Mailbag-Willie Nile & More

From: Lincoln Myerson Subject: Re: Re-Willie Nile Hey Bob- I’m late to your post on Willie. (I blame the international timeline despite being a day ahead of you here in New Zealand but I digress) I thought I’d share my anecdote nonetheless.  You might enjoy it.  I brought Willie to McCabe’s for the first time in 2006 or 2007. I’d  been a fan since the mid 80s when, while working at the old Rhino record store on Westwood, I got hipped to that first Arista record of his.  Cut to 2006 and I’m at my first SXSW as the new booker for McCabe’s. I’d seen Willie at a daytime party and loved what he was doing and after the show tried to get him to play McCabe’s. He wasn’t so sure. Didn’t really get out to the West Coast that much yada yada.  I gave him my card and left it at that.  The next day I went to see a Ray Davies interview/Q&A at the convention center. Turns out about 5000 people had the same idea and the line stretched out around the block. I gave up on that and started heading out when I heard “Pssst! Hey McCabe’s” and then, slyly… “cuts?” Willie and I were the last two admitted before they cut off the line.  10 minutes of us fanboying over the Kinks while in line and the dye was cast. Willie was at McCabe’s later that year.  A real rock n roll lifer.  And gem of a human being.  A goofy side note- my father was a TV and film director.  He directed Private Lessons which features a Willie track on the end credits.  Take care Bob. Until the next time, Lincoln __________________________________ From: Meg Griffin Subject: Re: Re-Willie Nile My True Friend in RocknRoll!  The unstoppable Willie Nile! __________________________________ Subject: Re: Re-Willie Nile Back in 2013 and we had tickets for Ian Hunter at the City Winery, flying in from Oklahoma. There was a blizzard arriving the same time we were so we changed our flight to a day earlier. We decided to see what was happening at the winery. The scheduled band couldn't make it as the snow was coming down heavily. So, I guess they called up Willie who made the short trip from his home and did a hell of a solo show. We had the window view of the beautiful snow falling and Willie Nile singing his beautiful song "The Crossing" at the piano. It was magical memory.  Steve Walker Tulsa __________________________________ From: Steve Martin Subject: Re: Re-Willie Nile   Hi Bob, I so glad you saw Willie at McCabes and slightly surprised he hadn’t come across your radar earlier.  I first saw Willie in Central Park in 1980.  The Arista album had come out,with quite a buzz.  And he killed that night.   He was —and still is- one of the best live artists,ever.   I’ve seen him countless times over the years & he has never disappointed.   He’s a truly gifted songwriter,dynamic performer & a true gentleman.   Glad you gave him a spotlight.    Write on, my friend.   Best, Steve #UAP __________________________________ Subject: Re: Re-Willie Nile I saw Willie Nile at the Bottom Line when the first album came out.  The record label did not know how to promote him and the record got lost.  I moved on to other artists until 2006 when Streets of New York came out.  Simply a fantastic album and one of my five favorites of this century.. I saw him at Joe’s Pub two weeks ago.  It was the first time I had seen him since I saw him at City Winery several years ago.  At that show Congressman Joe Crowley, who lost in a primary to AOC a year later, came out to sing with him on “One Guitar”. The show at Joe’s pub was solo and was terrific.  Interesting thing was he knew half the audience and was calling people out by name.   He truly is a NYC treasure and deserves as much recognition as possible. Adam Gerstein __________________________________ Subject: Re: Re-Willie Nile Worked as an Arista label mgr at EMI Sweden, when the 1st Willie Nile album surfaced on my desk. Loved the first listen and still love it hasse breitholtz __________________________________ Subject: Re: Re-Willie Nile I had the privilege of seeing Willie a few years ago at the Grammy Museum in L.A. Great show and talk back. Been a huge Willie guy since the early NYC days. Seems he was always playing the Bottom Line, Max’s Kansas City, etc. He still rocks and is 100% the real deal. He should give seminars to the current crop of rock artists to show ‘em how it’s done with integrity and courage. All the best, Larry Laffer Malibu, CA __________________________________ From: Michael Leonard Subject: Re: Re-Willie Nile Thanks for this heads up on Willie, whom I most definitely never heard of until now. Sadly. I know you said not to run to Spotify to check out his albums but that advice i decided to ignore. Thankfully.  Goddamn there’s some certified BANGERS on his last several albums! “The Great Yellow Light”, “The Day the Earth Stood Still” and “New York at Night” all burst with such vital old school rockin energy. Willie and his band would most definitely fit along side a playlist or concert with the Black Crowes, Whiskey Myers, Blackberry Smoke or the Stones.  His lyrics didn’t loose any bite at all with his band - including a new favorite of mine, a duet with Steve Earle, “Wake Up America”.  Not only bites, it’s a kick in the teeth.  Wake up America Rise and shine The sun’s going down And it’s all on the line Wake up America Red, white and blue You used to be great What happened to you? … Wake up America Land of the free Are you everything That you say you want to be? Thanks Bob. Here’s hoping Willie has got the same longevity as is Pop!  Michael Leonard, Portland Maine. __________________________________ Subject: Re: Re-Willie Nile For the Streets Of New York album, Willie came to play for the staff at the SonyBMG branch office. As awkward as office performances can be, he was utterly amazing and blew the team sway. Afterwards, Willie couldn’t have been kinder to everyone (even me, a lowly college rep at the time). Became a fan for life.  The standout track for me on that album is “Cellphones Ringing In The Pockets Of The Dead” (which stemmed from the bombings at the train station in Madrid, Spain). When I visited the station a few years after that performance, that song was in my head & further drove home the impact of his writing. A surreal & powerful moment, which is what great art (like Willie’s) should make you feel.  Later had the pleasure of booking Willie & Johnny Pisano for a private late-night party during Folk Alliance (you remember the setup - artists play 30 minute sets in hotel rooms while conference attendees watch). Will never forget watching Willie sing & jump on the bed in the room - no one was having a better time that night than him! Mike Fordham __________________________________ Subject: Re: Re-Willie Nile Bob, This was shared with me by someone who knows I’m a fan and friend of Willie Nile You captured how I feel perfectly.  I little more than dozen years ago, I was dragged by my father-in-law, with my wife and two young daughters, to a small venue in the DC suburbs. My father-in-law had been been following Willie for decades and had asked enough times that we couldn’t say no. We should have listened sooner.  He had his full band and they rocked. His base player, Johnny Pizano is a talent. They, especially Willie brought magic. My then 8 year old ended up on stage for his closing anthem, One Guitar. We have been a fans since.  We’ve probably seen him play 20+ times in a half dozen venues. Mostly with his band but also solo. You are spot on… We have had him to play two (business) client events and done two unplugged shows for close friends in our home  We had our kids’ talented piano teacher join for a few songs. Very cool to watch musicians who haven’t played together figure it out. Clip attached.  I think some of his songs could be perfect in a movie soundtrack.  I imagine you know he is a musician’s musician, with relationships with many big names. Springsteen has jumped on stage at multiple Willie Nile shows- lots on YouTube. I would think a shout out from a big name or two could give Willie a nice boost. Maybe if he was invited on stage on a tour to play one of his songs like One Guitar with a superstar… Separate from his talent, he is a special human being. I’m not in the music business. I have this idea that one break could help him catch fire and maybe get him into an elevator building… Long way of saying, I appreciate what you wrote. If you find yourself in DC when Wille is here, feel free to reach out and join us for a show. For that matter, we have and will travel if the logistics work.  Best regards, Peter Glassman __________________________________ Subject: Re: Re-Willie Nile Thanks Bob A long overdue tribute.  I’ve seen Willie three times in London, both with the band, electric and also on his own ( maybe plus 1?), acoustic.  He is criminally underrated and plays clubs here so small I doubt he can pay his hotel bill! He has some fab songs of his own and his Dylan covers album is a gem.  Love him!    Adam AB Pollock __________________________________ From: Jason Cilo Subject: Re: Re-Willie Nile Just think, with those genes, Willie's got another THIRTY YEARS to rock! __________________________________ From: nancy barnum Subject: Herb Alpert….the 91 year old we all aspire to be Hi Bob, Thanks to your review of Herb Alpert some months back, I was motivated to see if his tour would be coming nearby and sure enough, he had a date in Rochester NY, a mere 90 minutes away. The show was 5 days ago and I am STILL euphoric over the musicianship, the memories and the fact a 91 year old guy can still blow with the best of them!   I don’t remember how much I paid for the tickets but it was a bargain at any price! I see by your mailbag he’s talking about a European tour next year…that would absolutely be a show worth dealing with the inconveniences of traveling to experience again. Thank you for keeping us all informed and thinking…about music, books, cinema, television and the current political hellscape.   All the best, Nancy Barnum __________________________________ From: John-Angus MacDonald Subject: Jack Douglas Hey Bob! Jack was the best. We hired him to produce our second album, Den of Thieves, back in 2005. We were still a pretty young band at the time — I was only 24 when we made that album — but Jack was a great guide in the studio. He loved to tell stories and have a laugh, but he was also able to crack the whip and keep us on task. And the record turned out great. It was a big hit for us in Canada. We hired him because we loved the work he did on Aerosmith’s 2004 album, Honkin’ on Bobo. Put on that opening track, Road Runner, again — if it doesn’t have you grinning ear to ear and bopping along, you haven’t got a pulse! He went on a good run after that record, doing our record next, followed by the New York Dolls comeback record, One Day It Will Please Us to Remember Even This, which is also a damn good record — easily their second best after the debut, which he also had a huge hand in making. What a legend of a man he was. I really enjoyed the interview you did with him for your podcast a few years back. Another great one gone. May he rest in peace. ~ John-Angus MacDonald (The Trews) __________________________________ From: Chip Dorsch Subject: Harry Styles in Amsterdam I’m here in the 2nd weekend. Anyone bitching about the stage / view is only here for instagram, or I bet if we dig they bitch about everything on twitter or whatever it’s called. Somehow, and it’s beyond my comprehension, but the silent majority is louder. There is truly nothing to complain about with this show. There are accommodations for everyone. Gender neutral bathrooms. Everything. Air conditioning (we all take it for granted!) and even f*cking ice (when requested). Champagne problems but you get the point, if my lil issues are being accommodated, just imagine how they are treating this with actual needs. With kindness. It’s not just a lyric, it’s a business strategy. I don’t understand why we all don’t follow it. Money is awesome. But can we all just f*cking chill out and make it at least SECOND to kindness!?!  If you’re reading this, you’re either a real music head, a kid rock fan who’s here to troll bob or probably rich - and if not, you’re much more comfortable than basic needs. His band is multi-racial, mostly women and has a keys player in a f*cking wheelchair. And the story is the stage got in my way?!?  F*ck off!  Harry runs a marathon+ a night. The marathons we’ve read about online are just him warming up. He runs more during a show than most of us do in a lifetime to make sure everyone feels connected and seen…and spends an unusual but appreciated amount of his time on stage expressing his gratitude. Even when singing it, it’s often with direct eye contact. These complainers clearly see the bridges of his stage as a barrier. And anyone amplifying it as a story is part of the problem and missing the f*cking point. Can we all stop amplifying hateful sh*t and take a f*cking second to look for the meaning?!? Full disclose:  Card carrying homo here. He’s f*cking gorgeous. Even my straight male friends can acknowledge that. Also, I’m not a Harry fan girl or whatever they’re called. I’m a music manager with real industry perspective who chose to spend my own money and Memorial Day weekend seeing 2 shows. I have to ask all of your readers… WHAT CAN WE LEARN FROM THIS???   Chip Dorsch, Red Light Management __________________________________ From: Amanda Palmer Re: AI Protests Hey Bob -  So so right on about this one. Just yesterday my mgmt team had to reach out to Spotify to get some horrific AI slop animation video taken down as the background for all the songs on the The Dresden Dolls 2006 record we are about to re-release. It looked horrible and wasn’t there even a few weeks ago. Why? Who knows who put it there....and what they were thinking? For sure: the band wasn’t consulted. I was pissed. It wasn't about the AI so much as the lack of agency, control. We're a band who tried so hard to exercise artistic control and there's our beloved logo, which held a lot of emotional meaning and was deliberately made to read hand-drawn (it was, my me, in a tour bus in 2005)....there it was, looking like a badly animated spinning AI joke. This really struck me, what you said, re: the molotov cocktail:  "People only react when it affects them directly. People feel their futures are bleak, and that's what they're reacting to." I have been reflecting lately on the times I've been personally caught in the crossfire of a cultural moment - more than I can count now - and this sentiment seems to be the big common denominator.  My infamous 2012 Kickstarter kerfuffle (when people got on my case about a tour in which I asked my fans to bring their instruments and play on stage with my touring band in exchange for tickets and merch and glory) did not happen in a vacuum.  It happened RIGHT at a time when young gigging musicians were facing the aftershocks of the 2008 recession. If you'd just spent serious dough on a music education and you were trying to bust into the music profession in 2012, getting a gig was looking increasingly bleak. There was nobody to directly be pissed at; the conditions just sucked at that moment. And along comes this lady (hi) who had just optically made a million on Kickstarter (even though it all went to pay for the project and the goods, etc) looking for - on the surface - unpaid labor. You just graduated Juilliard or Berklee, you can't find a paid gig, and there's nobody to yell at and then you see someone like me asking for volunteers. Whether or not the gun was badly aimed at me. I get it: how tone deaf it must have felt to other musicians; I really do. I wasn’t looking for unpaid labor, really, I was just hoping to do what we’d always done as a scrappy punk band, which was to get the local community involved as much as possible…I had a paid crew and a paid touring band, etc.  But the optics…the optics were that I was a gazillionaire getting unpaid labor using my beguiling witchy grifter ways.  I think about this a lot with the AI....the collision could not be coming at a worse time.  The internet was supposed to make things FAIR. It was gonna educate everybody, help everybody, make everything accessible. Revolutions against governments happened on twitter. It would be great, it would flatten the artistic playing field. It didn’t happen. We all clicked "I agree to the terms and conditions" having no idea what we were selling off to platforms that seemed utopian. There were no ads on early twitter. NONE. For YEARS. We didn't think about how the bill would come due. Then....the money didn’t flow into the middle, it flowed straight to the top. This is exactly what I was hoping we would all avoid, post-Napster. I was hoping the people would all move to more of a middle class economy for artists, a meritocracy based on artistic have and need, from the avant-garde to the pop world...some utopian global street-theater mindset, imagining consumers sharing their small disposable incomes via the internet. I imagined the common person putting money down on the various artists they enjoyed and discovered, from the large to the little local ones....all in direct proportion.  No way. Spotify and the streaming giants have squashed that possibility.  There were missed opportunities for sure. We could have done what the publishing industry did, what the movie industry did, and locked things up, hard, and early. We didn't. I put my hand up as one of the responsible ones, here. Trent Reznor and Bono both came and grumbled at me that I was ruining the ecosystem by espusing a "just give it away, and ask" approach, and I pooh-pooh'ed them as old-school dudes who didn't understand that the genie couldn't be put back in the bottle. But they were kinda right: my TED talk (my defense of Kickstarter, and of "giving things away, then asking for help, do the grand trust fall! The net will appear!") was missing one main key factor: not only does the audience has to be on board.... so do the corporations,and more importantly: the monetizing internet itself has to play the game, and it didn't. HOW was I giving my music away? YouTube. Twitter. Somewhere, somewhere, some company was hosting and distributing my "free" content and waiting to strike, then frack.  The bill has come due. There was Flattr, for a while, created by Peter Sunde from The Pirate Bay (he wound up doing jail time), which would have distributed the download/subscription wealth among all creators in a way that Spotify doesn’t, but it sank due to lack of critical mass. Not enough people got on board to float it. And then there’s this handful of hyper-social ADHD artists like me willing to be super-interactive and present, ready to basically run a community center and an open-kimono art workshop in a bid to get people to support the whole life of an artist directly, and hey, I’m doing great, I have 25,000 patrons paying $5-$750 a month and I make a solid salary and pay my team well.  But it isn’t alway replicable. Most musicians and songwriters I know can't organize their way out of a paper bag.....nor should they. THEY'RE ARTISTS. And I spend way more of my time running a small company than I do making songs and art. Wah wah, you say, poor rich artist. But it's true: running a full time crowdfund takes a ton of attention, time, energy, and money...it's not for everyone.  This gets us back to the AI & the moment; it’s about the health of the existing arts economy NOW. It blows. Arts funding is getting slashed everywhere, at the city, state and federal levels. Young artists I talk to don't understand the idea of not wanting a brand endorsement as an amazing thing, a golden ring. My 90s DIY self dies a million deaths when I hear them talk about where their dough is gonna come from.  But you're right, in a nutshell: it’s a mess, corporations rule, people know, and people are PISSED. They feel powerless. Artists feel powerless and so do the ordinary people who love listening to music. Nobody feels like they can control their reality. It feels so hard to get away from the corporate tithe.  AI may not - in retrospect, like twenty years from now - wind up being as satanic as people are currently making it out to be (though I think it’s pretty satanic and meanwhile we are totally missing the mark on where to put the guardrails), but for the moment, for sure, it’s the perfect target for all this caged rage that has nowhere else to aim itself.  Amanda Palmer The Dresden Dolls p.s. This is also where I plug subvert.fm, where a lot of my musician/songwriter friends are currently trying to point people as an alternative to this sh*tshow. If I can make one small change in this industry, maybe we can all put our attention there, place our bets, and make a change for the better. -- 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