The first half is about concert promotion. The second half is about the Grateful Dead. I guarantee you will hear things you’ve never heard before.

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/john-scher/id1316200737?i=1000639322188

https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/9ff4fb19-54d4-41ae-ae7a-8a6f8d3dafa8/episodes/1233a80b-a973-4035-acfd-c62757099382/the-bob-lefsetz-podcast-john-scher

And why shouldn’t the rule of law apply to everybody?

Yes, the courts are doing what the Democrats refuse to do, hold Trump accountable. Not that I expect the Supreme Court to take the side of Colorado, not after what happened back in 2000, when the election was handed to Bush.

Then again, Gore conceded. Isn’t that the issue, that Trump never conceded, that he refused to accept the results of the election?

How does that work in regular life? Do you lose the World Series and say you won? Do you get fired from your job and say you still work there? Talk about topsy-turvy, just because someone says something that does not make it true. Then again, that’s how much the MAGA people hate the liberals. But the liberals are told not to hate the MAGAs.

Yes, that was the first thing I just heard on the TV news. That this decision is going to embolden and empower Trump’s base. Solidify it. Cause Biden to lose. Yes, we’d better be afraid of the MAGA people, we’d better not piss them off. Don’t hold them accountable, because it’s unfair. Best just to wait until the voters weigh in.

The voters?

At least in court we can see which justices decided which way. We can’t debate stolen ballot boxes, stuffed ballot boxes, the justices vote one way or the other. And you can’t have it both ways, you can’t have a Supreme Court that gets rid of Roe and then say the justice system is tainted.

Bottom line, if we don’t have belief in the justice system, that it is the last word, then the country is screwed. Then lawlessness truly reigns.

Everybody’s got their own beliefs these days, irrelevant of facts. They don’t want to hear facts, because they mess with their emotions, and emotions are everything in today’s world. They trump education, they trump science, everything is up for grabs. But when everything is up for grabs we depend upon the legal system to divide the word of truth. And if the legal system fails…

Let’s see, those on the left had to endure Mitch McConnell’s refusal to allow a vote on Obama’s Supreme Court pick. But we Democrats must accept it and believe in the system, but the rules don’t apply to the right. How does that work?

I watched January 6th on television, and there are millions of people telling me, along with major news outlets, that I didn’t see what I did. I thought the camera didn’t lie? What kind of world can we have where there is no truth?

The truth is Mark Burnett made Trump President, and somehow he’s escaped scrutiny. Burnett depicted a false impression of Trump on TV and since America loves celebrity and money, Trump became President.

Concomitantly, Hillary Clinton was so out of touch with the populace.

That’s what I can’t understand, how the Democrats refuse to play in the present, a world run online. All we hear from the Dems is to put down our smartphones, which is like telling a baby not to drink milk. Why not use the internet to your benefit? Why not rally the left. Tell them to hate the right. Because one thing is for sure, the right hates the left.

But when a Democrat is confronted with a bully they go to the principal, they complain, and they’re laughed at. Everyone knows the only way to win, to neuter a bully, is to stand up to them. But we are told time and time again that if we stand up to Trump there will be negative consequences, he and his team will only get stronger.

And then there’s Joe Biden… Talk about out of touch. He’s too damn old. But the left calls that ageism. Almost no one wants him to run but they won’t confront him. Now we’ve got a stacked court hearing the Colorado case because the previously lauded Ruth Bader Ginsburg turned out to be a narcissist who refused to take one for the team. Who was sick with cancer to boot. Talk about legacy, hers is toast.

I like a lot of what Biden has done, but if you can’t make the case yourself why you should be president, you’re not going to be. Come on, self-promotion is part of the gig. And if you’re too lame not to do this it’s time to get out of the way.

I mean America is holding on by a thread. I thought when they got rid of abortion there would be riots in the street. But instead it was those on the right who rioted over a falsehood, that the election was stolen.

But the Democrats tell us to just wait for the vote, that people are upset and will come out and… Don’t you understand the flaw in logic here? This is internet 101. You want to remove the friction, eliminate the steps, otherwise people pass. I’ve got to register, I’ve got to leave my house, I’ve got to stand in line all the while believing my vote makes a difference. Well, not according to Trump and his minions.

So where does the buck stop? Don’t talk to me about the election, one thing is for sure, if Trump loses he’ll say he won, and then what. And if he wins… He’s not going to make the mistakes of last time, once bitten, twice shy. It’s over. This guy has a history of not being beholden to the legal system, but if he wins again he’s suddenly going to?

Of course not.

So it’s time for those on the left, the anti-Trumpers, to stand up. Not to watch MSNBC, not to be somnambulant. This is your fight, nobody else’s. Each and every one of you. Don’t let someone tell you that you need to respect the MAGA people, they’re not respecting you. You can’t reason with these people, you can only defeat them.

The wagons have circled. Trump has been caught red-handed, again and again. And what do our leaders and the media tell us? Back off. You don’t want to piss the MAGA people off.

Well I’m pissed, isn’t that enough?

The odds of the Supreme Court upholding the Colorado decision are miniscule. This is a court that has a history of deciding on a conclusion and then warping the law to fit it. Which means if you’re thinking today’s Colorado news is a great victory, all I can tell you is it’s just a beginning.

This is the time for a full court press. This is a time to stop telling the people that they’re wrong about the economy. Life is hard in these United States, own it. And people are angry. And too many on the left disrespect those with little income. Perception is everything. And perception is Biden is too old and times are hard. Good luck trying to convince people otherwise.

But there’s also a perception that Trump is a crook. He can complain all he wants that the system is stacked against him, that they’re out to get him, but isn’t that what every criminal has to say? This decision today is another brick in the wall. And it’s your responsibility to build it.

We need the justice system to hold Trump accountable, even more than the ballot box. This guy believes he’s above the law, like too many rich people. We’ve got to show him otherwise. We’ve got to put it all on the line, because everything is up for grabs.

Stop being afraid. Start taking a side. Those on the right have no problem doing this. Jason Aldean speaks his “truth,” but too many left-leaning musicians stay quiet, for fear someone won’t like them. Boo-hoo, is this the world we now live in, is this the result of everybody gets a trophy? Why are we so scared of offending people? And it’s the left that has this problem, I don’t hear the right calling for trigger warnings.

It’s your responsibility to make a difference, this is the story and the fight of your life. The MAGAns are the minority, are we going to let them win? The game is stacked against us, with the Electoral College, with two Senators per state. Which means we’ve got to fight even harder. But we always pass responsibility on to someone else. We’re too busy living our lives like the Israelis, while HAMAS was a ticking time bomb that finally exploded.

Today the Colorado court did the right thing. Showing there is some justice in this world. And Trump’s offenses are so egregious that it will be hard for courts down the line not to hold him accountable. We must beat this drum loudly, counteract the MAGA right. We must say that the buck stops with the law, unlike those on the right.

But we’ve still got to fight.

The future is unpredictable. The past might be prologue, but it is not definitive. Don’t tell me about 2022. The past repeats itself, but always with a twist. Today’s decision was an unexpected twist. There will be more. Be prepared, be very prepared. The right wants authoritarianism, they want the trains to run on time, they want answers, not questions. They want solutions. They don’t want to be told to wait. We have to show them our way is better. And we’re doing a piss-poor job of it.

But at least the legal system is helping.

Endorse it, otherwise those on the right are going to try to disqualify it.

Today gives us hope. And hope is everything. We need hope on the left. Let’s take this flicker of a flame and turn it into a conflagration. Trump is nothing without his team. Too bad we’ve got a lame leader on our side. But still, the team can organize, get it together, tell our story, say we’re right and we believe in the system.

Because once the system is up for grabs…

It’s almost over.

PUBLICITY

There must be a story, that first and foremost intrigues the writer who believes it will intrigue the reader, otherwise the effort is worthless. Many publicity people will take your money and they’ll send out mailings to people like me who will instantly delete them. If all you want is a listing that your music is coming out, or that you’re going on tour, a press release might be sufficient to achieve that, but not anything more. Publicity is a game. You’re selling and the writer/outlet is buying. Think of how hard it is to get someone to buy anything these days. Then think about how hard it will be to get someone overloaded with input to buy what you’re selling. The story must benefit them, and you only secondarily.

Having said all this, today most publicity is wasted. It reaches nobody, or those who do not care. Better to have targeted publicity, that reaches the core audience. Better to be narrow than broad. Specific rather than general. Only boomers and a few Gen-X’ers are reached by print advertising and broadcast/cable television. You reach everybody else via the internet. Facebook, YouTube, X, TikTok, Snapchat… Your story must be intriguing, if it is the audience will spread the word.

THE MUSIC

Is an advertisement for the act. Period. Unless you’re a rapper or a popster who will end up in the Spotify Top 50. If you’re complaining you’re not making money on your recorded music you’re missing the point. The key is to make it available so if someone is interested they can hear it with a click. And then a mysterious, unpredictable process happens, or not. Either the listener loves it so much that they tell other people about it or they do not. And if the listener likes it, they want more of it, and then will come to a show, buy merch. Think of ones and twos, not millions. An avid fan is worth more than a hundred, if not a thousand, passive ones. I wish we could be more targeted here, know exactly what will move the needle, but we rarely do. Only a few tracks are obvious hits. As for the rest, it’s unpredictable, history is littered with album tracks that became hits, and promoted tracks that did not. The key is to be in the marketplace, working, otherwise you don’t have a chance to catch fire. Fans want more music, more of you. Forget reaching those in the metaphorical last row, who are not passionate, concentrate all your efforts on the hard core.

As for the music itself… If you’re truly an artist, do whatever you want, follow your muse. But few people have this vision and talent. So the rest must study the market and see what is working and try to riff on that.

Also, if you catch fire, if you have a fan base, then you can expand. Don’t worry about being locked into expectations, burdened by history. Those days are through. Today there’s so much in the marketplace that if you miss, no one remembers. Keep stepping up to bat.

HONESTY/CREDIBILITY

This is what propelled Noah Kahan to stadiums. The more personal you are, the more you reveal your warts and problems, the greater the chance you have of hooking people. People are dying for connection, it is your goal to provide it. Sure, people like cartoons, raw entertainment too, but that usually does not bond a listener to you. A listener wants to believe that they know you and that you are speaking only to them, that if they meet you you’ll understand them and their life will be complete. Of course this is fantasy, but it’s this fantasy that creates hard core fans. You are an antidote to the rest of the world which is difficult and does not understand them.

Beware of messing up your image. Today everybody knows everything, or can find it out with a click. If you play a private for a dictator, if you party on the boat of an oligarch, people are going to know. And if your image is based on honesty, it’s going to take a hit. The TMZ acts playing the game the majors understand can get away with this, they’re essentially cartoons, however the market share of this music is declining. Literally. Will a new sound come along to replace it or will there just be a zillion niches…we don’t know.

PLAY LIVE

Period. That’s where the bond is solidified, at the show. Today there are two worlds, recordings and live performances, and the power has switched to the latter. If you want longevity in the music business then you must be able to play live. Making a hit record in your bedroom is nice, albeit difficult, but that does not mean anybody wants to pay to see you. And the most money is at the gig. So if you’re starting out, start playing out. Whether it be with guitars or synthesizers, you must have a show. Something that rivets those who are interested. This is not easy…to get anybody to pay attention to anybody playing music. And the show does not have to be perfect, but it must connect with the audience. The show must breathe, a click track usually works against you. Live is where you evidence your humanity.

Y0UR PERSONALITY/IDENTITY

It’s in your music, but that is no longer enough. You must have a presence online, a genuine presence, not one created by a team. Where people can look into your life, into your brain, and get to know you. Don’t worry about making a mistake, pissing people off, it goes with the territory. The more edges you have, the greater the chance people will be hooked.

And never ever be defensive online, never get into a flame/X/Twitter war unless someone high above you is punching down. And it’s best to fight back with humor.

DUES

You never stop paying them. You’re always practicing, always working, always building a platform to take you to the next level. It’s frustrating because you want the fame of yore, when MTV made you a worldwide star overnight, but those days are through, no use lamenting their passage. You must play by the new rules. And you must be not only digitally native, but digitally proficient. Most youngsters are, most oldsters are not. You must know how your smartphone and computer work, you must follow online trends in platforms and fads. Only by being aware of the marketplace can you win in the marketplace.

DON’T BE AFRAID

You’re going to piss people off. But the dirty little secret is not everyone is going to love you, and while you might be angering one slice of the population, another might be thrilled and cheer you on. Take a stand. And if you have any traction, that frequently becomes a story that spreads unto itself. Having said that, if you have no traction don’t send out e-mail saying you wrote a protest song or have a take on the issue du jour…who cares, it makes you look like a joke.

THE WILDERNESS

That’s where we are now. Anybody who tells you they’ve got it nailed is wrong. And those invested in the past are those who are losing out most in the future. You’ve got to be nimble. There is no formula. It’s all cottage industry. And remember, no one needs you or your music, absolutely no one. They need food and water and shelter, but not your music. Be thrilled if you have any traction at all. And if you don’t…you can keep on keepin’ on, that’s your choice, or maybe the universe is telling you to do something different.

THE OA is one of the best TV series of modern times.  Netflix made me hate Netflix when it oddly cancelled it.  Ignorant.  One of the worst choices ever.  Imagine if NBC canceled Cheers or Seinfeld, as they wanted to, due to numbers.  I also can’t believe that NO ONE picked it up!? NO ONE!? There are dozens of outlets. This show was epic. And since then, 7 years ago, no one has topped it. Not in intellect or concept. No one.  Brit Marling is Spielberg level genius.  Stephen King. Jordan Peele. Marling.  And while “Murder” is slower in its pace, she deserves the power and money and staff behind her that someone like Ryan Murphy has.

Jerry J. Sharell

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The OA was such an inventive and phenomenal show and I was so disappointed when the story did not continue for a third season. I watched the show multiple times hoping it would get picked back up. In a time when so many are focused on female empowerment in Hollywood, it’s appalling that everyone doesn’t know how much of a creative genius Brit Marling is.

The closest album to something like The OA is probably by The Mars Volta or Shabazz Palaces. Sadly (perhaps) neither the show nor those musicians got mainstream attention.

Joah Spearman

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Brit Marling’s work has consistently blown me away over the years. I always know I’m in for something thought-provoking and mind-bending when her name’s attached to a project. I became an instant fan after seeing Another Earth back in 2011, which she co-wrote and starred in. I was truly mesmerized by The OA when it came out. Like you, I thought the first season was superior, though I was still royally pissed that Netflix decided to cancel it once the second season failed to be digested by billions of people in a single weekend. Or because of whatever shortsighted criteria it is that they adhere to.

Anyway, next step, check out some of the movies Brit’s done with Zal as well as with Mike Cahill, like the aforementioned Another Earth, as well as Sound Of My Voice and I Origins. They’re also fantastic.

J.G.

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The OA. I watched it when it first came out… yes, unique, disturbing, and the second season was not as good as the first. I would tell everyone about it, but no-one seemed to get what I got out of it. Kind of like my suburban, teenaged self trying to tell my friends why they should try listening to early XTC, Bowie, Elvis Costello, and the list goes on. Ah, the blank faces that now have been replaced with knowing smirks. So it goes!

Ralph Covert

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I’ve been telling everyone about the oa from the start. Totally mesmerizing! So upset that it was cancelled. I’m loving murder at the end of the world as well because it sucks you in and gets more interesting along the way. Go Brit!

Nathan Benditzson

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Bob, I was excited you included my missive about THE OA regarding your initial note on “A Murder At The End Of The World”, and I’m thrilled you took the time to dig into the show now (not presuming it was my suggested behest of course haha). It’s cool after years of trying to tell anyone who would listen how good this show is that it finally seems to be finding a bigger audience. Good things indeed take time. I agree, season 1 was brilliant but I did feel season 2 opened up whole new layers of the onion that I didn’t see coming.The cliffhanger ending is so frustratingly perfect because it allows us to imagine that anything  Brit and Zal do next could “in theory” be a continuation of THE OA. At least I like to think of it like that. Hopefully your cosign will bring this show to even more light. I recco it to fans of LOST and the equally awesome Netflix phenom “DARK” (which may have the best series ending in TV history…better than Sopranos or Breaking Bad).

Best,

– Wordburglar

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I couldn’t agree with you more about The OA.  I watched it when it came out as it was recommended to me by someone whose taste I respect immensely.
I still think it’s one of the most creative and innovative shows over the last 7 years.

Like you said, we were not expecting it

So glad that you saw it and loved it.

Ritch Esra

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Another Earth is when I first noticed her.   She was great in that one.

Hal Kempson

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Three words…Sharon van Etten!

Glad you got hipped to The OA.

dick huey

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Another Earth

Film co-written and starring Brit Marling. I remember being moved by it.

Cliff Burnstein

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Despite agreeing with you about the general superiority of today’s series over today’s films, the latter still offer some worthy nuggets. I strongly suggest checking out some of Brit & Zal’s pre-OA films. I recommend starting with “Another Earth.” But they’re all mind blowing and very well conceived, written, acted, and directed.

Tom Carter

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Check out Brit Marling in “The Sound of My Voice”. Similar thematically to the OA, but a feature-length film. Same director involved… Zat Batamangali.  “Another Earth” is another one worth checking out.

Stephen Gordon

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You should see Britt Marling’s pre-“The OA” movies, too… They’re all brilliantly original.

Mark B. Spiegel

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I hope you’ve watched her commencement speech and her other movies

All imperfect little gems.

Thanks for challenging your fans to take a look.

Rick Osswald

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LOVED OA. What a trip. A really good one!!

Wish they got to finish the series as planned, that cliffhanger ending was too abrupt.

Joe Weinstein

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The OA was brilliant.  Singer Sharon Van Etten and all of the captives held by “Hap” (Jason Isaacs- playing Carey Grant “Archie” soon on the Brit Box) were quietly complex. Homer and the OA’s connection was the most intoxicating. But the friendships OA forged in her hometown was a “Breakfast Club” of disparate high schoolers and an adult. Those relationships were wonderful. The character development on Steve was especially well done. You hated him then start to understand and eventually like him. You become invested in all of their lives. Because the time is taken for the audience to get to know each of them. I encourage everyone to watch the OA. But skip seaon 2. It jumped the shark. Sometimes it’s best leaving wanting more.  Brit Marling- please sell wolf hoodies;)

Kathryn Russ

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I’m so glad you enjoyed that show and wrote about it. I only recently saw it too and this is the kind of art to talk about.

Gregg DeMammos

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Bob – we discussed The OA in Aspen – and I loved it too.

But I forgot to mention another show that I just loved - Dark.  Did you and Felice catch it?  I binged it during the first few months of the pandemic, so maybe the eeriness of the world bled into my evenings with Dark, but it is absolutely mesmerizing.  The final episode broke my heart and will stay with me forever.

If you guys didn’t catch it – do it.

Nichol Carlson

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I’m so glad you took the time to watch and explore “The O.A.,” which for me is one of the most wondrous, daring and human series ever created. I had long been a fan of Brit and Zal — I interviewed them three times for their previous works: “Sound of My Voice” and “The East,” and also “Another Earth,” in which Brit starred for director Mike Cahill, whom Brit and Zal went to college with. I adored their humanism, but to your point, I always felt their ideas were too big for a two-hour film. Then came “The O.A.” An expansive canvas for their wild ideas — about community, and storytelling, and alternate worlds, and primal movement — to stretch across. I’ve never been so heartbroken about the cancellation of a series, and yet, I reckoned with it by deciding we might just not have been worthy of it. I wrote about my feelings in an extensive piece in “The Observer,” and I wrote it when I was inspired to — it wouldn’t have been good otherwise. I was ecstatic when co-star Jason Isaacs tweeted about it. (Yes, they were still tweets then.) The thought that my voice was heard by an artist who willingly took part in this gonzo masterstroke of bravery, and who gave life to Brit and Zal’s words, was enormous. It pains me that I don’t much care for “A Murder at the End of the World” (it’s just far too obvious and underwritten for minds like Brit’s and Zal’s), but for me, “The O.A.” is enough to cement them as two of the greatest storytellers of our time — which they, of course, were not setting out to be.

Kurt Osenlund

PS: I also highly recommend Brit’s convocation speech at the 2013 senior graduation at Georgetwon, her alma mater. It tells you all you need to know and more about the human, tribal nature behind her work with Zal: https://youtu.be/K5izKTfctX4?si=IT73FaP0cqpE9jSl

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Wow- you are really late on this, but also correct. This was unique entertainment.

Steven Berson

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The OA is an amazing show, and nothing was more disappointing than finishing season 2 and learning it had been canceled. Maybe you can use your powers to start a campaign for season 3?

https://screenrant.com/the-oa-season-3-chances-netflix-cancellation-cocreator-comments/

Pete Smollin

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Brit Marling is not a star, but she is an artist.

Jeff Weicher