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. 

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

This is why I live in Nashville 🙂 “Music City” is not a marketing term, it’s a specification.

Craig Anderton

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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/

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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Andy Cohen’s powder blue puffer jacket was the true star of the CNN show. Nicole Skyer, New Jersey

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

The one and only!

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/herb-alpert/id1316200737?i=1000743409644

https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/9ff4fb19-54d4-41ae-ae7a-8a6f8d3dafa8/episodes/22e3678f-d81f-48c1-86f5-4e3895b73cad/the-bob-lefsetz-podcast-herb-alpert