“Southwest Will Begin Charging for Checked Bags, Ending a Popular Policy”

https://shorturl.at/YO6Ob

I believe in Southwest Airlines.

I think it’s the irreverence that hooked me. The flight attendants who pick up the intercom with attitude, who make jokes, like regular people. You see more of that in advertising these days, what works is the vernacular, with a sense of humor. But on most airlines… Everything is deadly serious, and the flight attendants are working reluctantly. You go into the back and ask for something, anything, and they roll their eyes and…

Not on Southwest.

And I like that it’s egalitarian. That we’re all in it together. That there’s no first class. You line up and you get on. And if you’re willing to pay a small fee you can get closer to the front of the line so you can get a seat that will satisfy you. I’ve always gotten a seat on the aisle, which is what I am looking for.

But in the past couple of years…

People have started to break the rules. There’s an endless parade of pre-borders. Handicapped, with children…but they’re walking no problem and the kids are old. That sucks, I’m paying for early access, why can’t they?

And then there’s the saving of seats. Which is a no-no. One person pays the additional fee for being closer to the front of the line and then saves seats for people who are at the back of the line.

What is it? What changed in America? When did everybody become so cheap, when did everybody become so myopic, not caring about others?

That’s one thing I used to like about Southwest, the feeling of congeniality.

As for the other airlines… They upsell you on everything. And you’ve got to worry about bin space, because everybody is trying to save money by not checking their bags. And I know, I know, if you carry on you can get off and walk away without waiting at the conveyor belt, but you should see what people bring on!

Which is why I love Southwest, because bags fly free, and more people check theirs. Even the baggage attendants are nice at Southwest, they’re on the curb, taking your bags, you don’t have to schlep them inside.

But then they changed the policy. Assigned seats. I don’t like it, but since people were abusing the system I understood it.

But today Southwest said they would start charging for bags.

Now the people who actually run the airline are against this, they researched the issue:

“Executives cited an analysis by a consulting firm that determined bag charges would bring in at most $1.5 billion in revenue a year, but cost the airline $1.8 billion in lost market share. Free bags ranked just behind price and schedule among the top reasons travelers pick Southwest, executives said then.”

https://www.wsj.com/business/airlines/southwest-airlines-bag-policy-charge-basic-economy-9549218e?mod=Searchresults_pos1&page=1

But activist investors Elliott Investment Management wanted to make more money, they got seats on the board and forced the executives to change the no-bags policy.

Ain’t that America. Shortsightedness by people only considering the bottom line.

But in this case it’s worse, because they destroyed brand equity overnight!

If Southwest flew there, I took it. Not anymore. F*ck them. I’ll do my best to take another airline. Southwest eviscerated what was special about it and I’m PISSED!

Let’s be clear, this is not Ticketmaster, the public has options. Rarely is Southwest the only airline available.

Now they could reverse this no-bags policy before it starts in May, but I doubt it.

This is like Jimmy Page joining the Carpenters. Who could respect him after that?

Then again, music is just like Wall Street today. If it grosses big, it’s good. Where in the hell did they write that? If I read one more word about Ariana Grande… She’s got a new album…a good voice for nincompoops. This is not artistry, this is commerce!

But what we hear from the industry is this is what everybody else is doing. Whereas those who are doing it differently are the ones with the hard core fans. They may not be in the Spotify Top 50, but they never have to worry about their career tanking, as long as they continue to be true to themselves. Case in point, Phish. I get more e-mail about that band than any other extant, and believe me they aren’t the biggest in the world, but they’ve got passionate fans! Who can’t stop spreading the word.

I used to be a passionate fan of Southwest Airlines. I always talked it up.

But it turns out Southwest Airlines doesn’t care about me, didn’t even think of me, my experience.

You’re nothing without your customers. This is what bugs me about corporate titans, they think they’re responsible for all the success. But without people buying the product or service, there is no business.

You take what makes you unique, an outlier, that bonds people to you, and then you slice it off overnight?

Some twenty year old with a spreadsheet probably told you to do this. You hired McKinsey, which employs recent college graduates to tell you what to do, how insane is that? Just like the twentysomethings running DOGE. Experience has no value to these people, numbers rule everything. They’ve got no feel for the business.

Which is why they destroy it. Private equity blows up companies on a regular basis, can you say Toys “R” Us?

But they bleed them dry before they do it, getting their investment back.

And all the people manning the aisles?

They’re SOL. They’ve put in years of work and now they’ve got nothing.

Southwest is laying off people after they said they wouldn’t. This is like a spouse saying they’ll never file for divorce and then doing same. Talk about undercutting trust… (And that happened to me!)

We live in a bottom line nation. That’s what DOGE is all about. Screw the people, just make the numbers work, so a certain set of people can pay less taxes. As for the rest of us, F*CK YOU!

But homey don’t play that no more. There comes a point where people have had enough and react.

Southwest, I’M DONE!

Great thread on Molly Hatchet. This was the first success I had as a marketing executive at Epic in 1978. Working with Werman and Charne helped me learn how to develop plans to introduce new bands to the consumer. The Frazetta cover was introduced to me by Paula Scher in the CBS Records art department. As Charne said, one look at that artwork screamed “buy me!”. This was southern music at its best; gritty, badass and said “grab a bottle of Jack and drink it from the bottle” which Danny Joe did every night. Unfortunately he was a diabetic and eventually succumbed to his diseases. The first two albums were as good a Southern rock album as you could find in the late 70’s and early 80’s. Unfortunately DJB and the boys didn’t get along when they tasted fame and they were never able to regain that moment. Werman was a genius and brought out the best in them.

Larry Stessel

_______________________________________

I was transferred to KC from buffalo after just 6months ,when Atlantic had cutbacks. I had just arrived and my first show to cover was Blackfoot (on Atco), opening for Molly Hatchet. Just before Blackfoot was to go on Danny Joe was taken away by officers for what we were told was Tax violations. Rather than cancel show the rest of the band joined Blackfoot to open the show as Black Hatchet or Molly Foot. Blackfoot then became headliner. Was a awesome show. Thats when a smartphone would have been nice. Amazing memory from my time in KC and thanks to Sean Coakley for

helping the new guy stay calm and collected

Be Well Bob

Jeff Appleton

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I remember being a freshman at Rockhurst Highschool in ’78. We had a talent show. I went to watch. It was the first time I had ever seen people playing music on a stage. I was 14 and hadn’t been to my first concert, but I loved music. Loved all kinds. Matter of fact, a year later when I moved to Seattle, I got beat up because I liked Earth Wind &. Fire. Anyhow, this band played Dreams. And I mean they played all 7 minutes of it! Fast forward to sophomore year in Seattle and my neighbor and I were waiting on the bus stop by a grocery store that carried records. I remember that album cover and knew I had to have it. Little did I know, he grabbed it and stuffed it in his bag with a half dozen others. Sadly, I sold my collection when I was homeless in LA and needed cash to survive. Oh well…. Rock and roll.

David George

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Ditto and kudos for the Molly Hatchet write-up. I used to surprise people as a heavy metal magazine editor when I’d tell people my favorite style of music was Southern Rock when asked.

I loved me some Blackfoot, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Molly Hatchet, and .38 Special (if I had to rank them in order).

Those album covers by Frank Frazetta were SO metal. I also got a huge chuckle, charge, and gasp of respect when seeing the Molly Hatchet and Blackfoot t-shirts on sale in the

Gulf Coast Coliseum in Biloxi, MS, in the summer of ‘82. On the back of each band’s shirt (I think) was emblazoned, 1982-1987 TOUR.

Talk about road dogs.

And I wish I could say thanks to that music buyer/salesman in that mall record store in Montgomery, AL, who introduced me to the Tygers of Pan Tang and other NWOBHM bands back in ‘81. People who knew their stuff and stayed appraised of multiple rock scenes were invaluable to our lives.

—Doug Van Pelt

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Hi Bob. Great article on Molly Hatchet and what a pleasant surprise! Speaking of pleasant surprises, in 1978 I went to see REO with UFO as the opening act in my hometown of Erie PA. Days before the show, they added Molly Hatchet as the opening act. Of course we all groaned since it would lengthen the show. They blew the crowd away!  I have seen close to a 1000 concerts in my life and few really leaving a lasting memory but that one did!

Gary Sender

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I did national radio promotion for all the Epic Molly releases. One of many highlights was a live  national radio broadcast from Louisville. Somewhere in the past I was driving back from Philadelphia to NYC and got detoured thru some back roads and saw a sign on a club that said Molly Hatchet  Tonight.  I stopped went into the club and found the dressing room-there were a bunch of guys and i asked where Molly Hatchet’s dressing room was-they said -you’re in it we are Molly Hatchet. Not one original member! Thanks for the thrills and ride Pat Armstrong,Larry Stessel and Tom Werman!

Harvey Leeds

How much money did you lose today?

Now if you’re a young ‘un, who believes they’ll be healthy until the day they die, working all the while, there’s no need to prepare for the future. But if you’re a boomer, living on a fixed income.

You had to own stocks just to keep up with inflation.

So…

That’s the story of the day, how the market crashed. In the wake of Trump hinting at a recession. And in today’s print edition, the “Wall Street Journal” had an article whose headline says it all:

“Are Stocks a Sure Thing Over the Long Term? Not Necessarily – While it doesn’t occur frequently, U.S. stocks, as well as international markets, have produced losses over 10- and 20-year periods, research shows”

https://www.wsj.com/finance/stocks/stocks-long-term-investment-risks-873723c1

Are you anxious yet?

They’re coming for you next. Whether they’re going to fire you, cut your Medicaid, remove support for your research…

But today they reached Elon Musk. And he is FREAKING OUT!

Why?

BECAUSE OF THE MONEY!

The best article I saw on this was in “Rolling Stone”:

“Musk Melts Down as Tesla Stock Price Plunges – The electric vehicle company has become a toxic brand as its CEO wreaks havoc in Washington”

https://apple.news/AVUSDPFCDRYadaxWUhQAsvg

That’s behind a paywall, but if you subscribe to Apple News+ you can read it. You may think the internet is still free, but if you want to know what is going on you have to pay. And information is the key to knowledge and success. The more sources you’ve got, the better you can divine the truth.

So…

Tesla stock went down 15% today.

So it must be Reid Hoffman’s fault. Who Elon is accusing of hanging on Epstein’s island in response.

Or else it’s George Soros, the right wing bogeyman, he’s behind all this anti-Tesla activity. It was all funded via ActBlue, which in truth doesn’t fund anything at all!

And to combat the negative press, Musk is retweeting the comments of Laura Loomer. Talk about credibility!

It shouldn’t be a big surprise, if you know anything about people and business.

Brands have equity. And Musk has completely undercut Tesla’s. He made a cool brand toxic overnight. And this ain’t Bud Light, cars are expensive, good luck getting his bros on X to buy one.

History is littered with brands that were kings until a faux pas. Hell, it even killed the career of Billy Squier. You maintain and nurture your brand equity, it is everything.

BUT NOT TO ELON!

Oh, you’re a believer in Elon?

You should read this piece in the “Times”: 

“Musk’s Tweet-Fueled Bubble May Be About to Burst”

Here’s the money shot:

“The high-wire act goes something like this: Dream up a business so ambitious that any setback is trivial and every accomplishment heroic. Identify yourself as the manic genius behind this ambitious business in order to personally capitalize on outsize returns from excited investors. Enlist social media to cement your iconic status, keeping your believers so enthusiastic that their fervor beats back any skeptics who dare to bet against your ventures, even as you pitch more and more fantastical ideas. At this point you hit the flywheel: Other investors, searching for outsize returns, flock to the shares of your other companies, pushing their valuations ever higher, thus fortifying your wealth and burnishing your reputation as a business mastermind.”

Everyone bought the myth. But is it built on a foundation of sand?

Musk’s bona fides are bedrock amongst the bros. He’s an icon, they tell me this every day in a slew of e-mails.

But Richard Nixon still had supporters when he was impeached.

And today, Elon resembles no one so much as Nixon, in that he’s PARANOID!

Elon believes they’re out to get him and none of it is his fault. Which is hilarious if you think about it.

Now let’s be clear, we can’t credit Musk’s freak-out to the Democrats. No article pissed me off today as much as this one:

“Democrats Voice Regret on Scattered Responses to Trump’s Speech – Progressive and moderate Democrats criticized a protest by Representative Al Green as a distraction, and the party leadership tried to refocus attention on economic issues.”

The Republicans don’t do this. Marjorie Taylor Geene and Lauren Boebert are literally looney-tunes, but are they censured by their right wing compatriots? OF COURSE NOT!

Don’t these Democratic bozos know we like that Al Green had a backbone and stood up against the inanities spewed by Trump? It was all a circus, Green was acting appropriately.

But in the circular firing squad known as the Democrats, he undercut their message. Which is exactly what?

I saw a great clip by Chelsea Fagan on TikTok today.

WHO?

I had no idea, but she was served up by the algorithm and she nailed it:

@faganchelsea

Anyway it’s on sight with about 85% of national Dems

? original sound – faganchelsea

The elected Democrats are paying us lip service, but they really don’t care about us, the working people, the hoi polloi. Everybody knows this, but nobody in the party will say it.

So what happens now?

If you search on Tesla in the Google News you’ll be confronted with a plethora of negative stories. Ditto in Apple News+.

Once again, if we’re depending on the media for change, we’re going to wait forever. The people make change. The media just reports.

And the people are PISSED!

The rich and famous believe they’re inviolate. But when they’re exposed, when they’re confronted with the words of their detractors, they can’t believe it, they’re flummoxed, their intentions were good, how dare you decry me!

It’s hilarious to watch these heroes take a fall. Because they’re so blind.

The public has Elon Musk on the run. Not the Democrats, but the people. Who have taken matters into their own hands.

They hit Elon where it hurt, in his pocketbook.

Who are they going to hit next? Trump? Marco Rubio?

It reminds me of the 1992 riots in Los Angeles in the wake of the Rodney King verdict. Unlike in ’65, with the Watts riots, this time they came north, into Hollywood. And next time they’re going into Beverly Hills, and Bel-Air too!

People aren’t stupid. They go where the money is, where it will hurt the oligarchs the most.

You may be in a bubble, you may be unaware of all this.

But that does not mean it’s not happening.

There’s a war in America, and it’s just getting started. And it’s being fought by people who have nothing to lose. And when you’ve got nothing to lose, you put it all on the line. Which is why America couldn’t defeat the North Vietnamese.

Can Elon and Donald defeat the American people?

They may have defeated the Democrats, but the public?

Beware.

It’s not about the album. It’s not even about Spotify, et al.

It’s about social media. And somehow the algorithm didn’t serve it up to me and every story about him didn’t mention this.

I’ve got to give the guy credit. He broke through doing it the newfangled way. Going direct to the customer with a constant slew of new songs. It’s closer to being a comedian than a traditional recording artist. He doesn’t even need an album, never mind conventional streaming traction. He’s the labels’ worst nightmare.

Assuming any other acts take notice and repeat the formula.

I’m not on Facebook. I hear from enough people already and I have no desire to interact with everybody I ever knew. But Facebook doesn’t work like TikTok and Instagram Reels, in that the users post the info and it ends up being seen by their friends, whereas with the latter it’s all about the algorithm.

I don’t want to get into a big debate about Facebook. But I will say things can grow there, you can work it in a way you can’t on TikTok, but you’re mainly reaching an older demo. But Jesse Welles is the kind of act that appeals to old school music fans, those who still believe music counts, that it’s more than mindless drivel, the kind who protested back in the day and had friends over the house to turn them on to their favorite records.

And then there’s YouTube. I didn’t know some people use it like TikTok, just seeing what it serves up, until an alta kacher told me this yesterday. So I tried it out and it works…but if this is your goal, you’re much better off on TikTok.

However, I asked a twentysomething if she was a fan of social media yesterday and she hesitated, then reluctantly said TikTok. The younger generation knows the older generation despises TikTok. Only in modern America does someone have a deep opinion on that which they’ve never used. And what flummoxes me is it’s so easy to use!

Just a note here on the YouTube press release. Do not conflate the subscription numbers with those of Spotify, et al. I guarantee you many people are paying the fee just to get rid of ads. Then again, duplicity is Lyor Cohen’s strong point.

So…

This is the ultimate creation of niches. If the algorithm doesn’t serve it up, you’re out of the loop. Everybody gets their own feed. It’s one to one. To the point where you may have no idea what your buddy is seeing and never will. Something has to rise above for there to be discussion. And very little does. Jesse Welles a bit, then again did everybody get e-mail about him like me? I doubt it.

So it’s impossible to be seen. But if you want to play the game you don’t complain, but start. And everything starts slowly. Sure, there are exceptions, but I can’t tell you how many e-mails I get where people said they had a big viral moment, that was not worked, was not contemplated, and then crickets. No, you’ve got to build it in the wilderness, steadily.

I have no idea how Jesse Welles decided to make social commentary music. This was not his focus for years before… But usually an idea like this comes in a bolt of inspiration. But then you must decide whether to do it or not, execution is everything.

So Jesse Welles is channeling the frustration of viewers, oftentimes with a sense of humor. And to my knowledge, he’s a party of one. And he has some talent and he’s cute and…

Once again, it’s got nothing to do with the album, which has no protest music. Which is another reason it doesn’t stream.

But streaming music is faceless, whereas TikTok, et al, are the opposite. Video is all about the face, the expression. And when you connect…

Also, unlike the vaunted influencers, Welles is authentic, in a sea of bogosity. And that resonates. I’ll tell you, TikTok serves me up these influencers… Usually young women who’d rather try and sell clothing and cosmetics than get a real job. My favorite, facetiously, is the woman who says her videos are only meant for women, who bitches about guys’ comments, and then posts a demo video to be in the “Sports Illustrated” Swimsuit Issue. Jesse Welles is the antidote.

So you don’t go to the show to hear the album, you go to the show to see the videos live. To see what else Welles has come up with. It’s an experience, not just a recitation of what was… The show is alive and breathes.

So, can you do this?

Well, not if you think singing is everything, if you’re dreaming of being on “Idol” or “The Voice” to make it. As a matter of fact, your voice is secondary to your intellect.

And you’re getting no help. Sure, you can buy boosts on Facebook, but… Really, you’re waiting for people to get you to the point the algorithm serves up your videos more.

And you’re not in control. TikTok controls the algorithm.

But if you’ve got something…

I get why people are going to see Jesse Welles.

I understand why conventional media missed the paradigm, it misses everything new, never mind those who write about music being lame, if they have a job at all, the media having downsized most of these people out of a gig.

And when pitched by a PR person…

To be an expert today, to get it, you have to experience it. Here’s where you need to do your own research, to quote those looking for stories to back up their already hardened beliefs.

But music is not about hardened beliefs, it’s about the new and different. People are hungry for the new and different.

And Jesse Welles presented it, but never forget, distribution is king. Rather than putting his music on streaming services and complaining no one is listening, he bypassed them completely and went straight to the potential fans. He sold them, he didn’t wait for them to come to him. This is what players no longer understand. They must do the marketing, and they must be new and different. And this is anathema to most… I learned my instrument, I wrote songs, why isn’t anybody listening!

Because you’re not doing anything special.

Jesse Welles had no one to complain to. When you’re outside the system… Well, what’s that Dylan quote…”to live outside the law you must be honest”?

Music today is a sea of dishonesty. Become my fan so I can sell you stuff. Hell, the industry itself is trying to rip off superfans. It’s buyer beware.

But not with Jesse Welles, not at this moment.

And if all the money is in touring anyway…he cut out the middleman.

And top-down marketing no longer works. That press he got will just send people to Spotify, et al, where they won’t get it.

It happens first on social media. The oldsters won’t admit their cheese has moved or will try to game it, which is nearly impossible to do.

But one lone journeyman musician came up with an idea, the idea is the most important thing, and put in the effort and succeeded.

What a world.