https://amzn.to/3CjD3hU

I was afraid to go to sleep.

Then again, I didn’t want to, I wanted to stay up another hour or so to finish the book but it was already long past midnight.

There’s initial publicity about books, but most books catch fire and last as a result of word of mouth. That’s how I found this one. Recommended by my sister’s stepdaughter.

Not that I’m open to all recs, but my sister gave her taste a ringing endorsement and I’m always looking for something good, which is hard to find. Most of the best sellers are either genre fiction or not that good or too hard to read or all three. That’s right, I’m talking fiction, made up, I rarely read nonfiction. I don’t need no stinking self-help, it’s not worth anything, the writers are not the readers and the insight is not translatable, then again people have so little confidence in themselves they believe the answers are out there when they’re not, and they’ll pay attention to charlatans, many of them with no CV who are doing it to get rich.

But “The Sound of Gravel” is nonfiction.

Not that it was at the top of my list. Felice read it before I did. But having finished the books at the top of my mental pile I dove in on Thursday night and…

I can’t say that I was hooked at first. But then…

There are a lot of books like this, that take a while to ensnare you, to build up steam. And the problem with the beginning of “The Sound of Gravel” isn’t that it’s hard to read or uninteresting, it’s just that it goes on and on about Mormon cultists in Mexico and you think this is where the entire book is going to be set, it’s hard to relate, but then…

Yes, the writer, Ruth Wariner, was the daughter of a polygamist, who ended up having over thirty children.

And Ruth’s mother had ten children.

But it’s the poverty and blind belief that that stun you, that keep you reading. The fact that people grew up this way, and not so long ago.

And I’m loath to give away any of the story, because it’s the twists and turns that keep you reading. They’re essentially unpredictable. Just when you think the hammer is going to fall, that everything will be set straight and harmony will reign…

And since it’s nonfiction, the unexpected happens. Because truth is stranger than fiction, believe it.

And I was debating with myself when to shut down my Kindle. You know how it is, you make a deal with yourself that you’re going to stop reading at a certain time and then, completely out of the blue, the book you’re reading takes a total left turn that you could never predict and you’re just positively blown away.

I mean I was reading the book in the dark. My Kindle has a light in it. So I felt like I was somewhat in the story, across the street, not that far away. And there’s a little foreshadowing, but what ultimately happens is a complete surprise. And never forget, in nonfiction, everything doesn’t always turn out so well.

So you’ve got these Mormon polygamists. In Mexico because you can’t get away with this in the U.S.

And they are true believers, they’ll sacrifice anything and everything for their beliefs. The pull of their religion has them making one bad choice after another, at least by most people’s standards. But they think they’re the winners and the rest of us are heathens who are going to pay a price.

What is it like to grow up in an environment like this?

You’re just a kid. Your mother is your mother. Remember trying to run away as a little kid? How well did that work? Maybe you were gone for half an hour, you couldn’t be without your mother, never mind forage for yourself out in the real world. And when you’re a kid your parents call all the shots.

So I was afraid I’d have bad dreams. Actually, I did, but not related to the content of the book.

And I woke up and finished it and…

I wasn’t in quite the same mood, after all it was sunny out.

And reviews are fantastic, but there are still some one star ones. People can find fault with anything. Which is why if you’re listening to the feedback, you’re probably inhibited and going in the wrong direction. Not that you should never make adjustments, but today people want you to be who they want you to be, and even that doesn’t satiate them.

So are there some people who won’t like “The Sound of Gravel”? I guess so. Maybe those who can only read sunny, upbeat tomes. But that’s not the way life is, life has ups and downs.

And most of what we see in the media is not real people. We see beautiful people, rich, and their shenanigans. What about those just like us?

We want love. And we’re jealous. And we feel alone and want to be comforted. And giving up just a tiny smidge of attention is so hard that people stay in bad relationships and you mix in some religion and…

“The Sound of Gravel” came out in 2016. But it’s new to you if you haven’t read it yet. And it’s timeless. And scary.

And riveting.

PAUL ANKA:

That podcast is among the best things I have ever listened to! I didn’t want it to end. And you know me. I can be the ADHD poster child.  But I sat enraptured and inspired through the entire interview. Paul and I have bumped into each other a few times at events and we have some very dear mutual friends, and I’ve always thought I would love to get to know him better. But this podcast makes me want to buy a ticket to LA this afternoon and go hang out at his house! You did a masterful job of interviewing him – and of picking up on the little jewels he would drop from time time and making him go back and delve deeper into those revealing stories.

You’re right about him being totally in tune with what is going on around him and clearly this was always the case. He’s a brilliant sponge, uniquely talented and worldly wise too which makes him a triple threat; the ultimate warrior. I’ve always respected what he does and what I know of him as a man, but this interview moved him to the top of the pantheon for me. Viva Anka!

Thank you for doing this. I think I’m going to go back and listen again!

Bob Ezrin

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Bob Nice Day!  Enjoyed the podcast along with so many of your fans and  listeners. In 1983 Paul  released an album on Columbia  Records called “WALK A  FINE LINE.” At that time Paul was more of a star in Europe THAN THE U.S. So Columbia, wanted, and Paul wanted to promote the album in Europe so Anka called me and wanted me to go  with him on a 30 day tour  doing  TV appearances  We flew the Concorde to Paris and stayed at the Plaza Athenee…. Everyone treated us like royalty like a huge rock star..everyone on the streets of all the major cities knew him and called him “PALANKA.” We did  TV shows all over Europe  Sweden, Paris, Belgium, Cannes doing live interviews and singing songs from the Columbia album. We flew in private jets and had police escorts in almost every city…Paul was the ultimate professional..complaining but doing what had to be done.   We were having breakfast at the Carlton Hotel in Cannes and heading to Belgium that morning for a TV show..Paul decided that he didn’t want to go…I said we are committed he said OK .. When we got to Belgium it was pouring and cold we were going to stay over night but Paul wanted  to leave right after the show. The  Hotel had given us the entire presidential floor for the night with rooms full of beautiful flowers but Paul was determined to go back to Cannes so we chartered a private jet to take us back the poor hotel manager was flabbergasted!!!!

On the return flight to New York (Also Concord ) He asked me to be his manager I felt that was ’cause we had such a great time together and said ”I’m not a manager” (and don’t want to be ) but we can be friends”… The 30 days was the highlight of my 35 years in the record industry…again thank you Bob for rousing such great memories (And thanks to Paul Anka )…Macey Lipman

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Thanks for sharing these and making sure we listened. This is like an audio historical document.

Alex Skolnick

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I worked for (Jerry ) Weintraub when Management lll was the Rolls Royce 300 pound gorilla in the room. I saw first hand, or heard, many of the “future” stories. Norman Weiss, a gentleman and mentor to me, recruited me from an  agent at  ICM, to a manager at Management lll. I heard many a Paul Anka stories directly from Norman. He beamed  with pride and fatherly love about Paul and his stories were always filled with action.
Your Anka podcast was beyond fascinating and interesting, it was edge of the seat what came next suspenseful. His openness, humIlity, and honesty was inspiring.
Your knowledge and guidance of the big picture intimate details was award winning.
When’s the next episode??
Michael Brokaw

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Honestly, it was one of the best things you’ve ever done. And like he said, “No one has the balls to say what you do!” Keep saying that shit!

Adam Franklin

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How about that Paul Anka podcast?! Truly an amazing conversation!

Tim Brunelle

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Yeah, Paul Anka, maybe your best. He’s always been sharp. Your last 30 minutes with Suzi Quatro you hit a groove with your questions.

Harold Bronson

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TREMENDOUS INTERVIEW BOB!!

THANK U!!!!

Kenn Kweder

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Found the time yesterday…2 hours went like that…last half hour in a steady downpour which Maui needs…riveted to my backyard chair…coulda listened to another hour…you crushed this one Bob..

Tom Clark on Maui

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hi bob,

great anka interview.

I took my mom (who is now 89 now) to see him live,

pre covid. she loved it! I was happy when he played

a mini acoustic set and included “it don’t matter anymore”

(the song buddy holly recorded).

I’m emailing you not to post, but perhaps you

could let the anka camp know the following:

after listening to the interview, I went to amazon

prime to listen/purchase his new album “making memories.”

there is an album cover and a link to listen to the album.

however, no cds or vinyl were available to purchase, so I clicked to listen,

and there was only the title track attached to a

different album cover. usually if one track appears,

a release date is given to hear (or purchase) full album.

not the case.

keep up the great work bob.

thank you.

marvin etzioni

president of regional records

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Bob, I’ve had the pleasure of reading (and listening) to you for years.  I book & produce corporate entertainment dates.  Prior to that I was an agent at William Morris & also ICM where I was one of Paul Anka’s agents.  And I loved this podcast.  Brought back some really great, fond memories.  Anka has always been smart & his live show was always in a league of it’s own – he is the epitome of a true performer.  He also totally represents a part of showbiz that unfortunately no longer exists.  His stories are real, he’s always been humble, and he is still relevant after all these years.  Great job to you both.

 

Mark Felix

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Dear Bob,
EVERY kudo so well deserved for this Homerun!

Dennis Brent

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Bob – you’re right about the podcast! Gotta tell you a story.

When I was a kid in Italy in the late 50s, I was staying at a hotel and across the street, there was a big party in the local Italian communist party building. Of course, that was the 50s, and I had been taught that communists had cloven hooves and ate children. But this lady came to the window, saw me, and gestured to come on over. The music that was blasting out was Paul Anka’s “Diana,”  which was/is one of my favorite songs. My takeaway was that if that was the kind of music that communists listened to, they were probably okay 🙂

Craig Anderton

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My wife and I have been solid Paul Anka fans for a while now.

Please tell your readers that they should check out Paul’s album, “Rock Swings”. It’s Paul’s swingin’ big band arrangements of rock hits.  It’s so good you’ll forget who did the originals.

Jim Cuomo

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Another Paul Anka story,

Some years ago, I recorded Paul’s vocals on some material he was readying for release.  He was truly wonderful to work with; enthusiastic, dedicated and very personable, as well.  During our sessions, the subject came up about kids, and we shared stories about our daughters.  On the last day of the sessions, as things were wrapping up, Paul snuck up behind me and slipped a $100 bill in my pocket.  I told him that tipping wasn’t necessary in any way, and he said, “Go buy something nice for that daughter of yours”.  He went on to say that if my family and I were ever in Las Vegas, give him a call and he’d get us a room at the Golden Nugget.  For a man of his stature, and with his entire career to navigate daily, I’ll never forget his thoughtfulness.  I’m still touched by it.

John Van Nest

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Late to the party. Your session with Paul Anka was fascinating! My ex-wife’s great grandfather-in-law was a guy named Moe Gale (aka Moshe Galinski). He ran the Savoy Ballroom in the ’20s-30s, discovered the Ink Spots, managed Chick Webb, and palled around with  and booked Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Ella, etc…He also became a music publisher and according to Gale family legend, years later, Paul Anka pitched “Diana” to them. Unfortunately, Moe was busy, so his son Richard met with him, and after hearing the song said something like “it was the worst song he’d ever heard.” Needless to say, when it became a huge hit Richard realized the music biz was not in the cards, so he embarked on a career as a college philosophy professor.

Chip Lovitt

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AL KOOPER:

In 1968, when I was 17 and a junior counsellor at the summer camp I’d been going to since I was 11, I came under the influence of some older counsellors. Their tastes in music were naturally ahead of mine. This counsellor Bobby made me listen to BS&T’s first album, Child is Father to the Man. I was stunned. It became my favourite record that year. Along, of course, with the White Album. Near the end of camp, I read in a Toronto newspaper that there was a new club opening up called The Rock Pile, located in the old Masonic Temple. And their first act would be Blood Sweat & Tears! I was beside myself. I took my new camp girlfriend to the show. The band came on stage. And lo and behold, no Al Kooper! Steve Katz from the old Blues Project was on stage but no Al. How could this be? Instead, on stage was a menacing presence, David Clayton Thomas, a singer who had been kicking around Toronto in various band incarnations. I have to say that by the end of the show, I was pretty impressed. But I couldn’t get over my disappointment of not seeing Al Kooper. Of course we all know what happened now. Jump ahead a few decades and I’m working at BMG Canada in the early 90’s as the VP of Business Affairs. Someone, I can’t remember who, brought Al Kooper by my office. He was promoting a live album. This was not your normal hi/bye. Al and I got into the past, into music, I can’t remember  it all, but he was so friendly, so genuine – he even insisted I go to lunch with the rest of his BMG handlers – that I remember it as the most pleasurable moment I’ve ever had with an artist. The word is mensche. I know you think the same. I’ve always treasured the autograph he gave me that day.

Steven Ehrlick

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One of my favorite things about Al Kooper is his pioneering use of the Ondioline, which is an early electronic keyboard instrument, Al’s solo voice on that instrument is some of the finest rock keyboard soloing of all time. If you have him on your podcast sometime, could you ask him about the ondioline. You’d recognize the sound from “Baby You’re A Rich Man”, and I think “Runaway” but Al took it to another level and it foreshadowed the mini moog and arp odyssey lead synth sounds that would become prevalent in the ’70s. Also the great song he wrote “I Love You More Than You’ll Ever Know” is such a classic and I love the original version on that first Blood Sweat and Tears masterpiece album, it’s one of my favorites to play at the Atlanta airport where I play piano although it is usually recognized as being by Donny Hathaway who as you know did an amazing version, lastly, for now, my brother Jefferson Graham recommended your Paul Anka Podcast and it’s another great one, Your podcasts are my favorite to listen to on the way to and from my airport gig. I still have some catching up to do and am looking forward to the Rod Argent one next. Best from Ga.

Jez Graham

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Thanks Bob:

Was 8 years old when I first heard I Stand Alone – laughing, protest chants, screams and – POW, the overture. For the first time I realized popular music didn’t have to be two guitars, a bass and drum kit. It could be everything and anything – orchestration, rock, soul, blues, backup singers “testifying,”….it blew me away and still does.

Forty years later, I’m driving my daughter to 4th grade and we’re singing at the top of our lungs “Toe Hold” and “Western Union Man” and “Right Now for You.” She’s growing and I’ve grown older, but on our drives I Stand Alone always finds it way through the speakers.

Be well

dee joseph

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Hi Bob, while walking to  class one day  at SF State college in 1966, I heard some cool jazz/rock music floating through the fog.  There was a little outdoor stage on the lawn and commons area in front of the cafeteria.  I stopped to watch and listen to the Blues Project playing to about  20 or 30 students sitting on the lawn listening to ” a flute thing” I think that was the title?  It planted a earworm in me and gave me a “toe hold” to Al and eventually Blood Sweat and Tears who also  played about a year later for free, but in the Gym to a much bigger stoned crowd with David Clayton Thomas vocals, Kooper and Bloomfield blowing our minds.

Great music and  the 60s were inseparable.

alan segal

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Thanks for mentioning Ellen McIlwaine,she lived in Calgary since the early 90s‎.Sadly she passed away this summer from cancer. She was active on the festival scene but also spent her later years driving a school bus. Greatly appreciate all you do Bob. Dave Edmonton Canada

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Great record.  I’ve worn out the vinyl.  After hearing Super Session I started buying Al’s records and this one is the best.  Somewhere, probably on his website, he mentioned that more than a few Viet Nam vets have told him this record got them through their time there.  And the personnel on it!  Charlie Daniels (“Big Charlie Daniels” in  the liner notes) on guitar and The Blossoms on backing vocals come immediately to mind.

His originals on this record are first rate as well.  The title cut and I Can Love a Woman stand very well on their own.

Doesn’t get much better than this.

Dave Thorn

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‘Toe Hold’ – Sharon Tandy (Capricorn / Atlantic)

Patricia Van Blerk

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as the kids say OMG!  I still listen to the first Al Kooper record regularly to this day and although I love it all my two favs are Toe Hold and Western Union Man (btw the original Jerry Butler version has a killer bass line).  I’ve even got an obsessively large playlist on Spotify entitled Sixties Horns filled with Electric Flag, Blood Sweat and Tears , Butterfield with Horn section, Sons of Champlain, D&B and on and on. Anyway  great call and I hope lots of people go and listen to all the tunes, covers and originals they won’t be unhappy if they do.

Peter Roaman

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Great article Bob.
I was hoping you would mention New York City.
A great great Kooper album

Richard Mazzei

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Gotta mention Al Kooper’s 2005 album, Black Coffee.  One of the best from that year, maybe that decade.

Russ Paris

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Thanks for the Al Kooper shout out! One of the truly great guys, and, from what I’ve read, a mensch. He’s been asked many times over the years if he isn’t owed more for his contribution to “Like a Rolling Stone,” and his answer has always been the same: “It’s Bob’s song.”  I knew a record dealer who tracked down some LPs for him about 20 years ago, and Kooper was, according to him, generous and grateful. And he’s done as much as anyone to make sure Mike Bloomfield is not forgotten. Yet another reminder that giants walked among us during the 60s and 70s. One very cool thing Kooper did when he was an A & R man for CBS Records: Insist that Epic records release “Time of the Season” by the Zombies as a single.

Joe Taylor

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Great piece Bob – excellent that you laud I Stand Alone. One of my favorites of all time as well. As soon as I heard the title track on WNEW FM in NY I was sold – went right out to Sam Goody’s on 49th street and bought it for $2.99 (It was a “special sale” pick. The sight of Al’s face on the head of the State of Liberty – CLASSIC. I mean having The Blossoms singing backup, all those incredible Nashville Cats? They don’t make ‘em like this anymore.

Best Regards
Marc Offenbach

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Thanks for the terrific column on Al Kooper. Been following Al since The Blues Project.

I Stand Alone, my favorite too. Good playlist, though I’ve added John the Baptist and New York City, You’re A Woman.

Always find your POV interesting.

Cheers peter donato

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I don’t know anyone on planet Earth who knows I Stand Alone. For me it’s Western Union Man and the Overture off the top, so awesome. It’s also an interesting bridge many young artists crossed who have the ambition to try and show everyone how much they can arrange/ execute/ produce. McCartney’s I or Kanye’s The College Dropout  – same league of song creativity.

bob wiseman

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Great article on Al Kooper, one of the most underrated musical of the past several decades.

bill powell

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I have a huge desert island list, but Projections (Flute Thing!), Child is Father to the Man (hated BS&T thereafter), and Super Session are all on it.

Dave Wood

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Most important to me? He produced the first Tubes album which I love.

Take care.

Sam Schauer

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This started yesterday with the Spotify horn playlist you emailed that had some fantastic AL Kooper tracks from the original BS&T which is by far a masterpiece of incredible genius that seriously…words cannot describe. All my life I have listened to Al’s music and totally related to why he was always so pissed off at the music industry that never really gave him his true credit. He was a major major innovator, incredible songwriter, and do I even need to say producer?  (Free Bird anyone!)

The first Blood Sweat & Tears album created a whole new genre for rock n roll- horns! And the songs were incredible. I Can’t Quit Her, I Love You More Than You’ll Ever Know, and Something Going On!!  It friggin changed my life…I never dreamed someone could create at such a high level. It gave me inspiration forever! And that Overture!

That record reminded me of the Zombies” Odyssey And Oracle in that they were both of the most incredible quality, but were relatively unnoticed until many years later.

It seemed that Al wanted so desperately to be a soul singer but he was just a Jewish boy from Brooklyn, but his voice was vulnerable and so sincere and he pulled it off somehow. I love him and still do.

 

I ran sound at a small venue in the suburbs of Philly around 2001 or so…100 seat amazing venue….called The Point…not the original Main Point, but it was an awesome club a few doors down on the same block from where the original Main Point used to be, with great people coming through…I’m at the sound board one night and AL Kooper plays there solo….I could barely run the board I was so excited. After the show AL needs a ride to his hotel in the next town over, I drive him over, carry his bag, he ignores me totally…I carry his bag to the room, and he grunts a thank you and I swear to God I was high for 3 years!  It was AL Kooper….holy shit….I still love him. And I was a grownup not a kid  The man is a musical God…deserving of so much more credit than he ever received….He brought incredible beauty into my life for which I can never repay him.  Thanks Bob for bringing him up, and thank you Al !

Leigh Goldstein

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Al comes one zip code (11427) away from me in Hollis Hills Queens (I am Bellerose 11426.).

Love his live CD Soul of A Man

And his song, A Brand New Day.

Some incredible shows at The Bottom line, BB Kings and The Irridium.

Corey B. Bearak, Esq.

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Don’t forget Al Kooper’s 2nd LP ” You Never Really Know Who Your Friends Are” ! In my mind the better album of the two.

I got them both at the same time as “cut outs” when I was 12-ish and loved them not even knowing who he was and what he had done at the time. Still hum tunes from 2nd LP, love Al Kooper his attitude his creativity and his musicianship he is the real deal!!

Cheers

Tom Gillam

Austin Texas

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Al is legend. How can he not be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for his  contribution to the music

And he launched and produced one of the greatest rock bands  of all time – Lynyrd Skynryd. C’mon, Hall! Call Al!

Larry Mollin

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Would never have known about (let alone listened to) all the other ‘versions’ of Toe Hold but for you.  Thank you.  Al Kooper stands up there with John Lennon and Jerry Garcia as being the foundation for my music journey.

 

WAYNE R. HALPER, Esq.

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Al’s ear is still impeccable. In a recent interview he named Sunderland, England’s Field Music as the best thing going.

…And they absolutely are. Best brother harmonists since Phil and Don, and song craft that can only be compared to the giants.

Prince was a fan as well.

Dial up their latest, Flat White Moon — it’s a masterpiece.

Thanks Al!

Steve Lindstrom

You are painfully spot on about those last few shows of a tour making up for the first several that break even or maybe even lose money. That is one thing making this summer very difficult. Most people can’t wrap their heads around a band selling out the Garden and not making a cent, but it’s simple math. Playing the Garden is a look, or an Instagram picture. There’s quite a few gigs like that. This summer has been an absolute shit show, if it’s not covid problems  it’s smoke from wildfires or backlash from fans on both sides of the aisle about how we handle playing during this time. and every show that drops off is a huge blow.

When you have to cancel a show last minute like we’ve had the displeasure of doing a few times so far this summer, you don’t just lose the money from the show you also have to pay the crew wages, travel, hotel expenses and trucking your gear, production in. It costs so much more than just losing the money from that show.

My band lives in a vacuum sealed bubble- no one allowed in from outside. We’ve made huge sacrifices in our lives and our family members lives to continue working the safest way we know how. We are trying to do everything right and the stress of that has been unbearable at times.

I told a guy working in catering last week to pull his mask up over his nose. Any act of laziness or stupidity is a threat to our livelihood. People need live music. It heals. It’s not just that we need to start making money again, we need to start feeling human again. I don’t care about the people’s feelings who haven’t gotten the shot yet. If you want to see a show and you’re not vaccinated, tough shit.

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I’ve been consistently saying that we gotta make proof of vaccinations mandatory at our events.  Turns out, not even that is enough. The live business won’t be back until 2023 at least.  Why? The pandemic ain’t over and it won’t be because of the f…ing anti-vaxxers.

So, I’m writing this from COVID QUARANTINE.  I’ve been fully Moderna vaccinated since April 14. Always tested negative.  Until last Thursday.  Thanks to the anti-vaxxers I caught the Delta variant sometime early last week. In majority vaccinated NYC!!!

Now. If I hadn’t been vaccinated, I’d be really f…..d now. Nonetheless, I’ve been assigned monoclonal antibodies therapy, just in case…

How am I supposed to be putting on live superspreader events when even vaccination don’t protect folks from break-through infections thanks to the virus variants continuously evolving among the unvaccinated?

Fact is, the only responsible thing for us promoters to do is to keep sh*t shut down until this thing is done and the vast majority of the country, indeed of the globe, is vaccinated.  It’s gonna cost us, certainly me, money. Lot’s of money. But it’s either that or, thanks to the ever evolving variants, inevitably get people, including vaccinated folks, infected and sick. Money ain’t everything.

Oh. And one of my partners and best friends died of this thing last month.  This thing is no joke.  Forget about live for now.

All the best,

Michael Fisher

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Just got  in from a show (Jason Isbell) in Boston. They were pretty carefully checking vaccination status at the door. I was a bit early, and got in _very_ fast (they were pretty well organized staffed). Isbell thanked the crowd for cooperating, but didn’t make any speeches. It was also “wear a mask”. I’d say 95% of the crowd was cooperating with that, although since folks take them off to drink, I wouldn’t say this is a highly effective measure. Show was almost sold out in an indoor 3500 seat venue, although I did observe some sold but not occupied seats (I was pretty near the front).

Last week, I went to Gov’t Mule at the downtown open-on-the-sides tent venue (capacity 6500, I believe). Very sparse crowd. Maybe 20% full? At that show, the vaccine card “checker” barely glanced at my card and did not check my ID at all. It’s true the Mule crowd skews older, so maybe that has something to do with it.

I have tickets to a number of upcoming live events. I guess I don’t perceive this as particularly risky for a vaccinated person in a relatively low covid19 prevalence state. I’m 60 & healthy.  But I could change my mind if covid surges more in the winter months.

Dan Sullivan

Wellesley, MA

P.S. For the Mule show, I went with a college buddy who was a good friend of Warren Haynes’ in high school (btw, we both enjoyed your podcast with Warren). Anyway, my friend emailed a contact in Warren’s camp asking if he’d be available before or after the show. He got a polite, but firm reply the no one, not even family, was seeing Warren on tour.

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I went to see Jackson Browne the other night. Have several friends in that band. Couldn’t see any of them because of covid protocol. Can’t blame touring bands. You can’t take any chances of infections with so much money on the line.

Tim Lefebvre

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As a long time tv, live stream & touring video director I have been lucky. I live in LA, and have some great relationships. My road thru this has been a mixed bag, but tenable. But for most gig workers, this has been a disaster obviously. Most folks in my world are figuring we’ll lose somewhere north or south of a third of all our sub contractors. Gig workers. Some folks discovered home, and family anew. Some fear the virus. Some just plain ‘ol got jobs, so they can pay the bills. I think a lot of us will be forever grateful to both sides of the aisle for the extra unemployment, and PPP loans. It helped a lot of people in our industry survive. But this was always gonna be a long road back… most of us knew that. It wasn’t gonna be a light switch moment, “hey, we’re back”! No way, this is something we’ll be dealing with for a few years in the touring music business. Like most, I’ll endeavor to persevere. It’s gonna take a while…

Hopefully folks will just go get vaccinated!

Cheers,

Mark Haney

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It’s CrAzy!!!!

I am doing shows with a band.  We are a national touring act.   We do what we can to stay healthy.

I have gotten 3 calls this weekend to fill in for tours who have had a crew member test positive ……..

We are far from “business as usual”.

Michael Larcey
MLSound Design,LLC

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Tonight Dawes cancelled their Orpheum Theater gig at about 7:30, the scheduled show time. They held doors, admitting no one, and then the cancellation was announced. I was at the VIP soundcheck earlier, so sometime after soundcheck, there was a positive test. What disruption for the next few weeks.

Van Easton

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What timing you have!

My mom and I were supposed to see Dawes at the Orpheum in Boston last night. We get near the venue and we see a ton of people in Dawes shirts walking in the wrong direction. Huh. Okay. We go to the Orpheum and a guy asks us if we’re going to see Dawes, we say yes, and he says it’s been postponed. We didn’t believe him! We honestly thought he was joking but he was not. He said, “due to medical reasons the show is being postponed.” Code phrase for Covid.

I checked the band’s website before heading out as well as my tickets and there was nothing about the postponement. The band posted on their Facebook page an HOUR before showtime announcing that there were positive covid tests and symptoms within their operations. And then at 10pm last night, two and half hours after the show was supposed to start, Ticketmaster alerts me that the show has been postponed. Thanks, TM, I already knew that.

Leon Bridges was also playing in Boston last night and canceled. He had played in Texas just a few days prior. Jason Isbell was also playing and he actually DID play. Jason has also had strict safety measures in place since day one. But still, it’s a gamble for every single tour.

I have tickets for arena shows beginning in February and at this point, anything could happen. I hope more people get vaccinated so we can all go party with Dua Lipa!

Keep fighting the good fight, Bob.

Cheers,

Amy Mantis

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Cogent analysis, as always, Bob.  The bottom line to me is as you say, “The more unvaccinated, the more the vaccinated are wary of going.” So venues and promoters have no choice but to put into place “vax only” policies—though yes, most of us are allowing those with a recent negative COVID test to attend the show also—and hope that enough vaccinated patrons show up to get us to somewhere better than breakeven.  And most of us, at least in the Northeast, are also requiring masks (“unless actively eating or drinking”), another annoyance to many concert-goers. It’s far less than ideal, but at least the venues are open, musicians and their touring staff are working (if they want/need to), and Americans are able to see some high quality LIVE entertainment (I don’t know about you but I just can’t watch one more livestream of someone, however talented, playing their guitar and singing in their living room).  It ain’t great, but it’s all we’ve got at the moment.

 

Craig Sumberg

Executive Director

Union County Performing Arts Center (Rahway, NJ)

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I’m just about same age as you Bob…we have Hall and Oates tickets…originally schedule for March 2020…been postponed I think 3 times and now scheduled for November this year…

First I doubt it goes off cuz Hawaii is not really on top of all this Covid stuff…if it does…as of now pencil me in to the no show category…never say never though…

Tom on Maui

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Thoughtful as usual.   Been to two shows post Covid.  Billy Strings at the Fox in Oakland and just could not get comfortable with half the crowd unmasked and a large amount of people packed into the hall.

Last night, Darrell Scott at the Freight in Berkeley and it was much better.  They did not allow drinks into the hall because they wanted everyone masked at all times.  Smaller more comfortable venue and I felt totally safe.  For now, it’s small seated venues for me.  Feels good to hear love music again but need to be careful and cautious about the choice of venues even with mandatory vax situation up here in Bay Area.

Best,

Andrew M. Zacks

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Funny, and that guy is probably the first to say he won’t watch NFL because of Kaepernick or some shit like that.  One of the problems I’ve seen with the fire service, and how different individual views have skewed so far apart, is that people all live in zones scattered from MAGA country to liberal country.  And even within those areas we have vastly different views.  A few are smart enough to at least vote the way the union (California Professional Firefighters) recommends: No on the recall, because Newsome has been a huge proponent in protecting our PERS retirement, into which I put 12% of every paycheck.  Everyone thinks our retirement is just free government money, which it isn’t.  So we got pro recall guys, just like you said, because they’re either MAGAs, or pissed at Newsome for eating lunch against the rules, which is voting completely against their own best interests.

As for working enough overtime to make $275k, it can be a physically taxing job.  Not because fighting fires is the hardest part.  The hardest part is the sleep deprivation.  Getting out of bed at 3am, if you’ve been to sleep at all, to go out and help people.  Sometimes they are dying and sometimes they’re just a little uncomfortable for one reason or another (but we knew that when we took the job, so we just drink a lot of coffee and try not to complain).  So my policy is just go to work for my 56 hour work week, and my 24 hour mandatory overtime (if I’m lucky enough to get just one), do my job, and don’t d

Chris Flesher

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We had Life Is Beautiful and the I-Heart Radio festival this weekend..

Vax (or test) only..Addition staff required to process the attendees..

Everyone showed up..The kids relented, and got the jab, their FOMO was greater than any hesitancy/inconvience..

Same deal at the Raiders Monday night football opener..A stadium packed with thousands of hard core, ridiculously costumed Raider nation devotees…All vaxxed! And stringently screened..

The Clear app makes it easy..Scan your ID, vax card, and photo…Boom, you’re in..

Public health? My ASS..Follow the money..The economy, stupid..Paul Anka knows..

Positive reinforcement (be a good citizen, get cash, etc.) FAILED…The fearful only respond to negative reinforcement.

 

James Spencer

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I went to Hamilton in San Francisco, they were cross-checking vax cards with photo ID before you even got to the ticket entrance.

Robert Pina

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Thanks for speaking Bob.
I have an old friend who just spent 3 weeks on a vent. He got caught up in Trumpdom/no vax land. He lost 73 lbs and can’t walk or use his hands. Enough. Our hospitals here in Southern Illinois have no room in the Inn. I’m done with covidiots.

dw davis

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i hope your fans read my email and here’s an update:
My partner is now on a ventilator and is doing poorly.  This morning I was told he’s got a 50/50 chance of leaving the hospital.  This incredibly strong man who followed all protocols could possibly lose the covid battle.  The antibodies ( regeneron)  do not keep you out of the hospital or off a ventilator. Stay safe, be vigilant about protecting yourself and your family.  Vaccination is the ONLY way to get protection.

sari leon

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Please forward to sari leon. He’s getting the wrong medical advice. Get some F’IN Ivermectin and inhale hydrogen peroxide to rid him of the virus. https://riordanclinic.org/nebulized-peroxide/. Continued use of steroids is damaging, he’s weak enough. There are excellent docs out there beating covid, but not those buying into big pharma funded mainstream BS. https://doctorsbeatingcovid.com/

Kurt

(I only print this to show how embedded misinformation is.)

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Thanks Bob for keeping focus. Here’s my 09/10/21 canceled tour text from down here in the b/c level of touring.

*******

It is with a sad heart and profound frustration that we must cancel our Joseph Parsons Band & support (The End Of America) October tour in Germany & Denmark.

The risks are too great for our fans, supporters and our families. The internal decision has been hard but not nearly as hard as the struggle those we know who have gotten this terrible virus. And for those who’ve died, the ruin in their families. For all of this, it begs the question: Could this possibly be worth the risks? I’ve been a risk taker my whole life. All of us are who have this calling. But this is different. This feels selfish if I were to push through this tour. I need to make a living, but at what and at who’s cost?

Live performances will return for us all one day. And it will be free of masks and fear of being near and/or hugging our extended families on the road. How awful has this been. This is no time to take undue risks. It is a time to protect each other. Especially those of us with kids. Since we do not know the long term effects of Covid19, I think we need to do whatever we can to protect our kids from this virus.

Sadly, we will have to make up this tour at a later date when possible.

**************

The decision to cancel this tour is a difficult and multi layered one. Here is my ‘do’ and ‘don’t’ tour reasoning. I think it only fair you know how my brain works. This is my/our third canceled tour since it began, so it adds a huge dose of angst on top.

To Tour:

If we do the tour and any one of the band or support gets sick – it just happened to a band I know –  the entire tour is over. And if a fan gets sick (or worse!) because of us having a concert and asking folks to come hear us, that would be forever devastating for me and the band.

Additionally, we are not a rich band, one that has built up resources that can weather the blows and still support our families and crews. For us it means a financial disaster: quarantine for the rest of the band, hotel costs, food, cancelled and new exorbitant flight costs, tour bus rental fees, lost salaries, venue & booking fees, promoter & staff losses, lost merchandise & promotion costs.

And what may seem trivial with all of that said – but means the world to me – is: Instead of a wonderful memory of a great concert or tour, there would be a terrible feeling with this memory attached to it. Forever.

To NOT Tour:

The Band(s), Agents & Promoters would take a terrible hit – so much time, energy & love go into putting on tours and shows at our level. People are not doing this just for the money but the love of bringing us all together, the music and bringing something wonderful to their part of the world.  The fans and the band would not have a chance to see each other for an additional long, long time if we don’t tour. Some of the sponsored venues would be able to absorb the hit. But for the clubs & organizations or private ones, it could cost dearly.

My deepest apologies to all the fans, agents & promoters who’ve planned and worked so hard to make the tours happen. Again.

Peace,

Joseph Parsons Band

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Peace,

Joseph

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I’m on tour in Europe right now. Just a dude with his guitar traveling around. After all my self booked stuff went down in 2020 (three tours canceled is a lot for someone that does the driving, the booking, the stage managing AND the performing) It’s much smaller here right now. I’m doing more house concerts and the folks putting them on are very demanding of inviting only the people they know are vaccinated.

I had a “big” show booked – opening for Milow in Bremerhaven. Milow is huge over here, if you don’t know him, it only takes a google to see what I’m talking about. I was scheduled to open for him on Sept 23. At my show yesterday, one of my fans told me they couldn’t buy tickets because the show was canceled. The show got scrubbed from the artists website, from the venue website all before anyone even told my agent it was happening.

It is still tough of course, the mountains of paperwork needed to be filled in just to travel was intimidating and last minute changes by individual countries (Netherlands) meant rebooking and scheduling trains and hotels – and those trains and hotels not offering refunds or exchanges – that part has been financially difficult.

The first two years/times I toured in Europe were just money losses where I was building a touring base, the next 10 years were solid. Now I feel like I’m back at year one.

Yeah, this is hurting the big acts but it’s killing us smaller acts.

GET THE FUCKING VACCINE.

~Bobbo Byrnes

Every show has to play. If a band member, even a member of the entourage, gets infected with Covid-19 it’s a disaster.

Don’t expect the hoi polloi to understand touring, after all they can’t understand ticketing, not even the government can understand ticketing, the public thinks that Ticketmaster gets all the fees and the scalpers are such good lobbyists that elected officials end up with a skewed vision of the landscape and no regulations are put into place. But it gets even more complicated, in many cases promoters are in bed with the secondary market, offloading a chunk of tickets reduces their risk. Confused yet?

So the bottom line is these acts that barnstorm across the country, from arena to arena…it’s not four guys in a station wagon. It’s trucks, carrying production, never mind other infrastructure, both physical and human. It’s a business. So, you spend a lot to make a lot. Now more than ever. Belief is the audience won’t put up with a show that’s only four guys on stage and that’s it, that at these ticket prices people expect, demand production, I’m not sure that is true, but that’s the standard of the industry, that’s the way it is. So, the numbers are big. Let’s say you play twenty dates. At best only the last five are profitable. The previous fifteen, even if they all sell out, are all about recovering costs.

Don’t feel too bad for the acts, the percentage looks bad on the surface, but those last five dates can be EXTREMELY profitable. But if you have to cancel a few of the twenty for Covid reasons, you’re screwed.

This is the dance that’s being done now. Especially since acts have gone on the road and encountered this, Kiss and the Doobie Brothers had to shut down, and other performers too. For those acts now on the sidelines, getting ready to go…

So you think the business is back, but the truth is it’s still in flux.

But one thing is for sure, the acts that are out there, the big ones, have Covid protocols that will blow your mind. Bottom line, you may work for the band and be unable to see them perform. You’ve got to stay in the bubble. To make sure the tour can go on, that there are no blips on the radar screen.

The truth is everybody needs the money, but some need it more than others. Meaning there are acts that do less than arena business, who are willing to take the risk, otherwise they’re going to go broke. But not all of them. I was speaking to a musician who pulled his tour because it was just too dangerous, he played a couple of dates and then went home. Then again, the next dates on the schedule were in the southeast, he didn’t want to play Russian Roulette.

And then there are the no-shows.

This is a phenomenon previously unseen at this level. People who bought tickets but just won’t show up, because they’re afraid of getting Covid. They don’t want to risk their lives for a couple of hundred bucks. The truth is almost nobody wanted their money back from shows canceled in 2020, they held on to their tickets, but now that the dates are playing…some are unsure.

And these people staying home, writing off the cost of tickets, tend to be older. So acts that appeal to this demo take a higher risk in business. Does it make sense to put up a tour now?

What we do know is the fifteen to forty year olds will all show up. Except maybe for those older in the demo who have kids and are afraid of getting Covid and infecting them. This generation feels invulnerable, they believe they won’t get infected and if they do they’ll live through it, willy-nilly. So they’ll show up. Then again, do the acts want to tour everywhere these people are? Already there are acts avoiding certain states. The more unvaccinated, the more the vaccinated are wary of going.

But it gets even worse. It’s not only restaurants that can’t get help, this is happening in touring too. Sometimes despite being hired, workers just don’t show up. And the workers are in control, you can say you’re going to fire them because the truth is you’re begging them to come at all.

So at some gigs the concession stands can’t be fully open. There are fewer merch tables. It’s kinda like Brexit, the surface issues are obvious, you think you’re immune to the consequences, and then you wake up and you realize you’re caught in the quagmire too.

So what is going to happen?

So, Covid infection rates should get worse as the temperature drops. This is complicated. But the more your indoors, the higher the odds of infection. That’s one of the reasons the south was hit so hard this summer, because it’s so hot and they all retreated inside into the air conditioning.

But will the tours be impacted, will they stop?

Well like I said, the performers are creating leakproof bubbles. Because no one can get infected, it ruins the economics of the whole tour.

As for checking vaccination status…

That varies from gig to gig. I hear constantly from people who say their vaccine card was only barely checked, if at all. They flash their phone, the ticket taker barely glances and they’re in. Then I know other shows where the promoter hires a whole new team just to check vaccination status, even asks patrons to show their driver’s license to cross-check the information.

Now you can’t even do that in every market. Hell, if Texans are beating up the hostess at a restaurant in New York for asking their vaccination status, imagine what it would be like at a gig, where someone has already committed, already paid for their ticket.

Bottom line, the touring business is going to an all vaxxed model, there’s just too much at risk. It’s not a matter of politics, it’s a matter of economics. Furthermore, promoters have the right to do this. Then again, never underestimate the long arm of the law to get involved but…the bottom line is most governments want shows to play, for their economic reasons, it brings money into the community.

No one can state definitively how it will play out, but these are the issues.