They always push it too far.
Who you gonna believe, the bloviations of those who were not there or the camera footage you can see with your own two eyes?
Then again, for years now we've been told what we see is not true, like with January 6th... It was a peaceful demonstration, don't you know?
Now the reason I'm bothering to write at all, enduring the wrath of the Trumpers, who will still support the man and his policies even if he starts World War III, is that unforeseen trigger points happen. And the consequences are...
George Conway switches parties and runs for Congress as a Democrat. As if the system can be changed from within, by the same Democrats who refuse to release their investigation of their 2024 loss because it might look bad...yup, it most certainly does, it's another cover-up, refusal to shed light on the truth that has caused the party to shed members and lose elections. Who can you trust? Seemingly nobody.
As for ICE... They stopped immigration, something that Democrats said couldn't be done. Kudos. Can't they stop there? No, this is the essence of the Trump position, we're going to make you pay, we're going to stick it to you for all the perceived hurt you've imparted upon us. I mean I thought the president was supposed to be on our side, president of all the people...but Trump doesn't even bother to pay lip service to that.
So, are you afraid of retribution?
Many Americans are. If you didn't accept the party line on Charlie Kirk, if you expressed your opinion, in many cases, you lost your job. There have been consequences time and again for those who didn't hew to the Trump party line.
But getting shot in the street..?
What was the big risk here? National security? You've got one woman in her Honda...even if she was doing what Kristi Noem and the rest of the administration out of "1984" say she was doing, as in intentionally blocking ICE, should her life be at risk? I mean these poorly trained doofuses hiding behind masks are so trigger happy... Then again, Kyle Rittenhouse is a right wing hero! I mean if you die, that's it... Doesn't matter which party you belong to, you've been written out of the script.
So how pissed will people become?
Well, there are protests already. Will they spread? I mean it's not like ICE is centralized, it's everywhere. Isn't law enforcement supposed to keep the peace? Aren't they supposed to be ridding us of illegal criminals? Like this woman in her Honda?
I don't know what the end result of today's killing will be, whether there will be a national conflagration or...
It will just be one more of the endless events that come across the transom seemingly every day, illustrating what it must have been like living in Nazi Germany... These actions are taking place in plain sight, you'd think someone would stop them... But no one, not the press, not Congress, in most cases not even the Supreme Court is willing to put up a barrier and say NO MAS!
So it comes down to the people, the public. The buck stops with us. What is it going to take for us to stand up for our rights, to change the course of this country? Is this shooting in cold blood in Minneapolis going to do it?
Maybe not. But with Trump consolidating and exercising power willy-nilly not only in our nation, but all over the world, there comes a point where there's going to be a concomitant reaction, people can only take so much.
I mean where was the threat?
What next, I have to stay home for fear of being shot by ICE if I'm out on the street?
You can only push it so far before you trigger the public.
And somehow Trump and his minions, who've lost touch with the average American, don't know this. Is the average American going to be mad as hell and not going to endure it anymore, to the point where they take to the streets?
Don't be surprised if they do.
--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
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Listen to the podcast:
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-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
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Wednesday, 7 January 2026
Looking Forward
People will continue to bitch about Spotify payments, but they won't change as a result. Believing that Spotify is ripping musicians off is the equivalent of believing in QAnon and other conspiracies. There are only a hundred cents in the dollar and Spotify is paying nearly seventy percent to rightsholders. But somehow Danile Ek is the enemy. As for running ICE ads...that bothers me too, but look what happened to the Hilton hotel that refused to admit ICE agents. Be very afraid of going against Trump and the government.
Meanwhile, Spotify is investing in a video podcast studio:
"Spotify digs in on podcasts with new Hollywood studios"
https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/business/story/2026-01-07/spotify-opens-new-podcasting-studio-in-hollywood
When was the last time one of the three major labels invested in anything? They're giant banking concerns at this point, trying to leverage their assets for AI the same way they leverage their assets to extract a fee from online companies that want to use music. The question always arises...are these funds trickling down to the artists?
Ticketing fees won't decline. They're part of the business. Bitching about ticketing fees is like complaining about the transportation fee on your new car...it ain't going away. But just like prices of cars fluctuate, so do ticket prices. For all the ink about the high price of tickets, the truth is prices will fall for mid-market/less desirable acts playing in buildings a bit too big for them. The inventory has got to move. And no one likes playing to a half-full house. No one gives money back to Live Nation, and Live Nation must make its nut.
Acts will continue to sell their publishing...continuing to demonstrate they are ignorant when it comes to finances and their handlers want a percentage of a big check. Maybe if you're an oldsters and you're doing it for estate planning... Watch this video for edification on royalties and how they go up over time:
"Stephen Bishop: Top Five Songs by Income (1975-2000)
https://www.tiktok.com/@lizthemusicmanager/video/7591977870180748574?_r=1&_t=ZP-92prrO8pJXj
The best and the brightest will continue to not enter the music industry, which is a closed club that doesn't want new members and doesn't pay enough anyway. The big checks working for the man have evaporated, the money Lucian Grainge got for Universal going public is the last big payday. Sure, top execs are well-compensated, but they've paid their dues over years. The only big money available to newcomers is in management, where the odds of success are long. In the old days, with music generating as much of an income, if not more, than any occupation in America, the renegades who didn't fit in all entered the music business. Today the business is calcified and like I said, you can make much more money elsewhere, in finance and tech. So we've got the lowest common denominator people becoming acts...those with no options because they've got little education, and as for working at companies...you can't make money without paying your dues for a long time, and therefore if you want to be closer to music it's easier to just buy a ticket than work behind the scenes.
Demand will continue to exceed supply for superstar concert tickets.
Rather than figure out ways to break new acts, the majors will continue to cut back on expenditures to add to the bottom line.
Television will continue to decline as an exposure opportunity for music, did you see that Kimmel is cutting back?
"'Jimmy Kimmel Live' to Decrease Music Performances to a 'Variable' Number Per Week"
https://variety.com/2026/music/news/jimmy-kimmel-live-to-decrease-music-performances-1236624638/
KPop numbers will continue to grow, however other than HUNTR/X and other beneficiaries of "KPop Demon Hunters," they all will be the equivalent of a walled garden, i.e. a silo, i.e. either you're interested or you're not, and most people are not. This is the story of music today, there's tons of bluster how big acts are, but their reach/popularity is very narrow. The majors could make music that appeals to a broader spectrum of listeners, but that's too heavy a lift/too big an investment of time and in many cases too unhip for the majors to do.
You will continue to be exposed to buzz on acts that you will check out and scratch your head over, wondering why you should be interested.
There will be continued efforts on brand extension/merchandising. The music is just a jumping off point.
The channel will continue to be flooded with mediocre acts spamming the marketplace to try and get attention that they do not deserve.
Short term thinking will continue to rule. KPop didn't happen overnight, for over a decade those involved were organizing/scheming/creating until there was finally a breakthrough. No one in the U.S. working for the establishment is willing to think outside the box and do this. Innovation always comes from the outside, the inside is moribund.
The basics will continue to be ignored. The audience is looking for someone who can sing and write...well. Too many acts feature substandard vocals and when the song is written by committee it is less believable, less identified with the singer. People need to believe the song is the singer's life.
Country will continue to gobble up market share.
Pop will get all the attention, but never has pop had less impact on the market, most people don't care. It's like the days of Fabian and Bobby Rydell except even those two-dimensional acts had a greater footprint than today's so-called hitmakers.
Will this be the year that acoustic music finally breaks through big? The vaunted singer-songwriter? Unfortunately, there are too many people playing in this space who do not deserve attention, which makes it harder for the focus to be on someone who does.
Classic rockers will continue to die. This probably is the last time. If you want to see them, go now!
Stadium tours will continue to do boffo at the b.o. That's how much of a desire there is to see superstars.
Acts will continue to be unable to say no. Other than those with no traction with no offers anyway. In other words, everybody will sell out for a buck.
The Kardashians will continue to have more purchase on the marketplace than musical acts, because the penumbra is easier to manufacture and maintain than the essence, the soul. The Kardashians are all penumbra, i.e. the external, the look, the products... In music the essence is key. The penumbra comes later, and if you can say no to the penumbra, the essence grows.
The Spotify Top 50, the only chart that matters, will continue to be populated with acts that sound manufactured, that have no reach.
Acts will continue to boast about setting records that are manipulated and ultimately not meaningful, aided by the weighted Luminate chart. The only thing that matters is streaming, how many streams did a song have... Furthermore, when it comes to streams, a free one is as valuable as a paid one. There should be a separate chart for sales only, a sideshow...then, of course, vinyl sales will crater, because vinyl is sold in many iterations to falsely boost overall chart numbers.
Meanwhile, Spotify is investing in a video podcast studio:
"Spotify digs in on podcasts with new Hollywood studios"
https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/business/story/2026-01-07/spotify-opens-new-podcasting-studio-in-hollywood
When was the last time one of the three major labels invested in anything? They're giant banking concerns at this point, trying to leverage their assets for AI the same way they leverage their assets to extract a fee from online companies that want to use music. The question always arises...are these funds trickling down to the artists?
Ticketing fees won't decline. They're part of the business. Bitching about ticketing fees is like complaining about the transportation fee on your new car...it ain't going away. But just like prices of cars fluctuate, so do ticket prices. For all the ink about the high price of tickets, the truth is prices will fall for mid-market/less desirable acts playing in buildings a bit too big for them. The inventory has got to move. And no one likes playing to a half-full house. No one gives money back to Live Nation, and Live Nation must make its nut.
Acts will continue to sell their publishing...continuing to demonstrate they are ignorant when it comes to finances and their handlers want a percentage of a big check. Maybe if you're an oldsters and you're doing it for estate planning... Watch this video for edification on royalties and how they go up over time:
"Stephen Bishop: Top Five Songs by Income (1975-2000)
https://www.tiktok.com/@lizthemusicmanager/video/7591977870180748574?_r=1&_t=ZP-92prrO8pJXj
The best and the brightest will continue to not enter the music industry, which is a closed club that doesn't want new members and doesn't pay enough anyway. The big checks working for the man have evaporated, the money Lucian Grainge got for Universal going public is the last big payday. Sure, top execs are well-compensated, but they've paid their dues over years. The only big money available to newcomers is in management, where the odds of success are long. In the old days, with music generating as much of an income, if not more, than any occupation in America, the renegades who didn't fit in all entered the music business. Today the business is calcified and like I said, you can make much more money elsewhere, in finance and tech. So we've got the lowest common denominator people becoming acts...those with no options because they've got little education, and as for working at companies...you can't make money without paying your dues for a long time, and therefore if you want to be closer to music it's easier to just buy a ticket than work behind the scenes.
Demand will continue to exceed supply for superstar concert tickets.
Rather than figure out ways to break new acts, the majors will continue to cut back on expenditures to add to the bottom line.
Television will continue to decline as an exposure opportunity for music, did you see that Kimmel is cutting back?
"'Jimmy Kimmel Live' to Decrease Music Performances to a 'Variable' Number Per Week"
https://variety.com/2026/music/news/jimmy-kimmel-live-to-decrease-music-performances-1236624638/
KPop numbers will continue to grow, however other than HUNTR/X and other beneficiaries of "KPop Demon Hunters," they all will be the equivalent of a walled garden, i.e. a silo, i.e. either you're interested or you're not, and most people are not. This is the story of music today, there's tons of bluster how big acts are, but their reach/popularity is very narrow. The majors could make music that appeals to a broader spectrum of listeners, but that's too heavy a lift/too big an investment of time and in many cases too unhip for the majors to do.
You will continue to be exposed to buzz on acts that you will check out and scratch your head over, wondering why you should be interested.
There will be continued efforts on brand extension/merchandising. The music is just a jumping off point.
The channel will continue to be flooded with mediocre acts spamming the marketplace to try and get attention that they do not deserve.
Short term thinking will continue to rule. KPop didn't happen overnight, for over a decade those involved were organizing/scheming/creating until there was finally a breakthrough. No one in the U.S. working for the establishment is willing to think outside the box and do this. Innovation always comes from the outside, the inside is moribund.
The basics will continue to be ignored. The audience is looking for someone who can sing and write...well. Too many acts feature substandard vocals and when the song is written by committee it is less believable, less identified with the singer. People need to believe the song is the singer's life.
Country will continue to gobble up market share.
Pop will get all the attention, but never has pop had less impact on the market, most people don't care. It's like the days of Fabian and Bobby Rydell except even those two-dimensional acts had a greater footprint than today's so-called hitmakers.
Will this be the year that acoustic music finally breaks through big? The vaunted singer-songwriter? Unfortunately, there are too many people playing in this space who do not deserve attention, which makes it harder for the focus to be on someone who does.
Classic rockers will continue to die. This probably is the last time. If you want to see them, go now!
Stadium tours will continue to do boffo at the b.o. That's how much of a desire there is to see superstars.
Acts will continue to be unable to say no. Other than those with no traction with no offers anyway. In other words, everybody will sell out for a buck.
The Kardashians will continue to have more purchase on the marketplace than musical acts, because the penumbra is easier to manufacture and maintain than the essence, the soul. The Kardashians are all penumbra, i.e. the external, the look, the products... In music the essence is key. The penumbra comes later, and if you can say no to the penumbra, the essence grows.
The Spotify Top 50, the only chart that matters, will continue to be populated with acts that sound manufactured, that have no reach.
Acts will continue to boast about setting records that are manipulated and ultimately not meaningful, aided by the weighted Luminate chart. The only thing that matters is streaming, how many streams did a song have... Furthermore, when it comes to streams, a free one is as valuable as a paid one. There should be a separate chart for sales only, a sideshow...then, of course, vinyl sales will crater, because vinyl is sold in many iterations to falsely boost overall chart numbers.
--
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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Saturday, 3 January 2026
Venezuela
What now?
The problem with getting old is you've seen this movie before. Even though America reveres youth, with Boomers and Gen-X'ers getting plastic surgery in order to look like their children, as if they are truly fooling anybody, there are many benefits to getting old, other than being closer to death and possible frailty old age is a golden era, one of happiness (this has been well-documented) and one of wisdom.
But no one gives a sh*t about what old people have to say.
Now my head is spinning because this is exactly what us oldsters protested against for decades, involvement in foreign wars, messing with foreign governments, regime change. And what is even more confounding is that Trump ran on a doctrine of America First, isolating our nation from the rest of the world, stopping our investments elsewhere, just focusing on the U.S. Saving money and taking care of our brethren all at the same time.
And if you believe that...
Now I've got to say, waking up for this past year has been an exercise in surprise. You never know what the headlines will be. Hollywood can't even compete with what is going on in D.C. Then again, if they wrote a script, no one would believe it.
And if we're worried about the rest of the world, why did we cut USAID and gut the Voice of America? I mean you don't have to be a Democrat to know that this all doesn't add up.
So how far is Trump going to push the envelope? The plane from Qatar, the demolition of the East Wing, the renaming of the Kennedy Center...it's not like he asks for permission, there are no guardrails at all. What we've got is a rubber-stamping Supreme Court that bases all its decisions on what the Founders were thinking when they wrote the Constitution, which is like ignoring computers and asking a blacksmith what he thinks about technology.
I'm numb.
Now this is not the only day, however... If you're my age, you remember the hangover of World War II. It was in the rearview mirror, but not by much. The death and destruction. We were fighting bad forces, then again today we're in cahoots with bad forces. Russia invades Ukraine and it's Zelenskyy's fault. So therefore Volodymyr has to kiss Trump's ass, the initial criticism being that Zelenskyy wasn't dressed appropriately in the now gilded-up White House, which has become akin to the abode of an Eastern European dictator.
Then there was Vietnam.
Forget Iran-Contra, what about the invasion of Iraq. Which was not responsible for 9/11. But Dick Cheney wanted to use the attack as justification for regime change and...
Look at Afghanistan. The Russians pulled out having made no headway, but somehow it was going to be different for us? I mean as Depeche Mode sang, people are people. There is nothing inherently superior about Americans. Meanwhile, we're falling behind China militarily, this is the fight we want to pick, under a false pretext? The man who ran Honduras is pardoned for drug offenses and we pull Maduro from Venezuela when that country is not a haven of drug production, saying it is. Does the truth matter?
And there are many Americans who will support Trump in whatever he does. Primarily because they hate the Democrats, the woke, Joe Biden... You'd think that the years before Trump returned to office were hellish. Were we really living in the same America?
And then Marjorie Taylor Greene says she had no idea what was truly going on, because like a good foot soldier, she refused to read or be exposed to any news outlet that was not spewing right wing dogma. She saw the other side and she woke up. And now even nitwit Lauren Boebert is in a snit.
The truth is if you've been paying attention to the news you know all of what I'm referencing above, from the Supreme Court's originalism to the Colorado water project.
Now you used to be able to live in a bubble, ignoring what is going on. But today you feel the consequences. Like high prices in the grocery store. You're just trying to live your life and a profiteering dictator is running over not only the country, but your rights, willy-nilly.
Forget what's next in Venezuela, an absolute quagmire, what's next in the U.S?
And what signal does this send to Russia... That it too can invade countries whose governments it dislikes?
And Greenland must be freaking out. They're next. One thing about Trump, he does what he says. He's been wanting Greenland long before he got his knickers in a twist over Venezuela.
So now the entire world order has been upended. And if we're going to start changing regimes, why begin with Venezuela? Oh, that's right, they've got the oil!
Like the United States can run the world. Like every country needs our interference. Like we know what is going on in the landscape better than they do.
Of course Maduro was heinous. But the balance of power in Venezuela... It's not just one bad guy against the nation, there are factions of power...what about the colectivos?
WHAT?
Hell, even I wasn't aware of the colectivos until today. Was Trump? It's complicated, and it's not a movie, this is real life. And it's being done on our watch, try to distance yourself all you want, but you are an American... We learned this traveling in Europe in the sixties and seventies... Some kids sewed Canadian flags on their backpacks so as not to be mistaken for U.S. citizens...
So do you believe in the system? Do you believe you have power? So far, Trump has acted with impunity. What's the cost to you? Forget financial, is your kid going to have to go overseas and...
Play this out. What does this look like?
Be rah-rah all you want, but the oldsters have seen this movie. And it has played out poorly again and again and again.
This is scary.
But in truth I have not gotten to that emotion yet, because I'm in shock. I saw the headline on my phone and...my first reaction was this was a joke, that I was on a parody site.
But no, this is real, and this is real life.
This is what an uninvolved, somnambulant public gets, while it is focused on Jeff Bezos and Kim Kardashian in Aspen and musicians are afraid of taking a stand for fear of alienating a potential fan and...
Citizens are on the back foot. But Trump is not, he's aggressive, acting without permission, even when it's required. You need to consult Congress before you start a war. Then again, if you change the board of the Kennedy Center you can rename it and bend it to your will...
Forget Joe Biden, forget the Democrats, forget arguing the last election. It's time to live in the now, because what's coming down the pike is not pretty, it will have consequences, and if you think you're immune...
You're not really thinking at all.
--
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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The problem with getting old is you've seen this movie before. Even though America reveres youth, with Boomers and Gen-X'ers getting plastic surgery in order to look like their children, as if they are truly fooling anybody, there are many benefits to getting old, other than being closer to death and possible frailty old age is a golden era, one of happiness (this has been well-documented) and one of wisdom.
But no one gives a sh*t about what old people have to say.
Now my head is spinning because this is exactly what us oldsters protested against for decades, involvement in foreign wars, messing with foreign governments, regime change. And what is even more confounding is that Trump ran on a doctrine of America First, isolating our nation from the rest of the world, stopping our investments elsewhere, just focusing on the U.S. Saving money and taking care of our brethren all at the same time.
And if you believe that...
Now I've got to say, waking up for this past year has been an exercise in surprise. You never know what the headlines will be. Hollywood can't even compete with what is going on in D.C. Then again, if they wrote a script, no one would believe it.
And if we're worried about the rest of the world, why did we cut USAID and gut the Voice of America? I mean you don't have to be a Democrat to know that this all doesn't add up.
So how far is Trump going to push the envelope? The plane from Qatar, the demolition of the East Wing, the renaming of the Kennedy Center...it's not like he asks for permission, there are no guardrails at all. What we've got is a rubber-stamping Supreme Court that bases all its decisions on what the Founders were thinking when they wrote the Constitution, which is like ignoring computers and asking a blacksmith what he thinks about technology.
I'm numb.
Now this is not the only day, however... If you're my age, you remember the hangover of World War II. It was in the rearview mirror, but not by much. The death and destruction. We were fighting bad forces, then again today we're in cahoots with bad forces. Russia invades Ukraine and it's Zelenskyy's fault. So therefore Volodymyr has to kiss Trump's ass, the initial criticism being that Zelenskyy wasn't dressed appropriately in the now gilded-up White House, which has become akin to the abode of an Eastern European dictator.
Then there was Vietnam.
Forget Iran-Contra, what about the invasion of Iraq. Which was not responsible for 9/11. But Dick Cheney wanted to use the attack as justification for regime change and...
Look at Afghanistan. The Russians pulled out having made no headway, but somehow it was going to be different for us? I mean as Depeche Mode sang, people are people. There is nothing inherently superior about Americans. Meanwhile, we're falling behind China militarily, this is the fight we want to pick, under a false pretext? The man who ran Honduras is pardoned for drug offenses and we pull Maduro from Venezuela when that country is not a haven of drug production, saying it is. Does the truth matter?
And there are many Americans who will support Trump in whatever he does. Primarily because they hate the Democrats, the woke, Joe Biden... You'd think that the years before Trump returned to office were hellish. Were we really living in the same America?
And then Marjorie Taylor Greene says she had no idea what was truly going on, because like a good foot soldier, she refused to read or be exposed to any news outlet that was not spewing right wing dogma. She saw the other side and she woke up. And now even nitwit Lauren Boebert is in a snit.
The truth is if you've been paying attention to the news you know all of what I'm referencing above, from the Supreme Court's originalism to the Colorado water project.
Now you used to be able to live in a bubble, ignoring what is going on. But today you feel the consequences. Like high prices in the grocery store. You're just trying to live your life and a profiteering dictator is running over not only the country, but your rights, willy-nilly.
Forget what's next in Venezuela, an absolute quagmire, what's next in the U.S?
And what signal does this send to Russia... That it too can invade countries whose governments it dislikes?
And Greenland must be freaking out. They're next. One thing about Trump, he does what he says. He's been wanting Greenland long before he got his knickers in a twist over Venezuela.
So now the entire world order has been upended. And if we're going to start changing regimes, why begin with Venezuela? Oh, that's right, they've got the oil!
Like the United States can run the world. Like every country needs our interference. Like we know what is going on in the landscape better than they do.
Of course Maduro was heinous. But the balance of power in Venezuela... It's not just one bad guy against the nation, there are factions of power...what about the colectivos?
WHAT?
Hell, even I wasn't aware of the colectivos until today. Was Trump? It's complicated, and it's not a movie, this is real life. And it's being done on our watch, try to distance yourself all you want, but you are an American... We learned this traveling in Europe in the sixties and seventies... Some kids sewed Canadian flags on their backpacks so as not to be mistaken for U.S. citizens...
So do you believe in the system? Do you believe you have power? So far, Trump has acted with impunity. What's the cost to you? Forget financial, is your kid going to have to go overseas and...
Play this out. What does this look like?
Be rah-rah all you want, but the oldsters have seen this movie. And it has played out poorly again and again and again.
This is scary.
But in truth I have not gotten to that emotion yet, because I'm in shock. I saw the headline on my phone and...my first reaction was this was a joke, that I was on a parody site.
But no, this is real, and this is real life.
This is what an uninvolved, somnambulant public gets, while it is focused on Jeff Bezos and Kim Kardashian in Aspen and musicians are afraid of taking a stand for fear of alienating a potential fan and...
Citizens are on the back foot. But Trump is not, he's aggressive, acting without permission, even when it's required. You need to consult Congress before you start a war. Then again, if you change the board of the Kennedy Center you can rename it and bend it to your will...
Forget Joe Biden, forget the Democrats, forget arguing the last election. It's time to live in the now, because what's coming down the pike is not pretty, it will have consequences, and if you think you're immune...
You're not really thinking at all.
--
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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Thursday, 1 January 2026
Re-New Year's Eve TV
This is why I live in Nashville :) "Music City" is not a marketing term, it's a specification.
Craig Anderton
_____________________________________
From: Chris Willman
I wrote a story a little bit ago about how Stephen Wilson Jr. got signed… It's pretty interesting and involved, and I didn't even get into the whole thing as much as I could have. But through most of the years he's been in the industry he had no plans to be an artist— which seems insane when you go see his show and see how multi-talented he is, and how solidly he connects with an audience.
I said right after the CMAs that he "won" the CMAs. His two performances on that show didn't result in a deluge of radio adds, yet everyone I know was talking about him the next day, so that's going to pay off whether or not we can say exactly when, But he's already winning just by being on people's lips.
When I won a CMA award a couple of months ago, it was him handing it to me, and I felt honored getting it from him…
"Stephen Wilson Jr., Best New Artist Nominee for CMA Awards, on Why His Maverick 'Death Cab for Country' Approach Found a Home at Big Loud Records"
https://variety.com/2025/music/news/stephen-wilson-jr-big-loud-records-country-interview-1236582486/
_____________________________________
I did the same as you for a while last night and came away with a similar take. I don't think for one second people love anything Ryan Seacrest does. He is pablum. The blandest of crackers. I think of him as the ultimate risk averse commercial sell out. DC'sNYRE pretaped for his comfort. Wheel of Fortune? Same. Everything he does is something that any other talented human could do, he is far from an "only".
I respect him for one reason, he seemingly sized up his needs/wants and took deals in the entertainment business to the tune of what, 50M$ a year in total? More with his production company? And he has the easiest shifts in the trade… I hope he is happy because if he did all this and isn't then my heart goes out to him.
Happy New Year Bob…
Andrew Zimmern
_____________________________________
My wife and I laughed out loud when I read her your comment on Ryan Seacrest.
We also saw Stephen Wilson, Jr's Stand by Me performance and agree: Outstanding!
Happy New Year - The Kimballs
_____________________________________
Couldn't agree with you more. The Dick Clark thing was pure dreck; why would Anderson Cooper, a serious, hard working journalist embarrass himself with this crap.
I've been commuting from Philly to Nashville for the past ten years, running an indie publishing and record company. The talent level is off the chart, the artists are real. And the food scene is rapidly improving!
Come to Nashville!
Best,
David Robkin
_____________________________________
Just couldn't stay with the Nashville broadcast. The sound was marginal at best and the cornpone "realness" you cite was just boring for us. At least there was some choreography on the Times Square stage and it seemed like a pro collective effort rooted in stage, theater and dance. You know the classic arts? I understand your point about authenticity but I want that, I'll just head down to the beer bar downtown on amateur night to get it. New Year's needs to have some sizzle and bang like a true skyrocket should, and CBS wasn't it. I actually enjoyed Diana Ross.
Kenny Lee Lewis
_____________________________________
Totally agree, Nash Big Bash was where it was at. AC & AC on CNN were unwatchable, and I am just tired of watching Lip-Synched Choreography Extravaganzas like on ABC.
Happy New Year. Let's save the small clubs, it's the only hope to develop new live performers.
Kelly Breaks
_____________________________________
Once again, your assessment is spot on. I've been going to rock shows since 1970 and I never liked country music with its sappy lyrics and twangy voices but today's country is rock and roll from the late 60's, early 70's. I have yet to see some of my favorite acts live because tickets are not only outrageously high, they are difficult to get without going through the secondary market. As to the politics of country music I've always felt you have to separate the person from the performer. Thanks again for your honesty and insightfulness. I've read most of the books you recommend and I feel fortunate to be a recipient of your daily musings.
Tom Fitzsimmons
_____________________________________
I couldn't agree with you more. My wife and I were home with the flu and did the same channel surfing. Stayed on the Nashville Bash almost the entire time once I saw Stephen Wilson Jr. I somehow missed Keith Urban playing You Get What You Give (which is a shame since I played guitar and sang backing vocals with New Radicals of the song at the Biden inauguration).
But from a refreshing point of pure musicianship, songs you can sing with actual melodies and lyrics you can understand and it not being pre-taped (usually months in advance by the way making it even more fake) it was all REAL.
Country is the new rock.
Fred Goldring
_____________________________________
My wife wants to watch Andy and Anderson after five minutes, it was pretty obvious to me they're done. They need new material or they need to Quit. Anderson gets so silly it's embarrassing
Edward Arguijo
_____________________________________
Andy Cohen's powder blue puffer jacket was the true star of the CNN show. Nicole Skyer, New Jersey
_____________________________________
Nashville's story is twice as deep as it appears on the surface and I know because I'm a native Nashvillian.
Country's culture is sticking it's landing in pop music, finally. CNN's daytime programming for their global 2026 NYE presentation centered not on Lower Broadway or even Bicentennial Park. Rather, it was at Anzie Blue, an intimate, female-owned independent venue located in Hillsboro Village, my husband and I have owned it since '19.
There, it was line dancing by the instructor of the moment Justin Lee Williams, Grammy-winning songwriter Sebastian Kole (who now records as Pynk Beard — yes, because he dyed his beard neon pink, so people would be forced to pay greater attention to him, he admits), and Grammy nominated artist Maggie Rose, legend Chris Isaak, plus legacy artists including John Carter Cash (and his wife, Ana Cristina) on the same billing that highlighted where Nashville heads next.
As this story continues to expand, it's important to be aware that on any given week of 2025, 50 percent of Billboard's Hot 100 pop chart reflected the American and global cultural grip that Nashville broadly — not just with country music's industry at the forefront — is sustaining.
Sure, the downtown story is what's leading. However, as a city, overall? The dynamic of the natural interplay between a more diverse set of pop stars authentically understanding country, Southern and Western culture foremost, with the support of legends and those deep in country and America's legacy, overall, offers what's potentially next — and even more impactful, for Nashville and the music industry.
When I finally woke up this morning after a 16+ hour day yesterday, my heart was full from all the messages from other independents in the music biz, and they all said the same thing. Get ready '26, the independents are not going anywhere.
Thank you CNN for highlighting the "other" Nashville, music is all over the city, not just downtown and not just country music. That's what makes it MUSIC CITY.
Happy new year BOB.
https://www.instagram.com/p/DS-OXCcgMtQ/?igsh=MWZqNTl4bjZrbW81dA==
Marcie Allen
_____________________________________
I was at the Nashville show. What you didn't see was when the TV cameras cut away from Lainey, Jason, and Bailey, they continued playing. The audience at Bicentennial Capital Mall got to see one-hour shows by each of the three headliners. As you said, it was more like a concert, because that's what it was.
As for Stephen Wilson Jr., you should speak with the TV show's producer Robert Deaton about him.
George Achaves
_____________________________________
YESSSS! So glad you got to have that SWJ experience, Bob! I've been waiting/hoping to see his name pop up in your emails. Stephen is such a genuine guy, an incredible talent and proof that there's still a place in this world for authentic artistry and real songs to cut through and connect with people (let alone do it in your mid-40s). He works his ass off too.
I've seen him live many times, and am grateful to call him a friend, but you know someone truly has it when he's selling out a venue in the Newcastle, UK - a true "working man's town", miles away from Nashville - and everyone in the room knows every word to every song, crying (including me!), laughing, galvanized and on the journey with him.
Happy New Year and thanks for all you do.
Cheers,
Richard Grewar
_____________________________________
Thank you for being the best blogger of 2025. My wife is growing tired of me saying, "Well my blogger says…"
But your takes are terrific. You introduce me to great books, shows and bands. (I recently loved the book on the Boston saga. Captivating.)
Peace and love to you and your wife and thanks again for your well-thought out words.
Gary Judson
_____________________________________
You sound like a bitter old weak out of touch sell-out has been, who's decided it's time to switch teams, Bob. So now you write from cowardice and contempt and have decided to get on your knees, bend over and suck up to your new team hoping they'll invite inside', Bob.
You've become a shadow of your former inspiring and insightful self in the wake of Trump / Right Wing / Hate / NAZIfication of America and it's been a pathetic spiral.
That's one way to end an legacy.
Have a wonderful year Bob.
Dale 'Rage' Resteghini
--
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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Craig Anderton
_____________________________________
From: Chris Willman
I wrote a story a little bit ago about how Stephen Wilson Jr. got signed… It's pretty interesting and involved, and I didn't even get into the whole thing as much as I could have. But through most of the years he's been in the industry he had no plans to be an artist— which seems insane when you go see his show and see how multi-talented he is, and how solidly he connects with an audience.
I said right after the CMAs that he "won" the CMAs. His two performances on that show didn't result in a deluge of radio adds, yet everyone I know was talking about him the next day, so that's going to pay off whether or not we can say exactly when, But he's already winning just by being on people's lips.
When I won a CMA award a couple of months ago, it was him handing it to me, and I felt honored getting it from him…
"Stephen Wilson Jr., Best New Artist Nominee for CMA Awards, on Why His Maverick 'Death Cab for Country' Approach Found a Home at Big Loud Records"
https://variety.com/2025/music/news/stephen-wilson-jr-big-loud-records-country-interview-1236582486/
_____________________________________
I did the same as you for a while last night and came away with a similar take. I don't think for one second people love anything Ryan Seacrest does. He is pablum. The blandest of crackers. I think of him as the ultimate risk averse commercial sell out. DC'sNYRE pretaped for his comfort. Wheel of Fortune? Same. Everything he does is something that any other talented human could do, he is far from an "only".
I respect him for one reason, he seemingly sized up his needs/wants and took deals in the entertainment business to the tune of what, 50M$ a year in total? More with his production company? And he has the easiest shifts in the trade… I hope he is happy because if he did all this and isn't then my heart goes out to him.
Happy New Year Bob…
Andrew Zimmern
_____________________________________
My wife and I laughed out loud when I read her your comment on Ryan Seacrest.
We also saw Stephen Wilson, Jr's Stand by Me performance and agree: Outstanding!
Happy New Year - The Kimballs
_____________________________________
Couldn't agree with you more. The Dick Clark thing was pure dreck; why would Anderson Cooper, a serious, hard working journalist embarrass himself with this crap.
I've been commuting from Philly to Nashville for the past ten years, running an indie publishing and record company. The talent level is off the chart, the artists are real. And the food scene is rapidly improving!
Come to Nashville!
Best,
David Robkin
_____________________________________
Just couldn't stay with the Nashville broadcast. The sound was marginal at best and the cornpone "realness" you cite was just boring for us. At least there was some choreography on the Times Square stage and it seemed like a pro collective effort rooted in stage, theater and dance. You know the classic arts? I understand your point about authenticity but I want that, I'll just head down to the beer bar downtown on amateur night to get it. New Year's needs to have some sizzle and bang like a true skyrocket should, and CBS wasn't it. I actually enjoyed Diana Ross.
Kenny Lee Lewis
_____________________________________
Totally agree, Nash Big Bash was where it was at. AC & AC on CNN were unwatchable, and I am just tired of watching Lip-Synched Choreography Extravaganzas like on ABC.
Happy New Year. Let's save the small clubs, it's the only hope to develop new live performers.
Kelly Breaks
_____________________________________
Once again, your assessment is spot on. I've been going to rock shows since 1970 and I never liked country music with its sappy lyrics and twangy voices but today's country is rock and roll from the late 60's, early 70's. I have yet to see some of my favorite acts live because tickets are not only outrageously high, they are difficult to get without going through the secondary market. As to the politics of country music I've always felt you have to separate the person from the performer. Thanks again for your honesty and insightfulness. I've read most of the books you recommend and I feel fortunate to be a recipient of your daily musings.
Tom Fitzsimmons
_____________________________________
I couldn't agree with you more. My wife and I were home with the flu and did the same channel surfing. Stayed on the Nashville Bash almost the entire time once I saw Stephen Wilson Jr. I somehow missed Keith Urban playing You Get What You Give (which is a shame since I played guitar and sang backing vocals with New Radicals of the song at the Biden inauguration).
But from a refreshing point of pure musicianship, songs you can sing with actual melodies and lyrics you can understand and it not being pre-taped (usually months in advance by the way making it even more fake) it was all REAL.
Country is the new rock.
Fred Goldring
_____________________________________
My wife wants to watch Andy and Anderson after five minutes, it was pretty obvious to me they're done. They need new material or they need to Quit. Anderson gets so silly it's embarrassing
Edward Arguijo
_____________________________________
Andy Cohen's powder blue puffer jacket was the true star of the CNN show. Nicole Skyer, New Jersey
_____________________________________
Nashville's story is twice as deep as it appears on the surface and I know because I'm a native Nashvillian.
Country's culture is sticking it's landing in pop music, finally. CNN's daytime programming for their global 2026 NYE presentation centered not on Lower Broadway or even Bicentennial Park. Rather, it was at Anzie Blue, an intimate, female-owned independent venue located in Hillsboro Village, my husband and I have owned it since '19.
There, it was line dancing by the instructor of the moment Justin Lee Williams, Grammy-winning songwriter Sebastian Kole (who now records as Pynk Beard — yes, because he dyed his beard neon pink, so people would be forced to pay greater attention to him, he admits), and Grammy nominated artist Maggie Rose, legend Chris Isaak, plus legacy artists including John Carter Cash (and his wife, Ana Cristina) on the same billing that highlighted where Nashville heads next.
As this story continues to expand, it's important to be aware that on any given week of 2025, 50 percent of Billboard's Hot 100 pop chart reflected the American and global cultural grip that Nashville broadly — not just with country music's industry at the forefront — is sustaining.
Sure, the downtown story is what's leading. However, as a city, overall? The dynamic of the natural interplay between a more diverse set of pop stars authentically understanding country, Southern and Western culture foremost, with the support of legends and those deep in country and America's legacy, overall, offers what's potentially next — and even more impactful, for Nashville and the music industry.
When I finally woke up this morning after a 16+ hour day yesterday, my heart was full from all the messages from other independents in the music biz, and they all said the same thing. Get ready '26, the independents are not going anywhere.
Thank you CNN for highlighting the "other" Nashville, music is all over the city, not just downtown and not just country music. That's what makes it MUSIC CITY.
Happy new year BOB.
https://www.instagram.com/p/DS-OXCcgMtQ/?igsh=MWZqNTl4bjZrbW81dA==
Marcie Allen
_____________________________________
I was at the Nashville show. What you didn't see was when the TV cameras cut away from Lainey, Jason, and Bailey, they continued playing. The audience at Bicentennial Capital Mall got to see one-hour shows by each of the three headliners. As you said, it was more like a concert, because that's what it was.
As for Stephen Wilson Jr., you should speak with the TV show's producer Robert Deaton about him.
George Achaves
_____________________________________
YESSSS! So glad you got to have that SWJ experience, Bob! I've been waiting/hoping to see his name pop up in your emails. Stephen is such a genuine guy, an incredible talent and proof that there's still a place in this world for authentic artistry and real songs to cut through and connect with people (let alone do it in your mid-40s). He works his ass off too.
I've seen him live many times, and am grateful to call him a friend, but you know someone truly has it when he's selling out a venue in the Newcastle, UK - a true "working man's town", miles away from Nashville - and everyone in the room knows every word to every song, crying (including me!), laughing, galvanized and on the journey with him.
Happy New Year and thanks for all you do.
Cheers,
Richard Grewar
_____________________________________
Thank you for being the best blogger of 2025. My wife is growing tired of me saying, "Well my blogger says…"
But your takes are terrific. You introduce me to great books, shows and bands. (I recently loved the book on the Boston saga. Captivating.)
Peace and love to you and your wife and thanks again for your well-thought out words.
Gary Judson
_____________________________________
You sound like a bitter old weak out of touch sell-out has been, who's decided it's time to switch teams, Bob. So now you write from cowardice and contempt and have decided to get on your knees, bend over and suck up to your new team hoping they'll invite inside', Bob.
You've become a shadow of your former inspiring and insightful self in the wake of Trump / Right Wing / Hate / NAZIfication of America and it's been a pathetic spiral.
That's one way to end an legacy.
Have a wonderful year Bob.
Dale 'Rage' Resteghini
--
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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Herb Alpert-This Week's Podcast
The one and only!
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/herb-alpert/id1316200737?i=1000743409644
https://open.spotify.com/episode/7CbGxrLejZyuRRlyTSBunI?si=Bu_EUtAPRFiPd2StWhjYQA
https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1119-the-bob-lefsetz-podcast-30806836/episode/herb-alpert-315362115/
https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/9ff4fb19-54d4-41ae-ae7a-8a6f8d3dafa8/episodes/22e3678f-d81f-48c1-86f5-4e3895b73cad/the-bob-lefsetz-podcast-herb-alpert
--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
--
Listen to the podcast:
-iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj
-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
--
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https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/herb-alpert/id1316200737?i=1000743409644
https://open.spotify.com/episode/7CbGxrLejZyuRRlyTSBunI?si=Bu_EUtAPRFiPd2StWhjYQA
https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1119-the-bob-lefsetz-podcast-30806836/episode/herb-alpert-315362115/
https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/9ff4fb19-54d4-41ae-ae7a-8a6f8d3dafa8/episodes/22e3678f-d81f-48c1-86f5-4e3895b73cad/the-bob-lefsetz-podcast-herb-alpert
--
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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New Year's Eve TV
The winner for me was Stephen Wilson, Jr.
I was bouncing around from Andy and Anderson on CNN to Ryan Seacrest on ABC to Nashville's Big Bash on CBS.
And most of the time I stayed on Nashville's Big Bash. Because there was an authenticity there, a direct connection between performer and viewer that I did not feel on the other two outlets.
As for Ryan Seacrest... Is there anybody who likes that guy? Anybody who is passionate about him? He's two-dimensional and faux authentic and I find him impossible to watch. He's the kind of character we were exposed to on television before cable and then streaming. Someone bland enough not to offend most people, yet we are looking for more edge. As for what is still billed as "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve," immediately dating the show, the guy's been dead since 2012, many viewers have no idea who he was and don't care...there was a constant banner saying that sections were prerecorded, and they felt like it...taped in advance in Las Vegas where a bogus party was created for television and...this is only marginally different from Guy Lombardo (and you've got to be over 65 at least to remember him!). Sure, there were "live" performances in Times Square, but these were akin to performances on floats during the Macy's Thanksgiving parade. You get face time as you don't play completely live and nobody at home can get excited about what you're doing, you're just reminding the audience that you exist, and then there was...
Nashville.
As for Andy Cohen and Anderson Cooper... Their moment has passed. Andy has built a career on the foibles of rich women disconnected from reality, and right now reality is piss-poor. You can say it's a respite from politics, but the focus on wealth...is at odds with the population's growing problem with income inequality. So Andy was the nice guy in high school...but he looked like a hungover deer in the headlights during much of this show and Anderson Cooper seemed to be asking himself what in the hell he was doing there, it undercut whatever news gravitas he possesses. Nothing lasts forever, these two cut-ups were a novelty, the antidote to the canned Dick Clark show, but now there's a new game in town, Nashville's Big Bash...
Would you rather hang in Times Square and wait for the ball to drop or go to a live outdoor show in Nashville?
At first I thought the Big Bash was for everybody. But then I realized the bifurcation of America still exists, North and South, Blue and Red, Democrat and Republican. But in this case, the south has risen again.
Hardy, an intelligent guy, I know from speaking with him, looked a bit uncomfortable, out of place, but Bert Kreischer was the perfect co-host for this alcohol-fueled frenzy. You had multiple stages and multiple acts. I'd be lying if I didn't say there was a bit too much Lainey Wilson... As for the clothing...sure, it's winter, and there's a long history of "outfits' in country, but that was when country was still a backwater, which it no longer is. Whereas Jason Aldean came out in jeans and a brown leather coat...he was the heir to the Allman Brothers and all the rest of the acts that played on stage in their street clothes.
Nashville's Big Bash had the feel of a concert, a show, it was palpable. And demonstrated more depth than the pop dreck on the two other outlets. In a world where rock is dead and pop and hip-hop dominates...the seventies are gone.
But they're fully alive in Nashville, where it was more about the playing than the image. Can elite northerners be converted? Well, some have been, but too many are categorically against these people and their music. But this is not the country of old, this is rock and roll. As for the political beliefs...you grasp your enemy tightly, you convert them from the inside. Believe me, there's no rule against a left-leaning country star. Instead of being a rapper or a TV music contestant if you want to have an impact you should go to Nashville, which in many ways is the new L.A., it has stolen Hollywood's thunder, however... Unlike the popsters, scratch a country star and you'll find that they've been honing their chops from a very young age. Singing and playing as kids. Kenny Chesney made his bones playing in bars, kind of like Hootie & the Blowfish, but now Darius Rucker is a country star...and in case you didn't notice, he's Black, and Nashville has no problem with that.
There's a whole country culture, the upstarts know the hit acts who preceded them, but none of this gets ink or traction in the left wing media...country is seen as a sideshow, when along with Latin it's becoming the main show. It's a disruption in the marketplace those in L.A. and New York did not foresee. Country has moved closer to the center, the acts are better, the songs are singable and now it's on an endless course of triumph.
And where else can a 46 year old midwestern nerd bumpkin break through?
Wilson was a direct contrast to the prepackaged performers on ABC and CNN. He was wearing clothes he might don if he was working in the yard, and he had glasses that were so out of style (but with large lenses for visibility), that he seemed like a real guy, who was playing a guitar akin to that of Willie Nelson, as in beat-up. And he didn't need no stinkin' backup musicians to sell his song, to get it across.
I'd been following Wilson's career in print, with the mentions and statistics, but last night he closed me. A New Year's Eve TV appearance can be equivalent to CBS Sunday Morning, if you just don't punch the clock, don't call your stylist before your sound-mixer, if you rise to the occasion.
And Keith Urban was playing... "You Get What You Give"??? New Radicals' (i.e. Gregg Alexander) smash released in 1998?? And giving it his all?
Turns out Urban has been doing this number at shows for a while now, but last night, with the energy he displayed... He was not promoting his new single, he was capturing the joy of New Year's Eve, the energy, letting go of commerce and focusing on the music, which was a relief.
In a phony, sold-out world of people telling us they're better than we are, and richer too...Nashville's Big Bash was a revelation. As it has been previously, which is why I tuned in. The ratings will come down, the brain dead will have still been watching ABC and CNN, but last night all the excitement was in Nashville, beamed to us via CBS. Live music played by real musicians, songs you can sing along to, played by stars. Isn't this the music business we loved and reveled in back in the day?
YES!
I was bouncing around from Andy and Anderson on CNN to Ryan Seacrest on ABC to Nashville's Big Bash on CBS.
And most of the time I stayed on Nashville's Big Bash. Because there was an authenticity there, a direct connection between performer and viewer that I did not feel on the other two outlets.
As for Ryan Seacrest... Is there anybody who likes that guy? Anybody who is passionate about him? He's two-dimensional and faux authentic and I find him impossible to watch. He's the kind of character we were exposed to on television before cable and then streaming. Someone bland enough not to offend most people, yet we are looking for more edge. As for what is still billed as "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve," immediately dating the show, the guy's been dead since 2012, many viewers have no idea who he was and don't care...there was a constant banner saying that sections were prerecorded, and they felt like it...taped in advance in Las Vegas where a bogus party was created for television and...this is only marginally different from Guy Lombardo (and you've got to be over 65 at least to remember him!). Sure, there were "live" performances in Times Square, but these were akin to performances on floats during the Macy's Thanksgiving parade. You get face time as you don't play completely live and nobody at home can get excited about what you're doing, you're just reminding the audience that you exist, and then there was...
Nashville.
As for Andy Cohen and Anderson Cooper... Their moment has passed. Andy has built a career on the foibles of rich women disconnected from reality, and right now reality is piss-poor. You can say it's a respite from politics, but the focus on wealth...is at odds with the population's growing problem with income inequality. So Andy was the nice guy in high school...but he looked like a hungover deer in the headlights during much of this show and Anderson Cooper seemed to be asking himself what in the hell he was doing there, it undercut whatever news gravitas he possesses. Nothing lasts forever, these two cut-ups were a novelty, the antidote to the canned Dick Clark show, but now there's a new game in town, Nashville's Big Bash...
Would you rather hang in Times Square and wait for the ball to drop or go to a live outdoor show in Nashville?
At first I thought the Big Bash was for everybody. But then I realized the bifurcation of America still exists, North and South, Blue and Red, Democrat and Republican. But in this case, the south has risen again.
Hardy, an intelligent guy, I know from speaking with him, looked a bit uncomfortable, out of place, but Bert Kreischer was the perfect co-host for this alcohol-fueled frenzy. You had multiple stages and multiple acts. I'd be lying if I didn't say there was a bit too much Lainey Wilson... As for the clothing...sure, it's winter, and there's a long history of "outfits' in country, but that was when country was still a backwater, which it no longer is. Whereas Jason Aldean came out in jeans and a brown leather coat...he was the heir to the Allman Brothers and all the rest of the acts that played on stage in their street clothes.
Nashville's Big Bash had the feel of a concert, a show, it was palpable. And demonstrated more depth than the pop dreck on the two other outlets. In a world where rock is dead and pop and hip-hop dominates...the seventies are gone.
But they're fully alive in Nashville, where it was more about the playing than the image. Can elite northerners be converted? Well, some have been, but too many are categorically against these people and their music. But this is not the country of old, this is rock and roll. As for the political beliefs...you grasp your enemy tightly, you convert them from the inside. Believe me, there's no rule against a left-leaning country star. Instead of being a rapper or a TV music contestant if you want to have an impact you should go to Nashville, which in many ways is the new L.A., it has stolen Hollywood's thunder, however... Unlike the popsters, scratch a country star and you'll find that they've been honing their chops from a very young age. Singing and playing as kids. Kenny Chesney made his bones playing in bars, kind of like Hootie & the Blowfish, but now Darius Rucker is a country star...and in case you didn't notice, he's Black, and Nashville has no problem with that.
There's a whole country culture, the upstarts know the hit acts who preceded them, but none of this gets ink or traction in the left wing media...country is seen as a sideshow, when along with Latin it's becoming the main show. It's a disruption in the marketplace those in L.A. and New York did not foresee. Country has moved closer to the center, the acts are better, the songs are singable and now it's on an endless course of triumph.
And where else can a 46 year old midwestern nerd bumpkin break through?
Wilson was a direct contrast to the prepackaged performers on ABC and CNN. He was wearing clothes he might don if he was working in the yard, and he had glasses that were so out of style (but with large lenses for visibility), that he seemed like a real guy, who was playing a guitar akin to that of Willie Nelson, as in beat-up. And he didn't need no stinkin' backup musicians to sell his song, to get it across.
I'd been following Wilson's career in print, with the mentions and statistics, but last night he closed me. A New Year's Eve TV appearance can be equivalent to CBS Sunday Morning, if you just don't punch the clock, don't call your stylist before your sound-mixer, if you rise to the occasion.
And Keith Urban was playing... "You Get What You Give"??? New Radicals' (i.e. Gregg Alexander) smash released in 1998?? And giving it his all?
Turns out Urban has been doing this number at shows for a while now, but last night, with the energy he displayed... He was not promoting his new single, he was capturing the joy of New Year's Eve, the energy, letting go of commerce and focusing on the music, which was a relief.
In a phony, sold-out world of people telling us they're better than we are, and richer too...Nashville's Big Bash was a revelation. As it has been previously, which is why I tuned in. The ratings will come down, the brain dead will have still been watching ABC and CNN, but last night all the excitement was in Nashville, beamed to us via CBS. Live music played by real musicians, songs you can sing along to, played by stars. Isn't this the music business we loved and reveled in back in the day?
YES!
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