It used to be called the Aspen Artist Development Conference. But then file-trading killed record company largesse, and the conference turned into a concert confab.

And all the action is in the show.

So the guest star today was Louis Messina.

You have to know, back in the seventies, there were a coterie of people who read “Billboard.” They didn’t subscribe, but they bought occasional issues, assuming the newsstand carried it, and read it at the library, because they needed to get closer. They needed to be closer.

I remember being wowed at the success of Humble Pie’s “Smokin’,” which was not only inferior to the band’s previous work, but was nowhere near as good as Frampton’s debut, “Wind of Change.”

And then came Clive Davis’s book. With the red cover. Mana from heaven. There wasn’t another music business book this big, this impactful, until “Hit Men” in 1990. Here we got the inside story. “Rolling Stone” was for the consumer, Clive’s book had business nuggets, as well as gossip, and then there were “Cashbox” and “Record World.” The labels were king, those who ran them were cultural icons. To be able to meet Mo Ostin? Walter Yetnikoff? Even Bhaskar Menon? They were untouchable. The acts came and went, but they maintained.

And then it all fell apart.

Alain Levy was the Merck Mercuriadis of his day. He made offers that could not be refused to Herb and Jerry and Chris Blackwell and suddenly A&M and Island were part of PolyGram. Building a label and selling it? Irving Azoff saw how much money was being made and he jumped from running MCA to starting his own label, Giant.

And then it all imploded.

Back to Irving, back to 1994, when Hell Froze Over. Irving priced the Eagles tickets at what they were worth. A hundred bucks. And they all sold. And then everybody started thinking of the possibilities.

Ticketing was no longer regional and inefficient, Fred Rosen came along and built Ticketmaster. Then came the internet and professional scalping, brokers reaping profits heretofore unheard of. Furthermore, you no longer had to know a guy, because these scalped tickets were available to everybody online!

And there are only brokers because the tickets are underpriced. So then there were Platinum tickets. Sit up close and personal, get a tchotchke, meet a band member and pay multiple hundreds. And then it turned out the external elements didn’t matter. People were willing to pay hundreds of dollars for guaranteed good seats.

This was a revelation and a revolution. Because antiquated thinkers still thought it was the seventies, that high ticket prices would reflect negatively on the act, undercut their credibility. But MTV changed the business, it was all flash, all the time. Bruce Springsteen might have been a secret in the seventies, but in the eighties, he was everywhere!

Younger generations didn’t care what the price was, they just needed to be inside the building. Their only complaint was they couldn’t get a ticket. And those on the inside knew and still know that those complaining loudly, gaining attention, are a distinct minority and delusional. They think they should be allowed to sit in the front row for fifty bucks. What next, a Mercedes-Benz for 15k?

And now there were only three major label groups. And unlike in the past, they didn’t build talent, they poached it off the internet. Furthermore, they only signed that which was easy to sell. Like the movie studios and comic book movies. There’s a whole slice of the public, a huge slice, that won’t go to a Marvel movie, have never even seen one. The studios stopped serving this audience and lost control to the streamers, i.e., Netflix. And funnily enough, it’s the same people who go to Marvel movies who listen to the Spotify Top 50. So now the interesting action is in the independent sphere. Live music is burgeoning. Record labels are moribund.

And the promoter is king.

However, the promoters started being rolled up in 1996. So we end up with a few titans. Michael Rapino. Jay Marciano.

And Louis Messina.

You probably don’t know who that is. Well, maybe you do, but most people do not. What was the biggest story of the summer? Taylor Swift’s Eras tour. And Louis Messina is the promoter.

And not only Taylor Swift, but George Strait, Kenny Chesney, Eric Church, the Lumineers, the list goes on. Who is this person and how did he do this?

Well, concert promotion is very different from the record business. The turning point in the record business came a bit over fifty years ago, when Atlantic and Elektra became part of Warner. Suddenly, it was all corporate.

But in the concert business? It was still renegade.

And hard to get into. Because it was a license to go broke. You guaranteed the act money and then you had to sell the tickets, and sometimes you did not.

And those who survived… Are business-savvy in a way you cannot fathom. They’re street smart in a way that Lucian Grainge is not. Certainly not Rob Stringer. And Robert Kyncl at Warner? He came from the visual side of entertainment, tech, he’s not down and dirty.

And all the promoters are. When it’s your money…

And concert promoters never retire. They gain all this wisdom, and they use this knowledge and their wiles to get business, to do business.

Louis Messina has been around forever. He was responsible for Texxas Jam.

This was a thing way back when. After Woodstock, when it was almost impossible to do a festival. Promoters would find an established location, maybe a racetrack, and do a show there. There was California Jam… But this was before people traveled for shows, you could only dream, you felt left out.

And you always wanted to get closer. You needed to get closer.

So once you get into Louis’s force field, you’re done. Because Louis doesn’t sit at home in the office, he goes on the road. So when Ed Sheeran opened for Taylor Swift, Louis sat in the front of the bus talking to Ed and…

Soon Louis was Ed’s promoter too.

It’s a weird combo of personality and skill. And it’s based on experience. A teen can’t do it, nor can a twentysomething. You need the miles, the dead ends, you may not get a degree from a university, but your experience is even more valuable.

These promoters are square pegs who can’t fit into a round hole. You can’t learn how to do what they do, because they’re unique characters, they’re stars. They need to do it their way, not the man’s way. And isn’t that the essence of art?

So Louis is sitting on the riser and unlike every other successful person he’s not denigrating himself, rather he’s owning his status and power.

And you could feel it. This strange charisma.

This is what the record label titans used to have, used to deliver.

Now you get it in the touring business.

These are today’s icons. These are the people those who need to be in the business want to get closer to. These are the people who make the show happen.

And now it’s all about the show, a unique experience you can’t get anywhere else.

Who are these people who put on the show, who risk all that money to create an extravaganza?

They’re magicians, and we’re dying to know the trick.

Ursus Magana and Raf Luzy are two of the three principals at 25/7 Media, which represents 58 acts and has 27 employees. Ursus was profiled in the “Wired” article entitled: “Watch This Guy Work, and You’ll Finally Understand the TikTok Era.” These two are experts in social media, in breaking acts, you’ll want to listen, definitely.

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ursus-magana-and-raf-luzy/id1316200737?i=1000637796893

https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/9ff4fb19-54d4-41ae-ae7a-8a6f8d3dafa8/episodes/07bf4689-8ad5-4f74-b265-89ece6698294/the-bob-lefsetz-podcast-ursus-magana-and-raf-luzy

I’ve walked more today than I do in a week.

I used to park and walk to my shrink, but he gave up his office and went virtual. And so many other docs give you the option today. And the problem is, I’m using all the time I save.

Driving to, parking and walking, they chewed up a lot of time but I didn’t think twice about it. Actually, I’m one of the few people who doesn’t bitch about traffic in L.A. It goes with the territory, time to listen to SXM. But now that I go out less frequently sometimes it pisses me off. Not so much the driving, but the traffic. I mean why is the 405 backed up to stopping at 11 A.M? Well, just before I got to my exit I saw these giant flashing arrows, and when I pulled up close it was three DOT trucks, they were crawling along as men picked up debris in front of them, not that I could see any garbage. Can’t they do this at night?

Not that I don’t exercise. I go out hiking in the mountains four nights a week. But the occasional mindless stroll, GONE!

So it turns out the soup place I’ve been going to for years is being remodeled. And searching for another place for a quick bite…we didn’t find one. Quick-bite places can no longer afford the rent. You see stores in Aspen are loss leaders, flagships, they don’t care if they lose dough.

And we ended up at the J-Bar, in the Jerome Hotel, where Hunter Thompson used to hang out, not that I ever saw him there. And we each had chicken noodle soup, bowls. Nothing else. Well, water, but they don’t charge for that. Final bill? SEVENTY BUCKS! Now I am in Aspen, but…

That’s another thing I’ve missed being inside, the inflation at restaurants. I noticed my grocery bill going up a hundred bucks, and I’ve been reading about inflation, and today it hit. And I know it’s not Biden’s fault, and I know interest rates may drop precipitously before November, but still…it doesn’t feel right. And those who profited during the run-up of the Covid years, of the last few decades…the price doesn’t matter. Truly. They may debate flying private, but gasoline, food, all the basics, it’s chump change. So they tell us to believe in Bidenomics, but the average person doesn’t see it. How can Biden and the Dems be so out of touch? Got to give Trump credit, he’s speaking to the downtrodden, many of whom used to be Democrats, when that was the blue collar party.

So one of the thrills of coming to Aspen in December was checking out all the new equipment. But online has obviated that. You now know about the new equipment in January, during the ski show for retailers. And there are so many brands and models no one stocks everything, so you can actually learn more on the internet.

As for the clothing… Not that I was in the market for anything, but I couldn’t find anything that appealed to me, that tickled my fancy. It seems that style is out and functionality is in. Skiwear is taking the lead of snowboard gear, and for a while there they diverged.

And I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I now prefer Vail, the town. Aspen was original, Vail was purpose-built. As in there was no town, and they put up an ersatz Swiss village. But being ersatz, you don’t expect authenticity, which is what Aspen used to deliver, but that was back in the seventies, when skiing was still hot and middle class people saw it as an option. In fact, skiing is less expensive than it’s ever been, but the perception is it’s expensive, so it’s not growing. And because of the Sierra Club you can’t build new ski areas, so those resorts that do exist are getting more crowded and…

I did see the Van Deer stuff in Gorsuch. Billy told me he’d ordered it, but he wasn’t sure it would be shipped.

You see the ski business has gone virtual. People buy their equipment online, which is normally a mistake. Not only do you forgo the advice, you forgo the fit. Boots need to be fitted, you need to pay retail. And your skis need to be mounted, why not have a relationship with the shop that’s going to do this for you? Because if you do, they’ll take care of you, throw deals your way. Billy may charge me retail, but the service is unbelievable. And he doesn’t charge for demo skis and little repairs, like pole baskets, so in the end I pay no more than those chiseling online, and get first class advice and service.

Then again, service is going out the window. Been to a department store? No wonder there are so many flash robberies, there’s no one there.

And the right equipment makes all the difference, but you can’t convince anybody to change their mind about anything these days, everybody’s an expert, everybody knows better. But in truth there’s an expert in every field and I like to find them, pays dividends. Whether it be Billy at Gorsuch or my doctor or my mechanic. Then again, I get so much satisfaction from things running right, perfectly.

As for those Van Deers… They’re the personal brand of Marcel Hirscher, one of the top five racers ever. He retired after winning eight overall titles in twelve years. He’s the second most winning male ski racer of all time, with 67 wins, second only to Stenmark’s 86. And, of course, the true record holder in wins is Mikaela Shiffrin, with 90, and she’s still racing.

Hirscher was sponsored by Red Bull. Many elite athletes are, and Red Bull pays a lot of dividends, with training, etc. And Red Bull helped fund Hirscher’s ski company, the aforementioned Van Deer. And you can only get the boards at Gorsuch. This is how you compete with the internet, only sell stuff that can’t be bought online. And Van Deer is making World Cup skis and now recreational skis and you probably don’t care, but I do.

And I guess that’s the point, I care so much.

A little bit makes all the difference, adds to the enjoyment, results in victory, just ask Red Bull’s F1 team.

So it’s gray. At this time of the year the sun falls behind the mountains very early. And Friday it’s supposed to dump.

And it’s a long way from Los Angeles.

Well, it used to be longer, before the internet, before mobile phones, before cheap airfare, used to be exotic to be somewhere else, to travel. No longer, but I’m here. Where I first came in 1970, where my father relayed untold stories on the old half hour lift at Highlands in 1979. I’ve got a lot of memories. I was there when it all blew up.

But now it’s going to blow past me. It’ll be inherited by people who think high speed lifts are de rigueur, who see skiing as an elite sport.

It’s everybody’s loss.

Because when you’re outside, in the cold, you feel so alive.

But maybe that’s just the New England upbringing in me. A cold snowy day, HEAVEN!

I’ve been without people for too long.

Have you noticed it’s different since Covid? That nothing ever picked up the same? It used to be a floating party, at least in L.A. There were lunches and gigs and events and you’d run into people… I won’t say it was just like high school, but you felt a part of something.

And that’s done. Will it ever revive? Not the same way.

I was locked up for two and a half years because of immunity issues. My debut was a year ago. But I’d be lying if I told you I felt fully integrated. At first I’d wear my mask, there were places I wouldn’t go. And I skipped Cat Power at the Troubadour recently because it seemed like a Covid incubator. I’ve spent a year letting my hair down, gradually not wearing a mask, going to restaurants, and…

I get to the gate and Jamie and Diarmuid are wearing masks. That was surprising, they’re both so active and social. Diarmuid actually told me he got Covid recently in NYC. And he had it once before. Whereas I haven’t had it at all, nor has Felice.

And Diarmuid said it was two days of being extremely tired, and then he was okay. I’m prepared, I’ve got the Paxlovid. Oh no, you tell me not to take it, that I’ll be prone to a rebound. But I’m trusting my doctor. And I’m thinking it’s inevitable, just a matter of when I get Covid.

But I’ve given up precautions. Not absolutely completely, I’m reserving judgment, it’s just that I got too far from reality, I was too outside, and I still feel so. And my hematologist told me I was still immune-suppressed, and I doubt the last Covid shot and the flu shot even worked, they don’t if you get Rituxan, like I do, for my pemphigus… Yes, I’m old and talking about my health issues. It’s just a matter of time. But I’m still here. And I’m at the age where you want to fight to still be here. Give yourself the best odds. Don’t smoke, go to the cardiologist…you can’t fight genes, but there is so much you can fight.

But I can’t live in a bubble anymore.

It’s not like I’m isolated. People are looking for me all day long. I worked all day Friday of Thanksgiving, I have a radio show on Saturdays, and I’m not complaining, but have things changed permanently, is this the new normal, or do I need to fight to be included.

Being 70 is weird. Yes, that’s how old I am. I could chop off ten or fifteen years like most people in entertainment, but what’s the point. You get to a certain age and you don’t care what other people think. As for their perception… These are the same people who think the game is the same, when it’s completely changed.

Diarmuid represents Josh Groban, he’s doing Broadway.

Jamie works at Nederlander.

The concert business, it’s flourishing. But it’s weird, if you’re my friend I’ll definitely come. If I have a hankering to see the act I’ll show up. But there are some acts I saw when they were happening, maybe multiple times, and then on the comeback tour and then thereafter…and they’re not getting better, and it’s too often nostalgia, and the acts act like they’re in their thirties when the audience has white hair and…

The truth is there are many young acts. But it’s not the same. The best ones don’t fly on the major league radar screen. Or bubble under. The names you see in the Spotify Top 50? Tend not to be interesting. It’s the popular music of the younger generation, now labeled “Alpha,” but we’ve seen the movie, we know that there’s so much more. We were exposed to Bobby Rydell, Fabian, we knew what a revolution the Beatles were.

There’s nothing better than a great song. But the experience is visceral. You can’t force it. If you don’t like it soon, you probably never will. Sure, there’s stuff we hear again and again that we ultimately cotton to, but that’s nothing like dropping the needle on “Let It Bleed” the day it came out and hearing “Gimmie Shelter” for the first time, with that eerie sound. “War, children, it’s just a shot away.” They used to shoot politicians, now they shoot the hoi polloi. I fired up my computer and saw there was a mass shooting in Vegas. We expect them now, they’re de rigueur, and that’s sad. Kinda like Trump’s pronouncements. Our driver told us Trump said he would be a dictator for one day. In the past I’d get incensed. Now, this stuff flows over the transom every damn day.

And I read an interesting piece in the “Wall Street Journal” on the plane:

“From Which River to Which Sea – College students don’t know, yet they agree with the slogan”: https://tinyurl.com/ycymmb4s

That’s a free link. You should read it. The writer commissioned a poll, turns out most people have no idea what is going on in the Middle East, and after hearing the facts, which aren’t that complicated, they’re suddenly pro-Israel, they understand it.

And I was reading the news earlier which talked about the battle in the South of Gaza. And I winced over the citizens in harm’s way. Then I thought how this was an actual war, as in Hamas is fighting back, and they’ve been doing so for two months. What is the alternative, leave Hamas in place?

You can sign off now, people always do when I don’t take the Palestinians’ side, don’t call for an immediate ceasefire.

And then there’s the article in the “Times”: 

“Oakland Educators Plan Unauthorized Teach-in Supporting Palestinians – The district opposes the event, and some Jewish groups raised concerns about what they saw as bias”: https://tinyurl.com/4z286dpz

That too is a free link. And I’m not against people learning about the plight of the Palestinians, but:

“A coloring book for elementary students features a Palestinian character who says, ‘A group of bullies called Zionists wanted our land so they stole it by force and hurt many people.'”

And if that doesn’t scare you, you probably believe in from the river to the sea, as in Israel has no right to exist.

And that is the story of the day. Politics. National and worldwide. If Trump is elected does that mean the end of democracy? I’m reading Heather Cox Richardson’s book about authoritarianism…this didn’t happen overnight, it’s been building for decades, actually longer.

So there’s a lot at stake.

And I’m watching a TV series so bizarre I can’t turn it off. Not much happens, but it’s so weird and creepy I’m riveted to the screen. It’s “The OA,” the predecessor to “A Murder at the End of the World.”

What’s that aphorism, “may you live in interesting times”?

That’s certainly true.

And we all want diversion, ergo concert attendance, TV watching, but the bigger issues have never been bigger in my lifetime. As for antisemitism… I’ve lived a full life,  if they get me…I ain’t gonna hide my Jewishness.

So there are four mountains in Aspen. There is excellent skiing. Ajax and Baldy at Sun Valley are two of, if not the best two, raw mountains in America. But there ain’t that much snow. There was all that hogwash about El Niño, I stopped paying attention to that dreck years ago.

And I hope you have something to live for, something that keeps you going, for me that’s skiing.

Although I saw a very interesting TikTok last night. The person said their college professor told them if someone is educated and smart they don’t need external toys, because they can play inside their head forever.

Pretty fascinating.

Don’t be who people want you to be.

We’re looking for authenticity, the real you.

I’m being the real me.