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.

You know, in the wake of her recent smash hit…

SHE DOESN’T HAVE ONE!

Let’s see, her last big single “Trustfall”… Actually, that’s not her last single, there have been some since, but “Trustfall” made it all the way to #82 on the “Billboard” Hot 100. Which means if you’re a fan of Top Forty, you didn’t hear it.

However, diving a bit deeper, the track did do better in niche formats, it was #15 on AC, #5 on Adult Top 40, #3 on Hot Dance/Electronic Songs and #20 on Mainstream Top 40. How many charts are there? I don’t know, but if you can’t make it on one of them, you’re not in the business.

Or maybe you are.

Let’s see, in 2022… Pink put out two solo singles. One made it all the way to #99 on the Hot 100, the other one didn’t even chart at all.

2021? Her one solo single made it to #74.

2020? No solo singles, but one with Keith Urban, which made it all the way up to #52 on the Hot 100, made it to #10 on the Country Airplay chart, but even that ain’t so great.

2019? One solo single that made it to #49 on the Hot 100.

2018? Three singles, one made it to #90 and two didn’t even chart.

2017? One song at #13.

Pink’s last number one solo track was back in 2010, with “Raise Your Glass.”

Yes, Pink has done features/duets that have done better, but not all of them.

And yes, there’s been airplay in other formats, but…

I’ve got nothing against Pink, other than the fact that she does that damn acrobatic act every damn show, she’s likable. But STADIUMS?

Looking at the above numbers… If it were the past, promoters would be worried about booking her in arenas. Or would proffer a low guarantee, fearful she wouldn’t sell out. But today? STADIUMS!

Chances are you haven’t even been exposed to Pink’s recent music. She got the party started back in 2001, and I’d be stunned if you didn’t know that ubiquitous single, which was all over music television. But now music television is dead. Video is on demand online, and if you don’t want to see it, you never have to. And the power of terrestrial radio? The brain dead, not the active listener, they’re all on streaming services. And it’s the active listener who buys concert tickets. And the bottom line is Pink does have enough active listeners to sell stadiums, and that’s utterly amazing!

Stadium gigs had their heyday in the seventies. Oh, there were some in the eighties, but no one could sell that many tickets. Except for the Stones, Springsteen at the height of “Born in the U.S.A.” Everybody else? It was unfathomable.

And then came the devastation of the internet. Everybody scaled down. The belief was that music was turning into a theatre business, or small arenas. Tickets would sell, and there’d be more acts on the road, but the good old days were gone. But today makes the good old days look like a sideshow!

Hit acts? Stars? They’re getting less of the listening audience than ever before. That’s right, star plays on streaming services are losing market share. You’d think their business would go down, but just the opposite.

Sure Pink has a long career, but when you think of the stadium acts of yore, do you put her in the same category?

And Kenny Chesney started the modern day stadium paradigm, but he always brings insurance, other hit acts, to sell tickets.

But Pink? She’s got Sheryl Crow, who made her bones in the last century, and the well-known acts the Script and KidCutUp. Yes, Pink believes she needs no insurance. Sure, she’s got to fill out the bill, but doesn’t need anyone else to sell tickets. She can do it all by herself.

Taylor Swift? Biggest tour of the year. How many people actually saw it? Bottom line? Never has an act this big been this small. And she’s the biggest one out there!

Morgan Wallen sells out stadiums and he only has a couple of albums. Unheard of in the days of yore.

Welcome to the niche-ification of the music business. Nothing is ubiquitous, you’re not competing against everybody else, but yourself. People have the mindshare and the dollars for you, if they’re interested. Getting them interested might be a heavy lift, but if you do, they’ll lay out dough.

Turns out in a crazy, alienated world, people are more tribal than ever, they need someone to believe in. Ergo Taylor Swift. You might not care, but those who went to the show believe it was a religious experience. You didn’t go to the show, didn’t see the movie, and are unaware of “Cruel Summer,” yet you read the news… Well, who is even reading the news? But if you do, you’d think that Swift was the Stones, when she’s not. Nor the Beatles. And I could make a critical judgment of her music, but that’s not the point. Swift has a diehard core audience. And it’s large, but it’s not everybody.

And everybody has the same iPhone, especially amongst the younger demo, Android is a joke in the U.S., because of peer pressure, if nothing else, you don’t want to proffer a green bubble. (And if you do you’d better be a techie with a good reason to go Android, because otherwise you’re going to be seen as cheap. Yes, your smartphone is more of an indicator of your personality and wealth than your house or car.) But if you go to the show, you can have a unique experience. One that only you can testify about. And no matter how much is on hard drive, the act does speak to the audience, you feel a one to one connection.

And then there’s all those PEOPLE! Normally you’re glued to your device. You’re in contact, but it’s all virtual. At the show you have physical contact, it’s exciting. And you get to memorialize the event via photos. In the old days, maybe you saved a ticket stub, but even if you tried you often misplaced it. But a photo? It’s sitting in the cloud, ready to be shown years down the line, as you wax rhapsodic about the show you went to years before.

The demand is through the roof. Will it sustain? I”m sure there will be ups and downs. And nothing juices the business like new hit acts. But what music provides you can’t get anywhere else, nowhere. In a world of similarity, concerts provide unique.

So if you’re not number one? Don’t let it bother you. No one can reach everybody. The key is to reach somebody. And if you’ve got a tight bond, they’ll come to see you live.

All the old paradigms, poof, they’re gone! Yes, you were in the public’s mind because of continued radio play, continued video play, but now both of those things… Once again, music is an on demand item. How do you create this demand and sustain it?

That’s your job. That’s what you need to be doing online. Don’t play to the “Times,” don’t worry about getting on late night TV or “Entertainment Tonight” (is that still on)? Most of what you do won’t be seen by many. But those you do reach? They’re your army. They’re your apostles. They will spread the word if you make them believe enough, if you bond them to you.

Stadiums? The joke is it’s 50,000 people in a metropolitan area of millions. It’s one baseball game. When the team sells out do they do carthweels in the press, does everybody know about it? No. And baseball lost the plot anyway, it became niche because it couldn’t see the future and adjust for it. Following the dollars, it lost the younger generation.

And baseball can survive quite well as a niche endeavor, but you can miss the World Series, have no idea who played, and be quite satisfied.

And if baseball is niche, think about music! The sky’s the limit, you too can sell out stadiums, if you play long and hard enough. Sure, Pink had the benefit of all those hits decades ago. But today, if you connect with the audience, your fans have the music at their fingertips, they can drill it into their brains to their heart’s content. Everybody knows every word at a Zach Bryan show. Unheard of in the past. Because most people didn’t own the records. They knew the hits. But today everybody can go deep.

Do you know any Zach Bryan songs? Probably not. This ain’t the music business of yore. It’s less about finding your place in the landscape, being aware of what is going on in the rest of the world than focusing on your own little niche, your world.

So are you excited to see Pink in a stadium? Which is a lousy experience, anyway? Probably not. But the point is someone is. Fewer than a million. That’s right, Pink is doing 17 cities. So 17 x 50,000 (and not every stadium holds that many) is 850,000. In a country of 331.9 million. A drop in the bucket. But enough to keep Pink flying private.

Think small, because it’s really big.

You live in your own vertical. Forget the competition, stay the course.