Re: Bottlerock-Day 3

Had to take a second to comment about the band Cannons (who I am not aware of) and their “live” performance not being entirely live as you mentioned in your Bottle Rock review.
Thank you for calling that out. I have been on a soap box now for years about the massive epidemic of bands playing to tracks. Live shows not being live at all. It floors me how many look the other way at this or are just plain ignorant. In pop the ship has sailed. Remember the outrage when Ashlee Simpson was exposed on SNL? Now today’s biggest acts charging thousands for their “live” shows are blatantly lip synching and way more. And most don’t even care if they are caught because nobody says anything. It’s just the new accepted norm for a live performance to be anything but.   How on earth can people spend so much money on a live show only to actually hear a pro tools playback?? What is the point of going to hear a band sing and play live if it’s not live and will be exactly the same every single night ?

I deal almost exclusively in the world of rock, where thankfully there are still many truly all live bands. But that genre is also starting to be inundated with track acts. Make no mistake I am not talking about a keyboard or orchestra part in one song. Or some effects, samples or loops. I have no issue with that. But now tons of bands in rock are doing way way more and it blows my mind how people talk about how great they sound. I’d sound great too and I can’t play or sing! Also makes me crazy when I hear people say “well everyone does it”. WRONG! You know how many acts I talk to who put the work in to play totally live, then on a festival watch a band play to tracks before or after them and have to hear how good they were. It’s true madness and why some of the real live bands are starting to speak out. Or at least proudly state there are no “tapes” in their show. Promoters don’t seem to care as long as seats are filled. So the only line of defense left is fans and media caring. Someone has to draw a line in the sand with this nonsense. If they don’t the beauty of a truly live warts and all concert is going to be quickly behind us. In pop it pretty much is. In rock maybe 50% – 60% gone. And growing. There is absolutely nothing that beats the experience of a truly live rock show. But if people don’t start taking a stand it will soon be a rarity and that is truly sad. Let’s keep live shows actually LIVE! Seems ridiculous to say but sadly where we are these days.

Eddie Trunk
TrunkNation SiriusXM

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From: Charlie Brusco

Subject: Re: Bottlerock-Day One

Stevie is the Real Deal

…. I remember that every day when I talk to my daughter Rhiannon

Still kind of funny as big as that song is that so many of my daughters teachers could never pronounce her name

Probably same for kids born in the 70’s whose parents named them Aja.

Cheers,

Charlie

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Subject: Stephen Sanchez

Morning Bob,

Just read your letter regarding Bottlerock, great festival.

I just Tour Managed Stephen’s Australian tour last month, where every single show sold out. He is a generational talent, 21 years old and literally the absolute nicest young man you could ever meet.

I sat and watched him perform every single night and it reminded me of watching Roy Orbison, Jerry Lee Lewis and Elvis all in one. If he smashes album two out of the park, he will be in another stratosphere.

I have never seen anything close to Beatlemania, but after and before every show, that is what it was like, the fans adore him and know how true the talent is.

I’m watching on, hoping that we get to see him take off, as true talent like that is as rare as hens teeth.

Thanks Bob,

TB

Todd Burman

TOUR MANAGEMENT

RIVAL SONS | Ian Munsick | Stephen Sanchez | Morgan Evans

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Subject: Re: Bottlerock-Day 3

Bob,

Really loved reading these daily wrap ups, as I feel the same about the festival itself and every act as you did. You described it perfectly. They do the VIP and Platinum levels brilliantly, but if you’re GA, it’s still an incredible place to be and watch music. Outside of the music, there are so many other things to do and see to captivate you.

And the food and drinks are levels above the other festivals, because…well, it’s Napa. My wife pointed out how friendly and helpful each and every person working there was, and that translated to the attendees as well. And the Culinary Stage is such a great pairing of musicians, chefs, athletes, and other celebs, that it is pretty captivating as well.

Every year I leave that festival, I feel like I just had an incredible experience that you just can’t get at any of the others. Bourbon & Beyond comes close though.

Glad you had fun there.

Danny

Danny Cooper

88 Vines Entertainment

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From: John Brodey

Subject: Re: Re-Bill Maher/Television

I didn’t think it was just me. I ran into him at Arianna Huffington’s house in W. Hollywood during a fundraiser for Barbara Boxer way back. Not a huge gathering. He was alone/ I introduced myself and asked a fairly provocative political question. He looked at me for two seconds, turned around and walked away without a word. An arrogant, self absorbed asshole, as the crowd said.

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From: Romy Glazer

Subject: Community Story — do you believe in Joe Hendry?

Here’s a fun one for you Bob re: community and going deep with your audience.

I’m working with a professional wrestling organization, Total Nonstop Action (TNA – yes, TNA), and we have a Scottish wrestler Joe Hendry whose gimmick is a quasi whitemeat rock star. He writes songs making fun of his opponents. Classic.

His character is a little goofy in-good-fun. When he comes to the ring, his theme is “I believe in Joe Hendry” ::clap, clap:: which gets the fans into it before it turns into a Queen-style ballad.

The song starts with “…say his name and he appears…” so we have often had him pop up randomly on screen when this happens to make the audience crack up. Of course now they’ve been meme’ing Joe’s face into unexpected situations on TikTok, which has turned into a viral moment.

Trying to figure out what to do with this success, Joe released his theme as a single, and rallied his fans to push his theme to the Charts. It’s cooled off in the past week, but I think he hit as high as #4 — ahead of Sabrina Carpenter, Beyonce and more. And now a profile in NME and on the BBC. Proud of the guy.

100% all about getting a groundswell going, and feeding into it.

It may surprise you, but professional wrestling is scripted — and I wouldn’t be surprised if this is the thing that convinces our creative team to put the belt on him, leading to more career success and fun for everyone.

Thanks for all the great insight.

-Romy

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Re: Bottlerock-Day 3

I saw Ed Sheeran at Boston Calling on Friday night with my daughter. She loves him and knows every song.

I was not as familiar with his material. But, after seeing him live, I’m now a fan.

Ty Velde

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Re: Bottlerock-Day 3

Love Cannons, I’ve listened to that more than any other act this year.  Check out some of the music videos on YouTube. They’re fun 🙂 I look forward to them!!

Michael Graham

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From: John Hamilton

Re: Bottlerock-Day 3

He Bob –

Appreciate your honest take on things. I probably agree about 60% of the time. But, I appreciate your approach. Digging your take on BottleRock (again, even if I don’t agree).

Some of my thoughts:

1.This is my 4th BottleRock with my son (now 11). We took him when he was 3, but this was his first time going all three days. He was a trooper. And had a blast. I refer to BottleRock to my friends as the anit-festival. It’s not like any other music festival. Super family friendly. Super chill. I almost wouldn’t want to play this festival if I were an artist. I suspect they are paid super well for this festival though. The only I’ve met a more disinterested crowd at a festival is at Hardly Strictly Bluegrass, which is free, so people just show up and sorta listen to music while they play Worldle. It’s better than that, but not much better. Still, it’s a pretty chill festival as festivals go and it’s a great way for me to experience a passion of mine with my son.

2. I hear you on Ed Sheeran. Man, that dude is talented. First time seeing him. My son will tell you his favorite artist of the weekend was his favorite artist, The Kid Laroi. But, he grooved to Ed Sheeran. He was dancing the entire time. And as Eddie Vedder says, “all that’s sacred comes from youth.” Follow the kids like. And, I love Ed Sheeran’s whole vibe. He’s an entertainer. He puts on a show. I left a fan and super impressed. I will take my son to see him again, I am sure of it.

3. As you say, Pearl Jam are gods to a certain demo. And I am that demo. If you are a white male gen-xer, you are likely in that demo. And man do they have the crowd feeding from their hand. You probably left in the midst of playing their newer stuff. I love the new album, but it’s not Ten for sure. Still, it’s the album I needed this year (wreckage and setting sun crush me). It was my son’s first time seeing Pearl Jam and it was a highly emotional experience for me. I don’t want to push Pearl Jam on anyone. But, it was really the highlight of my weekend to experience singing along to Porch with my son. We sang these words to each other: “Take a good look. This could be the day. Hold my hand. Walk beside me. Oh. I just need to say: I could not take, a-just one day, knowing I would never touch you, hold you, feel you in my arms. Ever again! Again!” I am tearing up just writing that. It was awesome. But, I get it. I think Pearl Jam distinctly speaks to Gen X in a way that only Gen X can possibly get. They don’t play for the masses, they play for the fans. For instance, that was a pretty typical festival set. But, they kicked off with Lukin, a hard charging, punk influenced song that is not a hit or even a b-side. They typically open with a few slow songs. In fact, my son was like, “I think they will open fast.” And, I was like, “no, they always open slow, unless they are trying to make it special.” That’s the first time ever they’ve opened with Lukin. My son’s 3rd favorite PJ song. He loved it. And fans loved it. But, I get they are not for everybody. But they were for me and it was awesome.

4. MMJ. I am so glad you got to see them. I never got them until I saw them live at Lolla 2007 (the slot before Pearl Jam actually). They were awesome. And I’ve been a fan ever since. I hope you got to see Phone Went West. That was a highlight for me. MMJ was the highlight for the weekend for me. And I am a huge Pearl Jam fan.

5. Stevie Nicks was great. I love Stevie. I love Rumours. I am of the belief that Rumours is the best pop album ever made. I love the conversation between Stevie and Lindsay throughout the album. But, Bella Donna makes it clear that Stevie is the star. She is so awesome. I dug her set.

6. My son got to see his favorite artist The Kid Laroi. He is not really my music. But, if you’ve ever seen someone you loved experience the first time seeing their favorite artist live….well that is just an experience that is worth having regardless of how you feel about the band itself.

7. Nelly was so packed. So so so packed. it was crazy in there.

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From: Peter Clare

Re: Bottlerock-Day 2

Your going to get trashed by Pearl Jam fans, and deservedly so, however, the one thing you are right about is the stache. 😉

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From: Wyllys Ingersoll

Re: Bottlerock-Day 2

You’re gonna hear a ton of grief from the Pearl Jam die-hards about this one…

They did indeed play a bunch of crowd pleasers in the Bottlerock set – small town, daughter, given to fly, wishlist, even flow, black, crazy mary, alive. Last Kiss is drek to most of the hard core, btw.  It’s really off-brand for them, I know it went to #1 (their only #1), but it blows.

You are right about Mike M being the stick that stirs that drink, especially the live shows, but it’s not fair to tarnish Mother Love Bone – they failed because their singer OD-ed, not for lack of talent.

Your opinions of EV and his facial hair or whatever he was in high school are what they are, your opinions, but you seem to have a special personal dislike for the guy that seems unearned unless there is a story you aren’t sharing that would shed light on your animus for the man.

Anyway, as always, I appreciate your writeups even when I don’t agree.

Cheers.

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From: Jarred Arfa

Re: Bottlerock-Day 2

Don’t work with PJ (wish we did)  but when you ask where are the songs ? Just checked setlist they played alive , even flow, black, caught up (all ubiquitous songs for anyone listening to music in the 90s) not to mention classic live songs like elderly women, given to fly and courdoroy. My generation didn’t get plant, Morrison or Freddy but Eddie is the closest thing we got…

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From: Russ Dugoni

Re: Bottlerock-Day 2

Bob–   I was right there with you on Day 2. My Morning Jacket is a band that must be experienced live to “get it”.  I first saw them in 2007 at the annual Bridge School Benefit and I was really impressed with Jim James.  This coming week they are recording their Fillmore shows — keep am eye out for the finished product.

I too left Pearl Jam early to see Tower of Power with my 2 sons. Tower of Power played my bay area high school in 1971, and I’ve gone on to see them dozens of times.  Their Bottlerock stage was a party!

Pearl Jam is not a band in my wheelhouse, I was not into Grunge.  I was born in 55 so perhaps I was too old when Grunge was popular.  Keep up the great newsletter!     -Russ

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From: Patti Martin

Re: Bottlerock-Day 2

Your Eddie Vedder comment…. I could NOT agree more.   It’s a relief that I’m not the only one.  (And we appear to be the same age)

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From: Bob Davis

Re: Bottlerock-Day 2

PJ never really had any songs worth a repeat listen.

And Vedder’s no more than a mumbler.

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From: Bob Davis

Re: Bottlerock-Day One

L&L comes on the sonos or pandora or whatever (dopamine hit) … i stop what i’m doing and let it wash through me entirely before resuming.

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Re: Bottlerock-Day One

Agree Pete Yorn has largely been disappointing since his great debut over 20 years ago . The material just hasn’t been there and it was telling that the covers album he did a couple of years back has the worst version of “Lay Lay Lay” ever recorded. So his choices are questionable.

I can’t separate Stevie Nicks from Lindsey Buckingham , he took the raw material and turned it into timeless classics.

Enjoy the rest of the fest

Blair Morgan

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From: Gary Mendel

Re: Bottlerock-Day 2 (Jerry Lee Lewis)

I remember reading that article at the time and being totally shocked. It rang so true. Over the years I’ve mentioned it to many people but NO ONE seemed to have heard about it/read it. Only recently I spoke about it again, which prompted me to search online for it. It’s there alright, so now I have it bookmarked for easy access. A great piece of writing/journalism. It still reads like a horror story… the story of a man who got away with murder.

https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/the-strange-and-mysterious-death-of-mrs-jerry-lee-lewis-179980/

Peace

Barry

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From: Alan Childs

Re: Bottlerock-Day 2

In your embarrassment upon realizing it was Josė Andrès , this triggered a memory.

Back in the 90’s while on tour, friends & I went to the China Club in L.A. on our night off. I believe it was a Monday & a Jam session night. When we walked in, Rick James was singing and some of my fellow New York musician friends were onstage as the house band.

Having a drink enjoying the music, I looked around and noticed two attractive women & a guy sitting between them. I’m thinking I know the guy. Maybe he’s an engineer I worked with at a recording studio. I just couldn’t place where we met. After about 15 minutes I walked over to him and introduced myself and asked him if we’ve ever worked together. He eyed me up & down and said “ I don’t think so, I would’ve remembered you.” He stood up to shake my hand and said “Nice to meet you, I’m Ron Jeremy.” OMG !!!!!! hahahaha.

__________________________________________

Subject: RE: Me On CNBC

Bob

 

Spot on re your criticism on CNBC of shows in the UK where multiple ticket agencies are selling tickets on the primary market to the same show and have their respective allocations. From a consumer perspective, it’s a complete pain in the arse (or “ass” if you prefer on your side of the pond!) to jump through the hoops of going from one agency website to the next in search of the ideal seats. And, entirely unsurprisingly, the ticketing fees borne by the consumer are much of a muchness as between the different agencies. The ticketing grass is not necessarily greener on this side of the Atlantic. 

 

Best wishes

 

Nick Shilton

Kingmaker Management, London, UK

Now THAT’S a headliner!

Bottlerock is so civilized, such a good experience, that you believe it’d be headliner independent. But it is the acts that make the difference, sans known names that appeal to many, you can’t sell out. And you need to sell nearly every ticket to make the economics work.

Pearl Jam? To a certain demo they’re god,

Stevie Nicks? Truly a legend. A hero to both the young and the old.

Ed Sheeran? Despite all the press, the chart-topping records, today’s world is very different from yesteryear, when Pearl Jam and Nicks made their bones. Everyone alive knew their hits. Whereas nothing today is ubiquitous, despite what the press would have you believe. Meaning, how many of these mostly middle-aged attendees are interested in seeing this one man band? ALL OF THEM!

Sheeran is an amazing performer. His personality is such that you like him from minute one, and as the set unfolds you think he’s a friend, and by time he’s done you feel like you know him. Ed is personable without being cloying. And he calmed down a minor kerfuffle so expertly. Saying this was a mellow festival. Which worked, I mean that’s the Bottlerock vibe, no one is elbowing each other, people are apologizing when they bump into you or spill something on you, you’d almost be embarrassed to get your dander up.

And I’m thinking maybe it’s because it’s dark out. But by time he’s done, it’s clear that Sheeran’s act would even work in the light. You’re drawn to him. He’s not selling status, there’s no wall between him and you, it’s all about the experience, the music.

Ed’s creating once in a lifetime loops. He explains this…here right now, and then gone forever. And he sings his songs and you don’t have to know them to get them. And they are songs in the traditional sense. With verses and choruses… You might see Ed in the Spotify Top 50 but it’s not one chord numbers, it’s not one voice and machines, it’s a guy singing songs in the tradition that has existed since the beginning of time, on an acoustic guitar to boot.

I wandered over to see Queens of the Stone Age in the middle of Ed’s set, and there was almost no one there. Must have been disheartening for the band, which was firing on all cylinders.

Stephen Marley was laid back and good, but I couldn’t wait to get back to the garden, to Ed’s stage. And I started off at the back, and the lawn was completely full. People weren’t leaving, he had them in the palm of his hand.

Normally they beat you over the head. And barely speak. You can feel the distance between them and you, the scrim, the untouchability. But not Ed.

Norah Jones? Not dynamic enough to keep your attention. More of a nighttime act. With the sun out your eyes and ears wandered.

I saw this great act Cannons. But it was just a bit too good. So I Shazamed and the tunes came right up, meaning most of the set was on hard drive. The lead singer was live, and had a good voice and some charisma, but come on, they call it LIVE ENTERTAINMENT, can’t you live up to the moniker?

Stephen Sanchez was magical. With the right material, he could become a superstar.

But I must mention the Offspring. Rock and roll might not be forever, but punk is. The audience loved them, it was a victory lap. These guys have sustained, they’ve got a sense of humor, they know their roots, they did “Blitzkrieg Bop,” and Ed Sheeran came out to do a number with them to boot. Fine in the daytime. It was a party. It wasn’t about gravitas, but joy.

And I ate more oysters than you ever do at a restaurant. That was an absolute highlight of my experience at Bottlerock.

If you’re looking for civilized, upscale if you want it, if you want to go to a festival that is truly more than the music, Bottlerock is your place. Everybody who goes knows. I’m just letting you in on the secret.

1

So Pearl Jam has left the stage and I’m standing by the soundboard talking to Dave Graham, one of the three majordomos of Bottlerock, and these two guys approach us, shake our hands and then all three start speaking Spanish. I was stunned that Dave was fluent, I was catching an occasional word from my high school days, but mostly I was beatifically assessing the departing multitudes.

But this white-haired guy, he asks me where I’m from, I say L.A. and then ask him where he’s located. He says Washington, D.C., which is very odd for someone in the rock and roll business. Oh, did I mention that next weekend the Bottlerock guys are doing a Latin festival? I thought these two were their partners. Makes sense, right? But D.C. did not. So that was the end of the conversation. Well, I asked him why he lived in D.C. and he gave me a stare that I decided I was best not responding to.

After five minutes went by, we’re waiting for Pearl Jam to clear out backstage, we started walking towards the Latitude 38 pavilion right outside the grounds of the festival, this is the backstage for the fans of the promoter.

So we’re walking down the fenced-in gauntlet towards the stage and this white-haired guy wants to talk about me. Like maybe he knows who I am? This is hard for me to believe, but I just play along.

And then he says he’s opening two new restaurants in L.A. and I’ve got to come. And that’s when I realize this white-haired guy is JOSÉ ANDRÉS!

And now I’m embarrassed, I don’t want to look like a total schlemiel, so I tell José I ate at his restaurant in the Hotel Nikko, and how great it was, and it was! And now José starts telling me the history, how the dining spot is now closed, but we’ve still got a while before we reach the exit, and he’s right by me, and once again, I’m trying not to look like a complete imbecile, am I the only person who doesn’t recognize this guy? So I ask José about Gaza.

Whereupon he stops, puts his arm around my shoulder, and tells me he lost seven people there. I KNOW!

And then he starts talking about writing for “Haaretz.” About doing an editorial for them. And I’m not quite following, thinking this guy is asking me to write an editorial? I mean does he really know who I am? But then it’s clear that he’s talking about an editorial HE wrote for “Haaretz.” And that I should read it.

Meanwhile, he doesn’t take his arm from my shoulder.

But I am Gaza-fluent. And this guy was there. José told me how he flew to Israel right after October 7th, and how horrible the attack was. But now he was concerned with Israel’s response.

And now we’re in a full-blown discussion. Which lasts until we get to the Latitude 38 compound. And we stand outside talking until they implore us to come inside, where we stand by the pizza station and José starts scarfing slices, which kind of amazes me, because this guy isn’t overweight in the least.

And people are coming up to get José’s attention but he’s not taking his eyes off me. And I’m completely confused, why is José so interested in talking to ME?

I figure he’s going to drop off any minute now, to just hang in until then. But an hour goes by. I’m kind of pinching myself. José Andrés wants to spend all this time with ME?

And José’s main position is the war needs to stop. Hamas has to give back the hostages, and then Israel needs to invest in Gaza. José says only a long term solution will work. And it strikes me that he is on the right track more than Biden or Tom Friedman, who keep on insisting on a two-state solution that has been rejected time and again by the Palestinians.

But José thinks that Saudi Arabia and Jordan can broker peace, that it’s in their interest.

But will Hamas ever give up the hostages?

We both agree they won’t, but Andrés thinks Hamas can’t be eradicated by the Israelis anyway. As far as the polls showing Gazan support for Hamas… José tells me the numbers are wrong, Gazans are afraid to come out against Hamas for fear of retaliation.

And all of José’s ideas are good. But I tell him we need a leader, someone to step in and broker peace. José starts talking about the U.N., but that body’s neutrality has left the station.

And eventually I shift gears to Ukraine, where José has been too, and then it strikes me, when it comes to these conflicts, especially Gaza, no one has as high a profile as he does other than Biden and Netanyahu. I tell José his status, his power, which he doesn’t believe, probably because he’s in the eye of the hurricane.

And he says the protests on campus are a small minority.

But I say they have made Biden blink.

And finally, it’s too much. I’m just some schlepper and José Andrés is spending all this time with ME?

So I make statement about setting him free to talk to other people, and eventually we break up the confab.

Until half an hour later, when just before he leaves, José comes over to where I’m sitting, puts his hand on my back, looks me straight in the eye, and testifies as to our bond and tells me to be sure to spread the word on what he thinks.

WHEW!

2

Which made up for my experience in the Latitude 38 compound just before Pearl Jam hit the stage.

I got a Diet Coke from the bartender, there’s only a fifty foot walk between me and the exit, to freedom, and who do I see blocking my way?

Pete Yorn. And his brother Rick. And Ross Zapin. And they want to talk about how I dissed Pete earlier in the day.

And now I’m mortified. Pete was cool, yet his brother and Ross were not. They kept needling me, pushing me. And then they force me to say what the problem was, why I dissed Pete.

I told them he was doing a rock show on a big stage when his act was more intimate. I’m just trying to navigate, trying to escape.

But that’s not enough. “Did I see the whole show?” They want to go deep.

And now I’m saying that if I only write positive things I’ll lose my credibility, and it made no sense to step on the undercard acts that weren’t going anywhere anyway.

But it still wasn’t enough. Once again, I must stress that Pete himself was cool. We were having a discussion creator to creator, artist to artist, but his bodyguards…

And now I can’t see any way out of this. So I wind up and I tell them that this was my opinion… And I can see in their eyes this is not resonating, believing I was doubling-down, but then I said that I wasn’t necessarily right, which seemed to satisfy them, bring on some smiles, but WHEW!

3

I got there in time to see Holly Humberstone. I was kind of shocked how young she was. Video online is one thing, real life is another. But she was playing the guitar and it was all really good. Her band was together. There were no airs. I was wondering if she was a one hit wonder, but she is not, at least in my eyes.

As for My Morning Jacket… I finally get it. You’ve got to see them live. They’re incredibly tight and powerful.

Now in the old days, and I’m talking about back to 1968, when FM underground rock began, it was all about having that one track that crossed over, to AM, the mainstream, that lifted the boat of the act, that broadened their career, that made them legendary. As big as the Allman Brothers were after “Fillmore East,” and they were really big, it wasn’t until two years later and “Ramblin’ Man” that they became ubiquitous.

And Cream was a cult band until “Sunshine of Your Love” crossed over.

But there’s no crossing over for rock bands today, even if you write a track that might have crossed over in the past. Oftentimes an act could only do it once, but once was enough.

So I haven’t heard a crossover song from My Morning Jacket, if one even exists, but it doesn’t matter. This band is earning its living on the road. And one show and you’re a fan.

As for T-Pain… That was kind of astounding. Are that many people interested in Mr. Auto-Tune?

I mean it’s just him and a deejay. But he lights up the crowd IMMEDIATELY! They’re waving their hands in the air, they’re really into it, as if a whole band on stage was in overdrive, but there wasn’t, just the deejay and T-Pain.

As for Pearl Jam…

It’s a Gen-X thing, and I’m a boomer. They had the audience in the palm of their hand. But can I be a heretic and ask where all the memorable songs are? And can I say that Eddie Vedder bugs me?

But having said that, Mike McCready is amazing, the element that pushes Pearl Jam over the top. I can see why Mother Love Bone never made it, he was not in it. As for Jeff Ament and Stone Gossard…they are rock solid. And Matt Cameron too.

I guess that article in “Rolling Stone”… No one remembers this stuff anymore, like the exposé on Jerry Lee Lewis, he was anything but a hero. And when Pearl Jam blew up Eddie Vedder wouldn’t do an interview so the magazine decided to do the story without him. And it was a complete contradiction of the crap he’d been spewing. He was not some isolated loner, but the most popular guy in his high school. Wow, let me dig the hole a little deeper…the MOUSTACHE? He’s a man, he’s entitled, but it doesn’t ring true on his baby face.

As for the duet with Bradley Cooper… The guy’s a movie star, what has that got to do with Pearl Jam? Considered to be the most credible act of the weekend, everybody was buzzing, they couldn’t wait to see them, they were jamming to them, but I…

Left in the middle to go see Tower of Power.

Now let me tell you this… If Tower of Power had been on the main stage heads would have blown off, they’re just that powerful, just that good. And new frontman Jordan John is akin to Arnel in Journey. But John’s voice is even better, and he can play too!

And when that five man brass section starts to play… You remember from “Waiting For Columbus,” THE TOWER OF POWER HORNS! Ah, now that was a number, Little Feat’s “Spanish Moon.” Tower of Power is funky in a way that Pearl Jam is not.

Not that I don’t respect Pearl Jam. But when I sauntered over to the Prudential Stage to see Tower of Power, I fell into the groove immediately. With a small scrum of others.

And then I went over to the Verizon stage to see Kali Uchis. I didn’t get it at all. Big production, very twenty first century, dancers, a set, the whole thing. I guess for me the music is enough when done right, but I stayed for a few numbers and I never got it.

So I went back to Tower of Power and I timed it perfectly, they started introducing the one number I needed to hear, “What Is Hip?”

“So ya wanna dump out yo’ trick bag

Ease on in a hip thang

But you ain’t exactly sure what is hip

So you started to let your hair grow

Spent big bucks on your wardrobe

Somehow, ya know there’s much more to the trip”

When everybody grew their hair out in college, I cut mine off. When everbody bought a leisure suit, I did not. Hip is on the inside, never forget it.

“You became a part of a new breed

Been smokin’ only the best weed

Hangin’ out with the so called ‘Hippie set’

Seen in all the right places

Seen with just the right faces

You should be satisfied, but it ain’t quite right”

Now more than ever, in the days of Instagram. Where you’ve been, who you’ve hung with, once again, it’s all about the exterior, and it seems the rich are the worst offenders.

“You went an’ found you a guru

In an effort to find you a new you

And maybe even raise your conscious level

While you’re striving to find the right road

There’s one thing you should know

‘What’s hip today, might become passé”

Ain’t that the truth. Are you a follower or a leader? We need more of the latter.

And R&B is forever.

But then I cut out to catch the end of Pearl Jam, who are legendary for inserting covers in their encores. But I missed the one song I needed to hear, “Last Kiss.”

But you can’t do it all. The sooner you learn that the better. Life is about surprises.

Until then…

Pearl Jam ended with “Rockin’ in the Free World.”

All these years later and Neil Young is still the oracle.

Looks like we’re never going to get back to the garden. What Neil and Stephen and Joni and the rest were doing… That was more than entertainment, that was the pulse of life and the culture. And those songs live on, but unless you were there you’ve got no idea of their power. If you wanted to know which way the wind blew, you listened to a record. Can you imagine listening to Ariana Grande? Or Justin Timberlake? Both of whom are hit-dependent, there are a limited number of hard core fans, their recent projects tanked, no matter what the hype.

And hip-hop used to be the sound of the streets. Now it’s all about a trumped up rap war. Kind of a cartoon, don’t you think?

But our music used to be dead serious. Oh, there was humor and attitude, but that brings us back to the question of the day…

WHAT IS HIP?

P.S. It’s Grace BOWERS, not POWERS!

“You in the moonlight

With your sleepy eyes

Could you ever love a man like me”

This was the highlight of the day. Stevie Nicks started talking about needing someone to sing “Leather and Lace” with her, and then said her vocal coach Steve Real was in attendance.

“I need you to love me

I need you today

Give me to your leather

Take from me my lace”

And now it’s Don Henley’s turn. You remember the original from the second side of “Bella Donna,” released just four days before MTV launched, right?

Well, many in attendance came of age long after MTV stopped showing videos.

And this is a NorCal crowd, which is different from a SoCal crowd. In SoCal image is everything, how you look is most important. So everybody does their best to diet down and look good. But in the rest of the world it is not this way. In the rest of the world the people are normal, and what’s on the inside counts more than the exterior. Like in Northern California.

And the east coast. But California is a different mentality. California is about freedom. You’re three hours behind New York, everybody’s up and at ’em before you’ve even had your coffee. So you let go and focus on your surroundings as opposed to the hustle and bustle of America.

Sure, Silicon Valley is in California. But that was founded by nerds. The nerd uniform is t-shirts and jeans. It’s about undermining society as opposed to accepting it. Which California has done from time immemorial. Whether it be the movies or the San Francisco Sound of the late sixties, with the Airplane, the Dead and so many more. You can feel it in the air.

Actually, I saw an Instagram Reel wherein the San Diego resident went to South Carolina for work and was asked by a college graduate about the $25 hamburgers, and how she coped with all the trans kids on her son’s baseball team. Live outside the Golden State and you’re led to believe it’s a hellhole. But it’s not, and that’s our little secret.

So Bottlerock is held in Napa, the epicenter of California wine country. But I don’t drink. Well, I used to drink, but that’s a long story. Which is all to say I’m not Napa-fluent. But I got on the JSX flight in Burbank and landed in Concord and it was like getting a vibe transplant. Southern California is mountains and desert, it’s brown. But up here there are rolling hills of gold, which is I guess where they got the state’s moniker from. It’s a different feel. Hell, we’ve got everything in California, from the mountains to the lakes and… Sure, we might have a lot of regulation, but wouldn’t you rather be safe than rich? And traffic sucks, but it sucks in your town now too. While everybody was banking their profits infrastructure has lain dormant. And you can get an abortion here too. Hate all you want, but not only is there no place I’d rather live, if MAGA wins, I’m safe, how about you?

Whew! That was a rant. But it’s all to say Bottlerock ain’t Coachella, a fest for young Angelenos to show their wares, and it’s not the Governors Ball, where you might get rained out. However, it ain’t hot here. Memorial Day weekend usually is not. In SoCal the hottest months are August and September. It dips down into the fifties before the last act leaves the stage. But they’ve got lockers for the extra clothing you bring for warmth. You see Bottlerock is uber-CIVILIZED!

Your conception of a festival? Wherein people push and shove and you’re worn out at the end of the day, that ain’t Bottlerock. You won’t leave hating humanity. There’s room to move around. Although I did get into a scrum trying to go from the Culinary Stage to VIP. I thought this was a harbinger of things to come. Because it was now late in the afternoon, maybe it just took this long for people to arrive. But no, it turned out that everybody needed to get a peek at Cameron Diaz. Musicians may have more gravitas, but the hoi polloi rarely get to see a movie star up close and personal. Well, kinda close anyway, you could see her on the big screen.

And the Culinary Stage is one of the best features of Bottlerock. I watched chef Aaron May cook Beef Wellington with Patrick Hallahan of My Morning Jacket while the USC Marching Band came out and played their signature song, the Fleetwood Mac hit, “Tusk.”

And although Bottlerock is all about VIP, unlike with many festivals if you’re not, if you don’t want to pony up extra, you don’t feel left out. But you’d better bring cash…er, load up your wristband…because the food offerings are delectable. Nearly as exciting as the music.

As for the music, I got there early, I wanted to see 17 year old guitar phenom Grace Powers. There weren’t many in attendance before one, but if you were there you could have closed your eyes and thought it was the late sixties. Yes, the blues rock/extended solos of yore. Making me think how it’s no longer about recordings, it’s how good you are on the road, that’s where you prove your mettle. You tour and tour and hopefully build a fan base. Whereas the hit parade is a different game, you might fly up the Spotify chart but when it comes to selling tickets…few may want to buy.

I then walked over to see this guy Boywithuke on the Verizon stage, the second biggest. The music coming through the speakers was really good, but there was only one guy on stage. And he was wearing a mask a la Deadmau5 and Marshmello. And that’s when I decided to Shazam the tunes. And they came right up. And this doesn’t happen if the music is live.

And there were deejays and rappers, which is all to say every nook and cranny of music was covered. Then again, this was the undercard. You need stars to draw the customers in.

One was Bebe Rexha. Who came out with two backup dancers and delivered until…I realized a lot of her show was on hard drive. Didn’t seem to bug the audience, but can’t say I was satisfied, I moved on to see Miike Snow.

Or maybe it was All Time Low.

But my experience for both was the same. In that over time I got into it. I mean All Time Low is an act from the Warped Tour, two decades ago. And the lead singer kept referencing this. And my stomach turned when the other axeman started dropping f-bombs and… I had to laugh. You’re pushing forty and still acting like an adolescent. But despite the dated vocals, even the new tunes resonated. Which I didn’t expect.

Miike Snow I expected to like more from the beginning. But it took them a while to find their groove. Swedish electronic music blended with regular rock…it’s a worldwide business these days.

Not everybody was memorable. Pete Yorn… Can I say that he was never quite good enough, not distinctive enough in songwriting or vocals to be beloved by many? I know people hate when I diss their favorites, but most of the time at festivals only a few acts are your favorites, otherwise you’re grazing, and if someone doesn’t resonate soon, you move on.

Speaking of which I’d have to say the musical highlight was St. Vincent, who I’d only seen once before, at the Hollywood Bowl as part of a multi-act show. I can’t say I’m familiar with her material, but I stayed and listened to every note. I got it. As for the performance…she was slinking and posing and it worked, but all this is to say that’s usually more of an indoor performance. St. Vincent has a seventies sensibility. And I’ll admit I’m sick of reading about her, but I was more than pleasantly surprised by her performance.

You see hype doesn’t matter at a festival. When you play indoors it’s to fans only. Outdoors…you have to prove it. Most people are not there to see you, can you win them over? If so, you’re on your way. But it’s a long, hard road. There’s magic, you can be adored by people, but you can also starve. And when you’re not on stage you’re traveling with the same people and not getting enough sleep and it becomes a grind very quickly.

Yes, there are two music businesses. Live and recordings. It used to be that everything trickled down from recordings, that’s no longer true. Used to be we all knew the same hits, that too is untrue. But I did see women mouthing the lyrics to St. Vincent’s songs.

So what you do at Bottlerock is circulate. And there are only 40,000 people, which sounds like a lot, but it isn’t. And if you’ve got some kind of VIP credential, you circle back there as home base, for the elbow room, for the better bathrooms. And if you’re lucky enough to have platinum…

I have a hard time with people waiting on me. I have a hard time with servants. And in the platinum lounge there are servers passing delicacies and I can see the economic disparity between them and the consumers.

Then again, we live in a capitalistic democracy. You get to choose how to spend your money. Not everybody who is living it up is truly rich, this may be their one extravagance, and your server could be a college student about to set the world on fire. But still… It’s hard for me to feel special.

But in platinum there’s endless delicacies. From shrimp to shu mai, which I found to be the highlight of the day.

And there’s a cornucopia of snacks to take on your travels. Is it the trail mix that just caused one of my teeth to fall out? I don’t know if I can afford getting old. I invested thousands less than a year ago saving that tooth, now I’m going to have to add that to the bill for an implant? I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t upset, but I’m trying to not get depressed, it’s just not worth it, this is the nature of life, good things happen and then bad. And then the reverse. But it’s not always so easy to hold your head up, as Argent sang.

So the two big headliners last night were Megan Thee Stallion and Ms. Nicks. I really would have liked to have seen Megan, but given the choice I had to go for royalty.

That’s right, they’re minting almost no new royalty. Or should I say it used to be different. Or should I say everybody in attendance could sing “Rhiannon,” the young as well as the old.

And I’m watching Stevie perform and I can’t stop thinking about the days gone by. The sixties were a revolution, the seventies were a victory lap. But music ruled the world. Music does not rule the world these days. Furthermore, we don’t have universal hits, despite what the industry and media want you to believe. If you were alive in ’75, you knew “Rhiannon.” And ultimately every lick of “Rumours” thereafter. We don’t have that equivalent today. Period.

And Lindsey Buckingham may have squeezed himself out, but Fleetwood Mac is no more anyway. Because Stevie doesn’t need the rest to sell tickets and Christine is gone. Actually, that was a moment of gravitas. The pictures of Christine on the big screen as Stevie sang. I felt the loss. The records remain, but the person is gone. It’s done, finito. But when you saw the pictures from the seventies, of Christine in the plane, laughing, you remembered when rock truly was royalty, and it was all about living outside the system and having fun, making money all the while. The corporation was the enemy, you existed in your own plane (literally and figuratively). And there were no billionaires, you didn’t need more money, you were as rich as anybody in America, whereas today’s players are all chasing that corporate cash.

And it took a bit for Stevie’s act to come together. Maybe it was the fact that she started while it was still light, which is anathema to rock and roll.

She shocked me by starting with “Rock and Roll,” the Zeppelin track on the flip side of the single of “Black Dog” in the jukebox at Tony’s Pizza in Middlebury, Vermont. Not only did Led Zeppelin never get any respect, they were kept at arm’s length by the rest of the business. Nicks singing “Rock and Roll” showed how deeply Zeppelin truly penetrated, it’s hard to believe three members of the group are still alive.

And speaking of dead, Nicks paid tribute to Tom Petty and you felt the loss. Now that he’s gone Petty’s shadow looms large, he made it seem simple, but no one else could do straight ahead rock in his era as well as he did. And unlike so many of the legends, Petty never sold out, he was a true believer.

But it was “Leather and Lace” that made me swoon.

You know, the moment when Don Henley comes in, and then the two duet. The initial hit was “Edge of Seventeen,” which I never loved, yet it was phenomenal last night. But nothing could be as good as “Leather and Lace.”

How do we set the scene. This was at the dawn of the eighties. The boomers had not yet sold out. They still had their old values, where what was inside mattered most, you wore your jeans each and every day. People were falling in love, they were pairing up.

“But I carry this feeling

When you walked into my house

That you wouldn’t be walking out the door

Still I carry this feeling

When you walked into my house

That you won’t be walking out the door”

Sure, Stevie Nicks is a great songwriter, but her voice is distinctive.

And so is Don Henley’s. You know it immediately.

But Henley wasn’t in attendance last night. This guy Steve Real was. Standing next to Stevie, waiting his turn. And when he stepped up to the mic with is pure voice, not expected from this beefy guy, the audience audibly swooned, as did I. I just got goosebumps writing that.

So it’s the same as it ever was. I’m standing there, wondering if the good times are gone, wondering if everything is just a dash for cash, and then there’s this pure musical moment that transcends the rest of life, that is life itself.

“Lovers forever, face to face

My city, your mountains

Stay with me, stay

I need you to love me

I need you today

Give to me your leather

Take from me my lace”