence, Matt offers something more rare and valuable: personal connection. He makes everyone in the joint feel like he's singing and talking to them. In a world of performers who can barely say good evening or mumble a song intro, Matt plays a gracious host at a house party where it's his job to make sure everyone is comfortable and entertained.
My wife and I jokingly keep a running list of people who would be our best friends if we only knew them. Matt's always in our top 5.
Jonathan Mudd
______________________________________
Matt's one of the absolute best. I saw him open for Tori Amos in 2005. He was solo and he pulled out the most amazing cover of Patty Griffin's "Forgiveness." I'll never forget that moment - one of my favorite live music memories ever.
Peter Zimmerman
______________________________________
Matt played for us in our 120-cap listening room, The Point, in Bryn Mawr, PA many times in the early 2000s. When he heard we were closing the venue in 2005, he came back and recorded a live album, "Live at The Point". It was always a madhouse when he was there
Even after we'd closed and Matt had gone on to play significantly bigger rooms, he'd call and offer tickets and a dinner invite.
My business partner, Richard Kardon, and I always thought the world of that guy!
Jesse Lundy
______________________________________
Thank you for this great piece on Matt! I've been a fan of his since 2004, and have been lucky enough to get to know him a little over the years. He is everything you described and there are few like him. To say he's my favorite singer is not a throwaway remark; he's been in that position for more than a decade.
-Anastasia Karel
______________________________________
hi bob, and this is exactly why matt easily blows out multiple shows here. Matt is the best.
Michael Jaworek
The Birchmere
______________________________________
We've hosted Matt in our 422 cap Event Gallery twice, and as support on our 16k cap Pavilion stage a handful more times as support to the likes of O.A.R., Train, etc. Beyond his musical talent, he's FUNNY - on and off the stage. Almost to the point where you feel like you're getting a two-for-one special, both a musical and comedic performance. Always look forward to any opportunity to bring him to our venue.
Julie Kaufman
Bethel Woods Center for the Arts
______________________________________
Matt Nathanson is so damn good. For fun, try his song "Bill Murray." You'll laugh — and then maybe shed a tear.
Harlan Coben
______________________________________
Couldn't agree more...Matt's an absolute showman, and when he leans into the humor, he's hilarious. I was lucky enough to catch him in Fort Collins a while back, and he absolutely owned the room. The next show I caught of his was him opening for Matchbox Twenty in a packed Denver arena, and somehow, he made it feel just as intimate as that small club. Unreal.
Phil Einsohn
______________________________________
Long time follower. I live in the foothills myself, and my wife and I decided weeks ago we were going to make the drive into Denver to see the same show at the Ogden Theater. 35 years ago I lived right there when it was kind of a scary neighborhood and I was an invincible 20 year old.
We were primarily going because we are long time KT fans, she's been doing the playing with her own beats and guitars and vocals since Ed Sheeran was 12, and we've seen her a number of times over the last 20 years.
We knew a couple of Matt Nathanson songs, Spotify suggests him hear and there, and I wasn't expecting much. Wow were we blown away by everything you mentioned here. He never stopped talking to and the interacting with the crowd. It seemed every song had a story including the couple of covers. I felt inspired to write myself. As a mid-fifties guy all the way in "the city" on a Tuesday night I was thinking we'd leave halfway into his set, but it was too good. When he brought KT out for Starship's worst song ever and he's singing "these lyrics suck" while she is absolutely slaying Grace Slick's part reading the lyrics off her hand....
Well they came off like kindred souls who are having the time of their lives touring together. I will definitely see Matt again and bring more folks to see him too, he is the performer we need.
Adrian Pountney
______________________________________
We were fortunate to see KT Tunstall last summer when she opened for -- of all people -- Roger Daltrey at Wolftrap.
The opener goes on when the crowd is still arriving and the hot DC sun hasn't set. But she killed. She was funny and positively delighted to be playing for us. Any one of her songs could have been the break-out hit.
John Hyman
______________________________________
great recap... he's a can't miss when he's in town for me.
Ken Brown
______________________________________
Yes!
Hope he comes to Syracuse...
Steve Anderko
______________________________________
I was a songwriter in the Bay Area (where Matt lives) in the 2010s. Matt was introduced to my music by a mutual friend. Although I was a nobody, he was very generous to me over the years and even took me out for a string of west coast shows in 2019. I eventually returned to school and now do other creative work in Taipei. But the last show I ever played was another show opening for Matt at Wente Vineyards. He is one of the nicest people I've met in the industry, he is effortlessly charismatic on stage, he is a hell of a songwriter, and he was exceedingly kind to me (many times over) when he didn't have to be. Thank you for broadcasting his merits to the world. He deserves it!
Kyle Terrizzi
______________________________________
I loved the review of your Matt Nathanson awakening.
I saw three shows on this current Matt tour when he was in the northeast last month and your missive was spot on! He didn't play my area so each show was a 5-6 hour round trip (three shows in four days), but totally worth it! I've seen him 32 times in the last 15 years and each show has been SO different - as you highlighted, the stage stories and banter aren't a rinse-repeat from the night before.
He has such a love and reverence for great music and he cares so much about music itself. He's just a music lover bringing music he's passionate about to people who are passionate about him and his work. No pretense.
Here's the version of "Thunder Road" from the NJ show - there are dozens of covers of this song, but some performers know how to honor and pay homage to the song. Matt definitely does.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-X6ZmXFy8U
But the communion moment was in Boston as he became one with the crowd on his song, "Boston Accent," at the end of the night at the lip of the stage no mic and no amp - a sing along to cap a night we would not soon forget!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHlYj9fs2Rc
Brad Parmerter
______________________________________
Bob, I'm so happy to read your summary of Matt Nathanson's show. He's the soundtrack of my college years, and I've stayed a true fan.
During college, I attended quite a few singer songwriters in small venues (400 cap) before they broke. I've seen Nathanson four or five times. Every show memorable.
At the Blind Pig in 2001, I stood GA, off to the side of the stage. He used to sing a Bon Jovi cover, and the build up of ranting before the song was equally part of the moment. I stupidly tried to interrupt his banter, trying to be funny, and I became part of the joke. But he wasn't mean. He's so quick. And he reclaimed the flow. (I learned to never interrupted a show again!)
When Some Mad Hope broke out with that hit, us true fans cheered for him: Beneath Those Fireworks had hits, and Universal didn't promote it well. (Even though I bought my copy at Hollister at the mall! How uncool is that…)
When I met Nathanson during that difficult label drop tour, he shared positive stories with me, not laments, at the merch table. He shared how he worked with a dream drummer, Matt Chamberlain. (I wonder if Chamberlain would be a great interview? He's incredible.)
When Nathanson put out Some Mad Hope, it was a master class of using social media at the inception of FaceBook's popularity.
Last year, Nathanson did a solo acoustic tour in small venues for fan club. My friend got a ticket for the Ark (400 cap in Ann Arbor) before it sold out in minutes. I'm still kicking myself for not going.
"Always go to the concert!" my dad says; he got stuck at the traffic jam into Woodstock, and gave up…
Mike Vial
______________________________________
Matt is a big inspiration of mine. When I was in high school in southern Maine in the mid 2000's, a music teacher saw me onstage and told me I had "that Matt Nathanson thing." I had never heard of him, so I had to look him up. He had that one song "I Saw" which had made it into a couple movies and TV shows, but nothing else big yet. But I totally connected with his music and it had a big influence on my songwriting over the years.
One day in 2013 or 2014 I had the chance to open for him at the Hard Rock Café in Boston as part of a midday, "fans only" performance sponsored by ALT 92.9. An old band mate of mine had become the marketing director at the station and threw me a bone. No one in the audience knew who I was, they were all there for Matt, but that was fine with me, I finally got to meet a musical hero of mine.
Backstage we talked for a few minutes and I got the opportunity to pour my heart out and tell him what an influence he was on me. The record promoter who introduced us was mortified that I wasn't "playing it cool" but Matt was so gracious, talking with me, complimenting a couple of my songs, and relating over our shared connections to the Concord/Lexington area of Massachusetts. Watching him during his set, doing crowd work, was like a master class that would further inform my stage show for the next few years. I'll never forget it.
Glad you got to experience the magic of a Matt Nathanson performance!
Keep on,
Skyler Clark-Hamel
______________________________________
Saw him in Toronto. My friend who plays with Rachel Yamagata opened the show. Both were great! And they had seats put in. :)
Jake Gold
______________________________________
First met Matt back in the 90's when he would play the poster room at the Fillmore for $50
What a sweet guy, glad to see he hasn't changed
Go see Matt!
David Repp
______________________________________
My late Wife and I were early fans of Matt Nathanson. We lived in Mountain View in the Bay Area and well over 20 years ago we saw him at several San Francisco venues.
Sadly I haven't seen him for years but your letter reminded me of those great shows. He was, and clearly still is, a wonderful performer. I now live in Oceanside and if he does any shows down here I'll be there. He'd be great at The Belly Up!
Keep up the good work, your letters are something I look forward to.
Regards
Peter Brentnall
______________________________________
KT is a gem. Toured with her a hundred years ago and she was doing this same style of show. Long before Ed seemed to invent it for this generation.
She was a force then and continues to be so.
And kind. It was near the end of the tour and my wife was expecting and it was close, about 3 weeks out. Something told me I had to fly home and end this thing or I may miss the birth of a child. It was hard telling her and she didn't blink- "GO! It's real life and you should be there. Your wife needs you more!"
All class and none of it for show.
(Tell me she had the kazoo and did "seven nations army"?! Slays it)
Don Miggs
______________________________________
A good friend of mine worked with Matt during his earlier days at Pitzer College, so I had the good fortune of seeing him around 2000-2002 several times in the Boston area. Hs connection to the audience was always amazing and what made his shows so much fun. Sure the music was good, but its personality that really made the show.
I will also say that after meeting him a few times during those days, this is truly who he his. It's not just an onstage persona…he's genuinely a really nice guy.
Ty Velde
Needham, MA
______________________________________
I saw KT two years ago at The Ryman in Nashville opening for Joss Stone.
Didn't think much of it going in-- "woo hoo", that's all I could remember.
She blew the doors off the place. Standing ovation. She's smart, funny and sings and plays great.
Has a beat box vibe slapping the acoustic guitar. Seriously entertaining. A great performer.
Rich Carlson
______________________________________
I agree, I saw Matt 15 years ago at the 9:30 club in DC. My wife won tickets from a top 40 radio station and I had low expectations given his pop star status but I was pleasantly surprised by both his talent and his personality. He knows how to engage the audience. I had a great time which is a testament to a live performance. Thanks for the report.
Tom Fitzsimmons
______________________________________
I was you many years ago, reaching out to Matt more in hope that we could connect - I was pushing a UK rock act out of London to an American audience; both Matt & I in our relative infancy and me thinking there was some quid pro quo we could work on. And I was a Matt fan; I made that clear.
Matt connected, we connected and before long I was staying on his sofa for the night. Watching Matt play back then in bars; his connection with his audience a real inspiration to take home to my fan-shy wannabes in the UK.
Cheers,
Dave Johnson
______________________________________
I had the pleasure of being the audio engineer for Teitur on his Midwest tour in 2003. I had never heard of Matt before we opened for him on a few of the stops. I was instantly a fan after the first night! You get a good sense of how intelligent he is from the wit and humor of his onstage banter. And he's a nice guy to boot! It seems like a rare combo these days! Thanks for the reminder about him! I'll definitely try to catch a show when he comes around my area next.
P.S. I checked out a Steve Poltz show a few weeks ago based on your email from a few months ago. Amazing! I'd put him and Matt in the same category: part singer-songwriter, part comedian!
Take care,
Brett Patrick
______________________________________
I've the pleasure of working with both artists in my career. KT at the very beginning. I remember being absolutely mesmerized by this young woman walking up onstage. A guitar, harmonica, and a effects rack. She started 'Black Horse and Cherry Tree' with just that trademark 'whoo hooo' in a loop. All of our jaws hit the ground as she built a song right in front of us. She followed with 'Suddenly I See', chatting with the audience and building a relationship. Connecting with them. Crazy, right? A rare talent.
Matt and I had a great run of shows. He is a master performer in everyway partly because he was a comedian before music. He brilliantly fused them together to create the stage performer, 'Matt'. His energy is infectious. His songs are weaving stores that take you somewhere. Much like KT.
By all rights, these two artists should be huge. Unfortunately, their abilities are not as marketable as they once were. If either had come up in the 60's or 70's when songwriting, talent, and stage presence was it, we would be telling a different story.
I consider both 'artists' in every sense of the word. They both are also some of the nicest, most down to earth people you could ever meet. Just true musicians. I still go back and revisit their music all the time.
They both are people you would want to have a beer with. Real people, real stories, real talent...
Such a rarity now a days...
Chris TridentMMP
--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
--
Listen to the podcast:
-iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj
-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
--
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
Janis Joplin/Country Joe & The Fish-SiriusXM This Week
Tune in tomorrow March 29th to Faction Talk, channel 103, at 4 PM East, 1 PM West.
If you miss the episode, you can hear it on demand on the SiriusXM app. Search: Lefsetz
--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
--
Listen to the podcast:
-iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj
-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
--
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
If you miss the episode, you can hear it on demand on the SiriusXM app. Search: Lefsetz
--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
--
Listen to the podcast:
-iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj
-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
--
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
More Adolescence
People want to TALK about it!
Now you know what it was like going to the movies in the late sixties and seventies. It was not high concept entertainment, it was food for thought, the movies were STIMULATING!
No one says they saw "Adolescence" and shrugs.
And maybe you haven't seen it yet, but if so, you will. Because you'll feel the societal pressure, your friends will testify, INSIST that you watch it.
This is the modern paradigm. Promotion/publicity/success comes from the bottom up, not the top down. The gatekeepers try to anoint winners. And sometimes they succeed. They're in cahoots with the PR people... There's the anticipatory hype, then the hype about each and every star, then analysis after the project launches.
The gatekeepers missed "Adolescence."
But it's more than that. Multiple people have told me that Stephen Graham is the best actor of the century. Your opinion may differ, but one thing is for sure, Graham is not a conventional movie star, young and good-looking.
And unlike an American series, there are only four episodes.
And "Adolescence" is not comedy or fantasy, but real life.
Felice told me she was glad she didn't have kids. Amy wondered what her son was doing all the time in his room, on his computer.
We can't know what our progeny are doing 24/7.
Having said that... I went to school. Public school. And there was a constant undercurrent of bullying and tribal war. Parents think they can stop bullying, maybe by going to the Administration. That's the worst thing you can do, now your kid is a pariah.
To stop bullying you would have to start at the core. Why do certain people have to lord it over others, why do they have to make others scapegoats? And this is not only schoolchildren...
And you can be anti-technology all you want, but the internet is not going away. Even if you take away smartphones from kids, they'll go home and get on their laptop.
And how do you cope when someone in your family steps over the line, acts badly. Some live in denial. Most soul search.
"Adolescence" is what we crave. In a constant world of me-too in entertainment. Tell me why I've got to see that TV show again, why I've got to listen to that record? Where's the innovation, where's the difference?
There is none.
"Adolescence" is a visceral experience that cannot be forgotten.
"'Adolescence' Sets Netflix Record With 66.3 Million Views, Best Ever Two-Week Total for a Limited Series": https://shorturl.at/bxzjX
Proving that distribution is king. "Adolescence" would have had nowhere near the reach if it was a movie. Or on a service other than Netflix. Once people started to watch the series, it moved up the Netflix chart, and I don't know about you, but I always see what is popular, and a lot of it is dreck, but I always investigate the left field stuff I haven't heard of.
And the friction is almost nonexistent. You click and you're watching.
Now it's much harder to break a record. Then again, it's much cheaper to make a record than a TV series. But with all art, first and foremost comes the conception. Which frequently occurs in an instant, a lightning bolt of insight.
Hacks don't like this. They'd rather assemble the usual suspects, the same writers and players and massage something to be...exactly what? Something just like the rest?
And the major labels won't sign and promote anything outside. It's too heavy a lift for them. You must prove there's an audience for it first. The music being so great that it deserves an audience? That disappeared with Mo Ostin.
So we've got two trains running. One going to the usual destination and the other to where people want to go but they're completely unaware of. You have to make it and then they will come. This depends upon instinct, not research. That was Steve Jobs's genius.
Most shows today have no legs. But people keep e-mailing me about "Adolescence," weeks after it launched. And this wouldn't happen if all four episodes were not available at once. Most people I know view them all in a day. You can't stop. You're in this milieu, there's a mood, it's more than wanting to know what happens, it's wanting to inhabit this space where feelings, emotions are everything.
This is the artistic breakthrough of the year. Watch it to know why.
I can still feel the pain.
--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
--
Listen to the podcast:
-iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj
-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
--
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
Now you know what it was like going to the movies in the late sixties and seventies. It was not high concept entertainment, it was food for thought, the movies were STIMULATING!
No one says they saw "Adolescence" and shrugs.
And maybe you haven't seen it yet, but if so, you will. Because you'll feel the societal pressure, your friends will testify, INSIST that you watch it.
This is the modern paradigm. Promotion/publicity/success comes from the bottom up, not the top down. The gatekeepers try to anoint winners. And sometimes they succeed. They're in cahoots with the PR people... There's the anticipatory hype, then the hype about each and every star, then analysis after the project launches.
The gatekeepers missed "Adolescence."
But it's more than that. Multiple people have told me that Stephen Graham is the best actor of the century. Your opinion may differ, but one thing is for sure, Graham is not a conventional movie star, young and good-looking.
And unlike an American series, there are only four episodes.
And "Adolescence" is not comedy or fantasy, but real life.
Felice told me she was glad she didn't have kids. Amy wondered what her son was doing all the time in his room, on his computer.
We can't know what our progeny are doing 24/7.
Having said that... I went to school. Public school. And there was a constant undercurrent of bullying and tribal war. Parents think they can stop bullying, maybe by going to the Administration. That's the worst thing you can do, now your kid is a pariah.
To stop bullying you would have to start at the core. Why do certain people have to lord it over others, why do they have to make others scapegoats? And this is not only schoolchildren...
And you can be anti-technology all you want, but the internet is not going away. Even if you take away smartphones from kids, they'll go home and get on their laptop.
And how do you cope when someone in your family steps over the line, acts badly. Some live in denial. Most soul search.
"Adolescence" is what we crave. In a constant world of me-too in entertainment. Tell me why I've got to see that TV show again, why I've got to listen to that record? Where's the innovation, where's the difference?
There is none.
"Adolescence" is a visceral experience that cannot be forgotten.
"'Adolescence' Sets Netflix Record With 66.3 Million Views, Best Ever Two-Week Total for a Limited Series": https://shorturl.at/bxzjX
Proving that distribution is king. "Adolescence" would have had nowhere near the reach if it was a movie. Or on a service other than Netflix. Once people started to watch the series, it moved up the Netflix chart, and I don't know about you, but I always see what is popular, and a lot of it is dreck, but I always investigate the left field stuff I haven't heard of.
And the friction is almost nonexistent. You click and you're watching.
Now it's much harder to break a record. Then again, it's much cheaper to make a record than a TV series. But with all art, first and foremost comes the conception. Which frequently occurs in an instant, a lightning bolt of insight.
Hacks don't like this. They'd rather assemble the usual suspects, the same writers and players and massage something to be...exactly what? Something just like the rest?
And the major labels won't sign and promote anything outside. It's too heavy a lift for them. You must prove there's an audience for it first. The music being so great that it deserves an audience? That disappeared with Mo Ostin.
So we've got two trains running. One going to the usual destination and the other to where people want to go but they're completely unaware of. You have to make it and then they will come. This depends upon instinct, not research. That was Steve Jobs's genius.
Most shows today have no legs. But people keep e-mailing me about "Adolescence," weeks after it launched. And this wouldn't happen if all four episodes were not available at once. Most people I know view them all in a day. You can't stop. You're in this milieu, there's a mood, it's more than wanting to know what happens, it's wanting to inhabit this space where feelings, emotions are everything.
This is the artistic breakthrough of the year. Watch it to know why.
I can still feel the pain.
--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
--
Listen to the podcast:
-iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj
-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
--
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
Thursday, 27 March 2025
Matt Nathanson (& KT Tunstall) At The Vilar
So I'm reading the "Vail Daily" and I see that Matt Nathanson is playing at the Vilar Performing Arts Center in Beaver Creek.
But I don't have a car. It's gonna cost me as much in Ubers as it would for a ticket. But could I really be here while he's here and not see him?
So I e-mailed Matt.
And heard nothing.
I hear from Matt on an irregular basis. To say I'm familiar with his material would be dishonest. But he is forthcoming and intelligent and we've talked about doing a podcast but the last time we e-mailed, it took him a week to respond.
And when I heard nothing, I figured it was a no-go.
But I woke up to an e-mail from Matt and now it was back on and I'm sitting in the Uber thinking how I don't know this guy, what will conversation be like?
I can make musician/rock star conversation. I can turn that on. But inside I'm anxious, it seems stilted. I mean what if I don't connect with Matt?
Now the night before in Aspen was a disaster according to Matt. To quote the e-mail:
"f*ck aspen. last night was like playing to a room full of guarded, entitled white douche bags. yikes."
Now I don't think printing this will piss off Matt, because he says sh*t and f*ck throughout the show. As do I, so I could relate. But Matt is much more likable than me. He's like the smart kid in the top class who everybody digs.
And he's an equal opportunity offender.
Now the opener was KT Tunstall, who was stupendous. To come out alone and enrapture an audience that was unfamiliar with almost all of her material? She did it Ed Sheeran style, you know, creating beats and... She strummed powerfully and sang with gusto and did her best to endear herself to the audience.
Is that what it takes?
I mean I'm in the middle of Colorado. Not a hotbed of the entertainment industry. And, in truth, the Vilar is a subsidized venue. Meaning ticket sales don't always cover the act's fee. You see there are rich people and they want culture in their community and they show up with their graying or already white hair...
And I told Matt not to expect much better than Aspen in Beaver Creek.
But that's not the way it turned out.
I'm sitting there thinking how good KT was, remembering how she had that big hit and now it's decades later and she can't have another big hit because she's no longer the new thing and almost nobody can have a hit.
It's a weird business out there. Based on KT's performance tonight would those in the audience shell out dough to see her again?
That's the question.
And then Matt took the stage.
I wasn't prepared. He was a bundle of energy, he had an identity, he had PERSONALITY!
And that's something you cannot teach. That's something those on the TV competition shows are lacking. Even judges like Carrie Underwood are not 3-D. You think if they turned sideways, there'd be nothing to see, you'd miss them.
But not Matt Nathanson.
Now there were hard core fans in the audience. But everybody else in attendance, whether supporters of the Vilar or those on a ski vacation, were immediately brought inside by Matt. It was like being in his living room. No, scratch that. You felt that close, it was that intimate, but it was definitely a performance.
He did a bit of crowd work. Asking the ages of kids after swearing.
And he both explained his career and his show and his state of mind while he was performing, THAT'S HIS ACT!
And the songs he's singing are not "moon in June," they're deeper, they're more real, they're personal, anything but written by committee.
And Matt did have a hit while he was signed to Vanguard, but...
That was not what is driving his business. It's him, IT'S THE SHOW!
Now most of the acts in the Spotify Top 50 are hit dependent. People come to hear the songs. And if there are no recent hits, ticket sales fall off. That's the mainstream business.
And there is a parallel business of people playing stuff that would never make the Spotify Top 50, but oftentimes these people barely talk on stage, they speak through their music.
And Matt Nathanson speaks through his music, but he speaks so much more!
He had a spinning wheel of tunes, a la Elvis Costello. But he went through each and every listing, giving backstory. It was humorous and fascinating.
Talked about an old girlfriend whose video he saw on TikTok who blocked him after he liked her post.
It was a real person on stage.
And he spoke about playing "Thunder Road" in New Jersey and...
A couple of songs later, the lyrics are unmistakable...
"I have climbed highest mountains
I have run through the fields..."
Only to be with you, only to be with you here in the Vilar, the assembled multitude chiming in that they still hadn't found what they were looking for.
And there was audience participation. Mostly led by Matt, not always spontaneous.
And I'm sitting there thinking this is the paradigm, this is what it's all about. If you saw Matt Nathanson in concert, you'd pay to see him again, you'd come back. Sure, you wanted to hear the songs, Matt's got more than a dozen albums, he's not relying on covers, but you go to see the man, to see the PERFORMANCE!
This is not HELLO CLEVELAND! Not mindless, in some cases scripted patter by the barely verbal...
No, Matt is a college graduate, who can cogitate, who can tell a story, who can make you laugh and you may not cry, but his songs speak of real emotions, and those are not aways positive.
Now in truth, it's hard for me to disconnect from politics. Every day I turn on my phone and am amazed.
But sitting in the Vilar, in the dark...
Everything else disappears. And I did see some dude at the end of the row reading his cellphone, but I didn't catch anybody else doing so. They were PAYING ATTENTION!
And this was not a club show, where you're standing endlessly, sidled up to humanity... No, the Vilar has seats, which means the music flows in the dark and it sets your mind free. That's what I like most, when my mind drifts into places it normally never would, when I'm not caught up in the b.s. of life. This is what the show represents.
Then again, too many concerts are videos come alive. They're synched to hard drive, there's production. You can see it, but you don't feel involved.
You felt involved with Matt tonight, you felt connected. I could see how one could continue to live without thinking constantly about politics.
And stardom is not about possessions, it's not about lifestyle, sure, it's about hits, but as I referenced with KT above... Almost nobody can have a hit today. And even the Spotify Top 50 reaches relatively few. This is not the heyday of MTV, when a limited number of videos were anointed for exposure and we all knew the songs. Today you forage...
But you're definitely looking. And mostly it's what you've already gotten.
I'm sitting there thinking as Matt's singing U2 that he's got a lot more personality than Bono. Sure, Bono has huge hits, he's gallivanting with the powerful, trying to change the world. But as far as standing up on stage, telling a story, letting the audience inside, making them feel that they can identify...I've never seen Bono do that.
Most of these acts cannot do that.
Not that some of these acts are not truly great, have not delivered A-level material, but...
Matt Nathanson is selling something different. His viewpoint, evidenced in his songs, his stories, his IDENTITY! You feel like you know this guy. You know you couldn't do what he does, but also you know if you were one on one with him you could talk endlessly.
Which is what we did after the show. And the amazing thing is Matt immediately revealed certain family stories...that most people NEVER TELL! He was anything but guarded. And he asked me questions and...
Needless to say I didn't have to be anxious about our conversation. But I knew that during the show. Because I could see how Matt is.
And the bottom line is there are very few people who would not be won over by a Matt Nathanson show. Sure, he's only got one hit. But he's selling something more than the hit.
Matt Nathanson is unique. And that's what we're looking for, especially in a world of me-too.
More of this PLEASE!
--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
--
Listen to the podcast:
-iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj
-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
--
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
But I don't have a car. It's gonna cost me as much in Ubers as it would for a ticket. But could I really be here while he's here and not see him?
So I e-mailed Matt.
And heard nothing.
I hear from Matt on an irregular basis. To say I'm familiar with his material would be dishonest. But he is forthcoming and intelligent and we've talked about doing a podcast but the last time we e-mailed, it took him a week to respond.
And when I heard nothing, I figured it was a no-go.
But I woke up to an e-mail from Matt and now it was back on and I'm sitting in the Uber thinking how I don't know this guy, what will conversation be like?
I can make musician/rock star conversation. I can turn that on. But inside I'm anxious, it seems stilted. I mean what if I don't connect with Matt?
Now the night before in Aspen was a disaster according to Matt. To quote the e-mail:
"f*ck aspen. last night was like playing to a room full of guarded, entitled white douche bags. yikes."
Now I don't think printing this will piss off Matt, because he says sh*t and f*ck throughout the show. As do I, so I could relate. But Matt is much more likable than me. He's like the smart kid in the top class who everybody digs.
And he's an equal opportunity offender.
Now the opener was KT Tunstall, who was stupendous. To come out alone and enrapture an audience that was unfamiliar with almost all of her material? She did it Ed Sheeran style, you know, creating beats and... She strummed powerfully and sang with gusto and did her best to endear herself to the audience.
Is that what it takes?
I mean I'm in the middle of Colorado. Not a hotbed of the entertainment industry. And, in truth, the Vilar is a subsidized venue. Meaning ticket sales don't always cover the act's fee. You see there are rich people and they want culture in their community and they show up with their graying or already white hair...
And I told Matt not to expect much better than Aspen in Beaver Creek.
But that's not the way it turned out.
I'm sitting there thinking how good KT was, remembering how she had that big hit and now it's decades later and she can't have another big hit because she's no longer the new thing and almost nobody can have a hit.
It's a weird business out there. Based on KT's performance tonight would those in the audience shell out dough to see her again?
That's the question.
And then Matt took the stage.
I wasn't prepared. He was a bundle of energy, he had an identity, he had PERSONALITY!
And that's something you cannot teach. That's something those on the TV competition shows are lacking. Even judges like Carrie Underwood are not 3-D. You think if they turned sideways, there'd be nothing to see, you'd miss them.
But not Matt Nathanson.
Now there were hard core fans in the audience. But everybody else in attendance, whether supporters of the Vilar or those on a ski vacation, were immediately brought inside by Matt. It was like being in his living room. No, scratch that. You felt that close, it was that intimate, but it was definitely a performance.
He did a bit of crowd work. Asking the ages of kids after swearing.
And he both explained his career and his show and his state of mind while he was performing, THAT'S HIS ACT!
And the songs he's singing are not "moon in June," they're deeper, they're more real, they're personal, anything but written by committee.
And Matt did have a hit while he was signed to Vanguard, but...
That was not what is driving his business. It's him, IT'S THE SHOW!
Now most of the acts in the Spotify Top 50 are hit dependent. People come to hear the songs. And if there are no recent hits, ticket sales fall off. That's the mainstream business.
And there is a parallel business of people playing stuff that would never make the Spotify Top 50, but oftentimes these people barely talk on stage, they speak through their music.
And Matt Nathanson speaks through his music, but he speaks so much more!
He had a spinning wheel of tunes, a la Elvis Costello. But he went through each and every listing, giving backstory. It was humorous and fascinating.
Talked about an old girlfriend whose video he saw on TikTok who blocked him after he liked her post.
It was a real person on stage.
And he spoke about playing "Thunder Road" in New Jersey and...
A couple of songs later, the lyrics are unmistakable...
"I have climbed highest mountains
I have run through the fields..."
Only to be with you, only to be with you here in the Vilar, the assembled multitude chiming in that they still hadn't found what they were looking for.
And there was audience participation. Mostly led by Matt, not always spontaneous.
And I'm sitting there thinking this is the paradigm, this is what it's all about. If you saw Matt Nathanson in concert, you'd pay to see him again, you'd come back. Sure, you wanted to hear the songs, Matt's got more than a dozen albums, he's not relying on covers, but you go to see the man, to see the PERFORMANCE!
This is not HELLO CLEVELAND! Not mindless, in some cases scripted patter by the barely verbal...
No, Matt is a college graduate, who can cogitate, who can tell a story, who can make you laugh and you may not cry, but his songs speak of real emotions, and those are not aways positive.
Now in truth, it's hard for me to disconnect from politics. Every day I turn on my phone and am amazed.
But sitting in the Vilar, in the dark...
Everything else disappears. And I did see some dude at the end of the row reading his cellphone, but I didn't catch anybody else doing so. They were PAYING ATTENTION!
And this was not a club show, where you're standing endlessly, sidled up to humanity... No, the Vilar has seats, which means the music flows in the dark and it sets your mind free. That's what I like most, when my mind drifts into places it normally never would, when I'm not caught up in the b.s. of life. This is what the show represents.
Then again, too many concerts are videos come alive. They're synched to hard drive, there's production. You can see it, but you don't feel involved.
You felt involved with Matt tonight, you felt connected. I could see how one could continue to live without thinking constantly about politics.
And stardom is not about possessions, it's not about lifestyle, sure, it's about hits, but as I referenced with KT above... Almost nobody can have a hit today. And even the Spotify Top 50 reaches relatively few. This is not the heyday of MTV, when a limited number of videos were anointed for exposure and we all knew the songs. Today you forage...
But you're definitely looking. And mostly it's what you've already gotten.
I'm sitting there thinking as Matt's singing U2 that he's got a lot more personality than Bono. Sure, Bono has huge hits, he's gallivanting with the powerful, trying to change the world. But as far as standing up on stage, telling a story, letting the audience inside, making them feel that they can identify...I've never seen Bono do that.
Most of these acts cannot do that.
Not that some of these acts are not truly great, have not delivered A-level material, but...
Matt Nathanson is selling something different. His viewpoint, evidenced in his songs, his stories, his IDENTITY! You feel like you know this guy. You know you couldn't do what he does, but also you know if you were one on one with him you could talk endlessly.
Which is what we did after the show. And the amazing thing is Matt immediately revealed certain family stories...that most people NEVER TELL! He was anything but guarded. And he asked me questions and...
Needless to say I didn't have to be anxious about our conversation. But I knew that during the show. Because I could see how Matt is.
And the bottom line is there are very few people who would not be won over by a Matt Nathanson show. Sure, he's only got one hit. But he's selling something more than the hit.
Matt Nathanson is unique. And that's what we're looking for, especially in a world of me-too.
More of this PLEASE!
--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
--
Listen to the podcast:
-iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj
-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
--
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
Terence Reilly-This Week's Podcast
Terence Reilly brought Crocs back from the dead, turned the Stanley Quencher into a phenomenon and is now President of HEYDUDE shoes. Learn how a modern magnate stays in touch with the culture and lifts brands into the stratosphere.
Early this morning I got the following e-mail from Dan Harrell:
"Was bummed when excitedly opened your podcast this morning. Not bummed anymore. One of your best guests ever. Every leader in business should take a listen. So much of what he says and what he has done I have a shared adventure with the impossible being possible. 30 years in music managing Amy Grant made his journey ring true."
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/terence-reilly/id1316200737?i=1000701044475
https://open.spotify.com/episode/1nW7Pw02G3icHKD5TwHxyn?si=H4zk_-xvQqOPa0WVNglw1Q
https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1119-the-bob-lefsetz-podcast-30806836/episode/terence-reilly-271100629/
https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/9ff4fb19-54d4-41ae-ae7a-8a6f8d3dafa8/episodes/d677f03d-299f-424d-bcbf-6dfaa508d84b/the-bob-lefsetz-podcast-terence-reilly
--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
--
Listen to the podcast:
-iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj
-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
--
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
Early this morning I got the following e-mail from Dan Harrell:
"Was bummed when excitedly opened your podcast this morning. Not bummed anymore. One of your best guests ever. Every leader in business should take a listen. So much of what he says and what he has done I have a shared adventure with the impossible being possible. 30 years in music managing Amy Grant made his journey ring true."
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/terence-reilly/id1316200737?i=1000701044475
https://open.spotify.com/episode/1nW7Pw02G3icHKD5TwHxyn?si=H4zk_-xvQqOPa0WVNglw1Q
https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1119-the-bob-lefsetz-podcast-30806836/episode/terence-reilly-271100629/
https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/9ff4fb19-54d4-41ae-ae7a-8a6f8d3dafa8/episodes/d677f03d-299f-424d-bcbf-6dfaa508d84b/the-bob-lefsetz-podcast-terence-reilly
--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
--
Listen to the podcast:
-iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj
-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
--
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
Monday, 24 March 2025
Post Covid
I thought it was only me.
Having immune issues, I was locked up longer than most. And honestly, it took me a full year to recover. To not be anxious out and about. To decide to go out and about.
And I know a lot of people who died. I found this was uncommon. Maybe it's because I reach more people than most. Lisa's father died early in the pandemic and now I think about him more than I did when he was still alive. And that Tom was, very alive, and very current, I could discuss the day's issues with him, he was the family patriarch.
But now he's gone.
And not only Adam Schlesinger, but Jerry Blair, who was only 60, his wife convinced him not to get the vaccine. And then Neil Lasher too, who like Tom passed before the vaccine came on board.
Not that I want to relitigate the vaccine. I also don't want to relitigate the cause of the pandemic. Whether it was a lab leak or a wet market... It's all in the rearview mirror now. And isn't it funny that all these people who propagate the lab leak theory are not anxious about preparing for bird flu or some other new virus?
But that's one thing I've learned in the past couple of years. We're all not on the same page. Sometimes I'm wrong, but one thing is for sure, the people who e-mail me are not. I mean you have to be willing to re-evaluate your precepts. But this is anathema to most. It crumbles their identity.
And I'd say I don't want to get into politics, but it is a snapshot of today, and that's why I'm writing this missive, to delineate how things are different.
It's been five years, and David Bowie isn't even around to weigh in on it. But seemingly every media outlet has. There's a recounting of the facts, the effects on children, questioning whether choices were correct and...
That's not what I'm thinking about.
I'm thinking about how no one goes to lunch anymore.
I'll be honest, I'd rather not, I don't want to kill that much time. But it turns out neither does anybody else!
I thought it might only be me. But I was with a Silicon Valley lawyer a couple of weeks back and he said the same thing. All these peripheral social activities...they no longer happen. Sure, you'll get together if necessary, but if it's casual, if it's not productive, no way.
And my older sister weighed in that she doesn't go out as much either. On the weekends they'd go to a restaurant, now they stay home and watch streaming television.
Which brings us to another change in the post-Covid landscape. The death of the movie business. Once people got out of the habit of going, they wondered why they were still going in the first place. Sure, some teens still participate in the submarine races in the darkened theatre, and if it's a hit film, a cultural signpost, people will go to see "Barbie" and "Oppenheimer," but how many of those are there?
You may have seen last weekend's grosses. Which are down 7% from last year's anemic total. Who needs a remake of "Snow White"? Not many. Turns out they want something original, but for that they go to Netflix, et al. And if a show sucks, it doesn't tank the service, there is always something else to watch...which is not the case in the movie theatre.
And, of course, everything is on demand these days. People want it when they want it, and films don't start when you get there, never mind having to schlep there.
But this generates boomer outcry. That's another thing that happened post-Covid, the baby boomers became the older generation. Despite having smartphones and hip clothing, they're anti-tech, the smartphone is the devil, they wonder why things can't be the way they used to.
This has been shocking to me. My friends I've known for decades. They're constantly defending the past. Movie theatres, bookstores, physical media... When the truth is the younger generations have moved on.
And then there are the boomers who believe in old media when the youngsters don't even partake. I'm talking about news media here.
And speaking of news...
Covid finally killed the magazine. It started with the 2008 crash, but now... Maybe you can be "The New Yorker," and charge your dedicated fan base a fortune to subscribe, but the casual buy...
It just doesn't work anymore. It's not worth that much an issue and...
Apple News+ has revealed that most of the writing in these rags is not only substandard, but piss-poor. When you see it all right next to each other... You've got hacks writing about that which they do not know.
I've given up renewing magazines. One after another has folded before my term has expired. And sure, I'm missing something, but I'm getting a whole hell of a lot else in return. Info online, even TikTok. That's another thing the boomers hate, but if you want to know what is going on in this country, you need to tune in.
But then you'd have to question your anti-internet, anti-social media bias, and you don't want to cave, because it's part of your identity.
And DeJoy slowed down the mail to where you don't want to drop anything in the box, and you don't expect anything in return, except junk mail. If I'm looking for deals, once again I'll go online, at least they're au courant.
And now that the news cycle is so accelerated, the aforementioned "New Yorker" looks out of time and date. It's so combed over, so edited, that it's got no visceral element. Today it's all about being immediate. Which doesn't mean you can't fact check.
Which brings us to newspapers. Print is now on its last legs. Do you know how I know this? Because stories that appear in the app might not make it into the physical newspaper FOR WEEKS! Never mind all that never makes it at all. We're all checking our news apps all day long. News is no longer a once a day affair. Whether it be the physical newspaper or the 7 o'clock (or 6:30) TV news broadcast.
But now I've listed so many changes that you're pissed off. You believe in the past.
But soon you will be in the past.
That's another post-Covid element, I'm closer to the grave. And so many changes I attributed to my age, but really they're society broad.
A lot of this is acknowledged by all, like people wanting experiences more than assets. But those invested in the old paradigm are flummoxed...you mean people won't be impressed if I own this or that?
And bragging has just become amplified. Everybody's begging for attention.
And oldsters don't want to admit that we no longer live in a pyramid world. Where there are stars at the top and everything else below... No, the world has been flattened.
And more than ever, you're hearing about crazy people doing crazy things. If it bleeds, it leads used to be the credo of the 10 o'clock news, but now you're confronted with the bizarre all day long, wondering if you're normal or just out of the loop.
And you never know if something is a fad or here to stay. Today I saw someone with a tattoo over the back half of his head, half of his entire skull. Have we evolved to the point where we accept everybody and everything or will there ultimately be consequences? Will the next head of Microsoft have a neck tattoo? A face tattoo?
This is where my ancient mores come into play. If it's permanent...
That's what we always used to be threatened with in high school, that some misdeed or misadventure would go on our permanent record. Now we're leaving bread crumbs 24/7 online, which most people don't pay attention to until... We gain some notoriety, and then our entire past comes back to haunt us.
And then they say religion is dying, and just recently they said religion is coming back. It's kind of like Woody Allen's "Sleeper," where it turns out in the future that chocolate and smoking are some of the best things for you.
We're in uncharted territory culturally, not only politically. But those with their hands on the reins refuse to admit this.
Kind of like the movie actors. They've all realized they're not the stars they used to be, they're all on TV, and if they're on social media they're revealed to be no different from you and me.
It's kinda like the entire world digested a Devo album.
Then again, Devo would have no chance today. You don't want to be too outside, the mainstream will reject you. But what is the mainstream's power anyway? Everybody is trying to get to the top of the aforementioned pyramid which no longer exists.
But time keeps marching on, change keeps happening and one thing's for sure, since lockdown arrived five years ago...
Things are different.
--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
--
Listen to the podcast:
-iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj
-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
--
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
Having immune issues, I was locked up longer than most. And honestly, it took me a full year to recover. To not be anxious out and about. To decide to go out and about.
And I know a lot of people who died. I found this was uncommon. Maybe it's because I reach more people than most. Lisa's father died early in the pandemic and now I think about him more than I did when he was still alive. And that Tom was, very alive, and very current, I could discuss the day's issues with him, he was the family patriarch.
But now he's gone.
And not only Adam Schlesinger, but Jerry Blair, who was only 60, his wife convinced him not to get the vaccine. And then Neil Lasher too, who like Tom passed before the vaccine came on board.
Not that I want to relitigate the vaccine. I also don't want to relitigate the cause of the pandemic. Whether it was a lab leak or a wet market... It's all in the rearview mirror now. And isn't it funny that all these people who propagate the lab leak theory are not anxious about preparing for bird flu or some other new virus?
But that's one thing I've learned in the past couple of years. We're all not on the same page. Sometimes I'm wrong, but one thing is for sure, the people who e-mail me are not. I mean you have to be willing to re-evaluate your precepts. But this is anathema to most. It crumbles their identity.
And I'd say I don't want to get into politics, but it is a snapshot of today, and that's why I'm writing this missive, to delineate how things are different.
It's been five years, and David Bowie isn't even around to weigh in on it. But seemingly every media outlet has. There's a recounting of the facts, the effects on children, questioning whether choices were correct and...
That's not what I'm thinking about.
I'm thinking about how no one goes to lunch anymore.
I'll be honest, I'd rather not, I don't want to kill that much time. But it turns out neither does anybody else!
I thought it might only be me. But I was with a Silicon Valley lawyer a couple of weeks back and he said the same thing. All these peripheral social activities...they no longer happen. Sure, you'll get together if necessary, but if it's casual, if it's not productive, no way.
And my older sister weighed in that she doesn't go out as much either. On the weekends they'd go to a restaurant, now they stay home and watch streaming television.
Which brings us to another change in the post-Covid landscape. The death of the movie business. Once people got out of the habit of going, they wondered why they were still going in the first place. Sure, some teens still participate in the submarine races in the darkened theatre, and if it's a hit film, a cultural signpost, people will go to see "Barbie" and "Oppenheimer," but how many of those are there?
You may have seen last weekend's grosses. Which are down 7% from last year's anemic total. Who needs a remake of "Snow White"? Not many. Turns out they want something original, but for that they go to Netflix, et al. And if a show sucks, it doesn't tank the service, there is always something else to watch...which is not the case in the movie theatre.
And, of course, everything is on demand these days. People want it when they want it, and films don't start when you get there, never mind having to schlep there.
But this generates boomer outcry. That's another thing that happened post-Covid, the baby boomers became the older generation. Despite having smartphones and hip clothing, they're anti-tech, the smartphone is the devil, they wonder why things can't be the way they used to.
This has been shocking to me. My friends I've known for decades. They're constantly defending the past. Movie theatres, bookstores, physical media... When the truth is the younger generations have moved on.
And then there are the boomers who believe in old media when the youngsters don't even partake. I'm talking about news media here.
And speaking of news...
Covid finally killed the magazine. It started with the 2008 crash, but now... Maybe you can be "The New Yorker," and charge your dedicated fan base a fortune to subscribe, but the casual buy...
It just doesn't work anymore. It's not worth that much an issue and...
Apple News+ has revealed that most of the writing in these rags is not only substandard, but piss-poor. When you see it all right next to each other... You've got hacks writing about that which they do not know.
I've given up renewing magazines. One after another has folded before my term has expired. And sure, I'm missing something, but I'm getting a whole hell of a lot else in return. Info online, even TikTok. That's another thing the boomers hate, but if you want to know what is going on in this country, you need to tune in.
But then you'd have to question your anti-internet, anti-social media bias, and you don't want to cave, because it's part of your identity.
And DeJoy slowed down the mail to where you don't want to drop anything in the box, and you don't expect anything in return, except junk mail. If I'm looking for deals, once again I'll go online, at least they're au courant.
And now that the news cycle is so accelerated, the aforementioned "New Yorker" looks out of time and date. It's so combed over, so edited, that it's got no visceral element. Today it's all about being immediate. Which doesn't mean you can't fact check.
Which brings us to newspapers. Print is now on its last legs. Do you know how I know this? Because stories that appear in the app might not make it into the physical newspaper FOR WEEKS! Never mind all that never makes it at all. We're all checking our news apps all day long. News is no longer a once a day affair. Whether it be the physical newspaper or the 7 o'clock (or 6:30) TV news broadcast.
But now I've listed so many changes that you're pissed off. You believe in the past.
But soon you will be in the past.
That's another post-Covid element, I'm closer to the grave. And so many changes I attributed to my age, but really they're society broad.
A lot of this is acknowledged by all, like people wanting experiences more than assets. But those invested in the old paradigm are flummoxed...you mean people won't be impressed if I own this or that?
And bragging has just become amplified. Everybody's begging for attention.
And oldsters don't want to admit that we no longer live in a pyramid world. Where there are stars at the top and everything else below... No, the world has been flattened.
And more than ever, you're hearing about crazy people doing crazy things. If it bleeds, it leads used to be the credo of the 10 o'clock news, but now you're confronted with the bizarre all day long, wondering if you're normal or just out of the loop.
And you never know if something is a fad or here to stay. Today I saw someone with a tattoo over the back half of his head, half of his entire skull. Have we evolved to the point where we accept everybody and everything or will there ultimately be consequences? Will the next head of Microsoft have a neck tattoo? A face tattoo?
This is where my ancient mores come into play. If it's permanent...
That's what we always used to be threatened with in high school, that some misdeed or misadventure would go on our permanent record. Now we're leaving bread crumbs 24/7 online, which most people don't pay attention to until... We gain some notoriety, and then our entire past comes back to haunt us.
And then they say religion is dying, and just recently they said religion is coming back. It's kind of like Woody Allen's "Sleeper," where it turns out in the future that chocolate and smoking are some of the best things for you.
We're in uncharted territory culturally, not only politically. But those with their hands on the reins refuse to admit this.
Kind of like the movie actors. They've all realized they're not the stars they used to be, they're all on TV, and if they're on social media they're revealed to be no different from you and me.
It's kinda like the entire world digested a Devo album.
Then again, Devo would have no chance today. You don't want to be too outside, the mainstream will reject you. But what is the mainstream's power anyway? Everybody is trying to get to the top of the aforementioned pyramid which no longer exists.
But time keeps marching on, change keeps happening and one thing's for sure, since lockdown arrived five years ago...
Things are different.
--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
--
Listen to the podcast:
-iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj
-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
--
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
Re-The New York Times
I don't care if you're the most MAGA person on the planet, I don't care if you think the paper enabled George Clooney, et al, to push aside Biden. THAT WAS NOT MY POINT! It's not the content of the paper, but its PRINCIPLES!
When I said:
"it appears that the only outfit that will stand up to Trump is the "New York Times."
What I meant was that the "Times" wouldn't compromise, do what was expedient for the bottom line. The "Times" has a long history of fighting legal claims. As do its reporters. Going to jail rather than testifying. Whereas every other news outlet...
Let's forget the cable news channels, they're biased one way or the other. ABC settled with Trump rather than fight the accusations. And now CBS is considering doing the same thing. Not because they're guilty, but it's easier to pay and move on, and put a little pixie dust on their relationship with Trump and cross their fingers for the future.
In both the ABC and CBS cases essentially all lawyers (except those working for Trump with their cockamamie theories), believe the networks would never be held liable. The laws are on the side of the media, especially when it comes to libel/slander/defamation. Truth is an absolute defense. As for falsehoods... You have to prove that there was actual malice, that the perpetrator knew of the statement's falsity or had a reckless disregard for the truth, and this is a very heavy lift, nearly impossible...unless, of course, you're Fox and Dominion...
The dirty little secret is if you're an individual and you're up against the corporation or the government you can almost never win...BECAUSE YOU CAN'T AFFORD THE DEFENSE! The corporate law firm will bury you in paper. The government will do the same and hold jail time over your head. Sure, billionaires can defend themselves, but you and me? GOOD LUCK!
That's a flaw in the system. Which is why we depend upon certain entities to push back.
That's what tort law is all about. Sure, there are a lot of sleazy tort lawyers, but when you read about these astronomical awards...oftentimes there's a settlement for less than one hundred cents on the dollar and it's a pittance relative to the corporation but the truth is the tort lawyers keep the companies in line.
Ditto the media.
So the "Washington Post" and "Los Angeles Times" have already punted. If you're not aware of the changes at these papers as a result of Trump...you live in a right wing bubble or believe news is irrelevant. So, all we've got left is the "Wall Street Journal" and the "New York Times." The "Journal" has a history of standing up, but Trump is more on the "Journal"'s side here (not that the "Journal" has not been excoriating him on Ukraine and tariffs and...)
So that leaves the "Times."
And the "Times" is fighting for you.
Hopefully the courts will too. But that's up in the air. It's one thing to get a decision, but to enforce it is another matter, didn't we just see this with the Venezuelan "gang members"?
So what is protecting you?
You think you're immune, but...
There are a lot of people in red states whose Medicaid hangs in the balance, who will be negatively affected by DOGE.
But how about your rights?
Do you want to be snatched unawares like that Columbia student, and then jailed without a hearing/due process?
The laws are there for you.
As are the regulations.
Are they imperfect, absolutely.
And the ACLU defends Nazis and KKK members not because it agrees with the cause, but because they have a right to speak, like every American.
And you don't want to compromise that.
Seems like the entire nation is compromised. Nobody has any principles. If it involves losing money, they fold.
Hell, in the record business acts used to stand up to labels all the time. Maybe even losing money in the process. But that was back when the acts were king as opposed to the executives. Lucian Grainge and Universal are forever. You, you're expendable.
I won't even bother to go into the fact that the "Times" has reporters all over the world, more than any other outlet, and whether you're on the right or left you need the facts, then you can bloviate. That's not my point.
Once again, who is going to stand up to Trump? To the very end? Not settle, not do what is expedient?
So far, no one.
So the "Times" is our backstop.
Unless you are suddenly going to grow a pair...
--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
--
Listen to the podcast:
-iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj
-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
--
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
When I said:
"it appears that the only outfit that will stand up to Trump is the "New York Times."
What I meant was that the "Times" wouldn't compromise, do what was expedient for the bottom line. The "Times" has a long history of fighting legal claims. As do its reporters. Going to jail rather than testifying. Whereas every other news outlet...
Let's forget the cable news channels, they're biased one way or the other. ABC settled with Trump rather than fight the accusations. And now CBS is considering doing the same thing. Not because they're guilty, but it's easier to pay and move on, and put a little pixie dust on their relationship with Trump and cross their fingers for the future.
In both the ABC and CBS cases essentially all lawyers (except those working for Trump with their cockamamie theories), believe the networks would never be held liable. The laws are on the side of the media, especially when it comes to libel/slander/defamation. Truth is an absolute defense. As for falsehoods... You have to prove that there was actual malice, that the perpetrator knew of the statement's falsity or had a reckless disregard for the truth, and this is a very heavy lift, nearly impossible...unless, of course, you're Fox and Dominion...
The dirty little secret is if you're an individual and you're up against the corporation or the government you can almost never win...BECAUSE YOU CAN'T AFFORD THE DEFENSE! The corporate law firm will bury you in paper. The government will do the same and hold jail time over your head. Sure, billionaires can defend themselves, but you and me? GOOD LUCK!
That's a flaw in the system. Which is why we depend upon certain entities to push back.
That's what tort law is all about. Sure, there are a lot of sleazy tort lawyers, but when you read about these astronomical awards...oftentimes there's a settlement for less than one hundred cents on the dollar and it's a pittance relative to the corporation but the truth is the tort lawyers keep the companies in line.
Ditto the media.
So the "Washington Post" and "Los Angeles Times" have already punted. If you're not aware of the changes at these papers as a result of Trump...you live in a right wing bubble or believe news is irrelevant. So, all we've got left is the "Wall Street Journal" and the "New York Times." The "Journal" has a history of standing up, but Trump is more on the "Journal"'s side here (not that the "Journal" has not been excoriating him on Ukraine and tariffs and...)
So that leaves the "Times."
And the "Times" is fighting for you.
Hopefully the courts will too. But that's up in the air. It's one thing to get a decision, but to enforce it is another matter, didn't we just see this with the Venezuelan "gang members"?
So what is protecting you?
You think you're immune, but...
There are a lot of people in red states whose Medicaid hangs in the balance, who will be negatively affected by DOGE.
But how about your rights?
Do you want to be snatched unawares like that Columbia student, and then jailed without a hearing/due process?
The laws are there for you.
As are the regulations.
Are they imperfect, absolutely.
And the ACLU defends Nazis and KKK members not because it agrees with the cause, but because they have a right to speak, like every American.
And you don't want to compromise that.
Seems like the entire nation is compromised. Nobody has any principles. If it involves losing money, they fold.
Hell, in the record business acts used to stand up to labels all the time. Maybe even losing money in the process. But that was back when the acts were king as opposed to the executives. Lucian Grainge and Universal are forever. You, you're expendable.
I won't even bother to go into the fact that the "Times" has reporters all over the world, more than any other outlet, and whether you're on the right or left you need the facts, then you can bloviate. That's not my point.
Once again, who is going to stand up to Trump? To the very end? Not settle, not do what is expedient?
So far, no one.
So the "Times" is our backstop.
Unless you are suddenly going to grow a pair...
--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
--
Listen to the podcast:
-iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj
-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
--
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
Culture
Don't expect a plethora of protest songs to show up.
I was just reading about the Kennedy Center honoring of Conan O'Brien, who got the Mark Twain Prize over the weekend. You'll end up seeing it on Netflix, because that's where comedy now lives, HBO squandered its lead, had its eye off the ball, the same way WB/Discovery lost the NBA. If you focus on ratings, if you focus on sales as opposed to soul, you may lose what you've got.
Assuming you're selling culture at all.
We've got some culture left in the music business. Mostly metal and hip-hop, which are to a great degree cartoons. Get your tattoos, fire up your anger, it's hard to take seriously, you know this is true when even Questlove questions the future of hip-hop. As for metal... Once upon a time, metal was mainstream. Been humming a new metal track to yourself recently? You haven't been shaken all night long in eons. Then again, by today's standards, AC/DC is not metal. It's not fast enough, the singer is too palatable.
But the above is not the culture I'm speaking of.
So the comedians took the stage at the Kennedy Center and lit into Trump. They poked the bear, in this case the masturbating bear. As for the consequences? THEY DIDN'T GIVE A SH*T!
Then again, honesty and speaking truth to power are the essence of a successful comedian. If you haven't got an attitude...
Forget clips of new musical acts on social media, the highlight of this past week has been Bill Burr, testifying in support/promotion of his new special on...HULU?
There's a lot to poke fun at these days.
Then again, the audience is fractured. I realized this watching Bill Maher's "Real Time" this week. I didn't agree with a lot of what smug Bill had to say, as well as Ezra Klein. I felt like I was on the left wing island alone, everybody else had taken the last boat off.
What I'm saying here is we are not all on the same page. I know that's not news, but when I was growing up, in high school and college, ALL the youth were Democrats. You could literally point out the Republicans on campus.
But not anymore.
The ethos today is not speaking truth to power, but hating your brethren and asking WHERE'S MY MONEY!
That's what everybody is wondering...WHERE'S MY MONEY!
It's the essence of the social media influencers. Maybe if you're a woman you want the clothes and cosmetics they're hawking, but talk about empty...
It's head-scratching if you're a boomer. You lived through JFK, proffering what you could do for your country and...
Now it's WHAT CAN YOU DO FOR ME?
That's the underlying ethos in the culture, and it permeates music too.
The number one topic of discussion in music, something that crosses all genres is...SPOTIFY IS RIPPING ME OFF, STREAMING SUCKS!
Were musicians saying this in the sixties and seventies? If they were it didn't filter down to the press. And most musicians were ignorant of the workings of the business anyway. Today the first thing you do is buy Don Passman's book. And then you complain.
Now if you were alive back then you knew that if you had success, you renegotiated with the label, got more of the money. And the irony is today it's identical, but instead of getting the money from the label you get it from the promoter. And one thing is for sure, there are still a limited number of huge acts, but everybody bubbling under can't stop complaining.
Hell, I'll throw a bomb into the square. I saw this guy Ted Gioia bitching that Daniel Ek has made more money than any musician. Let's just assume it's true. I hate when someone testifies outside their area of expertise. So you know music, do you know business? How about all the people in Hollywood who invested in tech during the aughts and the teens? Talk to Troy Carter or Guy Oseary. THAT'S WHERE THE MONEY WAS! As for Ek... He came up with an idea and worked extremely diligently and hard, against long odds, to establish a company that saved the recorded music industry. And now his goal is saving Spotify itself, diversifying it since streaming music doesn't scale. Ek is more innovative, and may have worked harder, than any musician this century. But somehow he's not entitled to success and cash? They don't say the same thing about the Silicon Valley titans...
Oh, that's right, IT'S MUSIC!
Now if you go back to the past, the mantra was MUSIC SHOULD BE FREE! I'm not talking about Napster, I'm talking about the SIXTIES!
Anyway, with income inequality the best and the brightest don't go into music, the odds of success are too long.
And the goal of those on the bottom who enter the business is to GET RICH!
Where in this narrative is taking a stand, speaking truth to power? NOWHERE!
Now of course I'll get e-mail from twats with their protest songs. You've got no traction, never mind a crappy song. It's your job to become famous, it's your job to promote yourself, JUST LIKE DANIEL EK!
Now I'll get e-mail saying I'm hating on musicians.
Oh, that's right, music is a team sport, you're either pro-Spotify or anti-Spotify, you either hate Ticketmaster or you're the devil too. Never has ignorance reigned to this degree.
Then again, Ezra Klein did a podcast with pollster David Shor...
"Democrats Need to Face Why Trump Won": https://shorturl.at/N2XDs
Here's the nougat:
"The story of this election is that people who follow the news closely, get their information from traditional media and see politics as an important part of their identity became more Democratic in absolute terms. Meanwhile, those who don't follow politics closely became much more Republican."
Klein amplified this on Maher's show... Most people don't follow the news.
And they're getting their info from questionable sources online.
And you expect these people to rise up and revolt?
No, they're on the potential money train.
How about the fact that the Kardashians have made more money than almost all musicians? They figured out an empty paradigm that the musicians want to emulate. They don't want to live in a hippie house in San Francisco, they want to parade in Prada on Necker Island. Or St. Bart's. Or some place the average person has never even heard of!
They want to be in the gossip pages. They want to have FUN!
It's not like these people are intellectuals, discussing the details of the day. It's not like they're Bob Geldof, standing up for the oppressed. Oh, if Bob Geldof puts on a show they're going to be the first in line to ask for a slot, for all those views, the worldwide promotion...
You can attack me, but you're missing the point. The point is music has become what it once was, before the Beatles...ENTERTAINMENT! And there's a business in that, but it does not drive the culture.
If you want to know what is truly going on watch a comedy special.
And those pale in comparison to the news...but just like Daniel Ek and Spotify the mainstream press has been denigrated to the point that people excoriate it and won't read it.
Meanwhile, it appears that the only outfit that will stand up to Trump is the "New York Times."
That's right, Columbia caved, Paul Weiss caved. Everybody is surrendering to Trump. And in each and every case it's about THE MONEY! Yes, the head of Paul Weiss said if he didn't agree to give $40 million worth of free legal services to the government, the firm would go out of business. All lawyers believed that Paul Weiss would beat the charge, but it was all about the business.
Everybody is compromised, no one has a backbone.
Sure, there are exceptions.
But if I hear one more person complain about taxes... It's not your money. Sans your taxes there are no roads... Oh, you want those gone like the Department of Education?
Everybody's so self-centered, everybody's so ignorant.
Yet oldsters are just waiting for one of these musical stars to dig down deep and stand up to Trump.
Forget whether they hate Trump or not, if they're even aware of what's going down, they're not doing anything unless it PAYS!
And there you have America's culture in a nutshell.
Read it and weep.
--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
--
Listen to the podcast:
-iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj
-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
--
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
I was just reading about the Kennedy Center honoring of Conan O'Brien, who got the Mark Twain Prize over the weekend. You'll end up seeing it on Netflix, because that's where comedy now lives, HBO squandered its lead, had its eye off the ball, the same way WB/Discovery lost the NBA. If you focus on ratings, if you focus on sales as opposed to soul, you may lose what you've got.
Assuming you're selling culture at all.
We've got some culture left in the music business. Mostly metal and hip-hop, which are to a great degree cartoons. Get your tattoos, fire up your anger, it's hard to take seriously, you know this is true when even Questlove questions the future of hip-hop. As for metal... Once upon a time, metal was mainstream. Been humming a new metal track to yourself recently? You haven't been shaken all night long in eons. Then again, by today's standards, AC/DC is not metal. It's not fast enough, the singer is too palatable.
But the above is not the culture I'm speaking of.
So the comedians took the stage at the Kennedy Center and lit into Trump. They poked the bear, in this case the masturbating bear. As for the consequences? THEY DIDN'T GIVE A SH*T!
Then again, honesty and speaking truth to power are the essence of a successful comedian. If you haven't got an attitude...
Forget clips of new musical acts on social media, the highlight of this past week has been Bill Burr, testifying in support/promotion of his new special on...HULU?
There's a lot to poke fun at these days.
Then again, the audience is fractured. I realized this watching Bill Maher's "Real Time" this week. I didn't agree with a lot of what smug Bill had to say, as well as Ezra Klein. I felt like I was on the left wing island alone, everybody else had taken the last boat off.
What I'm saying here is we are not all on the same page. I know that's not news, but when I was growing up, in high school and college, ALL the youth were Democrats. You could literally point out the Republicans on campus.
But not anymore.
The ethos today is not speaking truth to power, but hating your brethren and asking WHERE'S MY MONEY!
That's what everybody is wondering...WHERE'S MY MONEY!
It's the essence of the social media influencers. Maybe if you're a woman you want the clothes and cosmetics they're hawking, but talk about empty...
It's head-scratching if you're a boomer. You lived through JFK, proffering what you could do for your country and...
Now it's WHAT CAN YOU DO FOR ME?
That's the underlying ethos in the culture, and it permeates music too.
The number one topic of discussion in music, something that crosses all genres is...SPOTIFY IS RIPPING ME OFF, STREAMING SUCKS!
Were musicians saying this in the sixties and seventies? If they were it didn't filter down to the press. And most musicians were ignorant of the workings of the business anyway. Today the first thing you do is buy Don Passman's book. And then you complain.
Now if you were alive back then you knew that if you had success, you renegotiated with the label, got more of the money. And the irony is today it's identical, but instead of getting the money from the label you get it from the promoter. And one thing is for sure, there are still a limited number of huge acts, but everybody bubbling under can't stop complaining.
Hell, I'll throw a bomb into the square. I saw this guy Ted Gioia bitching that Daniel Ek has made more money than any musician. Let's just assume it's true. I hate when someone testifies outside their area of expertise. So you know music, do you know business? How about all the people in Hollywood who invested in tech during the aughts and the teens? Talk to Troy Carter or Guy Oseary. THAT'S WHERE THE MONEY WAS! As for Ek... He came up with an idea and worked extremely diligently and hard, against long odds, to establish a company that saved the recorded music industry. And now his goal is saving Spotify itself, diversifying it since streaming music doesn't scale. Ek is more innovative, and may have worked harder, than any musician this century. But somehow he's not entitled to success and cash? They don't say the same thing about the Silicon Valley titans...
Oh, that's right, IT'S MUSIC!
Now if you go back to the past, the mantra was MUSIC SHOULD BE FREE! I'm not talking about Napster, I'm talking about the SIXTIES!
Anyway, with income inequality the best and the brightest don't go into music, the odds of success are too long.
And the goal of those on the bottom who enter the business is to GET RICH!
Where in this narrative is taking a stand, speaking truth to power? NOWHERE!
Now of course I'll get e-mail from twats with their protest songs. You've got no traction, never mind a crappy song. It's your job to become famous, it's your job to promote yourself, JUST LIKE DANIEL EK!
Now I'll get e-mail saying I'm hating on musicians.
Oh, that's right, music is a team sport, you're either pro-Spotify or anti-Spotify, you either hate Ticketmaster or you're the devil too. Never has ignorance reigned to this degree.
Then again, Ezra Klein did a podcast with pollster David Shor...
"Democrats Need to Face Why Trump Won": https://shorturl.at/N2XDs
Here's the nougat:
"The story of this election is that people who follow the news closely, get their information from traditional media and see politics as an important part of their identity became more Democratic in absolute terms. Meanwhile, those who don't follow politics closely became much more Republican."
Klein amplified this on Maher's show... Most people don't follow the news.
And they're getting their info from questionable sources online.
And you expect these people to rise up and revolt?
No, they're on the potential money train.
How about the fact that the Kardashians have made more money than almost all musicians? They figured out an empty paradigm that the musicians want to emulate. They don't want to live in a hippie house in San Francisco, they want to parade in Prada on Necker Island. Or St. Bart's. Or some place the average person has never even heard of!
They want to be in the gossip pages. They want to have FUN!
It's not like these people are intellectuals, discussing the details of the day. It's not like they're Bob Geldof, standing up for the oppressed. Oh, if Bob Geldof puts on a show they're going to be the first in line to ask for a slot, for all those views, the worldwide promotion...
You can attack me, but you're missing the point. The point is music has become what it once was, before the Beatles...ENTERTAINMENT! And there's a business in that, but it does not drive the culture.
If you want to know what is truly going on watch a comedy special.
And those pale in comparison to the news...but just like Daniel Ek and Spotify the mainstream press has been denigrated to the point that people excoriate it and won't read it.
Meanwhile, it appears that the only outfit that will stand up to Trump is the "New York Times."
That's right, Columbia caved, Paul Weiss caved. Everybody is surrendering to Trump. And in each and every case it's about THE MONEY! Yes, the head of Paul Weiss said if he didn't agree to give $40 million worth of free legal services to the government, the firm would go out of business. All lawyers believed that Paul Weiss would beat the charge, but it was all about the business.
Everybody is compromised, no one has a backbone.
Sure, there are exceptions.
But if I hear one more person complain about taxes... It's not your money. Sans your taxes there are no roads... Oh, you want those gone like the Department of Education?
Everybody's so self-centered, everybody's so ignorant.
Yet oldsters are just waiting for one of these musical stars to dig down deep and stand up to Trump.
Forget whether they hate Trump or not, if they're even aware of what's going down, they're not doing anything unless it PAYS!
And there you have America's culture in a nutshell.
Read it and weep.
--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
--
Listen to the podcast:
-iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj
-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
--
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
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)