What is their best album?
This is a live episode, call in with your take.
Tune in Saturday May 3rd to Faction Talk, channel 103, at 4 PM East, 1 PM West.
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Friday, 2 May 2025
Mailbag
Subject: Re: John Boylan On Little River Band
Hey Bob,
First of all, I love John Boylan. And I owe my career as a record producer to the coincidental fact that the REO album, You can tune a Piano, but you can't Tuna fish, got horribly behind schedule, John was committed to produce Little River Band, and he had to leave me in charge of that REO Speedwagon album. Boylan was an Executive Producer on the Tuna album, and because he had to leave us in mid-stream, (pun intended), he did the unthinkable: He gave back his production points! John came out to see a show recently, and he looked exactly the same as the day we met in 1977! I am very grateful that John Boylan is part of my life.
Kevin Cronin … REO Speedwagon
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Subject: Re: Superstar AI Album
Good one on AI Album Bob for April Fools!
- Regarding drum machine. Best advice Prince's manager Steve Fargnoli ever told me as a drummer staring at the horror of the first Linn LM1. "Well it's here, so why not just learn to use it!"
Regards,
Bobby Z
Prince & The Revolution
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From: Neil Giraldo
Subject: Re: Superstar AI Album..Neil G
Morning Bob,
Interesting article on AI in relation to music. Gotta move forward with the times.
The LinnDrum frightened many drummers. At first!
Pro Tools,Auto tune etc gave everyone a safely net which could be a good thing or a bad thing! It's how you use it.
I also agree with Don Was: everything is a tool, and you have to know how to use it. That means understanding all the elements—song structure, storyline, and more. Plus, you've got to be brave and unafraid to be different—willing to try something that doesn't sound like everything else out there in real time.
By the way—"When Doves Cry" was brilliant! And my favorite Prince song.
Speaking of tools from the '80s...
I was willing to accept new technology.The LinnDrum was a total game changer and remained a valuable tool for me on many songs that became hits. True drummers weren't exactly thrilled—especially mine he thought i was crazy—when I told him I just wanted top kit only: snare and hi-hat on "Love Is a Battlefield." That was 1983! BTW The drum fills he played live in the song were great and the machine would never capture that feel!
And diving even deeper, I actually made a mistake when programming the LinnDrum because I was so new to it. I accidentally erased one measure—so instead of an 8-bar phrase, it became a 7-bar phrase and I didn't know how to correct it. That made the kick land in some strange spots that wouldn't normally work. But I kept it anyway, because I loved the feel.
And here's the thing—this is where the music business, run from the top floor high-rise, can try to have the final say (which doesn't always align with your gut). "Battlefield" was initially turned down by folks who'll remain nameless. It took multiple listens and days before they started to understand it—and eventually took the chance and released it which i was thankful for because i would not change a thing i knew i had it!
So, regarding AI: use the new tool for what it is—a tool. Like my Sicilian carpenter father used to say, "Anyone can use a hammer to drive a nail, but when you know how to use it properly, you build like a pro." Or you use a nail gun which in the wrong hands is fatal!
Okay, enuff rambling from me.
Neil
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Subject: Re: Old School/New School
Dear Bob……I, of course, am Old School. Not that there's anything wrong with that. And I truly don't understand how the music business works today. I do know that Daryl and I worked our asses off for years in mostly stinking, smoky little clubs in the LA area, learning how to earn the audience's attention. We were both trained as classical musicians, but Daryl was a boogie guy, and I loved jazz and the music my father introduced me to when I was young….mostly the "Great American Songbook". Together over time we figured out what worked for us. It was a long hard road, but we had some success….and by the time we became very well known, we were about as ready as we could be to "make it". My point is we had worked so hard and so long to figure out how to reach our audience, when the stars aligned and
luck was on our side, we were ready.
Your recent email was fascinating to me, and helped me understand how success in the pop music works today.
Toni Tennille
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From: Robert Margouleff
Subject: Re: Post Covid
Hey Bob,
Having produced "DEVO" I think, sadly that you are spot on. When I was a young man, I thought I had all the answers, now I only have the questions.
Margouleff
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Subject: Re: Jesse Welles
Now if a voice like Ed Sheeran decided to sing these songs we could have something big.
Steve Lillywhite
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From: Adam Howell
Subject: Re: Luke Combs At Stagecoach
Thanks for this, so true. When I asked a distracted student what SHE'D like to play/learn when I was teaching at the local School Of Rock, she suggested a couple of country tunes. The manager pulled me up afterwards and admonished me with "we don't do country here". I suggested to her that if you had to pick one spot in the country with the best writing currently, and certainly the best levels of musicianship, it would be Nashville or maybe Austin. She, as a flaming liberal, didn't appreciate that I called her rule a form of racism. Oh well.
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Subject: Indirect Ron Delsener/Herbie Mann/Duane Allman Story
When Herbie Mann heard Duane Allman's guitar playing from Wollman Rink through his open apartment window he got dressed and walked down to see who it was and how to contact Duane's management. And that's how Duane ended up on Herbie's "Push-Push" album from playing Ron's show at Wollman. I was told this story at the time when I was tour managing the Allmans.
Willie Perkins
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Re: Re-Ron Delsener
I will always appreciate Ron Delsener for many reasons but most importantly he taught me about Ticket scalping. I had four Door shows in the Felt Forum with Ron and we sold out instantly. Everyone I knew in New York started calling to get tickets to the show and I had none. I kept calling Ron and they were also that I couldn't get any.
So we're sitting at settlement where you count the unsold tickets, but there aren't any and Ron comes in with a box of unsold tickets and this is what we have to take this off the Gross. I said Ron I've been trying to buy those tickets for a month. I'm certainly not buying them after the show. It turned into a big kerfuffle, but I finally got my way and in that process learned that all the ticket brokers would return the unsold inventory to the Box Office. I remember the early days. !!
Bill Siddons
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Re: Mailbag-More Whole Foods/Ron Delsener
Hehe, this is great... here's mine.
I act as a reference of my students after they graduate and normally do not mind it.... but in the last 3 or 4 years, there has been a shift.
Companies will reach out to me about a potential hire, by email, but instead of a phone interview, they will attach a Word document that has 2 or 3 pages of questions to fill out -IN DETAIL- about why this person would be a good hire. I actually called the one company and asked if this was for real or a joke. It was no joke. Instead of a 5-10 phone interview, which i don't mind doing, it would be an hour filling this f*cking document out- I am doing their work. I did manage to do a phone interview the first time, but I'm getting more of these all the time... I simply reply that i can do a phone interview... nothing else... I'm curious if this is common in the USA with your readers.
Todd Devonshire
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Re: Mailbag-More Whole Foods/Ron Delsener
Bob you could a whole series on bad drivers. My most recent favorite. I was on a 2 lane street behind a car with a bumper sticker that said " senior driver, please be patient." We got to a stop sign. The women in the car just sat there. I gave her almost 2 minutes and then slowly drove on the other side of the street around her. She was sitting there talking in her phone! Oblivious to where she was.
North Carolina has horrible drivers overall. I have more for when you do that column.
Stephen Knill
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Re: Mailbag-More Whole Foods/Ron Delsener
Airport etiquette is at an ALL TIME LOW.
I was on a flight boarding in Vegas and there was literally 30 people in the pre board area. The gate attendant said they would not be able to get us off on time if he had to walk everyone down the aisle. He then asked if any of those people could get up out of their wheelchairs and walk down the jetway and EVERY single one of them did.
John Nichols
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Re: Mailbag-More Whole Foods/Ron Delsener
Ok Bob, new rant... gyms!
After a good workout, I like to relax in the gym's sauna. It's good for one's health and it is relaxing... Of course, it has to be shared with others and that's all good - EXCEPt when some people decide to have conference calls in the sauna!!! Or listen to music (regardless of what music) in the sauna! Or just have conversations with their friends during a sauna!!! Or watching tiktok - out loud!!! Did anyone ask for this? Is no space safe from social media ... and now it has to be shared??? It comes down to the same cause as your Whole Foods experience... the absence of community norms and civil behavior I think....
Harout Topsacalian
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Re: Mailbag-More Whole Foods/Ron Delsener
A final one from our pasts:
People in line at the drugstore to pick up their developed photos…And Then stand right there at the counter looking and emoting over Every print of the two rolls of 24 exposures!
Dennis Brent
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Re: Re-Ron Delsener
Hi Bob. I don't know if anyone mentioned this. In the late 70s, Ron Delsener ran this ticket club in NYC called InHouse tickets, where if you signed up for a hundred bucks or so, you could stop by their office, pick up four tickets for ANY, I mean ANY show he was producing. Didn't matter if it was Stevie Ray Vaughn or Elvis Costello at Pier 84 (the descendant of those Wollman Rink Schaefer Beer shows) or the Stones or Bowie at Madison Square Garden. Four tickets at face value. One time, I showed up and actually met Ron, and he was cool and cordial, he asked me what shows I wanted to see...Around the same time, Keith Richards and the New Barbarians with Stanley Clarke, Waddy Wachtel, etc played at the Beacon Theater. So during the intermission, I see Ron Delsener, Bill Graham, and John Scher from NJ's Capitol Theater (saw many a Springsteen show there) standing and chatting in the aisle near the stage. Talk about a triumvirate of rock promoters...Like you Bob, I spent many a night at the Fillmore East so when I saw Bill Graham and Ron Delsener and John Scher I had to go up to 'em like the fan boy I was (and still am), and thank them, as Abba said, for all the music. Bill Graham shook my hand, and said, "Thanks, kid." I think I was 27, but I'll never forget that moment. I cannot count how many of Ron Delsener's shows I saw in my 20 years in NYC. Keep on rocking in the free world or whatever is left of it!
Chip Lovitt
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From: David Thomson
Subject: Re: More Macular Degeneration
So true Bob, people think they are going to live forever. All four of my grandparents lived into their 90s. My parents took such good care of themselves and then, at the same time in their 70s, one got a brain tumor and the other vascular dementia. Three and a half years of doctors, rehabilitation, tests, decline, nursing homes, you name it. It was an awful train wreck. You absolutely never know. These vessels we depend on will betray us. At least we can try to keep tabs with the best medical science available.
David Thomson
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Subject: Neil Giraldo
Hey Bob, just finished listening to your podcast. Thought I'd check in and tell you I so enjoy all your interviews on your podcast as well as your columns but as a young guy I just wanted to tell you how much I love learning more about Pat and Neal.
See my first local job was at Chrysalis in 1985 and Pat Benatar and Neil were hometown heroes. They were so kind to me as a rookie Promo guy. Matter of fact the first time I flew out of private plane was with Pat Neal found out I was gonna have to catch two flights to beat them in Columbus the day after the Erie Pennsylvania show so they said just come on our plane. Haley was just a baby was pretty cool.
Anyways, hope you're well. Thanks for all the great entertainment.
Greg Thompson
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Subject: Re: San Francisco Sound Playlist
What did we do before the internet?
I caught your most recent San Francisco show, Bob. It was great!
When I heard the tune you played by It's a Beautiful Day called Don and Dewey I was like... HEY, that's Wring That Neck by Deep Purple!
Turns out both of those were "inspired" by the song Stretchin' Out by Don and Dewey themselves, and neither of them credit Don Harris / Dewey Terry.
And of course, YouTube has the audio. Thanks for the inspiration to do a deep dive on these.
Regards,
Joe Tymecki
Fairfax, VT
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Subject: Re: Music
Hey Bob
You hit something spot on…I always worked a lot but I always took good breaks away from work to open my mind.
In the 90s we had a cool little group of Managers, Agents, Lawyers and Record company guys who were all movers and shakers and we would go surf all over the world.
I was the only musician invited in the group but I always got along with the biz guys more than most musicians. During those times we would all get great ideas and often help each other with them ( that's how I ended up at 19/American Idol).
All that time away from creating actually helped me create more.
NOW the problem is this…in the 90s you could pick up a hundred grand here and there and that was plenty enough to live really good taking lots of time off while not working….Now you gotta make a couple hundred grand just to be broke.
Stevie Salas
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From: Peter Noone
Subject: Re: Music
Me
Live by the hit, die by the hit... But today you don't need many to sustain a career. If you have a few, you can tour forever, more than ever before.
100. Concerts this ear not had a hit for 56 years
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Subject: Re: The Seder
Hi Bob
I love hearing Passover stories.. so many experiences from my childhood in Brooklyn, but here is that was very unique. In April 1987 I was working on the David Sanborn album that it would turn out to be A Change of Heart. There were a few musicians involved that were at Sound Ideas Studio in NYC. David Sanborn,Paul Shaffer ,Steve Jordan and Hiram Bullock were on the session as well. The receptionist at the studio was Kitty Bruce ,Lenny Bruce's daughter. Now it's about 10 o'clock at night and this session is not going to end anytime soon… it was also the first night of Passover.. Paul was such a great character and he said we have to have a Passover Seder in the studio.. and I was asking myself how are we going to do that?.
Paul got on the phone and called the Carnegie deli! I remember him saying this is Paul Schafer and I'm looking for "name..I forgot" .. so the next thing you know the guy gets on the phone and they exchange pleasantries and Paul says "I'm at a studio here on 44th street.. can you put together a Passover Seder and send it over here? " I hear some talking in the background and Paul goes great thank you so much… about an hour later somebody from the Carnegie deli shows up with a bunch of bags full of food for a Seder and they set it up in the lounge. They even include Yarmulke's and a sheet with the four questions. So at around midnight, we sat around for an hour and had a Passover Seder in the studio… the Carnegie deli really took care of us.. and myself as I have always tried to appreciate the unique situations I've been in over my last 50+ years in the music world.. I had to add this to the list. Everybody totally enjoyed themselves! Paul definitely had the connections in New York. That's for sure! Then It was back to work for another three hours!
Peace,Jason
Jason Miles
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Subject: Re: More Supertramp
Hi Bob, I was the front of house sound mixer when A&M's Hometown Band opened for Supertramp in 1977 at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto. I had engineered their first two albums and when this opportunity emerged we were all beside ourselves with excitement....of course!
The big day came and off we flew from our hometown Vancouver. The excitement built to levels I've never experienced since. Micing up the band while each member beamed with appreciation and anticipation is are images still imbedded in this 77 year old brain....still brings smiles to my face!
There was no struggle at all at sound check making The Hometown Band sound as awesome as they were! Supertramp's sound system was fantastic and in pretty short order everything was sounding really great. Roger Hodgson and Rick Davies emerged from behind me at the end of sound check and offered big approvals to what they had heard!! I was thrilled, knowing The Hometown Band will shine during their set......what a fantastic feeling that was!!
Showtime, and The Hometown Band were greeted very warmly by the crowd.....big ripping smiles from all of us as they hit their first chord!
THE SOUND WAS LIKE IT WAS FIGHTING THROUGH A MILE OF THICK WOOL!!! OMG!!!
I've never felt my heart sink so low. There was no air to breathe. I often still dream about that moment.
It was clear that the sound system had been minimized for us since sound check and that brutal compression on our output had been added.
There was nothing I could see within my grasp that I could adjust to bring back the clarity and energy of what I'd achieved at sound check.
Seeing my panic one of Supertramp's crew/managers stepped forward and said to me ''Welcome to the big time bud!''
The Hometown Band weren't aware of the situation as their stage monitors weren't affected, but sadly they witnessed an audience far less enthused than they could've been!
I understand the want for the main act to stand out in every way possible, but we were label mates ffs, and this was just brutal sabotage.
The audience was denied hearing a truly wonderful band sound almost as impressive as Supertramp did that night.
The flight home sure differed from our arrival.
David Hayes
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Subject: Fw: Donnie Iris
Dear Bob,
Love Donnie Iris and the Cruisers and love this email! I don't get all of your emails for some reason and this was one of them. Mark forwarded this one to me. No one could have said it all better than you! I know Mark is appreciative.
If you ever get a chance to see Donnie and the Cruisers live, it will blow you away! There's no one like Donnie and his band is second to none. This band, this little project, Donnie Iris and the Cruisers, was created from pure love, guts, and determination: straight from the heart!
Mark Avsec produced my first record with my girlband, Lipstick. We were a regional hit with "I Want to Be With You Tonight." It went to number 14. We always credited that to Mark!! No doubt!
Mark not only wrote for and with Donnie but he wrote some songs for which many don't know he was the writer. An example is "She Don't Know Me" on Bon Jovi's first album. The talent in Donnie Iris and The Cruisers is still the best. They are at the top of their game, and yes, Joe Vitale Sr and Joe Vitale Jr have been drumming with them the last few shows. Mark is an honorary member of sorts of The James Gang. When The James Gang gets together, Mark is the keyboard player.
A little fun side-note. After the Lipstick record (nothing went on between Mark and I during that time, though I did have an enormous crush on him) 26 years later Mark and I reconnected and last year we got married.
And another fun side note - "The Wrapper" was the first record I was allowed to buy as a kid.
Funny how life connects us in ways we never could have imagined.
Yvette "Jet" Williams
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From: dobe Newton
Subject: Re: Re-Southwest/Bags No Longer Fly Free
Hi Bob,
Long-time US traveller from Australia and sad to read about Southwests's decision re baggage.
We don't have much choice here domestically, with Virgin Australia and Qantas dominating our market. However, both of them have a musicians baggage allowance which means that you can take three pieces of luggage (up to 28 Kilos each) - without extra charge if you are a member of a recognised professional association (think MA, AMA etc).
A godsend for travelling musos in Australia!
Maybe Southwest - or somebody else!?
Cheers,
Dobe
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From: Oren Williams
Subject: Re: Molly Hatchet Live At Capitol Theatre 1978
Late to the Molly Hatchet party but here's a, mostly, related story.
My dad, Earl Williams, played in a Jacksonville band called 'Hillard Stills' from about '78-'82. They shared local bills at big outdoor shows with Molly Hatchet. That was a gritty, hard-partying scene. My dad, and I suspect others from that scene, knew no limits and didn't expect to live to 30. Rockstars in the original model. There's authenticity to that life and, of course, youthful ignorance.
I spent less than a year down there as a kid. It was supposed to be a year but that was no place for kids. Still, that was a place where a very unique breed of rock and roll crawled out of the swamps. When you hear it, you know.
My dad was offered the keyboards position with the Van Zant band but turned it down out of loyalty to his band.
Born-again Christianity saved my dad from drug and alcohol addiction and he quit the band. He remarried my mom after seven years of divorce. Unfortunately, his turn-about didn't stave-off what was probably the ill effects of that lifestyle. He was diagnosed with oral cancer and fought it for thirty years until he died at age 65. Like Molly Hatchet, none of the original members of Hillard Stills are alive today.
Oren at Dolby
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Subject: Re: More Molly Hatchet
One of the first promotions I ever put together as a CBS College Rep was a hatchet throwing contest for Molly Hatchet at UC Davis on January 29, 1979. They were opening for the Outlaws that night on campus. My branch manager (Jerry Pitti) gave me a budget to buy some actual throwing tomahawks and with the help of the UC Davis newspaper and KDVS we managed to turn out several hundred students who were waiting when the band rolled up in their tour bus as kids were sailing tomahawks at archery targets on the "quad". Danny Jo Brown was first off the bus and was looking for something to "get his furnace burning'".
Needless to say the whole thing made for a great wrap up and was the beginning of my 46 year friendship with Larry Stessel who also became my mentor and boss at Epic. It was also the beginning of a great friendship with manager Pat Armstrong.
Molly Hatchet blew the doors off Freeborn Hall that night.
Cliff O'Sullivan
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Subject: Re: Molly Hatchet Live At Capitol Theatre 1978
Hi Bob -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-cCJ2m_nz5I
Buddy Miles covered Dreams in 1970.
Big R&B arrangement with horns.
Possible inspiration for the Hatchet version?
A couple of young Connecticut natives not even out of high school in the band at the time, Charlie Karp and David Hull.
JD Dworkow
Westport, CT
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From: Joel Selvin
Subject: Re: 1965
Sal Valentino ... where to start? He was North Beach royalty -- his father played sandlot ball with the DiMaggio brothers and managed prize fighters through the '50s. Tom Donahue always like to say that a hooker turned him onto the Beau Brummels, "and I always listen to hookers." Sal had the incredible voice, movie star looks and the charisma but you can't talk about the Brummels without mentioning Ron Elliott, songwriter, guitarist and architect of the band's vision. As great as it is, they were so much more than "Laugh Laugh." Wheeler-dealer Donahue sold his Autumn Records catalog to Jack Lewerke and sold the artist contracts to Warners (they got Teddy Templeman out of that; he belonged to the Autumn group the Tikis, later known as Harpers Bizarre). The Brummels did classic albums at Warner Brothers like "Triangle" and "Bradley's Barn." Templeman produced a worthy reunion album for WB in '75. Stoneground was less a Sal thing than a Donahue deal, formed as house band for the misguided "Medicine Ball Caravan" movie. True enough, Sal has been through some hard times but the last time I saw him, he looked like an aging Italian aristocrat, a despoiled count or something, elegant, dignified, gracious and a little rumpled. But -- get this -- I once asked him what was the most money he made in the music business and he said it was the $5,000 finder's fee he got for bringing Rickie Lee Jones to Warners. Mamas don't let your babies grow up to be singers.
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From: Derek Morris
Subject: Watch "Sal Valentino (Beau Brummels) -- "Laugh Laugh" #BeauBrummels" on YouTube
https://youtu.be/mhQg0ia3P8E?si=vEeM2K1gJZNn0XFS
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Subject: Re: Big Doesn't Necessarily Mean Bad
I've been buying season passes - or tickets - since I started skiing in '65.
I love Ikon. This weekend I visited a resort, Schweitzer (in Idaho) that I would never have booked a trip to, and had a great time. Because it was on Ikon. And then drove to an old favorite, Red Mountain in Rossland, B.C. - also, on Ikon.
Neither resort was crowded. Both got money I spent on local restaurants and in the lodge.
Ikon (and Epic, and to some extent Indy Pass) all encourage you to explore and try something new. And you want to do this because you want good value from your pass. I've used nearly five days at Mt. Bachelor this year, it's become one of my fav mountains…on Ikon. Trying Mammoth for the first time this season…it's on Ikon.
I also buy a weekday season pass at Mt. Hood Meadows, my local mountain, where I can ski during the week after work and evenings. Hood Meadows is already crowded on weekends - I don't ski there then - so maybe adding Ikon there wouldn't be such a good idea (they're on Indy Pass).
Both passes can be bought over time, instead of the old days where you had to pay up front.
I'm a fan of the conglomerate passes. I just don't expect uncrowded weekend skiing at one of the major resorts (even The Bird and Alta are usually not too crowded on the weekends).
Yes, the passes are expensive, but they're worth it.
All best,
Dick Huey
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Subject: Re: Big Doesn't Necessarily Mean Bad
I'm in Park City reading this. We've been here for a couple weeks and still have 10 days to go. This is the first time in several years that I've spent any serious time in Park City. In the past we bounced around, stayed in rentals and with friends.
Park City Mountain Resort has changed a lot under Vail ownership. I was never a fan of Vail's takeover of the mountain until this year. The mountain stretches for miles and the lift capacity is very adequate. Supposedly it's bigger than Vail or Whistler.
I could complain about the 10 minute line at Silverlode but overall the mountain is well managed. The whole kerfuffle with the ski patrol was not handled well. Vail came across like ogres and basically pissed off customers who traveled to the resort only to find it 30% open.
On a positive note the way Vail built out the Canyons and connected the two with the Gondola is impressive. Tons of terrain. It's like several resorts in one.
Now are the concessions expensive? Yes but bring a sandwich if you can't take a joke. I can't get too upset having worked for a company (Feld Entertainment) that charged 19 dollars for a snow cone :-) .
Parking is the big issue at all the resorts in Utah. Forget skiing Brighton on weekends. Unless you are at the mouth of the canyon at 7 am you may have a ticket but if you didn't secure parking forget it. Park City is better but the parking apps suck and work inefficiently. Basically its 50 bucks to park conveniently…..no different that a sports event in a major market.
A? for real estate the joke about Park City is the billionaires pushed the mere millionaires over to Heber. It's not Aspen ….yet, but climbing every year.
Overall I have some mixed feelings but it just dumped 2 feet and the past 3 days have been heaven. I'm 73 and outside enjoying life on the mountain so all is well. Someday this may not be the case so time is more important than money…actually healthy time on the mountain.
Are Vail and Alterra a duopoly? Yep, sure but they make skiing affordable for anyone wanting to hit the slopes more than 4 days a year. BTW it's interesting that Jared Smith (Ticketmaster former COO) is now heading up Alterra.
As and avid skier my summation is overall the subscription pass system is better. Now if I want to take a few laps for an hour I don't feel guilty about not getting my moneys worth.
Safe skiing
Bill Powell
Circus Ring Of Fame Foundation
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Subject: Re: Big Doesn't Necessarily Mean Bad
My favorite part of the video is when they tell you lift ticket prices have become out of reach, and then they say "and the lines are too long." Could been a Yogi Berra quote.
Regards,
Marc Slonim
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Subject: Re: Disruption
"First and foremost this is about thinking, ideas. Which is why hit records don't come from the musicians in the Philharmonic, nor Berklee. Innovative ideas can come in an instant. But you must be open to them."
Hey Bob, after my career in LA had run its course, initially on tours in the 70's and then session work in the 80's into the 90's it was time to make a move. I didn't want to spend my life back on the road, so my wife (originally from Massachusetts) and I took the kids and moved back east with the goal of getting a gig at Berklee.
You are so right with that statement. For 20+ years I have been telling my ensemble students, especially the vocalists, if you came here to be a star you are in the wrong place. I say "Berklee makes great "back line" musicians, the ones who could have a 25+ year career, being a star is a completely different thing. Leave here and pursue YOUR music, and DO NOT follow what's popular, make your own lane, that's where the potential for something great could happen
Marty Walsh
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Subject: RE: The Musk Meltdown
In case you might not know (I'm an independent journalist who's written a lot about Musk's business moves over the years), there is a two-part big reason he is freaking. First, like many wealthy people, he borrows money at very low rates against his assets. That's how they all get cash and still enjoy appreciation in value. There's no tax because it's borrowed — not a sale — so there's no financial mechanism that sets even capital gains taxes in motion. Ultimately they sell a small portion of assets to cover the interest, roll the loan over, and continue on.
Now the second part. Because Musk works for Tesla, he's limited by board rules to borrowing against only 25% of his shares' total value. This is a reason, I'm pretty sure, he's pushed so hard for that $55 billion pay package. He needs enough shares that a sudden drop in value doesn't trigger the 25% limit, at which point he's supposed to sell or give up assets to pay down the outstanding balance. When shares tumble, he gets pushed closer to that point.
I wrote about this a few years ago suggesting that instead of taking "wealth," which gives the wealthy room to argue about the market value, tax the amounts they borrow against their assets. That's an easy-to-determine amount and avoids contention over asset valuation, which gets tricky. https://www.forbes.com/sites/eriksherman/2022/04/16/dont-tax-the-wealth-of-the-rich-tax-what-they-borrow/
Erik Sherman
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Subject: Stan Lynch
Dear Bob:
Thanks for a stellar conversation with Stan Lynch. I got to meet him more than 40 years ago and I'll never forget it. He was drumming for T Bone Burnett on his "Proof Through The Night" tour and they played a little club in Rochester, NY. There weren't too many of us in the audience, and after the show, Stan Lynch was hanging out by the tables. I walked over and fanboyed all about my love for his playing, particularly his drumming on "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around." He sat down at our table, dug in to our plate of chicken wings, and said, "Oh man, that was right after Ron had split the band so we had Duck Dunn come in. He just looked at me with that pipe and said 'do whatever you want and I'll hold it down.'" He ate a couple more wings, told a couple drumming stories, and that was that. But what a great guy.
Ted Potrikus
Tucson AZ
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Subject: Re: The U.N. Resolution
Hi Bob - Not sure if this gets covered down there, but I thought I'd share the view from Canada. Today on CBC radio a caller said, "It's like we've been betrayed by our family." The backlash to the threatened tariffs is palpable up here. My street has as many Canadian flags flying on the houses as we do on our July 1st "Canada Day" holiday and what is everyone talking about? About "buy Canadian" and which American products to boycott from gas stations, to wine, to oranges. All the goodwill and benefits of free trade between neighbours is vanishing daily and it's sad to see, because as people we have much more in common than we have differences - but there is no room for that when the m.o. is "divide and conquer." And as for being forced into being the "51st state" - it's insulting, but nothing has united Canadians more.
Adrian Stimpson
Vancouver, BC
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Subject: Re: The U.N. Resolution
I live in DC, a good friend of the highest integrity who worked for AID for 20+ years helping to improve maternal and newborn health in the developing world (?ie Africa, Asia and South America) received her termination email late on the Friday and when she and colleagues came into AID offices on Monday they discovered that the hallways that had for decades been lined with framed photos of the poverty-stricken places and impoverished people AID had helped over the years around the globe were now littered with the crumbles photos removed from every frame amidst the broken glass and broken frames strewn on the floors. Some of those AID staff with knowledge of history said it felt like krystalnacht. Which is perhaps no surprising from a movement led by musk and Bannon who are perfecting their Nazi one armed salute
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From: Harout Topsacalian
Subject: Re: The U.N. Resolution
What's worse is the perspective of some of us who were born in Eastern Europe in the '60s (Romania in my case) and who are very familiar with how rights simply disappear, things my parents experienced, how military is replaced with loyalists, how all arms of government are weaponized (can't wait until IRS starts doing audits with whoever's been "naughty") to the point where people are afraid of their neighbors, and even need to train their own kids lest they say something dumb in class... Yeah... it's dejavu all over again...
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Subject: Subject: Re: Fran Healy-This Week's Podcast
Hi Bob,
I enjoyed your conversation with Fran from Travis. Travis was one of my favorite clients back in the day. Incredible band and people. It was a sad story regarding the US market as the band was building nicely, with the first big break being our package of Oasis/Travis. What a fantastic show that was and Travis was incredible on that tour. After that, they built to the level of headlining and sold out Radio City as a highlight. Unfortunately, after that, the drummer had a swimming pool accident and broke his neck. This put the band on a several-year hiatus, and the momentum in the US collapsed. I had more than one promoter say to me that they should have been in the public slot that Coldplay eventually took.
Regardless, it was great to hear Fran's voice, and I sent him a note about the interview.
John Dittmar
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Subject: Re: Fran Healy-This Week's Podcast
Bob, this was great. I bought the Travis CD over 20 years ago, on the strength of the song "Sing", which I loved. I got into that CD for a while, time passed and I hadn't listened to the band in years, nor was I sure they were even still together. But Fran Healy was a treat to listen to, and he came across as one of the nicest and most thoughtful and sensitive people you've had on your show, and I listen to most of them. Thanks!
Steve Zahradnik
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From: Cheryl Brown
Subject: RE: Apple Cider Vinegar
Couldn't agree more with you Bob. I'm currently watching it and my golly Belle has a lot to answer for. But so do all those who don't fact check as well. And it's an expensive business – the juicing – bottles costing $14-$16 – only desperate people pay that money.
My brother was diagnosed with melanoma 11 years prior to his death in 2012 aged 58. He went to a melanoma clinic for regular check ups and always told he was ok. Until one day he all of a sudden had three months to live. Like where did that come from when he was always ok?
So he and our mother (he hadn't married) started juicing madly and looking into all the things. He was upset that he'd eaten too many sweet things through the years. He was one of the healthiest people in our family on top of our mum who fed us meat and four veg and just looked after us very well. She's in fact now 90 and quite fit.
So whilst my brother had melanoma, he still had thoughts that, in this instance, his diet had caused it!
In his final days he travelled 5 hours away from home to Sydney NSW to have orange juice injections which he was told would be beneficial. We don't know if they were or not – hard to tell – he wasn't in a hospital when he passed so we want to believe the injections my have given him a strength to bear the pain. Again, how would we know. However, the interesting thing here was that the person who injected him each day, on my brother's final day, he was told that he's doing well and improving.
He died that night.
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Subject: Re: Apple Cider Vinegar
Seven years ago, I was diagnosed with aggressive, muscle-invasive bladder cancer. I sought "the gold-standard" treatment: chemo and radical cystectomy. A colleague had the same diagnosis. He refused Western medicine and embarked on a ritual of diet and hyper-oxygenated chambers. I'm writing to you; he's not, because he died.
I counsel cancer patients by always reminding them that there are things Western medicine does very well, and there are things that alternative medicine does better. The key is figure out where your ailment lands you on that spectrum.
Whatever you do, don't hide your head in the sand.
Jon Sinton
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From: Danny Segelin
Bob,
I was a pro athlete. The worst you've ever seen. One game…injury…done. But I had an impeccable diet; I didn't eat a piece of chocolate for probably 3 years. My last college game - the NCAA tournament - I got super sick. If I'm healthy, we win it all. Instead: regrets forever. Wish I had some antibiotics.
Fast forward to my knee surgeries. Like you, I chose to stay away from the knife. When I finally had enough, it was too late. The amount of damage I've done to my knee makes it so that I'll never play my sport again at anything other than a 6-year old level.
People: doctors are good. And I don't care about Brad Pitt's personal trainer; after all, every Hollywood leading man is on HGH or steroids - and why not? But I do care if you work with pro athletes because we are the guys who make our bodies our temples. If you're the guy or girl who fixes our blemishes you're a god in our circles.
TLDR: if you have a chance to see a specialist who is a doctor-to-the-stars, run away fast. But if the guy who did LeBron's knee is giving you advice…do exactly what he says, and don't ask questions.
/end rant
—ds
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From: Gregory Prestopino
Subject: Re: AmericanaFest Salute To John Hiatt
Bob,
Okay, so I have to tell you a funny Fred Tackett story:
Around 1976 or so, I was hired by Chuck Plotkin as a staff producer at Elektra Records. I had known Abe LaBoriel from Boston and
thought he could be a recording artist...to be fair, he wasn't so sure about that, but... I put together the band: Jeff Porcaro on drums, Sam Clayton on percussion,
Bill Payne on keys, Fred Tackett on guitar and Doug Livingston on pedal steel. We cut four songs and my only regret is that we didn't do a whole
album's worth. To this day, I have never heard anything like it.
None of these guys had met or heard Abe but I kinda knew their heads would explode upon hearing him...and I was right. It's an amazing twenty-five
minutes of music. But lemme get back to the Fred part of the story...
I was in the control room with Billy and his eight-voice Oberheim. At some point, the guys are running down a track and I can see Fred playing but
I can't hear him. I say to Roger Mayer (our wonderful engineer) "is his track on?" Yes.
I say to Billy, half jokingly "what are we paying Fred for, I can't hear him".
Billy says: "mute his track". So I did.
And the WHOLE TRACK fell apart! It was wild. Little Mister Know-it-all (me) learned some humbling, important lessons that day, I'll tell ya.
gPresto
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Subject: Re: AmericanaFest Salute To John Hiatt
Hey Bob
It was 7 April 1991 and three of us had travelled 5 hours by road and 3 hours by interislander ferry from Christchurch in New Zealand's South Island to the capital city Wellington in the North to see John Hiatt support Robert Cray. Yes support for Robert Cray. We couldn't believe it and although Cray gave a fair performance he was completely blown away by the charisma and song craft of John Hiatt. And what a band Hiatt had featuring veteran bass player Pat Donaldson and a guy named Steven Perry on guitar who could effortlessly reproduce the iconic Ry Cooder & Sonny Landreth parts (I have no idea t what happened to Steven Perry but on this night he was a real guitar hero).
The story doesn't end there as two of us worked in record retail and managed to get backstage afterwards via the Polygram records rep to "hang". Sure enough there was John Hiatt and band though Robert Cray was nowhere to be seen and I recall only showed up very briefly from his dressing room and he seemed grumpy. Hiatt was an extremely nice guy, all denim jacket and Stones lapping tongue lapel pin. When I got to meet him I had no idea what to say so decided to ask him about Peter Case and singing on his great Geffen debut and the "Horse and Crow" song in particular. We had played the album on the way up in the car so it was front of mind. Hiatt seemed pleased to talk about this and we chatted for a few minutes. My friend Bruce asked Hiatt in all seriousness if he had "brought the family" with him on the trip down under. Hilarious!
Afterwards Bruce said to me , "You should have seen your face when you were talking to John Hiatt, your eyes were standing out like dog balls!" I still remember my reply "Well it is not often you meet God ". That is what Hiatt meant after that spectacular one-two punch of "Bring the Family" and "Slow Turning" then seeing him deliver one of the greatest shows I have ever seen.He was an inspiration and though I checked out after "Perfectly Good Guitar" it didn't matter. He caught lightning in a bottle twice.
Thanks for the great post.
Cheers
Blair Morgan
Christchurch New Zealand
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From: Wileen Dragovan
Subject: Re: Leaders
Hey Bob,
I always enjoy your takes on possible resolutions to our current political climate in the US and you are really onto something in your critiques of our country's old established media of print and television. But please don't quote David Brooks on anything just because he read and can quote from a primary source.
He was in a couple of my common core classes at the University of Chicago many moons ago. He would suck the air out of our classroom with his toadying smugness. He is still pretending to be some sort of right-leaning moderate but he's really still just a cruel Reaganite in sheep's clothing that's gratified that the GOP is in full power. Don't fall for his "thoughtful" writing, Bob.
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Subject: Re: The End Of Universality
Bob, I posit that the last monoculture is young children's literature: All kids know Mo William's Piggie & Elephant series, the Dr Seuss of the last two generation's time; but then, monoculture ends by middle school.
If they don't care, it does not exist to them.
Take it from a teacher of 21 years. After the pandemic, there isn't one movie that a high school English teacher can riff on—use to create a universal connection or comparison—that resonates with enough of the class. Black Panther felt like the last one…
Have you seen (this movie)? Three kids of 28… Wicked? I estimate maybe 25-35% of my classes saw it. (I'll do a survey tomorrow out of curiosity.)
To the young adults, Kendrick Lamar's well done half time show became old news before this week's snow storm. I haven't heard about it from one student, nor a single commercial from them, except one teen mentioning a commercial with sloth.
Sloths might climb the same trees; humans don't now, culturally speaking.
Mike Vial
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"Dogs seen licking food inside NYC Trader Joe's as carefree owners ignore 'no pets allowed' signs – but some pooch lovers don't mind: 'It's cute!'"
https://nypost.com/2025/04/30/us-news/dogs-nose-through-food-at-nyc-trader-joes-while-carefree-owners-shop-but-some-pet-lovers-dont-mind/
Daniel Glass
Hey Bob,
First of all, I love John Boylan. And I owe my career as a record producer to the coincidental fact that the REO album, You can tune a Piano, but you can't Tuna fish, got horribly behind schedule, John was committed to produce Little River Band, and he had to leave me in charge of that REO Speedwagon album. Boylan was an Executive Producer on the Tuna album, and because he had to leave us in mid-stream, (pun intended), he did the unthinkable: He gave back his production points! John came out to see a show recently, and he looked exactly the same as the day we met in 1977! I am very grateful that John Boylan is part of my life.
Kevin Cronin … REO Speedwagon
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Subject: Re: Superstar AI Album
Good one on AI Album Bob for April Fools!
- Regarding drum machine. Best advice Prince's manager Steve Fargnoli ever told me as a drummer staring at the horror of the first Linn LM1. "Well it's here, so why not just learn to use it!"
Regards,
Bobby Z
Prince & The Revolution
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From: Neil Giraldo
Subject: Re: Superstar AI Album..Neil G
Morning Bob,
Interesting article on AI in relation to music. Gotta move forward with the times.
The LinnDrum frightened many drummers. At first!
Pro Tools,Auto tune etc gave everyone a safely net which could be a good thing or a bad thing! It's how you use it.
I also agree with Don Was: everything is a tool, and you have to know how to use it. That means understanding all the elements—song structure, storyline, and more. Plus, you've got to be brave and unafraid to be different—willing to try something that doesn't sound like everything else out there in real time.
By the way—"When Doves Cry" was brilliant! And my favorite Prince song.
Speaking of tools from the '80s...
I was willing to accept new technology.The LinnDrum was a total game changer and remained a valuable tool for me on many songs that became hits. True drummers weren't exactly thrilled—especially mine he thought i was crazy—when I told him I just wanted top kit only: snare and hi-hat on "Love Is a Battlefield." That was 1983! BTW The drum fills he played live in the song were great and the machine would never capture that feel!
And diving even deeper, I actually made a mistake when programming the LinnDrum because I was so new to it. I accidentally erased one measure—so instead of an 8-bar phrase, it became a 7-bar phrase and I didn't know how to correct it. That made the kick land in some strange spots that wouldn't normally work. But I kept it anyway, because I loved the feel.
And here's the thing—this is where the music business, run from the top floor high-rise, can try to have the final say (which doesn't always align with your gut). "Battlefield" was initially turned down by folks who'll remain nameless. It took multiple listens and days before they started to understand it—and eventually took the chance and released it which i was thankful for because i would not change a thing i knew i had it!
So, regarding AI: use the new tool for what it is—a tool. Like my Sicilian carpenter father used to say, "Anyone can use a hammer to drive a nail, but when you know how to use it properly, you build like a pro." Or you use a nail gun which in the wrong hands is fatal!
Okay, enuff rambling from me.
Neil
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Subject: Re: Old School/New School
Dear Bob……I, of course, am Old School. Not that there's anything wrong with that. And I truly don't understand how the music business works today. I do know that Daryl and I worked our asses off for years in mostly stinking, smoky little clubs in the LA area, learning how to earn the audience's attention. We were both trained as classical musicians, but Daryl was a boogie guy, and I loved jazz and the music my father introduced me to when I was young….mostly the "Great American Songbook". Together over time we figured out what worked for us. It was a long hard road, but we had some success….and by the time we became very well known, we were about as ready as we could be to "make it". My point is we had worked so hard and so long to figure out how to reach our audience, when the stars aligned and
luck was on our side, we were ready.
Your recent email was fascinating to me, and helped me understand how success in the pop music works today.
Toni Tennille
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From: Robert Margouleff
Subject: Re: Post Covid
Hey Bob,
Having produced "DEVO" I think, sadly that you are spot on. When I was a young man, I thought I had all the answers, now I only have the questions.
Margouleff
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Subject: Re: Jesse Welles
Now if a voice like Ed Sheeran decided to sing these songs we could have something big.
Steve Lillywhite
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From: Adam Howell
Subject: Re: Luke Combs At Stagecoach
Thanks for this, so true. When I asked a distracted student what SHE'D like to play/learn when I was teaching at the local School Of Rock, she suggested a couple of country tunes. The manager pulled me up afterwards and admonished me with "we don't do country here". I suggested to her that if you had to pick one spot in the country with the best writing currently, and certainly the best levels of musicianship, it would be Nashville or maybe Austin. She, as a flaming liberal, didn't appreciate that I called her rule a form of racism. Oh well.
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Subject: Indirect Ron Delsener/Herbie Mann/Duane Allman Story
When Herbie Mann heard Duane Allman's guitar playing from Wollman Rink through his open apartment window he got dressed and walked down to see who it was and how to contact Duane's management. And that's how Duane ended up on Herbie's "Push-Push" album from playing Ron's show at Wollman. I was told this story at the time when I was tour managing the Allmans.
Willie Perkins
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Re: Re-Ron Delsener
I will always appreciate Ron Delsener for many reasons but most importantly he taught me about Ticket scalping. I had four Door shows in the Felt Forum with Ron and we sold out instantly. Everyone I knew in New York started calling to get tickets to the show and I had none. I kept calling Ron and they were also that I couldn't get any.
So we're sitting at settlement where you count the unsold tickets, but there aren't any and Ron comes in with a box of unsold tickets and this is what we have to take this off the Gross. I said Ron I've been trying to buy those tickets for a month. I'm certainly not buying them after the show. It turned into a big kerfuffle, but I finally got my way and in that process learned that all the ticket brokers would return the unsold inventory to the Box Office. I remember the early days. !!
Bill Siddons
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Re: Mailbag-More Whole Foods/Ron Delsener
Hehe, this is great... here's mine.
I act as a reference of my students after they graduate and normally do not mind it.... but in the last 3 or 4 years, there has been a shift.
Companies will reach out to me about a potential hire, by email, but instead of a phone interview, they will attach a Word document that has 2 or 3 pages of questions to fill out -IN DETAIL- about why this person would be a good hire. I actually called the one company and asked if this was for real or a joke. It was no joke. Instead of a 5-10 phone interview, which i don't mind doing, it would be an hour filling this f*cking document out- I am doing their work. I did manage to do a phone interview the first time, but I'm getting more of these all the time... I simply reply that i can do a phone interview... nothing else... I'm curious if this is common in the USA with your readers.
Todd Devonshire
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Re: Mailbag-More Whole Foods/Ron Delsener
Bob you could a whole series on bad drivers. My most recent favorite. I was on a 2 lane street behind a car with a bumper sticker that said " senior driver, please be patient." We got to a stop sign. The women in the car just sat there. I gave her almost 2 minutes and then slowly drove on the other side of the street around her. She was sitting there talking in her phone! Oblivious to where she was.
North Carolina has horrible drivers overall. I have more for when you do that column.
Stephen Knill
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Re: Mailbag-More Whole Foods/Ron Delsener
Airport etiquette is at an ALL TIME LOW.
I was on a flight boarding in Vegas and there was literally 30 people in the pre board area. The gate attendant said they would not be able to get us off on time if he had to walk everyone down the aisle. He then asked if any of those people could get up out of their wheelchairs and walk down the jetway and EVERY single one of them did.
John Nichols
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Re: Mailbag-More Whole Foods/Ron Delsener
Ok Bob, new rant... gyms!
After a good workout, I like to relax in the gym's sauna. It's good for one's health and it is relaxing... Of course, it has to be shared with others and that's all good - EXCEPt when some people decide to have conference calls in the sauna!!! Or listen to music (regardless of what music) in the sauna! Or just have conversations with their friends during a sauna!!! Or watching tiktok - out loud!!! Did anyone ask for this? Is no space safe from social media ... and now it has to be shared??? It comes down to the same cause as your Whole Foods experience... the absence of community norms and civil behavior I think....
Harout Topsacalian
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Re: Mailbag-More Whole Foods/Ron Delsener
A final one from our pasts:
People in line at the drugstore to pick up their developed photos…And Then stand right there at the counter looking and emoting over Every print of the two rolls of 24 exposures!
Dennis Brent
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Re: Re-Ron Delsener
Hi Bob. I don't know if anyone mentioned this. In the late 70s, Ron Delsener ran this ticket club in NYC called InHouse tickets, where if you signed up for a hundred bucks or so, you could stop by their office, pick up four tickets for ANY, I mean ANY show he was producing. Didn't matter if it was Stevie Ray Vaughn or Elvis Costello at Pier 84 (the descendant of those Wollman Rink Schaefer Beer shows) or the Stones or Bowie at Madison Square Garden. Four tickets at face value. One time, I showed up and actually met Ron, and he was cool and cordial, he asked me what shows I wanted to see...Around the same time, Keith Richards and the New Barbarians with Stanley Clarke, Waddy Wachtel, etc played at the Beacon Theater. So during the intermission, I see Ron Delsener, Bill Graham, and John Scher from NJ's Capitol Theater (saw many a Springsteen show there) standing and chatting in the aisle near the stage. Talk about a triumvirate of rock promoters...Like you Bob, I spent many a night at the Fillmore East so when I saw Bill Graham and Ron Delsener and John Scher I had to go up to 'em like the fan boy I was (and still am), and thank them, as Abba said, for all the music. Bill Graham shook my hand, and said, "Thanks, kid." I think I was 27, but I'll never forget that moment. I cannot count how many of Ron Delsener's shows I saw in my 20 years in NYC. Keep on rocking in the free world or whatever is left of it!
Chip Lovitt
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From: David Thomson
Subject: Re: More Macular Degeneration
So true Bob, people think they are going to live forever. All four of my grandparents lived into their 90s. My parents took such good care of themselves and then, at the same time in their 70s, one got a brain tumor and the other vascular dementia. Three and a half years of doctors, rehabilitation, tests, decline, nursing homes, you name it. It was an awful train wreck. You absolutely never know. These vessels we depend on will betray us. At least we can try to keep tabs with the best medical science available.
David Thomson
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Subject: Neil Giraldo
Hey Bob, just finished listening to your podcast. Thought I'd check in and tell you I so enjoy all your interviews on your podcast as well as your columns but as a young guy I just wanted to tell you how much I love learning more about Pat and Neal.
See my first local job was at Chrysalis in 1985 and Pat Benatar and Neil were hometown heroes. They were so kind to me as a rookie Promo guy. Matter of fact the first time I flew out of private plane was with Pat Neal found out I was gonna have to catch two flights to beat them in Columbus the day after the Erie Pennsylvania show so they said just come on our plane. Haley was just a baby was pretty cool.
Anyways, hope you're well. Thanks for all the great entertainment.
Greg Thompson
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Subject: Re: San Francisco Sound Playlist
What did we do before the internet?
I caught your most recent San Francisco show, Bob. It was great!
When I heard the tune you played by It's a Beautiful Day called Don and Dewey I was like... HEY, that's Wring That Neck by Deep Purple!
Turns out both of those were "inspired" by the song Stretchin' Out by Don and Dewey themselves, and neither of them credit Don Harris / Dewey Terry.
And of course, YouTube has the audio. Thanks for the inspiration to do a deep dive on these.
Regards,
Joe Tymecki
Fairfax, VT
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Subject: Re: Music
Hey Bob
You hit something spot on…I always worked a lot but I always took good breaks away from work to open my mind.
In the 90s we had a cool little group of Managers, Agents, Lawyers and Record company guys who were all movers and shakers and we would go surf all over the world.
I was the only musician invited in the group but I always got along with the biz guys more than most musicians. During those times we would all get great ideas and often help each other with them ( that's how I ended up at 19/American Idol).
All that time away from creating actually helped me create more.
NOW the problem is this…in the 90s you could pick up a hundred grand here and there and that was plenty enough to live really good taking lots of time off while not working….Now you gotta make a couple hundred grand just to be broke.
Stevie Salas
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From: Peter Noone
Subject: Re: Music
Me
Live by the hit, die by the hit... But today you don't need many to sustain a career. If you have a few, you can tour forever, more than ever before.
100. Concerts this ear not had a hit for 56 years
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Subject: Re: The Seder
Hi Bob
I love hearing Passover stories.. so many experiences from my childhood in Brooklyn, but here is that was very unique. In April 1987 I was working on the David Sanborn album that it would turn out to be A Change of Heart. There were a few musicians involved that were at Sound Ideas Studio in NYC. David Sanborn,Paul Shaffer ,Steve Jordan and Hiram Bullock were on the session as well. The receptionist at the studio was Kitty Bruce ,Lenny Bruce's daughter. Now it's about 10 o'clock at night and this session is not going to end anytime soon… it was also the first night of Passover.. Paul was such a great character and he said we have to have a Passover Seder in the studio.. and I was asking myself how are we going to do that?.
Paul got on the phone and called the Carnegie deli! I remember him saying this is Paul Schafer and I'm looking for "name..I forgot" .. so the next thing you know the guy gets on the phone and they exchange pleasantries and Paul says "I'm at a studio here on 44th street.. can you put together a Passover Seder and send it over here? " I hear some talking in the background and Paul goes great thank you so much… about an hour later somebody from the Carnegie deli shows up with a bunch of bags full of food for a Seder and they set it up in the lounge. They even include Yarmulke's and a sheet with the four questions. So at around midnight, we sat around for an hour and had a Passover Seder in the studio… the Carnegie deli really took care of us.. and myself as I have always tried to appreciate the unique situations I've been in over my last 50+ years in the music world.. I had to add this to the list. Everybody totally enjoyed themselves! Paul definitely had the connections in New York. That's for sure! Then It was back to work for another three hours!
Peace,Jason
Jason Miles
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Subject: Re: More Supertramp
Hi Bob, I was the front of house sound mixer when A&M's Hometown Band opened for Supertramp in 1977 at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto. I had engineered their first two albums and when this opportunity emerged we were all beside ourselves with excitement....of course!
The big day came and off we flew from our hometown Vancouver. The excitement built to levels I've never experienced since. Micing up the band while each member beamed with appreciation and anticipation is are images still imbedded in this 77 year old brain....still brings smiles to my face!
There was no struggle at all at sound check making The Hometown Band sound as awesome as they were! Supertramp's sound system was fantastic and in pretty short order everything was sounding really great. Roger Hodgson and Rick Davies emerged from behind me at the end of sound check and offered big approvals to what they had heard!! I was thrilled, knowing The Hometown Band will shine during their set......what a fantastic feeling that was!!
Showtime, and The Hometown Band were greeted very warmly by the crowd.....big ripping smiles from all of us as they hit their first chord!
THE SOUND WAS LIKE IT WAS FIGHTING THROUGH A MILE OF THICK WOOL!!! OMG!!!
I've never felt my heart sink so low. There was no air to breathe. I often still dream about that moment.
It was clear that the sound system had been minimized for us since sound check and that brutal compression on our output had been added.
There was nothing I could see within my grasp that I could adjust to bring back the clarity and energy of what I'd achieved at sound check.
Seeing my panic one of Supertramp's crew/managers stepped forward and said to me ''Welcome to the big time bud!''
The Hometown Band weren't aware of the situation as their stage monitors weren't affected, but sadly they witnessed an audience far less enthused than they could've been!
I understand the want for the main act to stand out in every way possible, but we were label mates ffs, and this was just brutal sabotage.
The audience was denied hearing a truly wonderful band sound almost as impressive as Supertramp did that night.
The flight home sure differed from our arrival.
David Hayes
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Subject: Fw: Donnie Iris
Dear Bob,
Love Donnie Iris and the Cruisers and love this email! I don't get all of your emails for some reason and this was one of them. Mark forwarded this one to me. No one could have said it all better than you! I know Mark is appreciative.
If you ever get a chance to see Donnie and the Cruisers live, it will blow you away! There's no one like Donnie and his band is second to none. This band, this little project, Donnie Iris and the Cruisers, was created from pure love, guts, and determination: straight from the heart!
Mark Avsec produced my first record with my girlband, Lipstick. We were a regional hit with "I Want to Be With You Tonight." It went to number 14. We always credited that to Mark!! No doubt!
Mark not only wrote for and with Donnie but he wrote some songs for which many don't know he was the writer. An example is "She Don't Know Me" on Bon Jovi's first album. The talent in Donnie Iris and The Cruisers is still the best. They are at the top of their game, and yes, Joe Vitale Sr and Joe Vitale Jr have been drumming with them the last few shows. Mark is an honorary member of sorts of The James Gang. When The James Gang gets together, Mark is the keyboard player.
A little fun side-note. After the Lipstick record (nothing went on between Mark and I during that time, though I did have an enormous crush on him) 26 years later Mark and I reconnected and last year we got married.
And another fun side note - "The Wrapper" was the first record I was allowed to buy as a kid.
Funny how life connects us in ways we never could have imagined.
Yvette "Jet" Williams
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From: dobe Newton
Subject: Re: Re-Southwest/Bags No Longer Fly Free
Hi Bob,
Long-time US traveller from Australia and sad to read about Southwests's decision re baggage.
We don't have much choice here domestically, with Virgin Australia and Qantas dominating our market. However, both of them have a musicians baggage allowance which means that you can take three pieces of luggage (up to 28 Kilos each) - without extra charge if you are a member of a recognised professional association (think MA, AMA etc).
A godsend for travelling musos in Australia!
Maybe Southwest - or somebody else!?
Cheers,
Dobe
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From: Oren Williams
Subject: Re: Molly Hatchet Live At Capitol Theatre 1978
Late to the Molly Hatchet party but here's a, mostly, related story.
My dad, Earl Williams, played in a Jacksonville band called 'Hillard Stills' from about '78-'82. They shared local bills at big outdoor shows with Molly Hatchet. That was a gritty, hard-partying scene. My dad, and I suspect others from that scene, knew no limits and didn't expect to live to 30. Rockstars in the original model. There's authenticity to that life and, of course, youthful ignorance.
I spent less than a year down there as a kid. It was supposed to be a year but that was no place for kids. Still, that was a place where a very unique breed of rock and roll crawled out of the swamps. When you hear it, you know.
My dad was offered the keyboards position with the Van Zant band but turned it down out of loyalty to his band.
Born-again Christianity saved my dad from drug and alcohol addiction and he quit the band. He remarried my mom after seven years of divorce. Unfortunately, his turn-about didn't stave-off what was probably the ill effects of that lifestyle. He was diagnosed with oral cancer and fought it for thirty years until he died at age 65. Like Molly Hatchet, none of the original members of Hillard Stills are alive today.
Oren at Dolby
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Subject: Re: More Molly Hatchet
One of the first promotions I ever put together as a CBS College Rep was a hatchet throwing contest for Molly Hatchet at UC Davis on January 29, 1979. They were opening for the Outlaws that night on campus. My branch manager (Jerry Pitti) gave me a budget to buy some actual throwing tomahawks and with the help of the UC Davis newspaper and KDVS we managed to turn out several hundred students who were waiting when the band rolled up in their tour bus as kids were sailing tomahawks at archery targets on the "quad". Danny Jo Brown was first off the bus and was looking for something to "get his furnace burning'".
Needless to say the whole thing made for a great wrap up and was the beginning of my 46 year friendship with Larry Stessel who also became my mentor and boss at Epic. It was also the beginning of a great friendship with manager Pat Armstrong.
Molly Hatchet blew the doors off Freeborn Hall that night.
Cliff O'Sullivan
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Subject: Re: Molly Hatchet Live At Capitol Theatre 1978
Hi Bob -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-cCJ2m_nz5I
Buddy Miles covered Dreams in 1970.
Big R&B arrangement with horns.
Possible inspiration for the Hatchet version?
A couple of young Connecticut natives not even out of high school in the band at the time, Charlie Karp and David Hull.
JD Dworkow
Westport, CT
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From: Joel Selvin
Subject: Re: 1965
Sal Valentino ... where to start? He was North Beach royalty -- his father played sandlot ball with the DiMaggio brothers and managed prize fighters through the '50s. Tom Donahue always like to say that a hooker turned him onto the Beau Brummels, "and I always listen to hookers." Sal had the incredible voice, movie star looks and the charisma but you can't talk about the Brummels without mentioning Ron Elliott, songwriter, guitarist and architect of the band's vision. As great as it is, they were so much more than "Laugh Laugh." Wheeler-dealer Donahue sold his Autumn Records catalog to Jack Lewerke and sold the artist contracts to Warners (they got Teddy Templeman out of that; he belonged to the Autumn group the Tikis, later known as Harpers Bizarre). The Brummels did classic albums at Warner Brothers like "Triangle" and "Bradley's Barn." Templeman produced a worthy reunion album for WB in '75. Stoneground was less a Sal thing than a Donahue deal, formed as house band for the misguided "Medicine Ball Caravan" movie. True enough, Sal has been through some hard times but the last time I saw him, he looked like an aging Italian aristocrat, a despoiled count or something, elegant, dignified, gracious and a little rumpled. But -- get this -- I once asked him what was the most money he made in the music business and he said it was the $5,000 finder's fee he got for bringing Rickie Lee Jones to Warners. Mamas don't let your babies grow up to be singers.
____________________________________
From: Derek Morris
Subject: Watch "Sal Valentino (Beau Brummels) -- "Laugh Laugh" #BeauBrummels" on YouTube
https://youtu.be/mhQg0ia3P8E?si=vEeM2K1gJZNn0XFS
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Subject: Re: Big Doesn't Necessarily Mean Bad
I've been buying season passes - or tickets - since I started skiing in '65.
I love Ikon. This weekend I visited a resort, Schweitzer (in Idaho) that I would never have booked a trip to, and had a great time. Because it was on Ikon. And then drove to an old favorite, Red Mountain in Rossland, B.C. - also, on Ikon.
Neither resort was crowded. Both got money I spent on local restaurants and in the lodge.
Ikon (and Epic, and to some extent Indy Pass) all encourage you to explore and try something new. And you want to do this because you want good value from your pass. I've used nearly five days at Mt. Bachelor this year, it's become one of my fav mountains…on Ikon. Trying Mammoth for the first time this season…it's on Ikon.
I also buy a weekday season pass at Mt. Hood Meadows, my local mountain, where I can ski during the week after work and evenings. Hood Meadows is already crowded on weekends - I don't ski there then - so maybe adding Ikon there wouldn't be such a good idea (they're on Indy Pass).
Both passes can be bought over time, instead of the old days where you had to pay up front.
I'm a fan of the conglomerate passes. I just don't expect uncrowded weekend skiing at one of the major resorts (even The Bird and Alta are usually not too crowded on the weekends).
Yes, the passes are expensive, but they're worth it.
All best,
Dick Huey
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Subject: Re: Big Doesn't Necessarily Mean Bad
I'm in Park City reading this. We've been here for a couple weeks and still have 10 days to go. This is the first time in several years that I've spent any serious time in Park City. In the past we bounced around, stayed in rentals and with friends.
Park City Mountain Resort has changed a lot under Vail ownership. I was never a fan of Vail's takeover of the mountain until this year. The mountain stretches for miles and the lift capacity is very adequate. Supposedly it's bigger than Vail or Whistler.
I could complain about the 10 minute line at Silverlode but overall the mountain is well managed. The whole kerfuffle with the ski patrol was not handled well. Vail came across like ogres and basically pissed off customers who traveled to the resort only to find it 30% open.
On a positive note the way Vail built out the Canyons and connected the two with the Gondola is impressive. Tons of terrain. It's like several resorts in one.
Now are the concessions expensive? Yes but bring a sandwich if you can't take a joke. I can't get too upset having worked for a company (Feld Entertainment) that charged 19 dollars for a snow cone :-) .
Parking is the big issue at all the resorts in Utah. Forget skiing Brighton on weekends. Unless you are at the mouth of the canyon at 7 am you may have a ticket but if you didn't secure parking forget it. Park City is better but the parking apps suck and work inefficiently. Basically its 50 bucks to park conveniently…..no different that a sports event in a major market.
A? for real estate the joke about Park City is the billionaires pushed the mere millionaires over to Heber. It's not Aspen ….yet, but climbing every year.
Overall I have some mixed feelings but it just dumped 2 feet and the past 3 days have been heaven. I'm 73 and outside enjoying life on the mountain so all is well. Someday this may not be the case so time is more important than money…actually healthy time on the mountain.
Are Vail and Alterra a duopoly? Yep, sure but they make skiing affordable for anyone wanting to hit the slopes more than 4 days a year. BTW it's interesting that Jared Smith (Ticketmaster former COO) is now heading up Alterra.
As and avid skier my summation is overall the subscription pass system is better. Now if I want to take a few laps for an hour I don't feel guilty about not getting my moneys worth.
Safe skiing
Bill Powell
Circus Ring Of Fame Foundation
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Subject: Re: Big Doesn't Necessarily Mean Bad
My favorite part of the video is when they tell you lift ticket prices have become out of reach, and then they say "and the lines are too long." Could been a Yogi Berra quote.
Regards,
Marc Slonim
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Subject: Re: Disruption
"First and foremost this is about thinking, ideas. Which is why hit records don't come from the musicians in the Philharmonic, nor Berklee. Innovative ideas can come in an instant. But you must be open to them."
Hey Bob, after my career in LA had run its course, initially on tours in the 70's and then session work in the 80's into the 90's it was time to make a move. I didn't want to spend my life back on the road, so my wife (originally from Massachusetts) and I took the kids and moved back east with the goal of getting a gig at Berklee.
You are so right with that statement. For 20+ years I have been telling my ensemble students, especially the vocalists, if you came here to be a star you are in the wrong place. I say "Berklee makes great "back line" musicians, the ones who could have a 25+ year career, being a star is a completely different thing. Leave here and pursue YOUR music, and DO NOT follow what's popular, make your own lane, that's where the potential for something great could happen
Marty Walsh
____________________________________
Subject: RE: The Musk Meltdown
In case you might not know (I'm an independent journalist who's written a lot about Musk's business moves over the years), there is a two-part big reason he is freaking. First, like many wealthy people, he borrows money at very low rates against his assets. That's how they all get cash and still enjoy appreciation in value. There's no tax because it's borrowed — not a sale — so there's no financial mechanism that sets even capital gains taxes in motion. Ultimately they sell a small portion of assets to cover the interest, roll the loan over, and continue on.
Now the second part. Because Musk works for Tesla, he's limited by board rules to borrowing against only 25% of his shares' total value. This is a reason, I'm pretty sure, he's pushed so hard for that $55 billion pay package. He needs enough shares that a sudden drop in value doesn't trigger the 25% limit, at which point he's supposed to sell or give up assets to pay down the outstanding balance. When shares tumble, he gets pushed closer to that point.
I wrote about this a few years ago suggesting that instead of taking "wealth," which gives the wealthy room to argue about the market value, tax the amounts they borrow against their assets. That's an easy-to-determine amount and avoids contention over asset valuation, which gets tricky. https://www.forbes.com/sites/eriksherman/2022/04/16/dont-tax-the-wealth-of-the-rich-tax-what-they-borrow/
Erik Sherman
____________________________________
Subject: Stan Lynch
Dear Bob:
Thanks for a stellar conversation with Stan Lynch. I got to meet him more than 40 years ago and I'll never forget it. He was drumming for T Bone Burnett on his "Proof Through The Night" tour and they played a little club in Rochester, NY. There weren't too many of us in the audience, and after the show, Stan Lynch was hanging out by the tables. I walked over and fanboyed all about my love for his playing, particularly his drumming on "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around." He sat down at our table, dug in to our plate of chicken wings, and said, "Oh man, that was right after Ron had split the band so we had Duck Dunn come in. He just looked at me with that pipe and said 'do whatever you want and I'll hold it down.'" He ate a couple more wings, told a couple drumming stories, and that was that. But what a great guy.
Ted Potrikus
Tucson AZ
____________________________________
Subject: Re: The U.N. Resolution
Hi Bob - Not sure if this gets covered down there, but I thought I'd share the view from Canada. Today on CBC radio a caller said, "It's like we've been betrayed by our family." The backlash to the threatened tariffs is palpable up here. My street has as many Canadian flags flying on the houses as we do on our July 1st "Canada Day" holiday and what is everyone talking about? About "buy Canadian" and which American products to boycott from gas stations, to wine, to oranges. All the goodwill and benefits of free trade between neighbours is vanishing daily and it's sad to see, because as people we have much more in common than we have differences - but there is no room for that when the m.o. is "divide and conquer." And as for being forced into being the "51st state" - it's insulting, but nothing has united Canadians more.
Adrian Stimpson
Vancouver, BC
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Subject: Re: The U.N. Resolution
I live in DC, a good friend of the highest integrity who worked for AID for 20+ years helping to improve maternal and newborn health in the developing world (?ie Africa, Asia and South America) received her termination email late on the Friday and when she and colleagues came into AID offices on Monday they discovered that the hallways that had for decades been lined with framed photos of the poverty-stricken places and impoverished people AID had helped over the years around the globe were now littered with the crumbles photos removed from every frame amidst the broken glass and broken frames strewn on the floors. Some of those AID staff with knowledge of history said it felt like krystalnacht. Which is perhaps no surprising from a movement led by musk and Bannon who are perfecting their Nazi one armed salute
____________________________________
From: Harout Topsacalian
Subject: Re: The U.N. Resolution
What's worse is the perspective of some of us who were born in Eastern Europe in the '60s (Romania in my case) and who are very familiar with how rights simply disappear, things my parents experienced, how military is replaced with loyalists, how all arms of government are weaponized (can't wait until IRS starts doing audits with whoever's been "naughty") to the point where people are afraid of their neighbors, and even need to train their own kids lest they say something dumb in class... Yeah... it's dejavu all over again...
____________________________________
Subject: Subject: Re: Fran Healy-This Week's Podcast
Hi Bob,
I enjoyed your conversation with Fran from Travis. Travis was one of my favorite clients back in the day. Incredible band and people. It was a sad story regarding the US market as the band was building nicely, with the first big break being our package of Oasis/Travis. What a fantastic show that was and Travis was incredible on that tour. After that, they built to the level of headlining and sold out Radio City as a highlight. Unfortunately, after that, the drummer had a swimming pool accident and broke his neck. This put the band on a several-year hiatus, and the momentum in the US collapsed. I had more than one promoter say to me that they should have been in the public slot that Coldplay eventually took.
Regardless, it was great to hear Fran's voice, and I sent him a note about the interview.
John Dittmar
____________________________________
Subject: Re: Fran Healy-This Week's Podcast
Bob, this was great. I bought the Travis CD over 20 years ago, on the strength of the song "Sing", which I loved. I got into that CD for a while, time passed and I hadn't listened to the band in years, nor was I sure they were even still together. But Fran Healy was a treat to listen to, and he came across as one of the nicest and most thoughtful and sensitive people you've had on your show, and I listen to most of them. Thanks!
Steve Zahradnik
____________________________________
From: Cheryl Brown
Subject: RE: Apple Cider Vinegar
Couldn't agree more with you Bob. I'm currently watching it and my golly Belle has a lot to answer for. But so do all those who don't fact check as well. And it's an expensive business – the juicing – bottles costing $14-$16 – only desperate people pay that money.
My brother was diagnosed with melanoma 11 years prior to his death in 2012 aged 58. He went to a melanoma clinic for regular check ups and always told he was ok. Until one day he all of a sudden had three months to live. Like where did that come from when he was always ok?
So he and our mother (he hadn't married) started juicing madly and looking into all the things. He was upset that he'd eaten too many sweet things through the years. He was one of the healthiest people in our family on top of our mum who fed us meat and four veg and just looked after us very well. She's in fact now 90 and quite fit.
So whilst my brother had melanoma, he still had thoughts that, in this instance, his diet had caused it!
In his final days he travelled 5 hours away from home to Sydney NSW to have orange juice injections which he was told would be beneficial. We don't know if they were or not – hard to tell – he wasn't in a hospital when he passed so we want to believe the injections my have given him a strength to bear the pain. Again, how would we know. However, the interesting thing here was that the person who injected him each day, on my brother's final day, he was told that he's doing well and improving.
He died that night.
____________________________________
Subject: Re: Apple Cider Vinegar
Seven years ago, I was diagnosed with aggressive, muscle-invasive bladder cancer. I sought "the gold-standard" treatment: chemo and radical cystectomy. A colleague had the same diagnosis. He refused Western medicine and embarked on a ritual of diet and hyper-oxygenated chambers. I'm writing to you; he's not, because he died.
I counsel cancer patients by always reminding them that there are things Western medicine does very well, and there are things that alternative medicine does better. The key is figure out where your ailment lands you on that spectrum.
Whatever you do, don't hide your head in the sand.
Jon Sinton
____________________________________
From: Danny Segelin
Bob,
I was a pro athlete. The worst you've ever seen. One game…injury…done. But I had an impeccable diet; I didn't eat a piece of chocolate for probably 3 years. My last college game - the NCAA tournament - I got super sick. If I'm healthy, we win it all. Instead: regrets forever. Wish I had some antibiotics.
Fast forward to my knee surgeries. Like you, I chose to stay away from the knife. When I finally had enough, it was too late. The amount of damage I've done to my knee makes it so that I'll never play my sport again at anything other than a 6-year old level.
People: doctors are good. And I don't care about Brad Pitt's personal trainer; after all, every Hollywood leading man is on HGH or steroids - and why not? But I do care if you work with pro athletes because we are the guys who make our bodies our temples. If you're the guy or girl who fixes our blemishes you're a god in our circles.
TLDR: if you have a chance to see a specialist who is a doctor-to-the-stars, run away fast. But if the guy who did LeBron's knee is giving you advice…do exactly what he says, and don't ask questions.
/end rant
—ds
____________________________________
From: Gregory Prestopino
Subject: Re: AmericanaFest Salute To John Hiatt
Bob,
Okay, so I have to tell you a funny Fred Tackett story:
Around 1976 or so, I was hired by Chuck Plotkin as a staff producer at Elektra Records. I had known Abe LaBoriel from Boston and
thought he could be a recording artist...to be fair, he wasn't so sure about that, but... I put together the band: Jeff Porcaro on drums, Sam Clayton on percussion,
Bill Payne on keys, Fred Tackett on guitar and Doug Livingston on pedal steel. We cut four songs and my only regret is that we didn't do a whole
album's worth. To this day, I have never heard anything like it.
None of these guys had met or heard Abe but I kinda knew their heads would explode upon hearing him...and I was right. It's an amazing twenty-five
minutes of music. But lemme get back to the Fred part of the story...
I was in the control room with Billy and his eight-voice Oberheim. At some point, the guys are running down a track and I can see Fred playing but
I can't hear him. I say to Roger Mayer (our wonderful engineer) "is his track on?" Yes.
I say to Billy, half jokingly "what are we paying Fred for, I can't hear him".
Billy says: "mute his track". So I did.
And the WHOLE TRACK fell apart! It was wild. Little Mister Know-it-all (me) learned some humbling, important lessons that day, I'll tell ya.
gPresto
____________________________________
Subject: Re: AmericanaFest Salute To John Hiatt
Hey Bob
It was 7 April 1991 and three of us had travelled 5 hours by road and 3 hours by interislander ferry from Christchurch in New Zealand's South Island to the capital city Wellington in the North to see John Hiatt support Robert Cray. Yes support for Robert Cray. We couldn't believe it and although Cray gave a fair performance he was completely blown away by the charisma and song craft of John Hiatt. And what a band Hiatt had featuring veteran bass player Pat Donaldson and a guy named Steven Perry on guitar who could effortlessly reproduce the iconic Ry Cooder & Sonny Landreth parts (I have no idea t what happened to Steven Perry but on this night he was a real guitar hero).
The story doesn't end there as two of us worked in record retail and managed to get backstage afterwards via the Polygram records rep to "hang". Sure enough there was John Hiatt and band though Robert Cray was nowhere to be seen and I recall only showed up very briefly from his dressing room and he seemed grumpy. Hiatt was an extremely nice guy, all denim jacket and Stones lapping tongue lapel pin. When I got to meet him I had no idea what to say so decided to ask him about Peter Case and singing on his great Geffen debut and the "Horse and Crow" song in particular. We had played the album on the way up in the car so it was front of mind. Hiatt seemed pleased to talk about this and we chatted for a few minutes. My friend Bruce asked Hiatt in all seriousness if he had "brought the family" with him on the trip down under. Hilarious!
Afterwards Bruce said to me , "You should have seen your face when you were talking to John Hiatt, your eyes were standing out like dog balls!" I still remember my reply "Well it is not often you meet God ". That is what Hiatt meant after that spectacular one-two punch of "Bring the Family" and "Slow Turning" then seeing him deliver one of the greatest shows I have ever seen.He was an inspiration and though I checked out after "Perfectly Good Guitar" it didn't matter. He caught lightning in a bottle twice.
Thanks for the great post.
Cheers
Blair Morgan
Christchurch New Zealand
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From: Wileen Dragovan
Subject: Re: Leaders
Hey Bob,
I always enjoy your takes on possible resolutions to our current political climate in the US and you are really onto something in your critiques of our country's old established media of print and television. But please don't quote David Brooks on anything just because he read and can quote from a primary source.
He was in a couple of my common core classes at the University of Chicago many moons ago. He would suck the air out of our classroom with his toadying smugness. He is still pretending to be some sort of right-leaning moderate but he's really still just a cruel Reaganite in sheep's clothing that's gratified that the GOP is in full power. Don't fall for his "thoughtful" writing, Bob.
____________________________________
Subject: Re: The End Of Universality
Bob, I posit that the last monoculture is young children's literature: All kids know Mo William's Piggie & Elephant series, the Dr Seuss of the last two generation's time; but then, monoculture ends by middle school.
If they don't care, it does not exist to them.
Take it from a teacher of 21 years. After the pandemic, there isn't one movie that a high school English teacher can riff on—use to create a universal connection or comparison—that resonates with enough of the class. Black Panther felt like the last one…
Have you seen (this movie)? Three kids of 28… Wicked? I estimate maybe 25-35% of my classes saw it. (I'll do a survey tomorrow out of curiosity.)
To the young adults, Kendrick Lamar's well done half time show became old news before this week's snow storm. I haven't heard about it from one student, nor a single commercial from them, except one teen mentioning a commercial with sloth.
Sloths might climb the same trees; humans don't now, culturally speaking.
Mike Vial
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"Dogs seen licking food inside NYC Trader Joe's as carefree owners ignore 'no pets allowed' signs – but some pooch lovers don't mind: 'It's cute!'"
https://nypost.com/2025/04/30/us-news/dogs-nose-through-food-at-nyc-trader-joes-while-carefree-owners-shop-but-some-pet-lovers-dont-mind/
Daniel Glass
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Thursday, 1 May 2025
More Macular Degeneration
You've got to be rich.
And you've got to live on the Westside.
So I go to the Retina Partners office for my checkup.
Now normally I see doctors that don't take insurance. And let's just say the patients in the waiting room are...self-selecting.
But in this office there are all types, all ethnicities, from every socioeconomic class, because THEY TAKE INSURANCE!
Yes, the average person with macular degeneration is old, and they're on Medicare, and if you've got wet macular degeneration you need these shots that cost 2k apiece so...
It's kind of weird, almost seems free. Then again, I pay a fortune for Medicare and my Blue Cross PPO supplement. You want to be covered. And if you're still earning a living, Medicare ain't free.
So, you have all these tests. Some with the proverbial eye chart. And then you sit in a seat where you put your chin on a rest and they shoot pictures. Amazing the technological improvements in the medical world. But what bugs me is they're going to keep making advancements after I die, some that would have benefited me.
But there's a new one now.
The fastest doctor's appointment is the dermatologist. It's a veritable hit and run affair. Then again, my doctor left the hospital because of overwork and now she's independent and I may even get up to an hour with her. But I'm paying for that. But am I really going to go back into the hospital system, after so many MDs misdiagnosed my pemphigus foliaceus? She was the only one who caught it, very late in the scenario, when my body was covered with blisters and I ultimately had to be hospitalized. Couldn't anybody else see it?
So...
You've got to pay.
Now there are two types of people. Those willing to pay and those who are not. As well as those who have insurance and do not. You might be able to beat the system, you might go to the hospital and be treated sans insurance, but do you really want to take that risk? No, you want to be fully covered. With a Medicare supplement and a drug policy and...you'd be stunned how many people don't have these.
Like I said, the best doctors in Los Angeles don't take insurance. And they're off Medicare. Which means it's cash on the barrel, 100%. But my internist, who diagnosed my CML, I'm not going to pay him? I'm going to go back into the system where I'm a number not a name and get half-a*sed service? I don't think so.
Not that I'm thinking about all this as I'm going from room to room at the office today. This is just a routine checkup.
Until... At the final moment, after a very quick visit, seemingly as an afterthought, the doctor says there's a new treatment.
And at first he's soft-pedaling it, but when I show interest, when I say I'm willing to PAY, he says TO START RIGHT AWAY!
It's called Valeda Light Therapy and it's FDA approved, but insurance only covers people whose eyes are worse than mine. But it works for everybody with the condition. You don't get better, but it'll forestall getting worse.
And I'm thinking about the 6-8k cost. For a moment. Then I say I'M IN!
Which totally changes the doctor's demeanor. Now he's gung-ho.
You see most people in the Valley...they don't want to pony up.
Which is why the machine will be installed in their Santa Monica office. And people don't want to drive there. Because you have to go 36 TIMES IN A YEAR! And it's a schlepp.
I used to live in Santa Monica, but now I don't. We live close to the 405, near Mulholland, so it's doable, but believe me, this is an inconvenience, it's only a five minute treatment, but the driving...
So he's telling me they're one of the first, if not the first, to get this machine in the nation.
Which reminds me why I don't want to live in the hinterlands. I mean Vail has excellent health care, probably the best of any ski town. Scratch that, THE BEST of any ski town. Athletes fly from all over the world for treatment. And they've got a cancer center, but how comprehensive can their service be? Whereas in Los Angeles you can get a specialist in every field who only sees your problem and...that's what I want. I want the big doctor. Sometimes the diagnosis and treatment is clear, but sometimes it's not.
So...
I lamented no longer living on the Westside, but Felice says we can move when I buy the house, which is never going to happen. Hell, prices have gone up in wake of the decimation of the Palisades. Used to be middle class people could live on the Westside, but that ship has sailed.
And in truth, at this point to do your job it doesn't matter where you live. Because with a computer and phone you can be just about anywhere.
At least I can.
And I'm thinking about what Narada Michael Walden told me about money. It comes and goes. Have a windfall and you'll have an unexpected bill, funny how it works that way. You can be tightfisted, saving for a long life, and then be cut down at a young age.
But even worse is the people who can't afford it.
And then there are those who don't prioritize it.
Funny how that works. I know so many people who'll buy a new car, improve their house, but they won't spend on health care. If the doctor's not covered by insurance, they won't go. And they convince themselves they've gotten the best treatment since they went to the doctor when this is oftentimes untrue. I ask people whether their doctor ran this test or that and they have no idea what I'm talking about. And then there are people who have heart disease in their family who are convinced that they're safe because they take a statin. You could do much more than that, and oftentimes you need to.
Thank god I've got the money. Didn't used to, but do now.
Do I want to spend all this cash?
Absolutely not. But then I think of my dental bills... Good luck getting an implant for free.
Life is not convenient and life is not free. You can convince yourself with blinders that you've got everything covered, but oftentimes you don't. There are people who can't afford good health care, and for them I truly feel sorry. Statistics tell us they don't live as long as the wealthy, who do so because of what they spend on health care.
I mean it's my vision. What difference does the money make if I can't see?
I'm doing it. I'll rearrange my schedule.
But I know not everybody else will. Whether by choice or cost.
And that's just sad.
But that's how the world works. You grow up and you get to steer, you get to make the choices, it's part of being an adult. But many shirk this responsibility, believing they're going to live forever.
They're not.
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And you've got to live on the Westside.
So I go to the Retina Partners office for my checkup.
Now normally I see doctors that don't take insurance. And let's just say the patients in the waiting room are...self-selecting.
But in this office there are all types, all ethnicities, from every socioeconomic class, because THEY TAKE INSURANCE!
Yes, the average person with macular degeneration is old, and they're on Medicare, and if you've got wet macular degeneration you need these shots that cost 2k apiece so...
It's kind of weird, almost seems free. Then again, I pay a fortune for Medicare and my Blue Cross PPO supplement. You want to be covered. And if you're still earning a living, Medicare ain't free.
So, you have all these tests. Some with the proverbial eye chart. And then you sit in a seat where you put your chin on a rest and they shoot pictures. Amazing the technological improvements in the medical world. But what bugs me is they're going to keep making advancements after I die, some that would have benefited me.
But there's a new one now.
The fastest doctor's appointment is the dermatologist. It's a veritable hit and run affair. Then again, my doctor left the hospital because of overwork and now she's independent and I may even get up to an hour with her. But I'm paying for that. But am I really going to go back into the hospital system, after so many MDs misdiagnosed my pemphigus foliaceus? She was the only one who caught it, very late in the scenario, when my body was covered with blisters and I ultimately had to be hospitalized. Couldn't anybody else see it?
So...
You've got to pay.
Now there are two types of people. Those willing to pay and those who are not. As well as those who have insurance and do not. You might be able to beat the system, you might go to the hospital and be treated sans insurance, but do you really want to take that risk? No, you want to be fully covered. With a Medicare supplement and a drug policy and...you'd be stunned how many people don't have these.
Like I said, the best doctors in Los Angeles don't take insurance. And they're off Medicare. Which means it's cash on the barrel, 100%. But my internist, who diagnosed my CML, I'm not going to pay him? I'm going to go back into the system where I'm a number not a name and get half-a*sed service? I don't think so.
Not that I'm thinking about all this as I'm going from room to room at the office today. This is just a routine checkup.
Until... At the final moment, after a very quick visit, seemingly as an afterthought, the doctor says there's a new treatment.
And at first he's soft-pedaling it, but when I show interest, when I say I'm willing to PAY, he says TO START RIGHT AWAY!
It's called Valeda Light Therapy and it's FDA approved, but insurance only covers people whose eyes are worse than mine. But it works for everybody with the condition. You don't get better, but it'll forestall getting worse.
And I'm thinking about the 6-8k cost. For a moment. Then I say I'M IN!
Which totally changes the doctor's demeanor. Now he's gung-ho.
You see most people in the Valley...they don't want to pony up.
Which is why the machine will be installed in their Santa Monica office. And people don't want to drive there. Because you have to go 36 TIMES IN A YEAR! And it's a schlepp.
I used to live in Santa Monica, but now I don't. We live close to the 405, near Mulholland, so it's doable, but believe me, this is an inconvenience, it's only a five minute treatment, but the driving...
So he's telling me they're one of the first, if not the first, to get this machine in the nation.
Which reminds me why I don't want to live in the hinterlands. I mean Vail has excellent health care, probably the best of any ski town. Scratch that, THE BEST of any ski town. Athletes fly from all over the world for treatment. And they've got a cancer center, but how comprehensive can their service be? Whereas in Los Angeles you can get a specialist in every field who only sees your problem and...that's what I want. I want the big doctor. Sometimes the diagnosis and treatment is clear, but sometimes it's not.
So...
I lamented no longer living on the Westside, but Felice says we can move when I buy the house, which is never going to happen. Hell, prices have gone up in wake of the decimation of the Palisades. Used to be middle class people could live on the Westside, but that ship has sailed.
And in truth, at this point to do your job it doesn't matter where you live. Because with a computer and phone you can be just about anywhere.
At least I can.
And I'm thinking about what Narada Michael Walden told me about money. It comes and goes. Have a windfall and you'll have an unexpected bill, funny how it works that way. You can be tightfisted, saving for a long life, and then be cut down at a young age.
But even worse is the people who can't afford it.
And then there are those who don't prioritize it.
Funny how that works. I know so many people who'll buy a new car, improve their house, but they won't spend on health care. If the doctor's not covered by insurance, they won't go. And they convince themselves they've gotten the best treatment since they went to the doctor when this is oftentimes untrue. I ask people whether their doctor ran this test or that and they have no idea what I'm talking about. And then there are people who have heart disease in their family who are convinced that they're safe because they take a statin. You could do much more than that, and oftentimes you need to.
Thank god I've got the money. Didn't used to, but do now.
Do I want to spend all this cash?
Absolutely not. But then I think of my dental bills... Good luck getting an implant for free.
Life is not convenient and life is not free. You can convince yourself with blinders that you've got everything covered, but oftentimes you don't. There are people who can't afford good health care, and for them I truly feel sorry. Statistics tell us they don't live as long as the wealthy, who do so because of what they spend on health care.
I mean it's my vision. What difference does the money make if I can't see?
I'm doing it. I'll rearrange my schedule.
But I know not everybody else will. Whether by choice or cost.
And that's just sad.
But that's how the world works. You grow up and you get to steer, you get to make the choices, it's part of being an adult. But many shirk this responsibility, believing they're going to live forever.
They're not.
--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
--
Listen to the podcast:
-iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj
-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
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Paul Rappaport-This Week's Podcast
Paul Rappaport has written a new book entitled "Gliders Over Hollywood: Airships, Airplay and the Art of Rock Promotion." Come for the tales of the record business in the pre-internet era, stay for the Bob Dylan stories!
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/paul-rappaport/id1316200737?i=1000705675276
https://open.spotify.com/episode/0UK90hjTqzpEeVP3hxgwyu?si=BzHEUkA3S9m-OPWu_NTCjw
https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1119-the-bob-lefsetz-podcast-30806836/episode/paul-rappaport-273851868/
https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/9ff4fb19-54d4-41ae-ae7a-8a6f8d3dafa8/episodes/617a619c-fea5-4234-a1bc-1b6c8375c3ac/the-bob-lefsetz-podcast-paul-rappaport
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Listen to the podcast:
-iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj
-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
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https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/paul-rappaport/id1316200737?i=1000705675276
https://open.spotify.com/episode/0UK90hjTqzpEeVP3hxgwyu?si=BzHEUkA3S9m-OPWu_NTCjw
https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1119-the-bob-lefsetz-podcast-30806836/episode/paul-rappaport-273851868/
https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/9ff4fb19-54d4-41ae-ae7a-8a6f8d3dafa8/episodes/617a619c-fea5-4234-a1bc-1b6c8375c3ac/the-bob-lefsetz-podcast-paul-rappaport
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The Washington Post Article
"The Diddy allegations are shocking. Were they also business as usual? - Dominate. Intimidate. Silence. It's a familiar playbook for powerful men in the music industry. The allegations against Sean "Diddy" Combs are a disturbing twist."
Free link: https://wapo.st/3YowXdI
It's one thing to party like a rock star, quite another to party WITH a rock star!
Money is quite the draw, but it's nothing compared to fame. Furthermore, musical artists connect with their work in a way no one else does. That's the power of music, it speaks to your SOUL! So it's cool to hang with an everyday celebrity, quite another to hang with a musician. He or she IS their songs! It's irresistible.
And unlike most businesses, music is one of independent contractors. There is no overlord to fire someone/make them pay/put them out of business. Even worse, the road is notorious for antics, both drug-fueled and sexual. This is WHY many people want to become musicians/rock stars. If you don't know a rock star who's had women throw themselves at them, with no strings attached, you don't know any rock stars.
Not that I'm condoning bad behavior or outright abuse, but I'm being realistic, and only by being so can there be change.
And I don't expect much.
The focus of this article is NDAs. Which are prevalent in the music business. And since there's so much money floating around, the sums can be gigantic. So it becomes like a game show, do you want to maintain your right to sue...which carries long odds, never mind a long time, or take this pot of gold right now?
Most people take the pot of gold. This could be their one and only chance to make this kind of money.
This is human nature. As is sex. The songs are all about sex. People dance and have sex to them. So why do you think sex would be absent when someone is in contact with a musician/rock star?
Do you know anybody who's slept with a famous rock star? If they are not famous themselves, they trade on this story for the rest of their lives. As Letterman would have put it, they consider it "a brush with greatness."
Furthermore, you either make it in music or you don't. You climb the ladder or you don't. And most acts don't have a second act. It's not like regular business, where you lose your job and get another. You're DONE! So if you make it through the gauntlet, not only do you consider yourself a world-beater, you think you're entitled to the PERKS!
As for the non-musicians, those behind the scenes, the businessmen... They hang with the rich and famous all the time, and they model this behavior.
It's a boys club. Period.
How will that change?
Well, the Spotify Top 50 has been infiltrated by women. And the influencer market is dominated by women. And these advances are important.
And if you work for a Fortune 500 company and someone crosses the line, they get fired. Happens all the time. Just today an exec got fired for giving preferential treatment to his girlfriend.
But in music?
These execs are not trained at Harvard's business school. Many don't have degrees at all. And the traditional education route is almost meaningless in music. It's not about book-learning, but hustle. Insight. Anybody can play.
But not anybody can win.
And since contracts are at arm's length, those entering deals with artists look the other way.
Now sponsors... They have clauses in their deals that allow them to terminate their contracts for bad behavior...
But record labels? They make a fortune ON bad behavior!
So what can we hope for as a result of this article?
Less use of NDAs. Corporations could have a policy that they don't issue them.
Then again, these sexual harassment cases are cloudy. In that there's rarely any physical evidence, no video, maybe not even e-mail. So it becomes he-said/she-said, and it's very hard to win in court. So, once again, women take the money.
As for the #MeToo movement that started a few years back... Most men who take it seriously are the type that wouldn't behave badly to begin with. But if you think the events have changed the landscape... To a great degree it's just gone underground. Men still talk the same way with each other, they just don't do so in front of women. And I hate to say it, but amongst men sexual adventures are a constant subject of conversation and conquests are admired and...
They got R. Kelly. And Diddy's incarcerated. So more arrests/convictions are the only thing that will truly scare the music industry straight.
But this requires women to not only not take the money, but to stand up in court, where they're dragged through the mud and labeled sluts, and this can have repercussions for the rest of your life.
But that seems to be the only way out.
In this article you've got Aubrey O'Day refusing to take back her publishing because she'd have to give up her right to speak about events/abuse prior to this return.
It's a sad state of affairs. And as of this writing, I don't see any references to this article in the music trade press. Which is there to service the boys club.
And we had the independent radio investigations of the last century and the end effect was that independent records couldn't get on radio at all.
So sometimes the cure causes unintended effects.
Kudos to the "Post" for researching and printing this article. Because if you shed light on bad behavior in the music business and you're in the music business, you soon won't be. There's a cone of silence. You know not to rat.
That's the way it is.
But this article is a step in the right direction.
--
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--
Listen to the podcast:
-iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj
-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
--
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Free link: https://wapo.st/3YowXdI
It's one thing to party like a rock star, quite another to party WITH a rock star!
Money is quite the draw, but it's nothing compared to fame. Furthermore, musical artists connect with their work in a way no one else does. That's the power of music, it speaks to your SOUL! So it's cool to hang with an everyday celebrity, quite another to hang with a musician. He or she IS their songs! It's irresistible.
And unlike most businesses, music is one of independent contractors. There is no overlord to fire someone/make them pay/put them out of business. Even worse, the road is notorious for antics, both drug-fueled and sexual. This is WHY many people want to become musicians/rock stars. If you don't know a rock star who's had women throw themselves at them, with no strings attached, you don't know any rock stars.
Not that I'm condoning bad behavior or outright abuse, but I'm being realistic, and only by being so can there be change.
And I don't expect much.
The focus of this article is NDAs. Which are prevalent in the music business. And since there's so much money floating around, the sums can be gigantic. So it becomes like a game show, do you want to maintain your right to sue...which carries long odds, never mind a long time, or take this pot of gold right now?
Most people take the pot of gold. This could be their one and only chance to make this kind of money.
This is human nature. As is sex. The songs are all about sex. People dance and have sex to them. So why do you think sex would be absent when someone is in contact with a musician/rock star?
Do you know anybody who's slept with a famous rock star? If they are not famous themselves, they trade on this story for the rest of their lives. As Letterman would have put it, they consider it "a brush with greatness."
Furthermore, you either make it in music or you don't. You climb the ladder or you don't. And most acts don't have a second act. It's not like regular business, where you lose your job and get another. You're DONE! So if you make it through the gauntlet, not only do you consider yourself a world-beater, you think you're entitled to the PERKS!
As for the non-musicians, those behind the scenes, the businessmen... They hang with the rich and famous all the time, and they model this behavior.
It's a boys club. Period.
How will that change?
Well, the Spotify Top 50 has been infiltrated by women. And the influencer market is dominated by women. And these advances are important.
And if you work for a Fortune 500 company and someone crosses the line, they get fired. Happens all the time. Just today an exec got fired for giving preferential treatment to his girlfriend.
But in music?
These execs are not trained at Harvard's business school. Many don't have degrees at all. And the traditional education route is almost meaningless in music. It's not about book-learning, but hustle. Insight. Anybody can play.
But not anybody can win.
And since contracts are at arm's length, those entering deals with artists look the other way.
Now sponsors... They have clauses in their deals that allow them to terminate their contracts for bad behavior...
But record labels? They make a fortune ON bad behavior!
So what can we hope for as a result of this article?
Less use of NDAs. Corporations could have a policy that they don't issue them.
Then again, these sexual harassment cases are cloudy. In that there's rarely any physical evidence, no video, maybe not even e-mail. So it becomes he-said/she-said, and it's very hard to win in court. So, once again, women take the money.
As for the #MeToo movement that started a few years back... Most men who take it seriously are the type that wouldn't behave badly to begin with. But if you think the events have changed the landscape... To a great degree it's just gone underground. Men still talk the same way with each other, they just don't do so in front of women. And I hate to say it, but amongst men sexual adventures are a constant subject of conversation and conquests are admired and...
They got R. Kelly. And Diddy's incarcerated. So more arrests/convictions are the only thing that will truly scare the music industry straight.
But this requires women to not only not take the money, but to stand up in court, where they're dragged through the mud and labeled sluts, and this can have repercussions for the rest of your life.
But that seems to be the only way out.
In this article you've got Aubrey O'Day refusing to take back her publishing because she'd have to give up her right to speak about events/abuse prior to this return.
It's a sad state of affairs. And as of this writing, I don't see any references to this article in the music trade press. Which is there to service the boys club.
And we had the independent radio investigations of the last century and the end effect was that independent records couldn't get on radio at all.
So sometimes the cure causes unintended effects.
Kudos to the "Post" for researching and printing this article. Because if you shed light on bad behavior in the music business and you're in the music business, you soon won't be. There's a cone of silence. You know not to rat.
That's the way it is.
But this article is a step in the right direction.
--
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
--
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Wednesday, 30 April 2025
Mailbag-More Whole Foods/Ron Delsener
WHOLE FOODS:
Your observations don't apply only to the rich. We have a total breakdown of civil society - especially in Los Angeles. It's all 'me first.' No effort for the common good.
I recently broke a bone in my foot. When I went to my office Downtown, I took the subway. As I hobbled onto the train with a boot and a cane, the handicapped seats were usually occupied by people on their phones pretending not to notice the huge boot. I could see them glance up. Only a handful of times was I offered a seat. This started a general observation. Those in handicapped seats normally did not give them up to those in need.
So - to compliment your e-mail - here is a list of common behaviors that I find to be outside of normal civility.
The Purse Digger - c'mon, you know you're going to be needing your wallet at the checkout. Get it out before.
The 'Oh-Hi' People - don't block the aisle talking to your friend. I've been glared at for moving other peoples carts.
Do You Have Parents? - Kids running around at risk of getting run over by a shopping cart.
Elevator/Subway Car Etiquette - Let people OFF before you barrel in!
'Oh-Hi' Person in a Queue - Long line of folks waiting for something. Friend comes up to say 'oh-hi.' Before long, they're in the line in front of everyone else who was waiting.
Picky Folks at a Salad Bar - I once was behind someone choosing individual croutons. 'nuff said.
Gate Lice and Baggage Claim - We all know of gate lice. I'm also bothered by those who crowd baggage claim. Step back and step forward when you see your bag.
The Fake Breakdown - double parking is now ok if you have your emergency flashers on. I try to be a good sam and ask if could call AAA for them. I've been called an a*hole for trying to help.
Stop Sign Scofflaws - There's a four way stop near my house. Accidents happen, two cars go at one turn, cars breeze through. Put a few traffic cops there and it would make a difference in balancing the city budget.
Parking Spot Vultures - holding up a whole row just to get a spot a few spaces closer. This is experienced so often at Costco that I'll purposely park at the far end and walk.
Talking at Movies or Concerts - I don't want to hear about your opinion on a restaurant or spa during a music performance. There's a lobby for that if you're bored or have no attention span.
Thanks for presenting an opportunity for me to release my inner Larry David.
Scott Wirtz
_________________________________
You hit my pet peeve....people who get to the front of the line then look at the menu like they've never experienced anything like it before. WTF you're at Coffee Bean.
Michael Rosenblatt
_________________________________
Bob, you are so old!!
In Italy, and France, people bring their dogs everywhere. You get used to it…
Bill Siddons
_________________________________
"California family accused of playing 'black' in White community":
https://share.newsbreak.com/cv106c9l
The Real Gregory Beasley
P.S. So now you can begin to understand how people of color expirence 90% of whites they encounter...everywhere
...not just Whole Foods
_________________________________
Oh Yeah. But the guy who brought his pitbull with metal spiked collar and just roamed around Trader Joe's -
The check- out guy told me there's a law protecting every "therapy pet".
Really? Like this pit bull was a comfort animal? I don't think so.
And I'm a dog-lover and dog owner but I don't bring my dog inside any stores, or anywhere he might potentially cause a problem for other humans.
(Btw, I worked at WF during the pandemic. They treat their employees like sh*t. And now that it's corporate, (owned by Amazon), they got rid of homeopathic remedies by the dozen. I guess the Amazon people don't understand what organic really means, other than organic profits.)
- Roberta Donnay
_________________________________
when i went to see "a complete unknown", a woman got behind me on line with her "support" animal in her bag. being as i have no compunction about such things, i asked her if she seriously was taking her pet into the theater (meanwhile the dog was barking at dogs that walked by). every person on line who had been cooing over the dog, gave me a look like "how dare you". seriously? when we got to the ticket office, i asked her what movie she was going to see and of course she was in for the dylan movie. i told the guy to refund my money. sent an email to the laemmle management, who offered to give me free passes in stead. i didn't take them. that wasn't the point "if dogs run free, then why not (me)"...indeed.
dari silverman
_________________________________
I live in Minneapolis and a couple years ago my family went to Scottsdale for a vacation and could not believe how many people were out in public, in Target, shopping malls and other stores with their dogs.
We do take our medium sized dog to Home Depot or Lowes, because they say you can bring your dog there - i generally keep her in the cart as we move down the aisles, but would never think of bringing her to a grocery store or mall.
People have gotten ridiculous with their expectations and selfishness with their pets
Phil Borken
Minneapolis, MN
_________________________________
I live in Palm Beach County and routinely encounter plenty of self-entitled a*sholes — many with their doggies in inappropriate places.
I like dogs and have no issues with them. It's the dumbass owners who can't go to a f*ckin' store or restaurant without 'em. That's the problem!
As for Wholey Foods, when I buy cold cuts there (rarely), I try to get the store-packaged stuff and avoid the lines. The fish is good too but this is insanely great!
Double Chocolate Sandwich Cremes
https://www.amazon.com/365-WFM-Chocolate-Sandwich-Creme/dp/B08PHKPJ1X?th=1
Richard Pachter
_________________________________
I figured the dog lovers would tell you not to be a hater. Guess what? Dogs roll in sh*t. But I supposed theirs don't, of course not, and my kids didn't pick their noses. Did that dude really spell your name wrong?
Susan Schreider
_________________________________
Black people are still focused on the fact that you can have a whole ROW of cut carrots, celery, watermelon, and grapes off the stem, and charge 10x more for them and white people don't blink.
The dog and bouncing balls is invisible to us.
Michael Aiken
_________________________________
Yep, pretty good rant Bob. Of course what can often happen at Whole Foods is happening everywhere. This is the class distinction — or at least the perceived class distinction — that led to Donald Trump being in the White House. Dang rich folks…
The political argument is no longer left vs right, it's up vs down. And as Paul Simon would say, "one man's ceiling is another man's floor".
Take care,
Dave Dalzell
_________________________________
The Robot Dog is real and will soon be a thing. The RD will serve many roles, and connected to the internet, many functions.
The estimated average cost of maintaining a dog is $1,400.00 to $5,300.00. Your RD will be delivered, preprogrammed, and easily updated. Yes, they will have many of the 'dog' physical and physiological features.
No poop, no pee, no disease, the rest is programmable. Alexa enabled and search engine capable.
Thank you,
Gary Hunter, CCIM
Receiver I Turnaround Management
_________________________________
Entitled jerks? Nothing worse than cyclists.
Tom Gribbin
_________________________________
I appreciate all the people saying 'it's the people not the dogs'
I don't understand how any human can not 'like' animals...
....the behaviour of some and their owners yes, but the actual animals?
Thank God I'm not American
Tina Kidman from NZ
_________________________________
Bob, I thought it was just me! In addition to all the insufferable pretentiousness, I'm so tired of dodging the Amazon shoppers with those carts. They never seem to acknowledge they are about to roll over me as I feebly try to pick out produce. Ugh!
Jen Rothman
P.S. Oh and another thing - who designed the pathetically small self checkout stations that force me to juggle groceries, put bags on the floor while i attempt to buzz them through. Each visit invariably slows me down because i have to get the one attendant to unlock the register…and that one attendant is often stuck with another customer in the same predicament. Efficient it it not!
_________________________________
People that actually shop in the supermarket (as opposed to ordering online and having it delivered at a convenient time when you are home to accept it) are almost as sad as the people that actually go to the movie theater in 2025. This planet will be so much better off once the boomers are gone.
Noah K Lesser
_________________________________
:D :D :D
loved this, Bob
spot on! hope you feel better after writing about it
theory is this ubiquitous dog ownership (rich or vagrant) is transference
attention folks need to invest in themselves, they transfer to this needy devoted creature
despite the reputation, didnt find much dog sh*t in Paris
SF however is landmine central
f*king disgusting
what can one do?
neighbors try to publicly shame on Nextdoor, but most folks arent on there
Whole Foods in the Castro is pretty chill btw
Pacific Heights? another story: rude
regardless, Whole Foods selection has plummeted since Amazon took over, so now mostly shop Trader Joes and Chinatown
thanks for sharing —Joel Messerer in SF
_________________________________
Subject: Concerned for you.
Clearly your rant on dogs was a clear cry out for help. I'd say a dog would certainly help you and could provide you with much needed therapy. Just my professional opinion. Better than pills, alcohol or a therapist. Actually better than people in general
Sherry Wasserman
_________________________________
Holy sh*t, how many of your readers have reading comprehension issues!? A few understand the theme, like the guy who blames Reagan, and the comment about living in a society.
The people who relate better to dogs than people, they're adherents to the self-absorption doctrine, but too self-absorbed to know it.
At least the ones who advocate moving away from others have some self-awareness.
Thanks- and sorry so many can't understand the theme instead of the examples.
Pete Boser
_________________________________
_________________________________
RON DELSENER:
Bob: The true hero in this story Is Frank Barsalona. It was his brilliance, class and style that created most of the 'Sillerman' buyouts. Wolf & Rissmiller in L.A., Don Law in Boston, Larry Magid in Philly, Jack Boyle in D.C., etc.
The common denominator is NICE GUY! They all had to pass the Barsalona and Barbara Skydel test. A very high bar. They saved Poco for me when Richie left. Bless them both.
As ever,
John Hartmann
_________________________________
I was in college, trying to figure out a summer job in New York City. My cousin, who was a booking agent, arranged for me to have an interview with Ron to see if there was something for me during the summer music festival that he produced.
I remember walking into his office to see him sitting behind his desk with a gigantic oil painting portrait of him looming over the room.
I told him about all my hopes and dreams for being in the music business and he said "why would you want to do that? You should really go find a much better career for yourself."
At the time, I wasn't sure if he was being mean or helpful, but in retrospect there is a lot of wisdom to what he said.
Daniel Savage
_________________________________
Ron Delsner knew my dad from when he was an agent at MCA back in the 60s. When I was co-managing Devo with Elliot Roberts, we played a date for Ron in New York. I remember walking around the house with him and he was straightening the sconces on the wall. I never forgot that because it taught me that every detail counts and he was a perfectionist and that's why he was as successful as he was.
Bill Gerber
_________________________________
I wanted to add a quick Ron Delsener story. In the summer of 1980, I managed to obtain an "interview" with him through a family connection. He was the king of New York music promoters and I was a junior at Cornell in charge of our robust Concert Committee. My goal was to see if I could land a spot in his organization after graduating.
I recall him sitting behind a huge desk, a large portrait of him hanging on the wall behind that appeared to be by Andy Warhol, and my seat across from him being about a foot below the desk; there was an obvious power-play going on.
Anyway, he asked me several questions about myself and my ambitions regarding music promotion. The two final things he said to me were, "You can be a ticket taker at Central Park if you want" and "Learn how to type; it comes in handy."
I guess I didn't want to enter the business that badly that I'd start by taking tickets and, yes, I grew proficient at typing.
I must say, though, that living on Long Island in the seventies and eighties and having so many shows available in The City - I could go to the Garden almost every weekend and see a big name act - brings back fond memories of those times and Mr. Delsener's part in it.
Joanne Garroway
_________________________________
Unlike the social media blasts of today, If you grew up in NY (primarily in the 70's and 80's), there was the constant sound on your radio of an excitable, disembodied V.O. bellowing "Ron Delsener Presents!...(artist, band, etc)" to promote an endless number of shows that were happening in the NY Metro area.
RD was at the forefront of great music from the undiscovered to the biggest artists of the day, from the superstars at Madison Square Garden, to the edgiest on the cusp of greatness at the Palladium, to Wollman Rink in Central Park where for a few bucks, you could see the likes of Led Zeppelin, The Beach Boys, Fleetwood Mac, Aerosmith, Bob Marley, the Talking Heads, and Blondie to name but a few.
Ron's early office on 67th Street was a bustle of activity and with his trusted sister Harriette and later the dearly departed Mitch Slater, that office pumped out and pumped up the greatest shows in NY.
There's no one like him and Bob, to your point about not seeing enough of who Ron is, the 90+ minute running time did the best it could to keep up with Ron's energy and backstory.
I encountered it all as a punter growing up on Long Island, and during my days working at MTV, but I also grew up watching Ron's rise to prominence from a family perspective. From annual get togethers at the Delseners home in Queens, NY to family weddings, bar mitzvahs and (sadly) funerals over the years, we'd get a sense of his business life, but more importantly when he was there, he was "Relative Ron": and not "Promoter Ron."
Punter and professional alike owe a debt of thanks for both Ron's drive and instincts, along with props to that inner circle of groundbreaking pioneer promoters across the country, who represented that early foundation of the risks taken for the evolution of the business we know today.
Respect, love and thanks "Uncle Ronnie"...
Brian Diamond
_________________________________
? I missed the boat on emailing about this one but my very first job in my whole life was working at the Wollman Rink Central Park concerts 1978 -1980.
I had no idea who the promoter was... but if you look at those concert schedules from what is now 45 years ago? They are absolutely amazing. And I got to see all of them!
Dr. Pepper Summer Music Festival 1979 Setlists:
https://www.setlist.fm/festival/1979/dr-pepper-summer-music-festival-1979-3bd780a8.html
Can you even imagine a schedule this good anywhere now? Every single night we would discover something we'd never known about before. Southside Johnny and Maria Muldaur and B.B. King and Dr, John and The Cars and the Babies and Utopia and it was every single night. From in front of the front row, you could catch guitar pics and drumsticks, and Todd Rundgren would bust our chops.
They called us the Super Hawkers..... music lovers and kids just in high school. I had to forge my working papers to take the job. Eventually, we started to sneak in beer and hashish $10 a gram and I could buy a pound of it for about $500 bucks. That's how I paid for my first Les Paul and a lot of nice dinners with my girlfriend. 16 years old and rocking up to Tavern on the Green and McMullens. We had this giant pipe called the "piece pipe" (because it was pieces of a lot of other pipes) and we would pass it around with all the security guys before the show and they would look out for us. There was this gigantic man called the Sugar Bear. If you had a problem, he'd help out. But everyone was pretty cool. I don't think I ever had a single bad experience with anyone those summers and a lot of money changed hands - and I was skinny as a rail, and the only thing I had on my side was the love that was there.
Had a fake ID too, and we used to go out on third Avenue and drink this thing called "The Velvet Hammer" which was pretty much vodka and melted vanilla ice cream on 3rd Ave and 76th after the shows....
In the hot summer days, they would let us drink the warm diet Dr Pepper we didn't sell. I can still taste it. 45 years later. I haven't had a can since and I can taste it just by thinking about it.
It's like the lost city of Atlantis. Makes me cry just thinking about it being gone....
And Ron Delsner produced those shows. Amazing.....
Matt Peyton
--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
--
Listen to the podcast:
-iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj
-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
--
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--
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Your observations don't apply only to the rich. We have a total breakdown of civil society - especially in Los Angeles. It's all 'me first.' No effort for the common good.
I recently broke a bone in my foot. When I went to my office Downtown, I took the subway. As I hobbled onto the train with a boot and a cane, the handicapped seats were usually occupied by people on their phones pretending not to notice the huge boot. I could see them glance up. Only a handful of times was I offered a seat. This started a general observation. Those in handicapped seats normally did not give them up to those in need.
So - to compliment your e-mail - here is a list of common behaviors that I find to be outside of normal civility.
The Purse Digger - c'mon, you know you're going to be needing your wallet at the checkout. Get it out before.
The 'Oh-Hi' People - don't block the aisle talking to your friend. I've been glared at for moving other peoples carts.
Do You Have Parents? - Kids running around at risk of getting run over by a shopping cart.
Elevator/Subway Car Etiquette - Let people OFF before you barrel in!
'Oh-Hi' Person in a Queue - Long line of folks waiting for something. Friend comes up to say 'oh-hi.' Before long, they're in the line in front of everyone else who was waiting.
Picky Folks at a Salad Bar - I once was behind someone choosing individual croutons. 'nuff said.
Gate Lice and Baggage Claim - We all know of gate lice. I'm also bothered by those who crowd baggage claim. Step back and step forward when you see your bag.
The Fake Breakdown - double parking is now ok if you have your emergency flashers on. I try to be a good sam and ask if could call AAA for them. I've been called an a*hole for trying to help.
Stop Sign Scofflaws - There's a four way stop near my house. Accidents happen, two cars go at one turn, cars breeze through. Put a few traffic cops there and it would make a difference in balancing the city budget.
Parking Spot Vultures - holding up a whole row just to get a spot a few spaces closer. This is experienced so often at Costco that I'll purposely park at the far end and walk.
Talking at Movies or Concerts - I don't want to hear about your opinion on a restaurant or spa during a music performance. There's a lobby for that if you're bored or have no attention span.
Thanks for presenting an opportunity for me to release my inner Larry David.
Scott Wirtz
_________________________________
You hit my pet peeve....people who get to the front of the line then look at the menu like they've never experienced anything like it before. WTF you're at Coffee Bean.
Michael Rosenblatt
_________________________________
Bob, you are so old!!
In Italy, and France, people bring their dogs everywhere. You get used to it…
Bill Siddons
_________________________________
"California family accused of playing 'black' in White community":
https://share.newsbreak.com/cv106c9l
The Real Gregory Beasley
P.S. So now you can begin to understand how people of color expirence 90% of whites they encounter...everywhere
...not just Whole Foods
_________________________________
Oh Yeah. But the guy who brought his pitbull with metal spiked collar and just roamed around Trader Joe's -
The check- out guy told me there's a law protecting every "therapy pet".
Really? Like this pit bull was a comfort animal? I don't think so.
And I'm a dog-lover and dog owner but I don't bring my dog inside any stores, or anywhere he might potentially cause a problem for other humans.
(Btw, I worked at WF during the pandemic. They treat their employees like sh*t. And now that it's corporate, (owned by Amazon), they got rid of homeopathic remedies by the dozen. I guess the Amazon people don't understand what organic really means, other than organic profits.)
- Roberta Donnay
_________________________________
when i went to see "a complete unknown", a woman got behind me on line with her "support" animal in her bag. being as i have no compunction about such things, i asked her if she seriously was taking her pet into the theater (meanwhile the dog was barking at dogs that walked by). every person on line who had been cooing over the dog, gave me a look like "how dare you". seriously? when we got to the ticket office, i asked her what movie she was going to see and of course she was in for the dylan movie. i told the guy to refund my money. sent an email to the laemmle management, who offered to give me free passes in stead. i didn't take them. that wasn't the point "if dogs run free, then why not (me)"...indeed.
dari silverman
_________________________________
I live in Minneapolis and a couple years ago my family went to Scottsdale for a vacation and could not believe how many people were out in public, in Target, shopping malls and other stores with their dogs.
We do take our medium sized dog to Home Depot or Lowes, because they say you can bring your dog there - i generally keep her in the cart as we move down the aisles, but would never think of bringing her to a grocery store or mall.
People have gotten ridiculous with their expectations and selfishness with their pets
Phil Borken
Minneapolis, MN
_________________________________
I live in Palm Beach County and routinely encounter plenty of self-entitled a*sholes — many with their doggies in inappropriate places.
I like dogs and have no issues with them. It's the dumbass owners who can't go to a f*ckin' store or restaurant without 'em. That's the problem!
As for Wholey Foods, when I buy cold cuts there (rarely), I try to get the store-packaged stuff and avoid the lines. The fish is good too but this is insanely great!
Double Chocolate Sandwich Cremes
https://www.amazon.com/365-WFM-Chocolate-Sandwich-Creme/dp/B08PHKPJ1X?th=1
Richard Pachter
_________________________________
I figured the dog lovers would tell you not to be a hater. Guess what? Dogs roll in sh*t. But I supposed theirs don't, of course not, and my kids didn't pick their noses. Did that dude really spell your name wrong?
Susan Schreider
_________________________________
Black people are still focused on the fact that you can have a whole ROW of cut carrots, celery, watermelon, and grapes off the stem, and charge 10x more for them and white people don't blink.
The dog and bouncing balls is invisible to us.
Michael Aiken
_________________________________
Yep, pretty good rant Bob. Of course what can often happen at Whole Foods is happening everywhere. This is the class distinction — or at least the perceived class distinction — that led to Donald Trump being in the White House. Dang rich folks…
The political argument is no longer left vs right, it's up vs down. And as Paul Simon would say, "one man's ceiling is another man's floor".
Take care,
Dave Dalzell
_________________________________
The Robot Dog is real and will soon be a thing. The RD will serve many roles, and connected to the internet, many functions.
The estimated average cost of maintaining a dog is $1,400.00 to $5,300.00. Your RD will be delivered, preprogrammed, and easily updated. Yes, they will have many of the 'dog' physical and physiological features.
No poop, no pee, no disease, the rest is programmable. Alexa enabled and search engine capable.
Thank you,
Gary Hunter, CCIM
Receiver I Turnaround Management
_________________________________
Entitled jerks? Nothing worse than cyclists.
Tom Gribbin
_________________________________
I appreciate all the people saying 'it's the people not the dogs'
I don't understand how any human can not 'like' animals...
....the behaviour of some and their owners yes, but the actual animals?
Thank God I'm not American
Tina Kidman from NZ
_________________________________
Bob, I thought it was just me! In addition to all the insufferable pretentiousness, I'm so tired of dodging the Amazon shoppers with those carts. They never seem to acknowledge they are about to roll over me as I feebly try to pick out produce. Ugh!
Jen Rothman
P.S. Oh and another thing - who designed the pathetically small self checkout stations that force me to juggle groceries, put bags on the floor while i attempt to buzz them through. Each visit invariably slows me down because i have to get the one attendant to unlock the register…and that one attendant is often stuck with another customer in the same predicament. Efficient it it not!
_________________________________
People that actually shop in the supermarket (as opposed to ordering online and having it delivered at a convenient time when you are home to accept it) are almost as sad as the people that actually go to the movie theater in 2025. This planet will be so much better off once the boomers are gone.
Noah K Lesser
_________________________________
:D :D :D
loved this, Bob
spot on! hope you feel better after writing about it
theory is this ubiquitous dog ownership (rich or vagrant) is transference
attention folks need to invest in themselves, they transfer to this needy devoted creature
despite the reputation, didnt find much dog sh*t in Paris
SF however is landmine central
f*king disgusting
what can one do?
neighbors try to publicly shame on Nextdoor, but most folks arent on there
Whole Foods in the Castro is pretty chill btw
Pacific Heights? another story: rude
regardless, Whole Foods selection has plummeted since Amazon took over, so now mostly shop Trader Joes and Chinatown
thanks for sharing —Joel Messerer in SF
_________________________________
Subject: Concerned for you.
Clearly your rant on dogs was a clear cry out for help. I'd say a dog would certainly help you and could provide you with much needed therapy. Just my professional opinion. Better than pills, alcohol or a therapist. Actually better than people in general
Sherry Wasserman
_________________________________
Holy sh*t, how many of your readers have reading comprehension issues!? A few understand the theme, like the guy who blames Reagan, and the comment about living in a society.
The people who relate better to dogs than people, they're adherents to the self-absorption doctrine, but too self-absorbed to know it.
At least the ones who advocate moving away from others have some self-awareness.
Thanks- and sorry so many can't understand the theme instead of the examples.
Pete Boser
_________________________________
_________________________________
RON DELSENER:
Bob: The true hero in this story Is Frank Barsalona. It was his brilliance, class and style that created most of the 'Sillerman' buyouts. Wolf & Rissmiller in L.A., Don Law in Boston, Larry Magid in Philly, Jack Boyle in D.C., etc.
The common denominator is NICE GUY! They all had to pass the Barsalona and Barbara Skydel test. A very high bar. They saved Poco for me when Richie left. Bless them both.
As ever,
John Hartmann
_________________________________
I was in college, trying to figure out a summer job in New York City. My cousin, who was a booking agent, arranged for me to have an interview with Ron to see if there was something for me during the summer music festival that he produced.
I remember walking into his office to see him sitting behind his desk with a gigantic oil painting portrait of him looming over the room.
I told him about all my hopes and dreams for being in the music business and he said "why would you want to do that? You should really go find a much better career for yourself."
At the time, I wasn't sure if he was being mean or helpful, but in retrospect there is a lot of wisdom to what he said.
Daniel Savage
_________________________________
Ron Delsner knew my dad from when he was an agent at MCA back in the 60s. When I was co-managing Devo with Elliot Roberts, we played a date for Ron in New York. I remember walking around the house with him and he was straightening the sconces on the wall. I never forgot that because it taught me that every detail counts and he was a perfectionist and that's why he was as successful as he was.
Bill Gerber
_________________________________
I wanted to add a quick Ron Delsener story. In the summer of 1980, I managed to obtain an "interview" with him through a family connection. He was the king of New York music promoters and I was a junior at Cornell in charge of our robust Concert Committee. My goal was to see if I could land a spot in his organization after graduating.
I recall him sitting behind a huge desk, a large portrait of him hanging on the wall behind that appeared to be by Andy Warhol, and my seat across from him being about a foot below the desk; there was an obvious power-play going on.
Anyway, he asked me several questions about myself and my ambitions regarding music promotion. The two final things he said to me were, "You can be a ticket taker at Central Park if you want" and "Learn how to type; it comes in handy."
I guess I didn't want to enter the business that badly that I'd start by taking tickets and, yes, I grew proficient at typing.
I must say, though, that living on Long Island in the seventies and eighties and having so many shows available in The City - I could go to the Garden almost every weekend and see a big name act - brings back fond memories of those times and Mr. Delsener's part in it.
Joanne Garroway
_________________________________
Unlike the social media blasts of today, If you grew up in NY (primarily in the 70's and 80's), there was the constant sound on your radio of an excitable, disembodied V.O. bellowing "Ron Delsener Presents!...(artist, band, etc)" to promote an endless number of shows that were happening in the NY Metro area.
RD was at the forefront of great music from the undiscovered to the biggest artists of the day, from the superstars at Madison Square Garden, to the edgiest on the cusp of greatness at the Palladium, to Wollman Rink in Central Park where for a few bucks, you could see the likes of Led Zeppelin, The Beach Boys, Fleetwood Mac, Aerosmith, Bob Marley, the Talking Heads, and Blondie to name but a few.
Ron's early office on 67th Street was a bustle of activity and with his trusted sister Harriette and later the dearly departed Mitch Slater, that office pumped out and pumped up the greatest shows in NY.
There's no one like him and Bob, to your point about not seeing enough of who Ron is, the 90+ minute running time did the best it could to keep up with Ron's energy and backstory.
I encountered it all as a punter growing up on Long Island, and during my days working at MTV, but I also grew up watching Ron's rise to prominence from a family perspective. From annual get togethers at the Delseners home in Queens, NY to family weddings, bar mitzvahs and (sadly) funerals over the years, we'd get a sense of his business life, but more importantly when he was there, he was "Relative Ron": and not "Promoter Ron."
Punter and professional alike owe a debt of thanks for both Ron's drive and instincts, along with props to that inner circle of groundbreaking pioneer promoters across the country, who represented that early foundation of the risks taken for the evolution of the business we know today.
Respect, love and thanks "Uncle Ronnie"...
Brian Diamond
_________________________________
? I missed the boat on emailing about this one but my very first job in my whole life was working at the Wollman Rink Central Park concerts 1978 -1980.
I had no idea who the promoter was... but if you look at those concert schedules from what is now 45 years ago? They are absolutely amazing. And I got to see all of them!
Dr. Pepper Summer Music Festival 1979 Setlists:
https://www.setlist.fm/festival/1979/dr-pepper-summer-music-festival-1979-3bd780a8.html
Can you even imagine a schedule this good anywhere now? Every single night we would discover something we'd never known about before. Southside Johnny and Maria Muldaur and B.B. King and Dr, John and The Cars and the Babies and Utopia and it was every single night. From in front of the front row, you could catch guitar pics and drumsticks, and Todd Rundgren would bust our chops.
They called us the Super Hawkers..... music lovers and kids just in high school. I had to forge my working papers to take the job. Eventually, we started to sneak in beer and hashish $10 a gram and I could buy a pound of it for about $500 bucks. That's how I paid for my first Les Paul and a lot of nice dinners with my girlfriend. 16 years old and rocking up to Tavern on the Green and McMullens. We had this giant pipe called the "piece pipe" (because it was pieces of a lot of other pipes) and we would pass it around with all the security guys before the show and they would look out for us. There was this gigantic man called the Sugar Bear. If you had a problem, he'd help out. But everyone was pretty cool. I don't think I ever had a single bad experience with anyone those summers and a lot of money changed hands - and I was skinny as a rail, and the only thing I had on my side was the love that was there.
Had a fake ID too, and we used to go out on third Avenue and drink this thing called "The Velvet Hammer" which was pretty much vodka and melted vanilla ice cream on 3rd Ave and 76th after the shows....
In the hot summer days, they would let us drink the warm diet Dr Pepper we didn't sell. I can still taste it. 45 years later. I haven't had a can since and I can taste it just by thinking about it.
It's like the lost city of Atlantis. Makes me cry just thinking about it being gone....
And Ron Delsner produced those shows. Amazing.....
Matt Peyton
--
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,
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If you do not want to receive any more LefsetzLetters, http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=unsubscribe&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25
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Re-Mike Peters
Back when I lived in Buffalo, Mike Peters from The Alarm played a show at Nietzsche's in Allentown. After the show, some friends and I were just hanging out at the bar up front when he came over and struck up a conversation. He stayed and talked with us like we were old friends, not just fans—laughing, sharing stories, and genuinely connecting with us until they finally kicked us all out at closing and he headed to the tour bus or a hotel.
That night meant more than he probably ever knew. He made us feel seen, appreciated, and welcome—like we mattered to him in a profound way, which perhaps we did. We werent gushing over him, and we treated him like a local, not a rock star.
Rest in peace, Mike. You had a rare kind of kindness, a songwriters heart, and the gift of gab that night, and I'll always remember how special you made me feel.
If memory serves, he insisted that he pay for the last round.
Dave Fletcher
______________________________________
Remember the live concert that was broadcast from UCLA on MTV? As a fourteen-year-old Alarm fan in middle America's hinterlands, I waited with my fingers on the VCR to record that show the moment it started. Loved Mike Peters, loved the band. When news broke of Mike's death, I went to YouTube and re-watched that concert for the first time in forever. Mike's sincerity ("…feels like today as if my dreams are coming true…") and his band's performance are a kind of heartfelt we could use more of these days.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Taq1pnJvT7s
Hayden Blake
______________________________________
I was at that U2 concert at Red Rocks when I was in college at DU. Never even heard of U2 before. A friend had an extra ticket and asked If I wanted to go (if I drove) and it was a cold, nasty rainy day. They asked everyone to move down to the front as they were going to film it and I am saying to myself, film it? Who do these guys think they are?
I found out fast who they thought they were. I was literally blown out of my seat. Amazing. I still watch the concert film now and then but I can't find myself in it.
Barry Levinson
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Mike was the best, both an inspiration as a human and as an artist who followed his own path. If you haven't heard this great slowed down version of Strength he did on the Anniversary record for Strength it's terrific
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=btH9eNp5hec
Stay Healthy
Gregg Simon
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The Stand is where it started for me. My favorite book turned into a fookin' great rocker!
Mark Dodson
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Their live ep, Electric Folklore was/is amazing. For whatever reason, it's one of the few albums I had on cassette vs cd or vinyl. It lived in my car for years and particularly in the summer. No better album for a summer drive. Mike was a friend of a friend and apparently SUCH a good guy. A rock star in just about every sense.
Tim Wood
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This was a beautiful tribute to Mike Peters. When the EP hit in 1983, my music-junkie roommate Dave and I were blown away. We passed it up and down the dorm floor and every single person who brought it back to us had become an Alarm convert. It sounded like the next Clash. We loved them that much.
Gary Judson
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Thanks for sharing about The Alarm -- wonderful, woefully underappreciated band. I had heard a bit of their stuff before seeing them open for The Pretenders in March 1984. The Alarm blew me away, great songs and what PASSION! And I don't think I ever heard acoustic guitars that loud before...or since. I was a Pretenders fan, had seen the original band a few times (sharp, with James Honeyman-Scott), but after The Alarm, their set, albeit good, was just too safe and mannered.
Mike Peters RIP.
Todd Ellenberg
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Hey BOB, you mentioned a great deal about U2 in this post… I was VP of promotion at Island Records When BLACKWELL had just obtained U2 from Warner Brothers. They were still relatively unknown and the 2 WB releases, Boy and October Had only done about 75,000 units between both of them. CHRIS came into my office At the end of the day and handed me a 15 IPS tape of the WAR album, Told me to spend some time with it and Wanted my opinion. I took out the tape and placed it on my TEAC Machine, closed the door, cranked it up and started to listen. I was immediately excited and thought we had something very special, but wanted to double check myself so I listened to the whole thing again… I knew it was the goods, so I hooked up the seven cassette machines I had in my office and started making copies to send out to my Indies, since I didn't have a promotion staff at that time. I think I spent half the night there making copies. Chris told me he'd be in first thing in the morning, So I went home and grabbed a couple hours of sleep and came in the office to meet with Chris and.RON GOLDSTEIN, the president of the company. I told him how excited I was, and that I had a plan but needed a boatload of money to execute it. They agreed, so I brought in a bunch of the undies for a meeting and played them the album… They were All stoked! I told them that we were running with the first track "Sunday Bloody Sunday" And that I wanted it on every major FM station in the country immediately. I offered them double their fee in order to make this a priority, because I was up against all the majors and Island Records was just really Thought of as a boutique label, With Bob Marley as their major artist. I gave them each both a cassette of the album and a cassette of just Sunday Bloody Sunday. I told him I wanted to focus on the single, but they could tease their stations by playing them some of the album, but not to leave it with anyone, just focus on the single! Since we were being distributed by Atlantic at that time, I then made appointment to go over and meet with the Atlantic Staff and play them the album to get them stoked as well and told them what my plan was… The Indies would get the record started, and then the Atlantic staff would kick in. within days, we had set up a Listening party at Atlantic to hear the record… Meet the group and their manager, Paul McGuinness. as I met the BAND and their manager, they could feel my excitement and we hit it off immediately. PAUL and I immediately became friends as did Bono and The Edge. He told me they would help in anyway that they could, so I had them up to my office to do "live" phoners That I had offered to the major stations In exchange for heavy AirPlay! The point of this whole long. story BOB is to tell you how proud I am to be recognized by my peers as the promotion guy who broke U2 and the War album On radio in the US. They're touring close the deal!
Be well,
Michael Abramson
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I remember finding Electric Folklore Live '87-'88 at The Great Escape in Nashville on 21st Ave. It was probably '89 or '90. As you know, buying music back then was often a gamble and I felt like I'd won the music lottery that day. I could not have imagined back then that 30 years later, my son would discover The Alarm and I'd be driving him to school as we cranked up and sang along to "Rescue Me." What's even more strange and beautiful is that the track was recorded on April 26th at the Wang Centre in Boston, my son's birthday and the town where he'll be studying music at Berklee in a few short months. What a wonderful world. Rest easy, Mike - you gave us all you had and inspired more than you knew.
Aubrey Parker
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Thank you for this beautiful tribute to Mike Peters.
I've been a fan since 1984, when I was in college. While it may not have been U2 at Red Rocks, The Alarm's performance on the campus of UCLA in April 1986 - broadcast live on MTV - was absolutely epic. That night cemented my love for the band and my respect for Mike as a frontman and artist.
Years later, we had the privilege of working with Mike on a few live shows and got to know him a bit - which wasn't hard. Mike was one of the kindest, most generous people you could ever meet.
Here's a story that says it all. In 2016, I was telling Mike about a new music festival we had just launched in Cleveland. True to form, he didn't ask to play the event. Instead, he asked if there might be room for his Love Hope Strength Foundation - not to promote himself, but to raise awareness for cancer research. He even offered to pay for the space. We, of course, welcomed the Foundation and charged nothing. That was Mike - always leading with heart, always thinking of others.
Years ago, my wife and I were lucky enough to see Mike perform with Big Country, stepping in to honor the late Stuart Adamson. Before the show, Jennifer asked me, "Do you think they'll play any Alarm songs?" I said, "No way - that's not Mike. This show will be all about Big Country." Sure enough, Mike crushed that set. It was powerful, selfless, and deeply respectful. Stuart would've been proud.
This one hit me hard. The world lost a great artist - and an even greater human being.
With respect,
Denny Young
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This sucks badly and if you hadn't posted it, I probably wouldn't have heard the news. I was an alarm fan from the get-go and saw them on my first trip to London at the Lyceum in 1985. They rocked the walls of that ancient building. and it was one of the most intense, purely passionate shows I'd seen since The Clash in 1979. I also got to hang out with the band in Toronto after a Masonic Temple show a year or so later. A nicer bunch of guys you'd never meet and Mike Peters was post-show full of enthusiasm and optimism, and truly believed it was only a matter of time before the band and their message broke through. And if life were fair, they would have. I hope the folks that don't know this act will take your advice and give them the listen they deserve. I'm so sorry to hear that. MIke didn't make it, despite his valiant efforts to overcome a sh*tty disease.
Mike Campbell
Programming Director
thecarleton.ca
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Gutted to hear this. The Strength album has been a favorite since I was a kid. It's one of those albums that really should be in every household. Every song a lesson in being human. Something to give you a bit of strength when you´'re down.
I ain't gonna preach, no I ain't gonna teach
I'm just gonna sing about the things that I need
A little bit of love, a little bit of hope
A little bit of strength, some fuel for the fire
To build the ships to set the sails
To cross the sea of fools
To be dealt the cards
To play our hand
To win or else to lose
In this cruel world that kicks a man when he's down.
Káre Garnes
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Thank you for sharing his storry. In 2006,7,8, Mike would play my venue Canal Room in NYC, Him and Jules were a match made in heaven. When you have a wife like Jules by your side for the ride, you have fully succeeded in life. Mike was always thankful to play my 500 capacity room, even though he was desreving of playing mch larger venues. A true gentlemen. A true artist.
Best,
Marcus
ML Presents
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Thanks for this Bob. "Spirit of '76" still makes me cry every time I hear it; I too find myself in reverie when it comes on.
Like I did yesterday. Went down an Alarm rabbit hole as soon as I heard the news. So many great tunes. Such passion, such desire for truth in the man's voice & lyrics. And yes, the band was top notch.
One of the best concerts I'd ever seen to that point, The Alarm at the Cal State Fullerton gym. I have a distinct memory of Mike Peters spraying a deck of playing cards over the heads of us down front, in a strobe. Simple stagecraft. Cheap, even. But so effective. Man, my friends and I were hooked.
Some friends got married and had the singer of our band, Fear & Faith, sing "Walk Forever By My Aide" a capella at their wedding.
Such memories, such passion, such desire for truth.
Guys like Bono & Mike brought urgency, sincerity, and earnestness back to music in the early 80s. Big Country. Hothouse Flowers. It was a whole subgenre.
And the Alarm were among its best.
RIP Mike Peters. Thanks for the music, and the memories.
Jonny Langston
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Nobody mentions "The Stand" - that's what hooked me.
And seeing the Alarm open for U2 (who had yet to graduate to large venues or stadiums) at Pier 84 in Manhattan back in June of 1983 was a memorable gig.
The sun was setting behind the audience at the same time it was lighting up the musicians.
R.I.P. Mike
Thanks,
Stuart Taubel
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There goes the sound of my adolescence.
Growing up in suburban New Jersey, we didn't have cable (few of my friends did in the early '80s), so I couldn't watch MTV.
But we DID have UHF channel U68, which was close enough for this piano-playing, music-obsessed kid. I had it on heavy repeat.
"Strength" was in constant rotation back then, and yesterday when I heard Mike Peters passed, I could still sing the words, some four decades later.
Time races by.
Jon Regen
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On April 6th, 1988, I saw Bob Dylan at Sammis Pavilion in Carlsbad, CA. The Alarm opened, and they were fantastic. I think their performance probably motivated Bob to give a particularly energized show, and Mike and his bandmates seemed so thrilled to open for the legend.
I'm listening to the playlist, and wow- what great songs! "Sold Me Down The River" sounds like a soulful b-side to "Hot In The City", and "Rain In The Summertime" always gives me chills. What a voice. Rest in Power.
Ralph Waxman
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Putting aside their Welshness, I think its important to note that the 80s was about anything but optimism is the UK, it was grim, angry, violent and depressing. That's not to say there wasn't fun to be had but in terms of overall mood, certainly outside the south east, it was dark. Until acid house saved the day but that's a different story of course, the 90s started in 1988.
Keep on keeping on
Will Nicol
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RIP to Mr. Peters
I love the album and Rain In The Summertime was always part of my DJ repertoire for all the years I played the pubs and clubs from the time it came out till I retired from DJing around 2015.
I still listen to the song regularly and is a permanent fixture in my Spotify playlist along with Strength. I will always cherish what those songs and what the Alarms music meant to me on a personal level.
Thank you Mr. Lefsetz for recognizing and sharing the Alarm with all your friends.
Mike from Mission
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I threw a party over a decade ago for the launch of my company, at my office and he just randomly showed up. Not sure who invited him or why – but I was so excited, who invited Mike Peters? Awesome.... Rain In The Summertime was the first song I ever heard from them and then I worked backward and loved every song the deeper I was able to dig. One of the under-celebrated bands of their era, hope the catalog has a moment and more people can appreciate how great The Alarm was.
Lucas Keller
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I saw The Alarm at the long-gone venue the Birmingham Odeon in the UK in summer '84. I'd heard the album a few times, and some tracks were getting decent radio airplay over here. Mike and the band blew me away - he was a real rockstar as you say. Had the audience along the entire way, and after the encore Dave Sharp and Mike smashed their guitars onto the stage. Class acts. Mike will be missed.,
Nick Wilson
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My first ever concert was The Alarm in 1984, back in my hometown of Lund in Sweden. They had just released their first full length (Declaration) but my older brother had the The Stand EP already. I was 14. And hooked. Big hair, big tunes, big hearts. They opened with Declaration, Marching On, Where Were You Hiding and Sixty Eight Guns, which is just such a killer statement.
I stayed with The Alarm through Strength and Absolute Reality (the single version, not album), saw them live again in 1988 at the Brixton Academy, but then we drifted apart.
The thing is though, I still regularly return to those two first albums. They sound fresh. They sound relevant. Just take the combination of devastating lyrics wrapped in a poppy beat that is Father To Son should be impossible, but it works so well. Why no one ever made a successful cover of Walk Forever By My Side doesn't make any sense either. Not that anyone would top the original, but the music deserved a much bigger audience.
But I'm OK with that. I have The Alarm and my memories.
Gunnar Larsen
London
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In the early 90's, I booked a show with Mike Peters & The Poets Of Justice.
When the band turned up at the venue, I heard someone saying "where's the promoter?" - it was Mike and my heart sank. I sheepishly introduced myself and was expecting to have my ear chewed off by an entitled, musician about why everything wasn't to his liking. Instead, Mike shook my hand heartly, looked me straight in the eyes and said "I'm Mike Peters and I want to thank you for having the faith in booking my band. We won't let you down. I know we haven't sold out but hopefully you're not losing any money". I was gobsmacked. Needless to say, he didn't let me down and the show was epic. I booked a number of his shows over the next few years and he was always a joy to work with.
Mike cared.
Andy Copping Live Nation
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Thx for sharing your Mike Peters story and shedding light on a tremendous talent.
Have been a fan since those early days and had the pleasure to promote their show on March 21, 1986 at the University of Kansas courtesy of Jorge Guevedo at Premier Talent Agency who entrusted us with the play as Strength was breaking. The night of the performance, Mike was feeling a bit under the weather, and the label rep from IRS, Phil Costello, was requesting hot Welsh tea be brought to the dressing room immediately just minutes from show time. The rider didn't mention either of those so being on a university campus, it became quite the scramble. The solution came when someone remembered a teacher who kept a tea kettle during class. This led to breaking into their office to quickly procure…well…borrow. The band then went on stage and it was powerful and electric, the rare show that still floats in your head decades later. Rock star for sure.
Ps. Phil was a terrific mentor that night, demonstrating artist relations to a bunch of young college concert enthusiasts as he stood stageside with hot tea until the show ended. Not sure he realized he influenced some career choices for a couple students making us realize you can actually do something like this for a living.
Steve Traxler
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So sad to hear this about Mike Peters.
So glad I saw and heard The Alarm in '89.
Thank you for this Bob!
David Evans
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Everything about Mike Peters screamed inspiration. From the first time I heard the Alarm opening for U2 at the LA Sports Arena where he was putting it all into his performance to later in life when he was battling his health, everything he tackled he did at 100%. Mike Peters was special and he left the world a better place.
Bill Gagnon
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Mike Peters was the real deal. I had no idea until...
...a few years back Mike, Slim Jim Phantom, Captain Sensible and Chris Cheney from The Living End toured clubs as the Jack Tars (previously Dead Men Walking, I think, with a slightly different lineup).
They picked up extra players in each town. Via an intro and recommendation from Duff McKagan, who was out of town at the time, I and Kurt Bloch (The Fastbacks, Young Fresh Fellows) joined the Jack Tars at a gig at the Crocodile.
We did Stray Cats and Damned and Alarm songs and some other classics. Mike fronted the band and had the audience absolutely in the palm of his hand from start to finish...I was blown away. Truly charismatic and, as is always most important in music and art of any kind, driven by a sense of authentic, unshakeable conviction.
RIP Mike. You inspired me.
best,
dave dederer
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Thanks for this Bob. I was excited to see them at CSUN way back when and it was brilliant! Mike and his wife and many others that volunteered have done such great work with their Love Hope Strength Foundation. RIP Mike!
Mark Southland
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Interesting to read an American music biz take on The Alarm. I was a teenage devotee of The Clash when the Welsh quartet came on the scene. I'm Canadian but my family spent a year in Oxford when I was 13-14 – a year that formed my musical and cultural tastes.
Anyway, The Alarm seemed gimmicky at first – the cowboy outfits and acoustic earnestness felt too contrived. But there was no denying the vitality of Unsafe Building, The Stand, Sixty Eight Guns, Where Were You Hiding…, Spirit of '76.
At one point, maybe 1984, they felt like heirs apparent to the idealistic vision of Strummer and co., albeit without the funky reggae swing.
John Kendle
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"Come on down and meet your maker. Come on down and make the stand"——in 1983 my BFF and also next door neighbor at the time, Scott Sandler and I landed 2 tickets to see U2 at The Sports Arena in June, 1983. We had both just graduated from High School a month earlier Scott was to head to UCSB in the Fall and I to the University of Colorado, Boulder. But before that I happened to see U2 at the US FESTIVAL Memorial Weekend a month prior The Sunday lineup at the US FESTIVAL was headlined by David Bowie His first live performance in America in god knows how long. (Yes, that's the year Stevie Ray Vaughn famously turned down Bowie's offer to be his touring guitar player.) But also on the bill on that Memorial Weekend Sunday included Stevie Nicks, The Pretenders, Missing Persons, Quaterflash (barf me out with a spoon—1983 Valley lingo, baby) and this band from Dublin, Ireland who was 3rd on the bill called U2. Simply put…..no U2 at the US Festival no Gary Spivack in the music business. Life changer of a show. Bono and the band played EVERY song like their life was on the line The ONLY way a real rock ' roll band should play a live show. They stole the day. So much that when they announced that following Sunday in the LA TIMES Calendar that "U2's first arena headline show ever will take place June 17, 1983 at the LA Sports Arena", Scott and I called Monday morning at 10am (cause THAT is what you did back then) and scored two balcony GA seats at "the dump that jumps". OK, now I can get to my point. The opening band on 6-17-83 at the Sports Arena was……..THE ALARM We knew absolutely nothing about them. The Alarm played their guts out They knew this was a big deal We knew it was for them You can feel it. Rock 'n Roll was SO alive that night They set the stage for what was a jaw-dropping performance from U2. The Alarm stood their ground. They won us over They won the crowd over Sure, they were a poor man's U2. And there was nothing wrong with that…..nothing at all. We loved them But when Bono took the white flag into the upper Balcony and preceded to jump from the Balcony to the GA Floor (as chronicled by Robert Hilburn in his famous LA Times review the following Monday) it was game over. This was ALL before the Red Rocks performance By the time Red Rocks had happened, I was unpacking my bags in my CU Boulder dorm room and the word was out about U2. But i already knew it. "Oh, and if you dig U2 check out the band The Alarm too", I said. Pulled out my vinyl and blasted 'The Stand'——out".
Gary Spivack
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You nailed it. The Alarm was U2 without the trappings, just the passion and the will to lean across the divide and connect.
Those records had urgency! Immediacy! It was injustice in Reagan's America: different from ours, but palpable.
AND somehow Mike Peters made you feel empowered, like you could change something, make a difference (even if in my case, it was only hugging the occassional man crying in the Mayfair on King's Road, crying -- hard or soft -- because his lover's family had arrived + locked him out for the final throes of death from AIDS)
Holy stuff, but joyous. That was the crazy part. In the protest and the truth, those chiming guitars and his voice delivered joy.
When I got Rey Roldan's press release, my throat turned to a fist. Sixty-six is so young for someone who'd fought leukemia and seemingly won; who'd given his energy to awareness and helping other register for stem cell matches. Amazing work, but as you say, even more amazing creating a spark in so many people across listening stations, Alternative Radio, MTV and buying records that stirred you.
Sadly,
Holly Gleason
somewhere on the fringe
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Mike affected people well beyond his music with the Love Hope Strength Foundation. He was the rare star that actually donated his time to charity rather than just lending a name.
R. Cummings
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Many thanks for your tribute to Mike Peters. I have not listened to the Alarm in many years, but you reminded me what an energetic and great band they were back in the 80's. I saw the Alarm a few times but my most memorable show was their performance at UCLA in 1986, which was broadcast live by MTV. I was at USC and slept outside near Sunset all night and was able to get up front for the show. Can't believe I did that, but I'll never forget it.
Take care and keep up the great work,
Charlie Howard
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Thank you for that moving piece. Mike truly reached people in a way few artists ever do, and not just through his music but through the way he lived.
I had the joy of working with Mike for 25 years as a promoter, doing shows in wonderfully intimate venues in San Francisco, from Slim's to The Chapel to my little spot, The Red Devil Lounge. What began as a professional relationship became something far deeper. I came to know Mike, his beloved wife, Jules Jones Peters, and their boys, Dylan and Evan, who I watched grow up backstage and on the road, surrounded by the love and purpose that defined their father's life.
Mike led with his heart. His presence made you feel seen. His voice carried not just songs but messages of love, hope, and strength. Whether he was playing to thousands or in a small room, he gave everything: his story, his spirit, his soul. Every f*ckin' time. It was a site to be seen.
He raised the bar for what it means to be an artist, a friend, a father, a fighter, and a human being.
I truly appreciate you putting all of this into words. It meant a lot to read.
We are forever better for having known him.
Warmly,
Jay Siegan
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I last saw Mike perform at UCLA in April 2017. Billy Duffy from the Cult joined the band on guitar for a couple of songs. It was truly a joyous inspiring performance.
I had an opportunity to meet Mike after the show. He was promoting his documentary "Man in the Camo Jacket" which is a must watch showcasing his good nature, resilience and lust for life.
I've never met a kinder, authentic individual. He was a true sweetheart.
Rest in power Mike.
Andrew Paciocco
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To borrow a line from Springsteen: 'I learned more from a 3 minute record, baby, than I ever learned in school'.
The songs of Mike Peters & The Alarm spoke directly to me as an awkward Connecticut high school 17-yr-old. They made me 'feel' something. (God knows my father never sat me down to explain life or pump me up with confidence to face the unease of walking those hallways as a skinny, geeky kid.) But music, and Mike Peters in particular, had a way of breaking through so much of the classic rock dreck (which, granted, I still love for the deeper cuts) that was being played on Hartford's WHCN & WCCC in those early 80's. Tracks like 'The Stand', 'Marching On', '68 Guns', 'Shout To The Devil', 'We Are The Light', 'Knife Edge', 'Absolute Reality', 'Spirit of '76', 'Strength', 'Eye of the Hurricane' and YES, the fantastic 'Rain in the Summertime' you so eloquently wrote about in your piece, all filled me with a sense of possibility. Of breaking out of my small Connecticut town of Glastonbury to deliver the promise of, well, MORE.
I recall having gotten a ticket to see The Pretenders as they were just about to start touring their Pretenders II record but then, bassist Pete Farndon OD'd in James Honeyman-Scott's footsteps and the entire tour was scrapped. So, by the time they returned to tour 'Learning To Crawl' in '84 at The Bushnell in Hartford, it was a dream come true to finally get to see Chrissie & 'the girls' LIVE but also with special guests THE ALARM! I was absolutely NUTS for both bands and as Mike & Eddie & Dave raised their strumming guitars straight-up against each other just before breaking into 'Marching On' off 'Declaration', I swear I damn near elevated off the Bushnell floor.
I would proceed to see The Alarm another half dozen times over the years, preferring the original quartet. But Mike always 'brought it' even when performing solo & acoustic. Those 3 Alarm albums - 'Declaration', 'Strength' & 'Eye of the Hurricane' - were absolute perfection to me. So much hope, naivete & innocence in a time when there was SO much to be cynical about.
Flash-forward several years back, my wife & I were flying off to our beloved North Shore of Kauai, a supremely easy flight from LAX that lands directly on the island. Just as the attendants were getting ready to close the doors, a bedraggled blonde family raced to their row of seats directly in front of ours. My Gawd! It was Mike Peters with his wife & 2 boys. My eyes bugged out with one of my rock heroes just a shoulder tap away. They all immediately passed out for the entire trip so I dared not bother them. But after we landed and were awaiting the plane to deboard, I'm standing in the aisle directly behind Mike. I rarely bother my rock heroes when I see them but this was just too good to be true. 'Mr. Peters?' I asked. He turned around with a big smile, 'Oh no, Mike please'. I nervously went on to tell him what his music meant to me over the decades and he gave me a soul handshake and thanked ME for sharing! He then went on to share how they had travelled all day from Wales to NYC to LAX to Hawaii for a benefit show for cancer research he was to perform over the following days and if I had planned to be there. Of course, I had no idea about it but I again thanked him for his music & his time as the exit line started moving. His generosity to his fans was palpable even all those years following the big Alarm success. Which also made me think of the 'Bands Reunited' episode where they actually got the original 4 Alarm members (including Twist on drums, who they had found working at a San Francisco city clerks office!) to reunite for a one-off show. Sure enough, they held their guitars aloft as they vigorously strummed the opening intro chords to 'Marching On' and I was 17 all over again. Thanks again for taking the time to acknowledge Mike. Not just a rock & roll showman but a grounded & humble man, always with a warm, inclusive & inviting smile who showed the world how to live in joyous postivity despite the odds.
Mark Atherlay/Burbank, CA
That night meant more than he probably ever knew. He made us feel seen, appreciated, and welcome—like we mattered to him in a profound way, which perhaps we did. We werent gushing over him, and we treated him like a local, not a rock star.
Rest in peace, Mike. You had a rare kind of kindness, a songwriters heart, and the gift of gab that night, and I'll always remember how special you made me feel.
If memory serves, he insisted that he pay for the last round.
Dave Fletcher
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Remember the live concert that was broadcast from UCLA on MTV? As a fourteen-year-old Alarm fan in middle America's hinterlands, I waited with my fingers on the VCR to record that show the moment it started. Loved Mike Peters, loved the band. When news broke of Mike's death, I went to YouTube and re-watched that concert for the first time in forever. Mike's sincerity ("…feels like today as if my dreams are coming true…") and his band's performance are a kind of heartfelt we could use more of these days.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Taq1pnJvT7s
Hayden Blake
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I was at that U2 concert at Red Rocks when I was in college at DU. Never even heard of U2 before. A friend had an extra ticket and asked If I wanted to go (if I drove) and it was a cold, nasty rainy day. They asked everyone to move down to the front as they were going to film it and I am saying to myself, film it? Who do these guys think they are?
I found out fast who they thought they were. I was literally blown out of my seat. Amazing. I still watch the concert film now and then but I can't find myself in it.
Barry Levinson
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Mike was the best, both an inspiration as a human and as an artist who followed his own path. If you haven't heard this great slowed down version of Strength he did on the Anniversary record for Strength it's terrific
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=btH9eNp5hec
Stay Healthy
Gregg Simon
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The Stand is where it started for me. My favorite book turned into a fookin' great rocker!
Mark Dodson
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Their live ep, Electric Folklore was/is amazing. For whatever reason, it's one of the few albums I had on cassette vs cd or vinyl. It lived in my car for years and particularly in the summer. No better album for a summer drive. Mike was a friend of a friend and apparently SUCH a good guy. A rock star in just about every sense.
Tim Wood
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This was a beautiful tribute to Mike Peters. When the EP hit in 1983, my music-junkie roommate Dave and I were blown away. We passed it up and down the dorm floor and every single person who brought it back to us had become an Alarm convert. It sounded like the next Clash. We loved them that much.
Gary Judson
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Thanks for sharing about The Alarm -- wonderful, woefully underappreciated band. I had heard a bit of their stuff before seeing them open for The Pretenders in March 1984. The Alarm blew me away, great songs and what PASSION! And I don't think I ever heard acoustic guitars that loud before...or since. I was a Pretenders fan, had seen the original band a few times (sharp, with James Honeyman-Scott), but after The Alarm, their set, albeit good, was just too safe and mannered.
Mike Peters RIP.
Todd Ellenberg
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Hey BOB, you mentioned a great deal about U2 in this post… I was VP of promotion at Island Records When BLACKWELL had just obtained U2 from Warner Brothers. They were still relatively unknown and the 2 WB releases, Boy and October Had only done about 75,000 units between both of them. CHRIS came into my office At the end of the day and handed me a 15 IPS tape of the WAR album, Told me to spend some time with it and Wanted my opinion. I took out the tape and placed it on my TEAC Machine, closed the door, cranked it up and started to listen. I was immediately excited and thought we had something very special, but wanted to double check myself so I listened to the whole thing again… I knew it was the goods, so I hooked up the seven cassette machines I had in my office and started making copies to send out to my Indies, since I didn't have a promotion staff at that time. I think I spent half the night there making copies. Chris told me he'd be in first thing in the morning, So I went home and grabbed a couple hours of sleep and came in the office to meet with Chris and.RON GOLDSTEIN, the president of the company. I told him how excited I was, and that I had a plan but needed a boatload of money to execute it. They agreed, so I brought in a bunch of the undies for a meeting and played them the album… They were All stoked! I told them that we were running with the first track "Sunday Bloody Sunday" And that I wanted it on every major FM station in the country immediately. I offered them double their fee in order to make this a priority, because I was up against all the majors and Island Records was just really Thought of as a boutique label, With Bob Marley as their major artist. I gave them each both a cassette of the album and a cassette of just Sunday Bloody Sunday. I told him I wanted to focus on the single, but they could tease their stations by playing them some of the album, but not to leave it with anyone, just focus on the single! Since we were being distributed by Atlantic at that time, I then made appointment to go over and meet with the Atlantic Staff and play them the album to get them stoked as well and told them what my plan was… The Indies would get the record started, and then the Atlantic staff would kick in. within days, we had set up a Listening party at Atlantic to hear the record… Meet the group and their manager, Paul McGuinness. as I met the BAND and their manager, they could feel my excitement and we hit it off immediately. PAUL and I immediately became friends as did Bono and The Edge. He told me they would help in anyway that they could, so I had them up to my office to do "live" phoners That I had offered to the major stations In exchange for heavy AirPlay! The point of this whole long. story BOB is to tell you how proud I am to be recognized by my peers as the promotion guy who broke U2 and the War album On radio in the US. They're touring close the deal!
Be well,
Michael Abramson
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I remember finding Electric Folklore Live '87-'88 at The Great Escape in Nashville on 21st Ave. It was probably '89 or '90. As you know, buying music back then was often a gamble and I felt like I'd won the music lottery that day. I could not have imagined back then that 30 years later, my son would discover The Alarm and I'd be driving him to school as we cranked up and sang along to "Rescue Me." What's even more strange and beautiful is that the track was recorded on April 26th at the Wang Centre in Boston, my son's birthday and the town where he'll be studying music at Berklee in a few short months. What a wonderful world. Rest easy, Mike - you gave us all you had and inspired more than you knew.
Aubrey Parker
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Thank you for this beautiful tribute to Mike Peters.
I've been a fan since 1984, when I was in college. While it may not have been U2 at Red Rocks, The Alarm's performance on the campus of UCLA in April 1986 - broadcast live on MTV - was absolutely epic. That night cemented my love for the band and my respect for Mike as a frontman and artist.
Years later, we had the privilege of working with Mike on a few live shows and got to know him a bit - which wasn't hard. Mike was one of the kindest, most generous people you could ever meet.
Here's a story that says it all. In 2016, I was telling Mike about a new music festival we had just launched in Cleveland. True to form, he didn't ask to play the event. Instead, he asked if there might be room for his Love Hope Strength Foundation - not to promote himself, but to raise awareness for cancer research. He even offered to pay for the space. We, of course, welcomed the Foundation and charged nothing. That was Mike - always leading with heart, always thinking of others.
Years ago, my wife and I were lucky enough to see Mike perform with Big Country, stepping in to honor the late Stuart Adamson. Before the show, Jennifer asked me, "Do you think they'll play any Alarm songs?" I said, "No way - that's not Mike. This show will be all about Big Country." Sure enough, Mike crushed that set. It was powerful, selfless, and deeply respectful. Stuart would've been proud.
This one hit me hard. The world lost a great artist - and an even greater human being.
With respect,
Denny Young
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This sucks badly and if you hadn't posted it, I probably wouldn't have heard the news. I was an alarm fan from the get-go and saw them on my first trip to London at the Lyceum in 1985. They rocked the walls of that ancient building. and it was one of the most intense, purely passionate shows I'd seen since The Clash in 1979. I also got to hang out with the band in Toronto after a Masonic Temple show a year or so later. A nicer bunch of guys you'd never meet and Mike Peters was post-show full of enthusiasm and optimism, and truly believed it was only a matter of time before the band and their message broke through. And if life were fair, they would have. I hope the folks that don't know this act will take your advice and give them the listen they deserve. I'm so sorry to hear that. MIke didn't make it, despite his valiant efforts to overcome a sh*tty disease.
Mike Campbell
Programming Director
thecarleton.ca
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Gutted to hear this. The Strength album has been a favorite since I was a kid. It's one of those albums that really should be in every household. Every song a lesson in being human. Something to give you a bit of strength when you´'re down.
I ain't gonna preach, no I ain't gonna teach
I'm just gonna sing about the things that I need
A little bit of love, a little bit of hope
A little bit of strength, some fuel for the fire
To build the ships to set the sails
To cross the sea of fools
To be dealt the cards
To play our hand
To win or else to lose
In this cruel world that kicks a man when he's down.
Káre Garnes
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Thank you for sharing his storry. In 2006,7,8, Mike would play my venue Canal Room in NYC, Him and Jules were a match made in heaven. When you have a wife like Jules by your side for the ride, you have fully succeeded in life. Mike was always thankful to play my 500 capacity room, even though he was desreving of playing mch larger venues. A true gentlemen. A true artist.
Best,
Marcus
ML Presents
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Thanks for this Bob. "Spirit of '76" still makes me cry every time I hear it; I too find myself in reverie when it comes on.
Like I did yesterday. Went down an Alarm rabbit hole as soon as I heard the news. So many great tunes. Such passion, such desire for truth in the man's voice & lyrics. And yes, the band was top notch.
One of the best concerts I'd ever seen to that point, The Alarm at the Cal State Fullerton gym. I have a distinct memory of Mike Peters spraying a deck of playing cards over the heads of us down front, in a strobe. Simple stagecraft. Cheap, even. But so effective. Man, my friends and I were hooked.
Some friends got married and had the singer of our band, Fear & Faith, sing "Walk Forever By My Aide" a capella at their wedding.
Such memories, such passion, such desire for truth.
Guys like Bono & Mike brought urgency, sincerity, and earnestness back to music in the early 80s. Big Country. Hothouse Flowers. It was a whole subgenre.
And the Alarm were among its best.
RIP Mike Peters. Thanks for the music, and the memories.
Jonny Langston
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Nobody mentions "The Stand" - that's what hooked me.
And seeing the Alarm open for U2 (who had yet to graduate to large venues or stadiums) at Pier 84 in Manhattan back in June of 1983 was a memorable gig.
The sun was setting behind the audience at the same time it was lighting up the musicians.
R.I.P. Mike
Thanks,
Stuart Taubel
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There goes the sound of my adolescence.
Growing up in suburban New Jersey, we didn't have cable (few of my friends did in the early '80s), so I couldn't watch MTV.
But we DID have UHF channel U68, which was close enough for this piano-playing, music-obsessed kid. I had it on heavy repeat.
"Strength" was in constant rotation back then, and yesterday when I heard Mike Peters passed, I could still sing the words, some four decades later.
Time races by.
Jon Regen
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On April 6th, 1988, I saw Bob Dylan at Sammis Pavilion in Carlsbad, CA. The Alarm opened, and they were fantastic. I think their performance probably motivated Bob to give a particularly energized show, and Mike and his bandmates seemed so thrilled to open for the legend.
I'm listening to the playlist, and wow- what great songs! "Sold Me Down The River" sounds like a soulful b-side to "Hot In The City", and "Rain In The Summertime" always gives me chills. What a voice. Rest in Power.
Ralph Waxman
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Putting aside their Welshness, I think its important to note that the 80s was about anything but optimism is the UK, it was grim, angry, violent and depressing. That's not to say there wasn't fun to be had but in terms of overall mood, certainly outside the south east, it was dark. Until acid house saved the day but that's a different story of course, the 90s started in 1988.
Keep on keeping on
Will Nicol
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RIP to Mr. Peters
I love the album and Rain In The Summertime was always part of my DJ repertoire for all the years I played the pubs and clubs from the time it came out till I retired from DJing around 2015.
I still listen to the song regularly and is a permanent fixture in my Spotify playlist along with Strength. I will always cherish what those songs and what the Alarms music meant to me on a personal level.
Thank you Mr. Lefsetz for recognizing and sharing the Alarm with all your friends.
Mike from Mission
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I threw a party over a decade ago for the launch of my company, at my office and he just randomly showed up. Not sure who invited him or why – but I was so excited, who invited Mike Peters? Awesome.... Rain In The Summertime was the first song I ever heard from them and then I worked backward and loved every song the deeper I was able to dig. One of the under-celebrated bands of their era, hope the catalog has a moment and more people can appreciate how great The Alarm was.
Lucas Keller
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I saw The Alarm at the long-gone venue the Birmingham Odeon in the UK in summer '84. I'd heard the album a few times, and some tracks were getting decent radio airplay over here. Mike and the band blew me away - he was a real rockstar as you say. Had the audience along the entire way, and after the encore Dave Sharp and Mike smashed their guitars onto the stage. Class acts. Mike will be missed.,
Nick Wilson
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My first ever concert was The Alarm in 1984, back in my hometown of Lund in Sweden. They had just released their first full length (Declaration) but my older brother had the The Stand EP already. I was 14. And hooked. Big hair, big tunes, big hearts. They opened with Declaration, Marching On, Where Were You Hiding and Sixty Eight Guns, which is just such a killer statement.
I stayed with The Alarm through Strength and Absolute Reality (the single version, not album), saw them live again in 1988 at the Brixton Academy, but then we drifted apart.
The thing is though, I still regularly return to those two first albums. They sound fresh. They sound relevant. Just take the combination of devastating lyrics wrapped in a poppy beat that is Father To Son should be impossible, but it works so well. Why no one ever made a successful cover of Walk Forever By My Side doesn't make any sense either. Not that anyone would top the original, but the music deserved a much bigger audience.
But I'm OK with that. I have The Alarm and my memories.
Gunnar Larsen
London
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In the early 90's, I booked a show with Mike Peters & The Poets Of Justice.
When the band turned up at the venue, I heard someone saying "where's the promoter?" - it was Mike and my heart sank. I sheepishly introduced myself and was expecting to have my ear chewed off by an entitled, musician about why everything wasn't to his liking. Instead, Mike shook my hand heartly, looked me straight in the eyes and said "I'm Mike Peters and I want to thank you for having the faith in booking my band. We won't let you down. I know we haven't sold out but hopefully you're not losing any money". I was gobsmacked. Needless to say, he didn't let me down and the show was epic. I booked a number of his shows over the next few years and he was always a joy to work with.
Mike cared.
Andy Copping Live Nation
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Thx for sharing your Mike Peters story and shedding light on a tremendous talent.
Have been a fan since those early days and had the pleasure to promote their show on March 21, 1986 at the University of Kansas courtesy of Jorge Guevedo at Premier Talent Agency who entrusted us with the play as Strength was breaking. The night of the performance, Mike was feeling a bit under the weather, and the label rep from IRS, Phil Costello, was requesting hot Welsh tea be brought to the dressing room immediately just minutes from show time. The rider didn't mention either of those so being on a university campus, it became quite the scramble. The solution came when someone remembered a teacher who kept a tea kettle during class. This led to breaking into their office to quickly procure…well…borrow. The band then went on stage and it was powerful and electric, the rare show that still floats in your head decades later. Rock star for sure.
Ps. Phil was a terrific mentor that night, demonstrating artist relations to a bunch of young college concert enthusiasts as he stood stageside with hot tea until the show ended. Not sure he realized he influenced some career choices for a couple students making us realize you can actually do something like this for a living.
Steve Traxler
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So sad to hear this about Mike Peters.
So glad I saw and heard The Alarm in '89.
Thank you for this Bob!
David Evans
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Everything about Mike Peters screamed inspiration. From the first time I heard the Alarm opening for U2 at the LA Sports Arena where he was putting it all into his performance to later in life when he was battling his health, everything he tackled he did at 100%. Mike Peters was special and he left the world a better place.
Bill Gagnon
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Mike Peters was the real deal. I had no idea until...
...a few years back Mike, Slim Jim Phantom, Captain Sensible and Chris Cheney from The Living End toured clubs as the Jack Tars (previously Dead Men Walking, I think, with a slightly different lineup).
They picked up extra players in each town. Via an intro and recommendation from Duff McKagan, who was out of town at the time, I and Kurt Bloch (The Fastbacks, Young Fresh Fellows) joined the Jack Tars at a gig at the Crocodile.
We did Stray Cats and Damned and Alarm songs and some other classics. Mike fronted the band and had the audience absolutely in the palm of his hand from start to finish...I was blown away. Truly charismatic and, as is always most important in music and art of any kind, driven by a sense of authentic, unshakeable conviction.
RIP Mike. You inspired me.
best,
dave dederer
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Thanks for this Bob. I was excited to see them at CSUN way back when and it was brilliant! Mike and his wife and many others that volunteered have done such great work with their Love Hope Strength Foundation. RIP Mike!
Mark Southland
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Interesting to read an American music biz take on The Alarm. I was a teenage devotee of The Clash when the Welsh quartet came on the scene. I'm Canadian but my family spent a year in Oxford when I was 13-14 – a year that formed my musical and cultural tastes.
Anyway, The Alarm seemed gimmicky at first – the cowboy outfits and acoustic earnestness felt too contrived. But there was no denying the vitality of Unsafe Building, The Stand, Sixty Eight Guns, Where Were You Hiding…, Spirit of '76.
At one point, maybe 1984, they felt like heirs apparent to the idealistic vision of Strummer and co., albeit without the funky reggae swing.
John Kendle
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"Come on down and meet your maker. Come on down and make the stand"——in 1983 my BFF and also next door neighbor at the time, Scott Sandler and I landed 2 tickets to see U2 at The Sports Arena in June, 1983. We had both just graduated from High School a month earlier Scott was to head to UCSB in the Fall and I to the University of Colorado, Boulder. But before that I happened to see U2 at the US FESTIVAL Memorial Weekend a month prior The Sunday lineup at the US FESTIVAL was headlined by David Bowie His first live performance in America in god knows how long. (Yes, that's the year Stevie Ray Vaughn famously turned down Bowie's offer to be his touring guitar player.) But also on the bill on that Memorial Weekend Sunday included Stevie Nicks, The Pretenders, Missing Persons, Quaterflash (barf me out with a spoon—1983 Valley lingo, baby) and this band from Dublin, Ireland who was 3rd on the bill called U2. Simply put…..no U2 at the US Festival no Gary Spivack in the music business. Life changer of a show. Bono and the band played EVERY song like their life was on the line The ONLY way a real rock ' roll band should play a live show. They stole the day. So much that when they announced that following Sunday in the LA TIMES Calendar that "U2's first arena headline show ever will take place June 17, 1983 at the LA Sports Arena", Scott and I called Monday morning at 10am (cause THAT is what you did back then) and scored two balcony GA seats at "the dump that jumps". OK, now I can get to my point. The opening band on 6-17-83 at the Sports Arena was……..THE ALARM We knew absolutely nothing about them. The Alarm played their guts out They knew this was a big deal We knew it was for them You can feel it. Rock 'n Roll was SO alive that night They set the stage for what was a jaw-dropping performance from U2. The Alarm stood their ground. They won us over They won the crowd over Sure, they were a poor man's U2. And there was nothing wrong with that…..nothing at all. We loved them But when Bono took the white flag into the upper Balcony and preceded to jump from the Balcony to the GA Floor (as chronicled by Robert Hilburn in his famous LA Times review the following Monday) it was game over. This was ALL before the Red Rocks performance By the time Red Rocks had happened, I was unpacking my bags in my CU Boulder dorm room and the word was out about U2. But i already knew it. "Oh, and if you dig U2 check out the band The Alarm too", I said. Pulled out my vinyl and blasted 'The Stand'——out".
Gary Spivack
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You nailed it. The Alarm was U2 without the trappings, just the passion and the will to lean across the divide and connect.
Those records had urgency! Immediacy! It was injustice in Reagan's America: different from ours, but palpable.
AND somehow Mike Peters made you feel empowered, like you could change something, make a difference (even if in my case, it was only hugging the occassional man crying in the Mayfair on King's Road, crying -- hard or soft -- because his lover's family had arrived + locked him out for the final throes of death from AIDS)
Holy stuff, but joyous. That was the crazy part. In the protest and the truth, those chiming guitars and his voice delivered joy.
When I got Rey Roldan's press release, my throat turned to a fist. Sixty-six is so young for someone who'd fought leukemia and seemingly won; who'd given his energy to awareness and helping other register for stem cell matches. Amazing work, but as you say, even more amazing creating a spark in so many people across listening stations, Alternative Radio, MTV and buying records that stirred you.
Sadly,
Holly Gleason
somewhere on the fringe
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Mike affected people well beyond his music with the Love Hope Strength Foundation. He was the rare star that actually donated his time to charity rather than just lending a name.
R. Cummings
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Many thanks for your tribute to Mike Peters. I have not listened to the Alarm in many years, but you reminded me what an energetic and great band they were back in the 80's. I saw the Alarm a few times but my most memorable show was their performance at UCLA in 1986, which was broadcast live by MTV. I was at USC and slept outside near Sunset all night and was able to get up front for the show. Can't believe I did that, but I'll never forget it.
Take care and keep up the great work,
Charlie Howard
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Thank you for that moving piece. Mike truly reached people in a way few artists ever do, and not just through his music but through the way he lived.
I had the joy of working with Mike for 25 years as a promoter, doing shows in wonderfully intimate venues in San Francisco, from Slim's to The Chapel to my little spot, The Red Devil Lounge. What began as a professional relationship became something far deeper. I came to know Mike, his beloved wife, Jules Jones Peters, and their boys, Dylan and Evan, who I watched grow up backstage and on the road, surrounded by the love and purpose that defined their father's life.
Mike led with his heart. His presence made you feel seen. His voice carried not just songs but messages of love, hope, and strength. Whether he was playing to thousands or in a small room, he gave everything: his story, his spirit, his soul. Every f*ckin' time. It was a site to be seen.
He raised the bar for what it means to be an artist, a friend, a father, a fighter, and a human being.
I truly appreciate you putting all of this into words. It meant a lot to read.
We are forever better for having known him.
Warmly,
Jay Siegan
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I last saw Mike perform at UCLA in April 2017. Billy Duffy from the Cult joined the band on guitar for a couple of songs. It was truly a joyous inspiring performance.
I had an opportunity to meet Mike after the show. He was promoting his documentary "Man in the Camo Jacket" which is a must watch showcasing his good nature, resilience and lust for life.
I've never met a kinder, authentic individual. He was a true sweetheart.
Rest in power Mike.
Andrew Paciocco
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To borrow a line from Springsteen: 'I learned more from a 3 minute record, baby, than I ever learned in school'.
The songs of Mike Peters & The Alarm spoke directly to me as an awkward Connecticut high school 17-yr-old. They made me 'feel' something. (God knows my father never sat me down to explain life or pump me up with confidence to face the unease of walking those hallways as a skinny, geeky kid.) But music, and Mike Peters in particular, had a way of breaking through so much of the classic rock dreck (which, granted, I still love for the deeper cuts) that was being played on Hartford's WHCN & WCCC in those early 80's. Tracks like 'The Stand', 'Marching On', '68 Guns', 'Shout To The Devil', 'We Are The Light', 'Knife Edge', 'Absolute Reality', 'Spirit of '76', 'Strength', 'Eye of the Hurricane' and YES, the fantastic 'Rain in the Summertime' you so eloquently wrote about in your piece, all filled me with a sense of possibility. Of breaking out of my small Connecticut town of Glastonbury to deliver the promise of, well, MORE.
I recall having gotten a ticket to see The Pretenders as they were just about to start touring their Pretenders II record but then, bassist Pete Farndon OD'd in James Honeyman-Scott's footsteps and the entire tour was scrapped. So, by the time they returned to tour 'Learning To Crawl' in '84 at The Bushnell in Hartford, it was a dream come true to finally get to see Chrissie & 'the girls' LIVE but also with special guests THE ALARM! I was absolutely NUTS for both bands and as Mike & Eddie & Dave raised their strumming guitars straight-up against each other just before breaking into 'Marching On' off 'Declaration', I swear I damn near elevated off the Bushnell floor.
I would proceed to see The Alarm another half dozen times over the years, preferring the original quartet. But Mike always 'brought it' even when performing solo & acoustic. Those 3 Alarm albums - 'Declaration', 'Strength' & 'Eye of the Hurricane' - were absolute perfection to me. So much hope, naivete & innocence in a time when there was SO much to be cynical about.
Flash-forward several years back, my wife & I were flying off to our beloved North Shore of Kauai, a supremely easy flight from LAX that lands directly on the island. Just as the attendants were getting ready to close the doors, a bedraggled blonde family raced to their row of seats directly in front of ours. My Gawd! It was Mike Peters with his wife & 2 boys. My eyes bugged out with one of my rock heroes just a shoulder tap away. They all immediately passed out for the entire trip so I dared not bother them. But after we landed and were awaiting the plane to deboard, I'm standing in the aisle directly behind Mike. I rarely bother my rock heroes when I see them but this was just too good to be true. 'Mr. Peters?' I asked. He turned around with a big smile, 'Oh no, Mike please'. I nervously went on to tell him what his music meant to me over the decades and he gave me a soul handshake and thanked ME for sharing! He then went on to share how they had travelled all day from Wales to NYC to LAX to Hawaii for a benefit show for cancer research he was to perform over the following days and if I had planned to be there. Of course, I had no idea about it but I again thanked him for his music & his time as the exit line started moving. His generosity to his fans was palpable even all those years following the big Alarm success. Which also made me think of the 'Bands Reunited' episode where they actually got the original 4 Alarm members (including Twist on drums, who they had found working at a San Francisco city clerks office!) to reunite for a one-off show. Sure enough, they held their guitars aloft as they vigorously strummed the opening intro chords to 'Marching On' and I was 17 all over again. Thanks again for taking the time to acknowledge Mike. Not just a rock & roll showman but a grounded & humble man, always with a warm, inclusive & inviting smile who showed the world how to live in joyous postivity despite the odds.
Mark Atherlay/Burbank, CA
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