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.
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Saturday, 3 January 2026
Friday, 2 January 2026
More "New" Songs-SiriusXM This Week
For the new year.
Tune in Saturday January 3rd to Faction Talk, channel 103, at 4 PM East, 1 PM West.
If you miss the episode, you can hear it on demand on the SiriusXM app. Search: Lefsetz
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Tune in Saturday January 3rd to Faction Talk, channel 103, at 4 PM East, 1 PM West.
If you miss the episode, you can hear it on demand on the SiriusXM app. Search: Lefsetz
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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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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/
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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/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
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Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
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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!
--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
--
Listen to the podcast:
-iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj
-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
--
http://www.twitter.com/lefsetz
--
If you would like to subscribe to the LefsetzLetter,
http://www.lefsetz.com/lists/?p=subscribe&id=1
If you do not want to receive any more LefsetzLetters, http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=unsubscribe&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25
To change your email address http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=preferences&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25
Wednesday, 31 December 2025
2025-The Year In Music
KPOP DEMON HUNTERS
The biggest musical story of the year. Outsiders base an animated film on a niche musical style and triumph. Illustrating that the mainstream music business is out of touch with the public and what it wants. The mainstream still thinks it's the era of 80s MTV...where the obvious is hyped to success. There was nothing obvious about "KPop Demon Hunters." If you have children as young as three in the house, you know the phenomenon. Proving the power of Netflix and availability. Launching to everybody at the same time? Genius! Which the film business abhors, it wants people to pay a lot to be the first to see their product and most people choose not to. Furthermore, unlike a lot of hip-hop, a lot of one chord "hits," the songs from "KPop Demon Hunters" were singable, and the kids did (and still do!) This will be the biggest tour of 2026.
BAD BUNNY
You can't argue with success. Music transcends politics, if it's got a good beat and people want to listen to it you can't stop them. Also, by doing all those shows in Puerto Rico...Bad Bunny showed allegiance to his roots and proved that fans will come to you.
THE SPHERE
Cost of video production keeps going down and everything sells out. It's a unique experience you can't get anywhere else. Seemingly no one believed but Jim Dolan, who had a vision, put his money where his mouth was and ultimately succeeded, the Sphere is heading towards the black. And, as good as the visuals are, the sound is on a par.
NO ERAS TOUR
Hit records lift all boats, and so do hit tours. They get people talking about music, excited, they want to belong, which is even more important in today's multifarious world. In addition, the Eras Tour press was ubiquitous, getting everybody excited about Taylor Swift and belonging to her fan base and having a unique experience at the show...you had to be there. There was not an equivalent this year.
As for Ms. Swift... She tried to keep the ball rolling, via documentaries. Which garnered press at first, but not thereafter. Because a documentary is different from the live experience. And there was no record-breaking hook to hype on a continuous basis. As for Swift's new album "The Life of a Showgirl"...despite the Taylor Easter egg promotion, despite ramping up all the press, the album has fallen flat culturally. As for success re sales/streams/chart numbers... Those numbers don't resonate the way they used to. True fans know they're manipulated with vinyl and everybody's always claiming success online...so the cultural impact is more important than the statistics, and "The Life of a Showgirl" didn't have much...it didn't even generate a song that broke out of the Taylorsphere.
NO CHAPPELL ROAN
She broke via festival appearances, she had large mindshare, and no one came along to fill the hole this year. No breakthrough act.
DRAKE/KENDRICK LAMAR FEUD
Nothing equivalent transpired. Once again, like the Eras Tour and Chappell Roan, this feud and its tunes got people paying attention, there was not an equivalent attention-getting story in music this year.
NO SONG OF THE SUMMER
Because nothing has universal purchase, not because there were no great songs. Then again, the song of the summer is usually mindless, and in these troubled times, that does not resonate.
UNIVERSAL/DOWNTOWN
The biggest story in the music business, the end result is presently unknown. But if Universal is allowed to swallow Downtown it will put an incredible crimp in the indie world, because almost all indie lanes will be controlled by the majors. The majors will be privy to the data, and in the twenty first century, data is very important, but the real story is after twenty five years of disruption, if this deal goes through, the majors will be back in almost total control of recorded music distribution.
TICKETMASTER
Still the most hated company in America. None of the stain ever sticks to the acts. There is a government lawsuit hanging in the balance, but Live Nation, Ticketmaster's parent, got ahead of the game, it appointed Richard Grenell to its board, a Trump crony who has overseen the havoc at what is now known as the Trump Kennedy Center. If you kiss Trump's butt, things tend to go your way. Then again, all Kid Rock got for his support of Trump was a press conference and theoretical support of Bots Act enforcement, which so far we have not seen.
BOTS
Are here to stay. As is the secondary market. NFL game prices flex, depending on the opponent and the importance of the game. Super Bowl tickets are hugely expensive. But somehow music tickets must be cheap in order to theoretically satiate hard core fans. Until acts charge what the tickets are worth, we will continue to have this cat and mouse game between the primary ticketer and the secondary market.
VINYL
The boom ended. Revenues were only off 1%, but in an era where there is enough production, where rarity is not what it once was, there is not the same incentive to buy vinyl as a souvenir. As for buying multiple copies of the same album to boost the chart numbers of the act...the bloom is off the rose, you can only rip off the public so much. Vinyl will never die, but it appears to have peaked.
GEESE
The great white rock hope. But if you listen to the album... The singer has an affected voice and despite all the hosannas in the press, the word does not seem to be spreading. Indie rock is what oldster male writers are looking for. Youngsters? Not really.
POP CONTINUES TO DOMINATE
Ariana Grande? There's no there there.
SABRINA CARPENTER
The public did not believe that a former Disney star was now an edgy sexpot. She pushed the envelope to unbelievability.
BRAND NAMES STILL MATTER
Can you say "Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars"? It's nearly impossible to gain traction, so those who have it continue to maintain it, as long as they don't blow it with substandard product.
THE WEEKND
People still don't want to see musical stars in films. That's a passé concept, you've built an identity and then you want the audience to suspend disbelief and enjoy your two-dimensional acting in a substandard project?
BEYONCÉ'S TOUR
You can only go back to the well so many times. Sure, business was ultimately very good, but usually shows of this caliber are instant sellouts. High prices and a return too soon to the marketplace hurt this tour.
PRICES GOING DOWN
Yes, in some cases they have. Prices can go in both directions based on demand.
MORGAN WALLEN
The biggest star in country whose only competitor for U.S. domination is Taylor Swift. Yet, there's almost a news blackout amongst the liberal/left-leaning press.
COUNTRY
Is the new rock and roll and liked by many who swore off it in the past. Sure, there's a lot of pandering in the lyrics, but the acts have identities, the songs have hooks and...
OASIS
The story is not that they did huge business in the U.K., but that it carried over to North America. This is my point about the Eras Tour...people get excited by a big story and have to go to the show!
COLDPLAY
Sells out everywhere. Stadiums. Is it that they were the beneficiary of the last gasp of the old system, music television and terrestrial radio, or is their music just milquetoast enough to appeal to everyone?
SPOTIFY GAINS MARKET SHARE
That's where your friends are and there is innovation whereas its competitors are virtually moribund, music is an afterthought. But people still believe the company doesn't pay the artists, which of course is blatantly untrue. But someone's got to pay for the plight of the starving artist.
OSCARS GO TO YOUTUBE
And Grammys remain on CBS. Money isn't everything. There's no vision at the Grammys, however music does dominate YouTube and other streaming services...this power could be harnessed further, but...
NEW MUSIC IS A CLUB
And most people are not in it. And those in it are myopic. You've seen all the stories of the year's top 25 albums... Other than the writer, no one has heard all of them, never mind heard of them! The stars are losing market share and under them it's the Tower of Babel. New hit acts that appeal to many will lift all boats. But no one with any cash or power is willing to take the risk/put in the effort.
TIKTOK
Unpredictable. Can make the unknown a hit, but even more interesting, it can lift a hit of the past back into mainstream consciousness.
--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
--
Listen to the podcast:
-iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj
-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
--
http://www.twitter.com/lefsetz
--
If you would like to subscribe to the LefsetzLetter,
http://www.lefsetz.com/lists/?p=subscribe&id=1
If you do not want to receive any more LefsetzLetters, http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=unsubscribe&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25
To change your email address http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=preferences&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25
The biggest musical story of the year. Outsiders base an animated film on a niche musical style and triumph. Illustrating that the mainstream music business is out of touch with the public and what it wants. The mainstream still thinks it's the era of 80s MTV...where the obvious is hyped to success. There was nothing obvious about "KPop Demon Hunters." If you have children as young as three in the house, you know the phenomenon. Proving the power of Netflix and availability. Launching to everybody at the same time? Genius! Which the film business abhors, it wants people to pay a lot to be the first to see their product and most people choose not to. Furthermore, unlike a lot of hip-hop, a lot of one chord "hits," the songs from "KPop Demon Hunters" were singable, and the kids did (and still do!) This will be the biggest tour of 2026.
BAD BUNNY
You can't argue with success. Music transcends politics, if it's got a good beat and people want to listen to it you can't stop them. Also, by doing all those shows in Puerto Rico...Bad Bunny showed allegiance to his roots and proved that fans will come to you.
THE SPHERE
Cost of video production keeps going down and everything sells out. It's a unique experience you can't get anywhere else. Seemingly no one believed but Jim Dolan, who had a vision, put his money where his mouth was and ultimately succeeded, the Sphere is heading towards the black. And, as good as the visuals are, the sound is on a par.
NO ERAS TOUR
Hit records lift all boats, and so do hit tours. They get people talking about music, excited, they want to belong, which is even more important in today's multifarious world. In addition, the Eras Tour press was ubiquitous, getting everybody excited about Taylor Swift and belonging to her fan base and having a unique experience at the show...you had to be there. There was not an equivalent this year.
As for Ms. Swift... She tried to keep the ball rolling, via documentaries. Which garnered press at first, but not thereafter. Because a documentary is different from the live experience. And there was no record-breaking hook to hype on a continuous basis. As for Swift's new album "The Life of a Showgirl"...despite the Taylor Easter egg promotion, despite ramping up all the press, the album has fallen flat culturally. As for success re sales/streams/chart numbers... Those numbers don't resonate the way they used to. True fans know they're manipulated with vinyl and everybody's always claiming success online...so the cultural impact is more important than the statistics, and "The Life of a Showgirl" didn't have much...it didn't even generate a song that broke out of the Taylorsphere.
NO CHAPPELL ROAN
She broke via festival appearances, she had large mindshare, and no one came along to fill the hole this year. No breakthrough act.
DRAKE/KENDRICK LAMAR FEUD
Nothing equivalent transpired. Once again, like the Eras Tour and Chappell Roan, this feud and its tunes got people paying attention, there was not an equivalent attention-getting story in music this year.
NO SONG OF THE SUMMER
Because nothing has universal purchase, not because there were no great songs. Then again, the song of the summer is usually mindless, and in these troubled times, that does not resonate.
UNIVERSAL/DOWNTOWN
The biggest story in the music business, the end result is presently unknown. But if Universal is allowed to swallow Downtown it will put an incredible crimp in the indie world, because almost all indie lanes will be controlled by the majors. The majors will be privy to the data, and in the twenty first century, data is very important, but the real story is after twenty five years of disruption, if this deal goes through, the majors will be back in almost total control of recorded music distribution.
TICKETMASTER
Still the most hated company in America. None of the stain ever sticks to the acts. There is a government lawsuit hanging in the balance, but Live Nation, Ticketmaster's parent, got ahead of the game, it appointed Richard Grenell to its board, a Trump crony who has overseen the havoc at what is now known as the Trump Kennedy Center. If you kiss Trump's butt, things tend to go your way. Then again, all Kid Rock got for his support of Trump was a press conference and theoretical support of Bots Act enforcement, which so far we have not seen.
BOTS
Are here to stay. As is the secondary market. NFL game prices flex, depending on the opponent and the importance of the game. Super Bowl tickets are hugely expensive. But somehow music tickets must be cheap in order to theoretically satiate hard core fans. Until acts charge what the tickets are worth, we will continue to have this cat and mouse game between the primary ticketer and the secondary market.
VINYL
The boom ended. Revenues were only off 1%, but in an era where there is enough production, where rarity is not what it once was, there is not the same incentive to buy vinyl as a souvenir. As for buying multiple copies of the same album to boost the chart numbers of the act...the bloom is off the rose, you can only rip off the public so much. Vinyl will never die, but it appears to have peaked.
GEESE
The great white rock hope. But if you listen to the album... The singer has an affected voice and despite all the hosannas in the press, the word does not seem to be spreading. Indie rock is what oldster male writers are looking for. Youngsters? Not really.
POP CONTINUES TO DOMINATE
Ariana Grande? There's no there there.
SABRINA CARPENTER
The public did not believe that a former Disney star was now an edgy sexpot. She pushed the envelope to unbelievability.
BRAND NAMES STILL MATTER
Can you say "Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars"? It's nearly impossible to gain traction, so those who have it continue to maintain it, as long as they don't blow it with substandard product.
THE WEEKND
People still don't want to see musical stars in films. That's a passé concept, you've built an identity and then you want the audience to suspend disbelief and enjoy your two-dimensional acting in a substandard project?
BEYONCÉ'S TOUR
You can only go back to the well so many times. Sure, business was ultimately very good, but usually shows of this caliber are instant sellouts. High prices and a return too soon to the marketplace hurt this tour.
PRICES GOING DOWN
Yes, in some cases they have. Prices can go in both directions based on demand.
MORGAN WALLEN
The biggest star in country whose only competitor for U.S. domination is Taylor Swift. Yet, there's almost a news blackout amongst the liberal/left-leaning press.
COUNTRY
Is the new rock and roll and liked by many who swore off it in the past. Sure, there's a lot of pandering in the lyrics, but the acts have identities, the songs have hooks and...
OASIS
The story is not that they did huge business in the U.K., but that it carried over to North America. This is my point about the Eras Tour...people get excited by a big story and have to go to the show!
COLDPLAY
Sells out everywhere. Stadiums. Is it that they were the beneficiary of the last gasp of the old system, music television and terrestrial radio, or is their music just milquetoast enough to appeal to everyone?
SPOTIFY GAINS MARKET SHARE
That's where your friends are and there is innovation whereas its competitors are virtually moribund, music is an afterthought. But people still believe the company doesn't pay the artists, which of course is blatantly untrue. But someone's got to pay for the plight of the starving artist.
OSCARS GO TO YOUTUBE
And Grammys remain on CBS. Money isn't everything. There's no vision at the Grammys, however music does dominate YouTube and other streaming services...this power could be harnessed further, but...
NEW MUSIC IS A CLUB
And most people are not in it. And those in it are myopic. You've seen all the stories of the year's top 25 albums... Other than the writer, no one has heard all of them, never mind heard of them! The stars are losing market share and under them it's the Tower of Babel. New hit acts that appeal to many will lift all boats. But no one with any cash or power is willing to take the risk/put in the effort.
TIKTOK
Unpredictable. Can make the unknown a hit, but even more interesting, it can lift a hit of the past back into mainstream consciousness.
--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
--
Listen to the podcast:
-iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj
-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
--
http://www.twitter.com/lefsetz
--
If you would like to subscribe to the LefsetzLetter,
http://www.lefsetz.com/lists/?p=subscribe&id=1
If you do not want to receive any more LefsetzLetters, http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=unsubscribe&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25
To change your email address http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=preferences&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25
Monday, 29 December 2025
The Live Business
We are not creating enough new hit acts.
Business is great at the top. Stadium shows had a stellar year. Despite constant complaints about ticket prices, the truth is people will pay the freight to see their favorite acts. But those might be the only shows they go to. As a matter of fact, the old habit of being an active concertgoer, attending multiple shows on a regular basis, seems to be fading. There are still oldsters who do this, having gotten into the habit growing up, and there are youngsters who are music fanatics going to club shows...but the acts these active youngsters are seeing frequently do not have mass appeal.
Business is off. You can read the statistics, but what you've got to know is in the middle there is a problem, even for arena acts...shows are no longer instant sell-outs.
Has the post-Covid surge died off? Yes, a bit. But the truth is we continue to live in an age of experiences, the one and done. You want to be there, there is strong basic desire and a bit of FOMO. People are still documenting their meals... Nothing has changed here.
Are people concerned about cash? Absolutely! And that affects grosses. However, when there is a burning desire to see an act people find the money...again and again and again. It's a one time unique experience. You have to be there!
Do you have to go see a band that is constantly on the road one more time? In many cases, no. There is a point of satiation. Smaller acts are on the road all year, they come back to markets frequently, people are tapped out, they've been there and done that.
And stars used to lay fallow, take a year or two off. Now many go back on the road...to go once is a thrill. Why go twice? Especially if there's not a slew of new music you want to hear. As for seeing the latest production... This is antithetical to a healthy music business. Then it becomes about the show. The music should be enough unto itself, the production must sit on top of it, not only not overwhelm it, but not be the main selling factor.
As for shows that didn't sell out... It's not because people don't have the money, they just don't want to go. Concerts are not like shoes or food, they are not necessary, you must feel it in your gut, you must want to go...it's an emotion first and foremost. And that emotion is connected to the music itself. And this is where the music industry has done a poor job, it has not fostered that emotional connection to the point where people want to lay down their cash to see an act.
Now the business changed about fifteen years ago. Used to be you worked your way up to arenas. Then Sam Smith started in arenas! Word spreads just that fast, people want to lay down their cash, and once again, it's the music that is selling tickets, not the production, not even showmanship, because no one has seen the act before! A similar situation applies to Olivia Dean.
And the interesting thing about Olivia Dean is she sits smack dab in the middle of a genre, soft R&B, that people are familiar with. You hear her music and become infatuated. Whereas most of what is purveyed by the labels, the Spotify Top 50, people don't care about.
Of course there are hard core K-pop fans. And fans of other bands. But universal acts are few and far between. And this is a failure of marketing. Not everybody is going to like everything, but more people could like one thing.
The labels can no longer break acts, and therefore they have become safe, conservative. They don't build any talent from scratch. They just sign what gets a reaction online or fits in with the pop and hip-hop genres. There is no excitement there.
It's a business. But the nation is not music crazy. It might be TikTok crazy. In the past two decades music has abdicated its power as the leading edge art form.
So whose responsibility is it? To develop new music that is exciting and different?
Well, promoters have picked up the slack a bit, promoting new acts, but their system is not as efficient as the one the major labels employed in the old days...terrestrial radio, print and television. With these avenues on life support, everybody seems to have thrown their hands in the air and abdicated power.
But there are still acts that appeal to broad swaths of the public, like Adele...how do we make more like her?
Well, in truth Adele broke big before terrestrial radio listening totally cratered, but...
If we want the live business to burgeon, to generate more revenue instead of less, we must create acts the public wants to see. Easy concept, hard to execute.
TV competition shows don't work... Some of these people can sing, but that is no longer enough, none of them become stars, because they don't write! And many of the pop stars don't write or do so as part of a committee. The public reacts to and resonates most with music that is written by those who sing it. Culture sells music.
And we have too many acts with poor singers. This was never a thing, it is now. Go to club shows...these acts have fans, but word can never spread because the lead singer just doesn't have the chops.
Sure, Chappell Roan broke through, aided by festival appearances, kudos, but who else? We used to have a rolling list of new hit acts. Universal doesn't even seem to be in this business anymore, merging Interscope and Capitol. The majors can coast on their catalogs, it doesn't look like we can depend upon them to move the needle, they're risk averse.
And concert promotion is a nuts and bolts business. You have to make money. And with people consuming less alcohol, the business is more challenging than ever.
Where are the acts people have to see, are dying to see?
There are a good number of superstars. But most of them have their roots in the old system, of radio and print and TV exposure. As for labels...their idea of artist development is to break a single album, whereas labels used to stick by acts for five LPs, growing their business.
So where are these new acts going to come from?
There will always be a music business, people will want to go to shows, but to grow...you've got to motivate the public, and you do this via new acts!
We need to promote quality acts that don't sound just like everybody else in the marketplace. Of course it's the public that must create this music and...with music absent from schools, it's those who went to music school in Britain and Sweden who are triumphing. It's not rocket science. You build from the roots up.
On top of this we have the issue of turning the public on to great new music, something that was not fixed with playlists, which remains a problem in the digital era. I've always said that Spotify could promote an act a week or a month...but the politics are a problem, labels whose acts are not chosen will complain.
Do we wait until something happens organically, or do we goose the system?
Once again, we need to have better systems to make people aware of quality new acts.
But we also have to inspire, find and promote quality new acts. Make people excited about music in general, not just one or two acts. We can start with tracks...the public is eager for great ones. Forget the career, the detritus of mediocre music, this is the service that radio once fulfilled. We actually need a gatekeeper, we're living in a Tower of Babble, and no one seems to want to take the reins.
Where are the opening acts trying to blow the headliner off the stage?
Well, opening acts have been so bad that most people don't even arrive to see them. It didn't used to be this way, the undercard was a core part of the show, not anymore.
So we can debate ticket prices all day long, talk about bots and fees and... That's for shows that everybody wants to go to. How about the shows that are struggling, how about quality new acts without traction...who is talking about those, who is championing those?
That is the question.
--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
--
Listen to the podcast:
-iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj
-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
--
http://www.twitter.com/lefsetz
--
If you would like to subscribe to the LefsetzLetter,
http://www.lefsetz.com/lists/?p=subscribe&id=1
If you do not want to receive any more LefsetzLetters, http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=unsubscribe&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25
To change your email address http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=preferences&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25
Business is great at the top. Stadium shows had a stellar year. Despite constant complaints about ticket prices, the truth is people will pay the freight to see their favorite acts. But those might be the only shows they go to. As a matter of fact, the old habit of being an active concertgoer, attending multiple shows on a regular basis, seems to be fading. There are still oldsters who do this, having gotten into the habit growing up, and there are youngsters who are music fanatics going to club shows...but the acts these active youngsters are seeing frequently do not have mass appeal.
Business is off. You can read the statistics, but what you've got to know is in the middle there is a problem, even for arena acts...shows are no longer instant sell-outs.
Has the post-Covid surge died off? Yes, a bit. But the truth is we continue to live in an age of experiences, the one and done. You want to be there, there is strong basic desire and a bit of FOMO. People are still documenting their meals... Nothing has changed here.
Are people concerned about cash? Absolutely! And that affects grosses. However, when there is a burning desire to see an act people find the money...again and again and again. It's a one time unique experience. You have to be there!
Do you have to go see a band that is constantly on the road one more time? In many cases, no. There is a point of satiation. Smaller acts are on the road all year, they come back to markets frequently, people are tapped out, they've been there and done that.
And stars used to lay fallow, take a year or two off. Now many go back on the road...to go once is a thrill. Why go twice? Especially if there's not a slew of new music you want to hear. As for seeing the latest production... This is antithetical to a healthy music business. Then it becomes about the show. The music should be enough unto itself, the production must sit on top of it, not only not overwhelm it, but not be the main selling factor.
As for shows that didn't sell out... It's not because people don't have the money, they just don't want to go. Concerts are not like shoes or food, they are not necessary, you must feel it in your gut, you must want to go...it's an emotion first and foremost. And that emotion is connected to the music itself. And this is where the music industry has done a poor job, it has not fostered that emotional connection to the point where people want to lay down their cash to see an act.
Now the business changed about fifteen years ago. Used to be you worked your way up to arenas. Then Sam Smith started in arenas! Word spreads just that fast, people want to lay down their cash, and once again, it's the music that is selling tickets, not the production, not even showmanship, because no one has seen the act before! A similar situation applies to Olivia Dean.
And the interesting thing about Olivia Dean is she sits smack dab in the middle of a genre, soft R&B, that people are familiar with. You hear her music and become infatuated. Whereas most of what is purveyed by the labels, the Spotify Top 50, people don't care about.
Of course there are hard core K-pop fans. And fans of other bands. But universal acts are few and far between. And this is a failure of marketing. Not everybody is going to like everything, but more people could like one thing.
The labels can no longer break acts, and therefore they have become safe, conservative. They don't build any talent from scratch. They just sign what gets a reaction online or fits in with the pop and hip-hop genres. There is no excitement there.
It's a business. But the nation is not music crazy. It might be TikTok crazy. In the past two decades music has abdicated its power as the leading edge art form.
So whose responsibility is it? To develop new music that is exciting and different?
Well, promoters have picked up the slack a bit, promoting new acts, but their system is not as efficient as the one the major labels employed in the old days...terrestrial radio, print and television. With these avenues on life support, everybody seems to have thrown their hands in the air and abdicated power.
But there are still acts that appeal to broad swaths of the public, like Adele...how do we make more like her?
Well, in truth Adele broke big before terrestrial radio listening totally cratered, but...
If we want the live business to burgeon, to generate more revenue instead of less, we must create acts the public wants to see. Easy concept, hard to execute.
TV competition shows don't work... Some of these people can sing, but that is no longer enough, none of them become stars, because they don't write! And many of the pop stars don't write or do so as part of a committee. The public reacts to and resonates most with music that is written by those who sing it. Culture sells music.
And we have too many acts with poor singers. This was never a thing, it is now. Go to club shows...these acts have fans, but word can never spread because the lead singer just doesn't have the chops.
Sure, Chappell Roan broke through, aided by festival appearances, kudos, but who else? We used to have a rolling list of new hit acts. Universal doesn't even seem to be in this business anymore, merging Interscope and Capitol. The majors can coast on their catalogs, it doesn't look like we can depend upon them to move the needle, they're risk averse.
And concert promotion is a nuts and bolts business. You have to make money. And with people consuming less alcohol, the business is more challenging than ever.
Where are the acts people have to see, are dying to see?
There are a good number of superstars. But most of them have their roots in the old system, of radio and print and TV exposure. As for labels...their idea of artist development is to break a single album, whereas labels used to stick by acts for five LPs, growing their business.
So where are these new acts going to come from?
There will always be a music business, people will want to go to shows, but to grow...you've got to motivate the public, and you do this via new acts!
We need to promote quality acts that don't sound just like everybody else in the marketplace. Of course it's the public that must create this music and...with music absent from schools, it's those who went to music school in Britain and Sweden who are triumphing. It's not rocket science. You build from the roots up.
On top of this we have the issue of turning the public on to great new music, something that was not fixed with playlists, which remains a problem in the digital era. I've always said that Spotify could promote an act a week or a month...but the politics are a problem, labels whose acts are not chosen will complain.
Do we wait until something happens organically, or do we goose the system?
Once again, we need to have better systems to make people aware of quality new acts.
But we also have to inspire, find and promote quality new acts. Make people excited about music in general, not just one or two acts. We can start with tracks...the public is eager for great ones. Forget the career, the detritus of mediocre music, this is the service that radio once fulfilled. We actually need a gatekeeper, we're living in a Tower of Babble, and no one seems to want to take the reins.
Where are the opening acts trying to blow the headliner off the stage?
Well, opening acts have been so bad that most people don't even arrive to see them. It didn't used to be this way, the undercard was a core part of the show, not anymore.
So we can debate ticket prices all day long, talk about bots and fees and... That's for shows that everybody wants to go to. How about the shows that are struggling, how about quality new acts without traction...who is talking about those, who is championing those?
That is the question.
--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
--
Listen to the podcast:
-iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj
-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
--
http://www.twitter.com/lefsetz
--
If you would like to subscribe to the LefsetzLetter,
http://www.lefsetz.com/lists/?p=subscribe&id=1
If you do not want to receive any more LefsetzLetters, http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=unsubscribe&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25
To change your email address http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=preferences&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25
Sunday, 28 December 2025
Tips
WRITE SONGS
That's where all the money and action is. If you just want to be a player...you're at the mercy of the band leader and studio work has dropped off dramatically. Today many songs are simple with one chord throughout. Don't be beholden to what is popular now, classic song structure always triumphs. "Yesterday" was not that different from what was popular decades before the Beatles had success. Hacks imitate, original writers triumph. This is something that has hobbled Nashville, when you write by committee you kill the bolt of inspiration of great work that pushes the envelope. And, when you write your own material, people resonate with your work that much more, they know you are speaking directly from your heart.
CREATE CONSTANTLY
You get better the more you do it. Ask anyone who has had success, in hindsight they laugh at their earlier work.
PRACTICE
Know the basics... Whether it be how to play your guitar or drums or... Or if you're a singer/lyricist, you should be reading all the time. Inspiration comes when you've got the tools down, when it's reflexive as opposed to intellectualized.
POST
Everything you do should be posted online on all platforms. Probably it will be ignored, but you never know what will resonate with the public. Don't self-censor. And failure is no longer the stain it once was. Stiffs are ignored and hits are recognized. In other words, no matter how big an act you are, if you misfire it's no longer held against you, the work is just forgotten... You can come back with better work later. This means you can experiment.
MARKETING & PROMOTION
Do none until you have a buzz, a reaction. Not only professionals, but average people are overloaded and will give you one chance, usually not more. But when something is happening, when you've got multiple streams/views, that means that someone likes what you are doing and that's what professionals are looking for, someone who is building their audience all by their lonesome.
CREATION VS. MARKETING & PROMOTION
Yes, you should be on TikTok, your music should not only be on all platforms you must create interesting videos to promote it. However, do not fall into the modern trap of spending most of your time marketing as opposed to creating and playing. There are millions of great marketers, there are not millions of great musicians. You have to lead with the music.
DON'T COMPLAIN
There's no upside. If you're not making any money that means that your music is not causing a reaction. Focus on the reaction...if that happens, you'll end up making money. History is littered with people who didn't give up their day jobs until after their album went gold...let this be a lesson to you.
DON'T WAIT TO BE RESCUED
If you're banking on finding a deep pocket, a label or an investor, you're doing it wrong. That's positively last century. You have all the tools in your pocket. Furthermore, oftentimes the label can't do anything but pay you, they have proven again and again in the past few years that they don't know how to break an act, and as a result of this they are focusing more and more on fewer genres, trying for moonshots. Labels are very much like movie studios in this way. As for an indie label... The truth is you are your own label, you've got to do it yourself. And if you have success you'll get so much more money from streaming. Beware of hucksters telling you they can help you out, they talk a good game but rarely deliver. And know that anyone who wants to get involved with you only will do so because they want to make money. If you're not generating cash, they're not interested. And the moment you stop generating cash, or never break through, their interests go elsewhere. This is capitalism, this is human nature... There is no music league akin to sports. Everybody starts their journey wet behind the ears and learns through the process, especially when they get screwed. Never give up your copyrights, however if you can't give a little to get a little, don't expect anybody to want to be in business with you.
PLAY IN YOUR GENRE
Don't study the hit parade and try to imitate it, play what's in your soul. You might have to create a market for it, but if it's great, people will find it. However the conundrum of the modern internet era is everything is available, there for the listening/taking, but it almost always takes longer than it did in the past to gain traction/critical mass. If you're even thinking of going to graduate school, don't even start as a professional musician. Now, more than ever, it takes eons to break through and it's not like in the past, where when you do riches pour down. You might just end up with a business that keeps you afloat at best, with enough fans to tour and support you. If you're getting into music to get rich, there are many other avenues with better odds, go down those paths.
INFLUENCES
Yes, you should know records, but you need to read and socialize and...you are your influences. Which is why the barely pubescent acts almost always flame out, they haven't had enough life experience, they might have a hit but they can't follow it up because they've got nothing to say.
PEFORMANCE IS A SKILL
You develop it over time. No one is great right out of the box. If your act depends on live appearances, play everywhere you can, even for free...you need the experience to get good. And you can close people with a live performance, although finding a place to play for an act without traction is not easy.
READ DON PASSMAN'S BOOK
It's much better than sitting around with wannabes providing false information on how the business works.
START WITH PEOPLE AT YOUR OWN LEVEL
Sure, some bigwig might come along and be interested in what you're doing and want to be in business with you, but you're best off being involved with young hustlers your own age, who are at the same point in the music business or just slightly ahead. Most established people don't have the time or inclination to build something from zero, they want something that will pay in prodigious amounts quickly. They've been there and done that, developed acts that succeeded but mostly failed. You need the passion of someone who is just starting out. In addition, that big theoretical button that can be pushed for success no longer exists.
BE A STUDENT OF THE GAME BUT DON'T BE CRIPPLED BY THE GAME
Every big story, every big break is unique. Just because someone made it one way doesn't mean you should try to replicate the formula.
YOUR BIG BREAK WILL BE A SERIES OF LITTLE BREAKS
If you ever have a big break...it's almost never what you think it will be. So if you're planning on a TV appearance or newspaper article to break you through...I'm not saying not to do it, but don't expect this to be the one thing that will put you over the top, especially today when you're competing with so many messages.
PERSEVERANCE
If you're not willing to starve, music is not the business for you. If you want to get married, have a house and children, you don't have the time nor the ability to barely survive, which are almost always key elements of the road to success. Don't think of music as a conventional job, it's more akin to a lottery. No one cares how much you practiced, they just care if your music resonates with them. Period. Stop telling people you've put in 10,000 hours. Never mind that it's 10,000 hours of hard work, which few are willing to do. As a guitarist are you willing to try and read music, constantly batting your head against the wall with difficult stuff to play? I'm not saying you need to read in order to succeed, but I am saying if the process isn't frustrating, if you don't feel like sometimes you're banging your head against the wall, if you don't contemplate giving up...then you're just not doing it right, you're not working hard enough. Sure, you might play in a bar band six nights a week, and you'll gain some skills, but not all the ones you need to be a star or even a journeyman playing your own material. If the process of making it is not frustrating to you...the joke is on you. Put yourself in uncomfortable situations. And you're flying without a net. The success of every musical act is different, as is the path they take to get there. You're building it from scratch, it's solely about you, someone might be able to give you some help but you are in the driver's seat.
DON'T BE SOUR GRAPES
The truth is the public is dying for great new music, and if they find it they tell everybody they know about it. Don't blame the public if they don't get what you're doing. Maybe it's too far out there or too ahead of the game, maybe if you stay at it the audience will catch up with you... But the dirty little secret is most people and their music is just not great. People don't spread the word on good music, they spread the word on great music!
YOU'RE ONLY IN COMPETITION WITH YOURSELF
No one is taking your slot, your lane is unique to you and unlimited. Think about what you're doing, about your audience, not what another act is doing. This is a business of uniqueness, that's what rises above the morass. Which is why Berklee students don't dominate the charts. Sure, learn how to play. But do you have a vision, can you create something unique?
INSPIRATION IS EVERYTHING
The idea trumps the ability to execute it. You don't have to be the best player in order to break through, but you do have to have the best idea. Look at the Ramones...they started a whole movement based on precepts that weren't even considered by those in power in the business.
MORE INSPIRATION
Sure, there are artists who build songs over time, but most of the great tunes were concocted very quickly, on instinct. If you live your life, exercise, take a shower, you'll be surprised when an idea comes to you...and then rush to your instrument and notepad, don't squander the inspiration, it comes rarely, stay in the zone and lay it down, it will feel like you're channeling something, like the song is writing itself. If you've never had this feeling, then either you're doing it wrong or haven't done it enough. This is the story of the majority of legendary hits. Period. Sure, there are hits that were made by committee, but the bolt of lightning, from the heavens into your brain and fingers...those are the ones that are special, that evidence humanity, that connect with people. Keep going until you have this experience...and you only have this experience when your chops are in order...so when the idea comes you can lay it down just that fast, maybe in an hour, maybe in only fifteen minutes.
That's where all the money and action is. If you just want to be a player...you're at the mercy of the band leader and studio work has dropped off dramatically. Today many songs are simple with one chord throughout. Don't be beholden to what is popular now, classic song structure always triumphs. "Yesterday" was not that different from what was popular decades before the Beatles had success. Hacks imitate, original writers triumph. This is something that has hobbled Nashville, when you write by committee you kill the bolt of inspiration of great work that pushes the envelope. And, when you write your own material, people resonate with your work that much more, they know you are speaking directly from your heart.
CREATE CONSTANTLY
You get better the more you do it. Ask anyone who has had success, in hindsight they laugh at their earlier work.
PRACTICE
Know the basics... Whether it be how to play your guitar or drums or... Or if you're a singer/lyricist, you should be reading all the time. Inspiration comes when you've got the tools down, when it's reflexive as opposed to intellectualized.
POST
Everything you do should be posted online on all platforms. Probably it will be ignored, but you never know what will resonate with the public. Don't self-censor. And failure is no longer the stain it once was. Stiffs are ignored and hits are recognized. In other words, no matter how big an act you are, if you misfire it's no longer held against you, the work is just forgotten... You can come back with better work later. This means you can experiment.
MARKETING & PROMOTION
Do none until you have a buzz, a reaction. Not only professionals, but average people are overloaded and will give you one chance, usually not more. But when something is happening, when you've got multiple streams/views, that means that someone likes what you are doing and that's what professionals are looking for, someone who is building their audience all by their lonesome.
CREATION VS. MARKETING & PROMOTION
Yes, you should be on TikTok, your music should not only be on all platforms you must create interesting videos to promote it. However, do not fall into the modern trap of spending most of your time marketing as opposed to creating and playing. There are millions of great marketers, there are not millions of great musicians. You have to lead with the music.
DON'T COMPLAIN
There's no upside. If you're not making any money that means that your music is not causing a reaction. Focus on the reaction...if that happens, you'll end up making money. History is littered with people who didn't give up their day jobs until after their album went gold...let this be a lesson to you.
DON'T WAIT TO BE RESCUED
If you're banking on finding a deep pocket, a label or an investor, you're doing it wrong. That's positively last century. You have all the tools in your pocket. Furthermore, oftentimes the label can't do anything but pay you, they have proven again and again in the past few years that they don't know how to break an act, and as a result of this they are focusing more and more on fewer genres, trying for moonshots. Labels are very much like movie studios in this way. As for an indie label... The truth is you are your own label, you've got to do it yourself. And if you have success you'll get so much more money from streaming. Beware of hucksters telling you they can help you out, they talk a good game but rarely deliver. And know that anyone who wants to get involved with you only will do so because they want to make money. If you're not generating cash, they're not interested. And the moment you stop generating cash, or never break through, their interests go elsewhere. This is capitalism, this is human nature... There is no music league akin to sports. Everybody starts their journey wet behind the ears and learns through the process, especially when they get screwed. Never give up your copyrights, however if you can't give a little to get a little, don't expect anybody to want to be in business with you.
PLAY IN YOUR GENRE
Don't study the hit parade and try to imitate it, play what's in your soul. You might have to create a market for it, but if it's great, people will find it. However the conundrum of the modern internet era is everything is available, there for the listening/taking, but it almost always takes longer than it did in the past to gain traction/critical mass. If you're even thinking of going to graduate school, don't even start as a professional musician. Now, more than ever, it takes eons to break through and it's not like in the past, where when you do riches pour down. You might just end up with a business that keeps you afloat at best, with enough fans to tour and support you. If you're getting into music to get rich, there are many other avenues with better odds, go down those paths.
INFLUENCES
Yes, you should know records, but you need to read and socialize and...you are your influences. Which is why the barely pubescent acts almost always flame out, they haven't had enough life experience, they might have a hit but they can't follow it up because they've got nothing to say.
PEFORMANCE IS A SKILL
You develop it over time. No one is great right out of the box. If your act depends on live appearances, play everywhere you can, even for free...you need the experience to get good. And you can close people with a live performance, although finding a place to play for an act without traction is not easy.
READ DON PASSMAN'S BOOK
It's much better than sitting around with wannabes providing false information on how the business works.
START WITH PEOPLE AT YOUR OWN LEVEL
Sure, some bigwig might come along and be interested in what you're doing and want to be in business with you, but you're best off being involved with young hustlers your own age, who are at the same point in the music business or just slightly ahead. Most established people don't have the time or inclination to build something from zero, they want something that will pay in prodigious amounts quickly. They've been there and done that, developed acts that succeeded but mostly failed. You need the passion of someone who is just starting out. In addition, that big theoretical button that can be pushed for success no longer exists.
BE A STUDENT OF THE GAME BUT DON'T BE CRIPPLED BY THE GAME
Every big story, every big break is unique. Just because someone made it one way doesn't mean you should try to replicate the formula.
YOUR BIG BREAK WILL BE A SERIES OF LITTLE BREAKS
If you ever have a big break...it's almost never what you think it will be. So if you're planning on a TV appearance or newspaper article to break you through...I'm not saying not to do it, but don't expect this to be the one thing that will put you over the top, especially today when you're competing with so many messages.
PERSEVERANCE
If you're not willing to starve, music is not the business for you. If you want to get married, have a house and children, you don't have the time nor the ability to barely survive, which are almost always key elements of the road to success. Don't think of music as a conventional job, it's more akin to a lottery. No one cares how much you practiced, they just care if your music resonates with them. Period. Stop telling people you've put in 10,000 hours. Never mind that it's 10,000 hours of hard work, which few are willing to do. As a guitarist are you willing to try and read music, constantly batting your head against the wall with difficult stuff to play? I'm not saying you need to read in order to succeed, but I am saying if the process isn't frustrating, if you don't feel like sometimes you're banging your head against the wall, if you don't contemplate giving up...then you're just not doing it right, you're not working hard enough. Sure, you might play in a bar band six nights a week, and you'll gain some skills, but not all the ones you need to be a star or even a journeyman playing your own material. If the process of making it is not frustrating to you...the joke is on you. Put yourself in uncomfortable situations. And you're flying without a net. The success of every musical act is different, as is the path they take to get there. You're building it from scratch, it's solely about you, someone might be able to give you some help but you are in the driver's seat.
DON'T BE SOUR GRAPES
The truth is the public is dying for great new music, and if they find it they tell everybody they know about it. Don't blame the public if they don't get what you're doing. Maybe it's too far out there or too ahead of the game, maybe if you stay at it the audience will catch up with you... But the dirty little secret is most people and their music is just not great. People don't spread the word on good music, they spread the word on great music!
YOU'RE ONLY IN COMPETITION WITH YOURSELF
No one is taking your slot, your lane is unique to you and unlimited. Think about what you're doing, about your audience, not what another act is doing. This is a business of uniqueness, that's what rises above the morass. Which is why Berklee students don't dominate the charts. Sure, learn how to play. But do you have a vision, can you create something unique?
INSPIRATION IS EVERYTHING
The idea trumps the ability to execute it. You don't have to be the best player in order to break through, but you do have to have the best idea. Look at the Ramones...they started a whole movement based on precepts that weren't even considered by those in power in the business.
MORE INSPIRATION
Sure, there are artists who build songs over time, but most of the great tunes were concocted very quickly, on instinct. If you live your life, exercise, take a shower, you'll be surprised when an idea comes to you...and then rush to your instrument and notepad, don't squander the inspiration, it comes rarely, stay in the zone and lay it down, it will feel like you're channeling something, like the song is writing itself. If you've never had this feeling, then either you're doing it wrong or haven't done it enough. This is the story of the majority of legendary hits. Period. Sure, there are hits that were made by committee, but the bolt of lightning, from the heavens into your brain and fingers...those are the ones that are special, that evidence humanity, that connect with people. Keep going until you have this experience...and you only have this experience when your chops are in order...so when the idea comes you can lay it down just that fast, maybe in an hour, maybe in only fifteen minutes.
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TikTok
The reason you go on TikTok is to get the pulse of the nation, to be informed of what people think.
This is where the oldster/mainstream media/anti-technology perspective gets it wrong. If you're not on your phone consistently, if you're not surfing TikTok, you don't know what the majority of the public is thinking, and therefore, how can you market to them?
We keep hearing about IRL. That one must put down the phone and interact with those around them. I've got no problem with in person relations, but we are not going back to the 1860s, or even the 1960s. To insist on real life only is like decrying the car and continuing to use your horse and buggy.
Think of music. How is it marketed today? Online!
Of course we had word of mouth previously, but music didn't spread as wide previously. But there are put-downs of TikTok and Spotify and...this is how most of the active consumers find out about music and consume it. This is what is driving the sale of tickets. Terrestrial radio comes last, if at all. Find a youngster who listens to terrestrial radio and I'll give you a nickel, and at the end of the day all the requests will be fulfilled by the cash in my wallet...and I'll still have money left over.
Social media is not the devil. And today's social media is not that of yesteryear's. It used to be one to one, now it's one to many. Furthermore, unlike Instagram, TikTok is not a bragging platform. As for influencers trying to sell you something... People are trying to sell you things all day long, you're bombarded by sales messages. And despite all the press, the number of straight ahead sold out influencers on TikTok is de minimis. The story is just amplified because some of these people make bank.
And when people make money online this way, they don't make music.
Trends start on TikTok. And if you don't know the trends...
TikTok is where creativity lives. Want to be inspired? Just go through some TikTok clips. It's a cornucopia of expression and ideas. With modern technology everybody has the ability to record themselves and post the result. This is what the smartphone has wrought. It's broadened the playing field, reduced the barrier to entry to nothing.
Also, unlike on competing platforms, you can get pushed into people's feeds without having a history of success. In other words, if what you do is good people will see it. This is the problem the music industry has, how do you expose people to new music, how do you break an act?
Of course not all music on TikTok is good. And sure, labels have injected money into TikTok successes to no result, but you've got to separate the wheat from the chaff, it's a skill you must develop.
And do you know what one of the main types of video on TikTok is? Confessional. Women especially speaking about their relationships. But most A&R people are men, and this doesn't square with either their lives or their history. You want to sign up new Joni Mitchells, you want to sign up women who fit Taylor Swift's adolescent confessional niche in country.
The other thing you'll find out on TikTok is your feed is different from another's. Demonstrating that we're all in our own silos. But those silos run deep. We are looking for expertise in these silos. An example would be Billy Strings, whose success is based on his ability to play, whose career in arenas is a result of internet exposure and word of mouth.
If you are concerned with marketing, you must take the pulse of the public constantly. This is one of the reasons the Democrats lost in 2024, they didn't know how the public thought. And Andrew Cuomo lost all that money on television ads during the mayoral campaign while Mamdani created online viral moments.
What are people thinking? What are they interested in? What keeps popping up again and again? If you don't know the answers to these questions, you can't relate to the public at large. Which is fine if you want to live in a bubble, but if you are selling anything...
A starting musician could surf TikTok to inform them what people are listening to, what succeeds. As for those artists sitting on the sideline, refusing to post on social media, the joke is on you.
Oldsters are now explaining their songs on TikTok. Todd Rundgren gave a lengthy explanation of "Hello It's Me." I bought both the Nazz album and "Something/Anything?" which contain that tune when those records came out, I've spoken with Todd multiple times, I still learned stuff.
Yes, that's one kind of video that works on TikTok. An explanation of your past, of your history. You used to have to rely on the press to do this, your PR person had to persuade outlets. Now you don't need a PR person, you can go directly to your fans and talk about whatever you want for as long as you care.
And newbies know that a TikTok clip must have internal value beyond the music. That this is a canvas to be creative. If you say you play music and that's it, if you don't come up with new ideas and how to express them visually, you're marketing yourself with one hand behind your back.
The precepts have changed. And when one rails against TikTok it's no different from those who railed against MP3s and then streaming. Where did the market go? Not back to physical media.
You can choose to live in a bubble, but if you want to know what is going on with the people, if you want to be exposed to and learn from unfiltered messages, unlike in the press, you need to spend a lot of time online, and right now the platform that is king is TikTok.
If I were a company marketing to people I would insist that my team watch TikTok for at least twenty minutes every day. This is no different from those who watched MTV during the eighties to be hip to what worked, what the outlet would play.
As for record companies, I'd tell them to hire more women, because women rule disproportionately online. Too many men who pooh-pooh feelings and intimacies, who are baked in the rock or rap of the past, have decision making power, and they've got it all wrong.
And mindless can work, but what resonates most on TikTok is knowledge and depth. Think about marketing to that.
The same people whose parents told them their music was for troglodytes have contempt for what the younger generations are into today. But Perry Como never came back.
I harp on this point, the need to utilize TikTok, because it's so important.
Also, you must be on for a while for the algorithm to figure out what to serve you. To go on for a few minutes and say you don't get it is a mistake. You must invest yourself, make a little effort, then the payoff will begin.
If you're too busy to be on TikTok you're too busy to market to the public. And that's fine. But if you're selling...
--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
--
Listen to the podcast:
-iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj
-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
--
http://www.twitter.com/lefsetz
--
If you would like to subscribe to the LefsetzLetter,
http://www.lefsetz.com/lists/?p=subscribe&id=1
If you do not want to receive any more LefsetzLetters, http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=unsubscribe&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25
To change your email address http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=preferences&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25
This is where the oldster/mainstream media/anti-technology perspective gets it wrong. If you're not on your phone consistently, if you're not surfing TikTok, you don't know what the majority of the public is thinking, and therefore, how can you market to them?
We keep hearing about IRL. That one must put down the phone and interact with those around them. I've got no problem with in person relations, but we are not going back to the 1860s, or even the 1960s. To insist on real life only is like decrying the car and continuing to use your horse and buggy.
Think of music. How is it marketed today? Online!
Of course we had word of mouth previously, but music didn't spread as wide previously. But there are put-downs of TikTok and Spotify and...this is how most of the active consumers find out about music and consume it. This is what is driving the sale of tickets. Terrestrial radio comes last, if at all. Find a youngster who listens to terrestrial radio and I'll give you a nickel, and at the end of the day all the requests will be fulfilled by the cash in my wallet...and I'll still have money left over.
Social media is not the devil. And today's social media is not that of yesteryear's. It used to be one to one, now it's one to many. Furthermore, unlike Instagram, TikTok is not a bragging platform. As for influencers trying to sell you something... People are trying to sell you things all day long, you're bombarded by sales messages. And despite all the press, the number of straight ahead sold out influencers on TikTok is de minimis. The story is just amplified because some of these people make bank.
And when people make money online this way, they don't make music.
Trends start on TikTok. And if you don't know the trends...
TikTok is where creativity lives. Want to be inspired? Just go through some TikTok clips. It's a cornucopia of expression and ideas. With modern technology everybody has the ability to record themselves and post the result. This is what the smartphone has wrought. It's broadened the playing field, reduced the barrier to entry to nothing.
Also, unlike on competing platforms, you can get pushed into people's feeds without having a history of success. In other words, if what you do is good people will see it. This is the problem the music industry has, how do you expose people to new music, how do you break an act?
Of course not all music on TikTok is good. And sure, labels have injected money into TikTok successes to no result, but you've got to separate the wheat from the chaff, it's a skill you must develop.
And do you know what one of the main types of video on TikTok is? Confessional. Women especially speaking about their relationships. But most A&R people are men, and this doesn't square with either their lives or their history. You want to sign up new Joni Mitchells, you want to sign up women who fit Taylor Swift's adolescent confessional niche in country.
The other thing you'll find out on TikTok is your feed is different from another's. Demonstrating that we're all in our own silos. But those silos run deep. We are looking for expertise in these silos. An example would be Billy Strings, whose success is based on his ability to play, whose career in arenas is a result of internet exposure and word of mouth.
If you are concerned with marketing, you must take the pulse of the public constantly. This is one of the reasons the Democrats lost in 2024, they didn't know how the public thought. And Andrew Cuomo lost all that money on television ads during the mayoral campaign while Mamdani created online viral moments.
What are people thinking? What are they interested in? What keeps popping up again and again? If you don't know the answers to these questions, you can't relate to the public at large. Which is fine if you want to live in a bubble, but if you are selling anything...
A starting musician could surf TikTok to inform them what people are listening to, what succeeds. As for those artists sitting on the sideline, refusing to post on social media, the joke is on you.
Oldsters are now explaining their songs on TikTok. Todd Rundgren gave a lengthy explanation of "Hello It's Me." I bought both the Nazz album and "Something/Anything?" which contain that tune when those records came out, I've spoken with Todd multiple times, I still learned stuff.
Yes, that's one kind of video that works on TikTok. An explanation of your past, of your history. You used to have to rely on the press to do this, your PR person had to persuade outlets. Now you don't need a PR person, you can go directly to your fans and talk about whatever you want for as long as you care.
And newbies know that a TikTok clip must have internal value beyond the music. That this is a canvas to be creative. If you say you play music and that's it, if you don't come up with new ideas and how to express them visually, you're marketing yourself with one hand behind your back.
The precepts have changed. And when one rails against TikTok it's no different from those who railed against MP3s and then streaming. Where did the market go? Not back to physical media.
You can choose to live in a bubble, but if you want to know what is going on with the people, if you want to be exposed to and learn from unfiltered messages, unlike in the press, you need to spend a lot of time online, and right now the platform that is king is TikTok.
If I were a company marketing to people I would insist that my team watch TikTok for at least twenty minutes every day. This is no different from those who watched MTV during the eighties to be hip to what worked, what the outlet would play.
As for record companies, I'd tell them to hire more women, because women rule disproportionately online. Too many men who pooh-pooh feelings and intimacies, who are baked in the rock or rap of the past, have decision making power, and they've got it all wrong.
And mindless can work, but what resonates most on TikTok is knowledge and depth. Think about marketing to that.
The same people whose parents told them their music was for troglodytes have contempt for what the younger generations are into today. But Perry Como never came back.
I harp on this point, the need to utilize TikTok, because it's so important.
Also, you must be on for a while for the algorithm to figure out what to serve you. To go on for a few minutes and say you don't get it is a mistake. You must invest yourself, make a little effort, then the payoff will begin.
If you're too busy to be on TikTok you're too busy to market to the public. And that's fine. But if you're selling...
--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
--
Listen to the podcast:
-iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj
-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
--
http://www.twitter.com/lefsetz
--
If you would like to subscribe to the LefsetzLetter,
http://www.lefsetz.com/lists/?p=subscribe&id=1
If you do not want to receive any more LefsetzLetters, http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=unsubscribe&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25
To change your email address http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=preferences&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25
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