Back when I lived in Buffalo, Mike Peters from The Alarm played a show at Nietzsche’s in Allentown. After the show, some friends and I were just hanging out at the bar up front when he came over and struck up a conversation. He stayed and talked with us like we were old friends, not just fans—laughing, sharing stories, and genuinely connecting with us until they finally kicked us all out at closing and he headed to the tour bus or a hotel.

That night meant more than he probably ever knew. He made us feel seen, appreciated, and welcome—like we mattered to him in a profound way, which perhaps we did. We werent gushing over him, and we treated him like a local, not a rock star.

Rest in peace, Mike. You had a rare kind of kindness, a songwriters heart, and the gift of gab that night, and I’ll always remember how special you made me feel.

If memory serves, he insisted that he pay for the last round.

Dave Fletcher

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Remember the live concert that was broadcast from UCLA on MTV? As a fourteen-year-old Alarm fan in middle America’s hinterlands, I waited with my fingers on the VCR to record that show the moment it started. Loved Mike Peters, loved the band. When news broke of Mike’s death, I went to YouTube and re-watched that concert for the first time in forever. Mike’s sincerity (“…feels like today as if my dreams are coming true…”) and his band’s performance are a kind of heartfelt we could use more of these days.

Hayden Blake

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I was at that U2 concert at Red Rocks when I was in college at DU. Never even heard of U2 before. A friend had an extra ticket and asked If I wanted to go (if I drove) and it was a cold, nasty rainy day. They asked everyone to move down to the front as they were going to film it and I am saying to myself, film it? Who do these guys think they are?

I found out fast who they thought they were. I was literally blown out of my seat. Amazing. I still watch the concert film now and then but I can’t find myself in it.

Barry Levinson

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Mike was the best, both an inspiration as a human and as an artist who followed his own path. If you haven’t heard this great slowed down version of Strength he did on the Anniversary record for Strength it’s terrific

Stay Healthy

Gregg Simon

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The Stand is where it started for me. My favorite book turned into a fookin’ great rocker!

Mark Dodson

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Their live ep, Electric Folklore was/is amazing. For whatever reason, it’s one of the few albums I had on cassette vs cd or vinyl. It lived in my car for years and particularly in the summer. No better album for a summer drive. Mike was a friend of a friend and apparently SUCH a good guy. A rock star in just about every sense.

Tim Wood

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This was a beautiful tribute to Mike Peters. When the EP hit in 1983, my music-junkie roommate Dave and I were blown away. We passed it up and down the dorm floor and every single person who brought it back to us had become an Alarm convert. It sounded like the next Clash. We loved them that much.

Gary Judson

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Thanks for sharing about The Alarm — wonderful, woefully underappreciated band. I had heard a bit of their stuff before seeing them open for The Pretenders in March 1984. The Alarm blew me away, great songs and what PASSION! And I don’t think I ever heard acoustic guitars that loud before…or since. I was a Pretenders fan, had seen the original band a few times (sharp, with James Honeyman-Scott), but after The Alarm, their set, albeit good, was just too safe and mannered.

Mike Peters RIP.

Todd Ellenberg

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Hey BOB, you mentioned a great deal about U2 in this post… I was VP of promotion at Island Records When BLACKWELL had just obtained U2 from Warner Brothers. They were still relatively unknown and the 2 WB releases, Boy and October Had only done about 75,000 units between both of them. CHRIS came into my office At the end of the day and handed me a 15 IPS tape of the WAR album, Told me to spend some time with it and Wanted my opinion. I took out the tape and placed it on my TEAC Machine, closed the door, cranked it up and started to listen. I was immediately excited and thought we had something very special, but wanted to double check myself so I listened to the whole thing again… I knew it was the goods, so I hooked up the seven cassette machines I had in my office and started making copies to send out to my Indies, since I didn’t have a promotion staff at that time. I think I spent half the night there making copies. Chris told me he’d be in first thing in the morning, So I went home and grabbed a couple hours of sleep and came in the office to meet with Chris and.RON GOLDSTEIN, the president of the company. I told him how excited I was, and that I had a plan but needed a boatload of money to execute it. They agreed, so I brought in a bunch of the undies for a meeting and played them the album… They were All stoked! I told them that we were running with the first track “Sunday Bloody Sunday“ And that I wanted it on every major FM station in the country immediately. I offered them double their fee in order to make this a priority, because I was up against all the majors and Island Records was just really Thought of as a boutique label, With Bob Marley as their major artist. I gave them each both a cassette of the album and a cassette of just Sunday Bloody Sunday. I told him I wanted to focus on the single, but they could tease their stations by playing them some of the album, but not to leave it with anyone, just focus on the single! Since we were being distributed by Atlantic at that time, I then made appointment to go over and meet with the Atlantic Staff and play them the album to get them stoked as well and told them what my plan was… The Indies would get the record started, and then the Atlantic staff would kick in. within days, we had set up a Listening party at Atlantic to hear the record… Meet the group and their manager, Paul McGuinness. as I met the BAND and their manager, they could feel my excitement and we hit it off immediately. PAUL and I immediately became friends as did Bono and The Edge. He told me they would help in anyway that they could, so I had them up to my office to do “live” phoners That I had offered to the major stations In exchange for heavy AirPlay! The point of this whole long. story BOB is to tell you how proud I am to be recognized by my peers as the promotion guy who broke U2 and the War album On radio in the US. They’re touring close the deal!

Be well,

Michael Abramson

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I remember finding Electric Folklore Live ’87-’88 at The Great Escape in Nashville on 21st Ave. It was probably ’89 or ’90. As you know, buying music back then was often a gamble and I felt like I’d won the music lottery that day. I could not have imagined back then that 30 years later, my son would discover The Alarm and I’d be driving him to school as we cranked up and sang along to “Rescue Me.” What’s even more strange and beautiful is that the track was recorded on April 26th at the Wang Centre in Boston, my son’s birthday and the town where he’ll be studying music at Berklee in a few short months. What a wonderful world. Rest easy, Mike – you gave us all you had and inspired more than you knew.

Aubrey Parker

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Thank you for this beautiful tribute to Mike Peters.

I’ve been a fan since 1984, when I was in college. While it may not have been U2 at Red Rocks, The Alarm’s performance on the campus of UCLA in April 1986 – broadcast live on MTV – was absolutely epic. That night cemented my love for the band and my respect for Mike as a frontman and artist.

 

Years later, we had the privilege of working with Mike on a few live shows and got to know him a bit – which wasn’t hard. Mike was one of the kindest, most generous people you could ever meet.

 

Here’s a story that says it all. In 2016, I was telling Mike about a new music festival we had just launched in Cleveland. True to form, he didn’t ask to play the event. Instead, he asked if there might be room for his Love Hope Strength Foundation – not to promote himself, but to raise awareness for cancer research. He even offered to pay for the space. We, of course, welcomed the Foundation and charged nothing. That was Mike – always leading with heart, always thinking of others.

 

Years ago, my wife and I were lucky enough to see Mike perform with Big Country, stepping in to honor the late Stuart Adamson. Before the show, Jennifer asked me, “Do you think they’ll play any Alarm songs?” I said, “No way – that’s not Mike. This show will be all about Big Country.” Sure enough, Mike crushed that set. It was powerful, selfless, and deeply respectful. Stuart would’ve been proud.

 

This one hit me hard. The world lost a great artist – and an even greater human being.

 

With respect,

 

Denny Young

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This sucks badly and if you hadn’t posted it, I probably wouldn’t have heard the news. I was an alarm fan from the get-go and saw them on my first trip to London at the Lyceum in 1985. They rocked the walls of that ancient building. and it was one of the most intense, purely passionate shows I’d seen since The Clash in 1979. I also got to hang out with the band in Toronto after a Masonic Temple show a year or so later. A nicer bunch of guys you’d never meet and Mike Peters was post-show full of enthusiasm and optimism, and truly believed it was only a matter of time before the band and their message broke through. And if life were fair, they would have. I hope the folks that don’t know this act will take your advice and give them the listen they deserve. I’m so sorry to hear that. MIke didn’t make it, despite his valiant efforts to overcome a sh*tty disease.

Mike Campbell
Programming Director
thecarleton.ca

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Gutted to hear this. The Strength album has been a favorite since I was a kid. It’s one of those albums that really should be in every household. Every song a lesson in being human. Something to give you a bit of strength when you´’re down.

I ain’t gonna preach, no I ain’t gonna teach

I’m just gonna sing about the things that I need

A little bit of love, a little bit of hope
A little bit of strength, some fuel for the fire

To build the ships to set the sails
To cross the sea of fools
To be dealt the cards
To play our hand
To win or else to lose
In this cruel world that kicks a man when he’s down.

Káre Garnes

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Thank you for sharing his storry. In  2006,7,8, Mike would play my venue Canal Room in NYC, Him and Jules were a match made in heaven. When you have a wife like Jules by your side for the ride, you have fully succeeded in life. Mike was always thankful to play my 500 capacity room, even though he was desreving of playing mch larger venues. A true gentlemen. A true artist.

Best,

Marcus

ML Presents

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Thanks for this Bob. “Spirit of ‘76” still makes me cry every time I hear it; I too find myself in reverie when it comes on.

Like I did yesterday. Went down an Alarm rabbit hole as soon as I heard the news. So many great tunes. Such passion, such desire for truth in the man’s voice & lyrics. And yes, the band was top notch.

One of the best concerts I’d ever seen to that point, The Alarm at the Cal State Fullerton gym.  I have a distinct memory of Mike Peters spraying a deck of playing cards over the heads of us down front, in a strobe. Simple stagecraft. Cheap, even. But so effective. Man, my friends and I were hooked.

Some friends got married and had the singer of our band, Fear & Faith, sing “Walk Forever By My Aide” a capella at their wedding.

Such memories, such passion, such desire for truth.

Guys like Bono & Mike brought urgency, sincerity, and earnestness back to music in the early 80s. Big Country. Hothouse Flowers. It was a whole subgenre.

And the Alarm were among its best.

RIP Mike Peters. Thanks for the music, and the memories.

Jonny Langston

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Nobody mentions “The Stand” – that’s what hooked me.

And seeing the Alarm open for U2 (who had yet to graduate to large venues or stadiums) at Pier 84 in Manhattan back in June of 1983 was a memorable gig.

The sun was setting behind the audience at the same time it was lighting up the musicians.

R.I.P. Mike

Thanks,

Stuart Taubel

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There goes the sound of my adolescence.

Growing up in suburban New Jersey, we didn’t have cable (few of my friends did in the early ’80s), so I couldn’t watch MTV.

But we DID have UHF channel U68, which was close enough for this piano-playing, music-obsessed kid. I had it on heavy repeat.

“Strength” was in constant rotation back then, and yesterday when I heard Mike Peters passed, I could still sing the words, some four decades later.

Time races by.

Jon Regen

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On April 6th, 1988, I saw Bob Dylan at Sammis Pavilion in Carlsbad, CA. The Alarm opened, and they were fantastic. I think their performance probably motivated Bob to give a particularly energized show, and Mike and his bandmates seemed so thrilled to open for the legend.

I’m listening to the playlist, and wow- what great songs! “Sold Me Down The River” sounds like a soulful b-side to “Hot In The City”, and “Rain In The Summertime” always gives me chills. What a voice. Rest in Power.

Ralph Waxman

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Putting aside their Welshness, I think its important to note that the 80s was about anything but optimism is the UK, it was grim, angry, violent and depressing.  That’s not to say there wasn’t fun to be had but in terms of overall mood, certainly outside the south east, it was dark.  Until acid house saved the day but that’s a different story of course, the 90s started in 1988.

Keep on keeping on

Will Nicol

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RIP to Mr. Peters

I love the album and Rain In The Summertime was always part of my DJ repertoire for all the years I played the pubs and clubs from the time it came out till I retired from DJing around 2015.

I still listen to the song regularly and is a permanent fixture in my Spotify playlist along with Strength. I will always cherish what those songs and what the Alarms music meant to me on a personal level.

Thank you Mr. Lefsetz for recognizing and sharing the Alarm with all your friends.

Mike from Mission

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I threw a party over a decade ago for the launch of my company, at my office and he just randomly showed up.  Not sure who invited him or why – but I was so excited, who invited Mike Peters?  Awesome….  Rain In The Summertime was the first song I ever heard from them and then I worked backward and loved every song the deeper I was able to dig.  One of the under-celebrated bands of their era, hope the catalog has a moment and more people can appreciate how great The Alarm was.

Lucas Keller

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I saw The Alarm at the long-gone venue the Birmingham Odeon in the UK in summer ’84. I’d heard the album a few times, and some tracks were getting decent radio airplay over here. Mike and the band blew me away – he was a real rockstar as you say. Had the audience along the entire way, and after the encore Dave Sharp and Mike smashed their guitars onto the stage. Class acts. Mike will be missed.,

Nick Wilson

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My first ever concert was The Alarm in 1984, back in my hometown of Lund in Sweden. They had just released their first full length (Declaration) but my older brother had the The Stand EP already. I was 14. And hooked. Big hair, big tunes, big hearts. They opened with Declaration, Marching On, Where Were You Hiding and Sixty Eight Guns, which is just such a killer statement.

I stayed with The Alarm through Strength and Absolute Reality (the single version, not album), saw them live again in 1988 at the Brixton Academy, but then we drifted apart.

The thing is though, I still regularly return to those two first albums. They sound fresh. They sound relevant. Just take the combination of devastating lyrics wrapped in a poppy beat that is Father To Son should be impossible, but it works so well. Why no one ever made a successful cover of Walk Forever By My Side doesn’t make any sense either. Not that anyone would top the original, but the music deserved a much bigger audience.

But I’m OK with that. I have The Alarm and my memories.

Gunnar Larsen

London

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In the early 90’s, I booked a show with Mike Peters & The Poets Of Justice.

When the band turned up at the venue, I heard someone saying “where’s the promoter?” – it was Mike and my heart sank. I sheepishly introduced myself and was expecting to have my ear chewed off by an entitled, musician about why everything wasn’t to his liking. Instead, Mike shook my hand heartly, looked me straight in the eyes and said “I’m Mike Peters and I want to thank you for having the faith in booking my band. We won’t let you down. I know we haven’t sold out but hopefully you’re not losing any money”. I was gobsmacked. Needless to say, he didn’t let me down and the show was epic. I booked a number of his shows over the next few years and he was always a joy to work with.
Mike cared.

Andy Copping Live Nation

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Thx for sharing your Mike Peters story and shedding light on a tremendous talent.

Have been a fan since those early days and had the pleasure to promote their show on March 21, 1986 at the University of Kansas courtesy of Jorge Guevedo at Premier Talent Agency who entrusted us with the play as Strength was breaking. The night of the performance, Mike was feeling a bit under the weather, and the label rep from IRS, Phil Costello, was requesting hot Welsh tea be brought to the dressing room immediately just minutes from show time. The rider didn’t mention either of those so being on a university campus, it became quite the scramble.  The solution came when someone remembered a teacher who kept a tea kettle during class. This led to breaking into their office to quickly procure…well…borrow.  The band then went on stage and it was powerful and electric, the rare show that still floats in your head decades later. Rock star for sure.

Ps. Phil was a terrific mentor that night, demonstrating artist relations to a bunch of young college concert enthusiasts as he stood stageside with hot tea until the show ended. Not sure he realized he influenced some career choices for a couple students making us realize you can actually do something like this for a living.

Steve Traxler

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So sad to hear this about Mike Peters.

So glad I saw and heard The Alarm in ’89.

Thank you for this Bob!

David Evans

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Everything about Mike Peters screamed inspiration.  From the first time I heard the Alarm opening for U2 at the LA Sports Arena where he was putting it all into his performance to later in life when he was battling his health, everything he tackled he did at 100%.  Mike Peters was special and he left the world a better place.

Bill Gagnon

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Mike Peters was the real deal.  I had no idea until…

…a few years back Mike, Slim Jim Phantom, Captain Sensible and Chris Cheney from The Living End toured clubs as the Jack Tars (previously Dead Men Walking, I think, with a slightly different lineup).

They picked up extra players in each town.  Via an intro and recommendation from Duff McKagan, who was out of town at the time, I and Kurt Bloch (The Fastbacks, Young Fresh Fellows) joined the Jack Tars at a gig at the Crocodile.

We did Stray Cats and Damned and Alarm songs and some other classics.  Mike fronted the band and had the audience absolutely in the palm of his hand from start to finish…I was blown away.  Truly charismatic and, as is always most important in music and art of any kind, driven by a sense of authentic, unshakeable conviction.

RIP Mike.  You inspired me.

best,

dave dederer

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Thanks for this Bob. I was excited to see them at CSUN way back when and it was brilliant! Mike and his wife and many others that volunteered have done such great work with their Love Hope Strength Foundation. RIP Mike!

Mark Southland

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Interesting to read an American music biz take on The Alarm. I was a teenage devotee of The Clash when the Welsh quartet came on the scene. I’m Canadian but my family spent a year in Oxford when I was 13-14 – a year that formed my musical and cultural tastes.
Anyway, The Alarm seemed gimmicky at first – the cowboy outfits and acoustic earnestness felt too contrived. But there was no denying the vitality of Unsafe Building, The Stand, Sixty Eight Guns, Where Were You Hiding…, Spirit of ’76.
At one point, maybe 1984, they felt like heirs apparent to the idealistic vision of Strummer and co., albeit without the funky reggae swing.

John Kendle

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“Come on down and meet your maker.   Come on down and make the stand”——in 1983 my BFF and also next door neighbor at the time, Scott Sandler and I landed 2 tickets to see U2 at The Sports Arena in June, 1983.   We had both just graduated from High School a month earlier    Scott was to head to UCSB in the Fall and I to the University of Colorado, Boulder.   But before that I happened to see U2 at the US FESTIVAL Memorial Weekend a month prior    The Sunday lineup at the US FESTIVAL was headlined by David Bowie    His first live performance in America in god knows how long.   (Yes, that’s the year Stevie Ray Vaughn famously turned down Bowie’s offer to be his touring guitar player.)   But also on the bill on that Memorial Weekend Sunday included Stevie Nicks, The Pretenders, Missing Persons, Quaterflash (barf me out with a spoon—1983 Valley lingo, baby) and this band from Dublin, Ireland who was 3rd on the bill called U2.   Simply put…..no U2 at the US Festival no Gary Spivack in the music business.   Life changer of a show.  Bono and the band played EVERY song like their life was on the line    The ONLY way a real rock ‘ roll band should play a live show.   They stole the day.   So much that when they announced that following Sunday in the LA TIMES Calendar that “U2’s first arena headline show ever will take place June 17, 1983 at the LA Sports Arena”,  Scott and I called Monday morning at 10am (cause THAT is what you did back then) and scored two balcony GA seats at “the dump that jumps”.   OK, now I can get to my point.   The opening band on 6-17-83 at the Sports Arena was……..THE ALARM    We knew absolutely nothing about them.   The Alarm played their guts out   They knew this was a big deal    We knew it was for them   You can feel it.   Rock ’n Roll was SO alive that night    They set the stage for what was a jaw-dropping performance from U2.  The Alarm stood their ground.    They won us over    They won the crowd over Sure, they were a poor man’s U2.   And there was nothing wrong with that…..nothing at all.   We loved them    But when Bono took the white flag into the upper Balcony and preceded to jump from the Balcony to the GA Floor (as chronicled by Robert Hilburn in his famous LA Times review the following Monday) it was game over.    This was ALL before the Red Rocks performance    By the time Red Rocks had happened, I was unpacking my bags in my CU Boulder dorm room and the word was out about U2.    But i already knew it.  “Oh, and if you dig U2 check out the band The Alarm too”, I said.   Pulled out my vinyl and blasted ‘The Stand’——out”.

Gary Spivack
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You nailed it. The Alarm was U2 without the trappings, just the passion and the will to lean across the divide and connect.
Those records had urgency! Immediacy! It was injustice in Reagan’s America: different from ours, but palpable.
AND somehow Mike Peters made you feel empowered, like you could change something, make a difference (even if in my case, it was only hugging the occassional man crying in the Mayfair on King’s Road, crying — hard or soft — because his lover’s family had arrived + locked him out for the final throes of death from AIDS)

Holy stuff, but joyous. That was the crazy part. In the protest and the truth, those chiming guitars and his voice delivered joy.

When I got Rey Roldan’s press release, my throat turned to a fist. Sixty-six is so young for someone who’d fought leukemia and seemingly won; who’d given his energy to awareness and helping other register for stem cell matches. Amazing work, but as you say, even more amazing creating a spark in so many people across listening stations, Alternative Radio, MTV and buying records that stirred you.

Sadly,

Holly Gleason
somewhere on the fringe

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Mike affected people well beyond his music with the Love Hope Strength Foundation.  He was the rare star that actually donated his time to charity rather than just lending a name.

R. Cummings

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Many thanks for your tribute to Mike Peters. I have not listened to the Alarm in many years, but you reminded me what an energetic and great band they were back in the 80’s. I saw the Alarm a few times but my most memorable show was their performance at UCLA in 1986, which was broadcast live by MTV. I was at USC and slept outside near Sunset all night and was able to get up front for the show. Can’t believe I did that, but I’ll never forget it.

Take care and keep up the great work,

Charlie Howard

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Thank you for that moving piece. Mike truly reached people in a way few artists ever do, and not just through his music but through the way he lived.

I had the joy of working with Mike for 25 years as a promoter, doing shows in wonderfully intimate venues in San Francisco, from Slim’s to The Chapel to my little spot, The Red Devil Lounge. What began as a professional relationship became something far deeper. I came to know Mike, his beloved wife, Jules Jones Peters, and their boys, Dylan and Evan, who I watched grow up backstage and on the road, surrounded by the love and purpose that defined their father’s life.

Mike led with his heart. His presence made you feel seen. His voice carried not just songs but messages of love, hope, and strength. Whether he was playing to thousands or in a small room, he gave everything: his story, his spirit, his soul. Every f*ckin’ time. It was a site to be seen.

He raised the bar for what it means to be an artist, a friend, a father, a fighter, and a human being.

I truly appreciate you putting all of this into words. It meant a lot to read.

We are forever better for having known him.

Warmly,

Jay Siegan

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I last saw Mike perform at UCLA in April 2017. Billy Duffy from the Cult joined the band on guitar for a couple of songs. It was truly a joyous inspiring performance.

I had an opportunity to meet Mike after the show. He was promoting his documentary “Man in the Camo Jacket” which is a must watch showcasing his good nature, resilience and lust for life.

I’ve never met a kinder, authentic individual. He was a true sweetheart.

Rest in power Mike.

Andrew Paciocco

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To borrow a line from Springsteen: ‘I learned more from a 3 minute record, baby, than I ever learned in school’.

The songs of Mike Peters & The Alarm spoke directly to me as an awkward Connecticut high school 17-yr-old. They made me ‘feel’ something. (God knows my father never sat me down to explain life or pump me up with confidence to face the unease of walking those hallways as a skinny, geeky kid.) But music, and Mike Peters in particular, had a way of breaking through so much of the classic rock dreck (which, granted, I still love for the deeper cuts) that was being played on Hartford’s WHCN & WCCC in those early 80’s. Tracks like ‘The Stand’, ‘Marching On’, ‘68 Guns’, ‘Shout To The Devil’, ‘We Are The Light’, ‘Knife Edge’, ‘Absolute Reality’, ‘Spirit of ‘76’, ‘Strength’, ‘Eye of the Hurricane’ and YES, the fantastic ‘Rain in the Summertime’ you so eloquently wrote about in your piece, all filled me with a sense of possibility. Of breaking out of my small Connecticut town of Glastonbury to deliver the promise of, well, MORE.

I recall having gotten a ticket to see The Pretenders as they were just about to start touring their Pretenders II record but then, bassist Pete Farndon OD’d in James Honeyman-Scott’s footsteps and the entire tour was scrapped. So, by the time they returned to tour ‘Learning To Crawl’ in ‘84 at The Bushnell in Hartford, it was a dream come true to finally get to see Chrissie & ‘the girls’ LIVE but also with special guests THE ALARM! I was absolutely NUTS for both bands and as Mike & Eddie & Dave raised their strumming guitars straight-up against each other just before breaking into ‘Marching On’ off ‘Declaration’, I swear I damn near elevated off the Bushnell floor.

I would proceed to see The Alarm another half dozen times over the years, preferring the original quartet. But Mike always ‘brought it’ even when performing solo & acoustic. Those 3 Alarm albums – ‘Declaration’, ‘Strength’ & ‘Eye of the Hurricane’ – were absolute perfection to me.  So much hope, naivete & innocence in a time when there was SO much to be cynical about.

Flash-forward several years back, my wife & I were flying off to our beloved North Shore of Kauai, a supremely easy flight from LAX that lands directly on the island. Just as the attendants were getting ready to close the doors, a bedraggled blonde family raced to their row of seats directly in front of ours. My Gawd! It was Mike Peters with his wife & 2 boys. My eyes bugged out with one of my rock heroes just a shoulder tap away.  They all immediately passed out for the entire trip so I dared not bother them. But after we landed and were awaiting the plane to deboard, I’m standing in the aisle directly behind Mike. I rarely bother my rock heroes when I see them but this was just too good to be true. ‘Mr. Peters?’ I asked. He turned around with a big smile, ‘Oh no, Mike please’. I nervously went on to tell him what his music meant to me over the decades and he gave me a soul handshake and thanked ME for sharing! He then went on to share how they had travelled all day from Wales to NYC to LAX to Hawaii for a benefit show for cancer research he was to perform over the following days and if I had planned to be there. Of course, I had no idea about it but I again thanked him for his music & his time as the exit line started moving. His generosity to his fans was palpable even all those years following the big Alarm success. Which also made me think of the ‘Bands Reunited’ episode where they actually got the original 4 Alarm members (including Twist on drums, who they had found working at a San Francisco city clerks office!) to reunite for a one-off show. Sure enough, they held their guitars aloft as they vigorously strummed the opening intro chords to ‘Marching On’ and I was 17 all over again. Thanks again for taking the time to acknowledge Mike. Not just a rock & roll showman but a grounded & humble man, always with a warm, inclusive & inviting smile who showed the world how to live in joyous postivity despite the odds.

Mark Atherlay/Burbank, CA

“As Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter Tour kicks off, thousands of cheap tickets are still for sale – Hours before the doors to SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles were set to open Monday, tickets for night one of the tour had dipped to as low as $57.50.”

https://www.nbcnews.com/pop-culture/pop-culture-news/beyonce-cowboy-carter-tour-los-angeles-ticket-prices-drop-rcna203410

She went out too soon in buildings too big at too high a price.

Not that she wasn’t made aware the edifice of demand was not as rock solid as she believed it to be last time in Pittsburgh.

And stop blaming Ticketmaster. Beyoncé controls everything, the pricing, the on-sales… Ticketmaster is paid to take the heat so Beyoncé emerges unscathed…hopefully.

Meanwhile the public gets screwed.

Then again, the goal is for the artist not to get screwed, by pricing tickets high enough that the secondary market is eliminated. But this doesn’t always work.

Now if you’re a regular consumer of mainstream news, you’d believe Beyoncé is one of the biggest acts in the land. Didn’t she just win that Grammy? Doesn’t everybody love her? Didn’t she triumph in country?

Well, when it comes to entertainment news it’s all hype. Don’t trust a word that is printed. But the difference is now people can bark back online.

My favorite part of this story is where Beyoncé’s team claims the gig is sold out, but if you click through, there are endless pictures of empty seats. This b.s. used to work in the pre-internet era, but now…

Having said that, do I think most attendees are checking social media rabidly?

No. But in order for everybody to do well the date has to go clean. Sell less than every ticket and someone is taking a bath, if not everybody.

There is not unlimited demand for everybody. Beyoncé played stadiums only two years ago! She is not the Beatles. Despite Beatle-like hype. If for no other reason than no one and no song reaches everybody anymore. But the acts drink their own kool-aid. You’ve got to let it lie fallow.

Could Taylor Swift go back on a multi-year stadium tour and sell out everywhere now? I’d give her better odds than Beyoncé, but I wouldn’t recommend it. The hype sold a lot of those tickets. People had the experience, are they about to spend all that money once again?

So what happens now…

NOTHING!

Ticketing is an opaque business, and that’s just how the acts like it. Reality is anathema. It’s all an illusion.

Beyoncé claims innocence and blames Ticketmaster. Ticketmaster knows the truth but doesn’t say anything and despite Beyoncé not going clean, many other acts will.

Are we seeing consumer resistance as a result of Trump’s policies?

Not here. These tickets went on sale long before he took office.

Will we see resistance in the future?

Generally, no. Relatively speaking concerts are a one time event, a relatively inexpensive experience that generates memories for a lifetime.

But will the business at large falter, will it take a hit?

There’s got to be some effect of financial uncertainty. Just read the economic reports. People are spooked. And so many live from paycheck to paycheck, even those who buy concert tickets.

So what would solve the problem here?

No one can solve the problem of playing big rooms too soon other than the act itself. It’s a judgment call.

As for pre-sales… The acts get paid for those, they don’t want to give up that credit card sponsorship and other sources of revenue.

As for the mania…

That’s the magic of music, that there IS mania. Not always. You don’t want to be left out.

Paying too much for a ticket? Finding out you could have gotten one cheaper after the fact?

No one likes to be ripped-off. NO ONE! So, as Ian Hunter sang, once bitten, twice shy. But the funny thing is this will apply to Beyoncé and not acts at large. But Beyoncé will lick her wounds, sit on the sidelines, go out in arenas and do boffo at the b.o. and claim victory and everyone will forget this snafu/mistake. This doesn’t happen for every act, you can be hurt by mistakes, but do I think that Beyoncé can sell out arenas in the future, after staying out of the market for a bit? Yes. Then again, maybe not at these prices.

But she wanted all that MONEY!

Acts keep pledging fealty to their fans. How they love them, would do anything for them, would be nothing without them.

The acts don’t give a sh*t about the fans, now more than ever. We live in a mercenary world and acts want as much money as possible to feed their lifestyles. They bleed the fans over and over and over again. How about the multiple iterations of vinyl to keep the act at number one for weeks at a time?

But the public believes in these acts, however falsely. Their music gets them through in a sold-out, oftentimes incomprehensible world.

So that’s the way it is.

Then again, the more sunlight that is shined on these issues the better. Just like Ticketmaster’s seating charts aided the business, showing what is sold and what is not. We live in an information age and people like information.

Then again, as much as the fans decry subterfuge, they’re untrustworthy too. They want to be able to scalp their own tickets and many complain about paying fair market price for tickets. Too often the acts blink and undercharge and the scalpers make a fortune. But it works in the reverse too. Now more people know.

You had me at… ‘I don’t like dogs.’ Clearly not around food! First it was dogs on planes… and now every aisle at Whole Foods??

I’m not a dog hater … but damn. I swear, since the pandemic the number of people walking dogs has exploded… as has the need to dodge droppings on the sidewalks.

Emotional support dogs my a*s!

Nebraska Mike Browne

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Thanks Bob,when I was living in Park City during Sundance I was buying my GF some wine,and this guy,who was double parked with the motor running,told me he wants to go in front of me because his wine is more expensive than mine.And he was serious.Stay well,have a wonderful day,Ted Keane

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I’m always behind these people at Starbucks.  I’m standing in line for simple brewed dark roast, and the person in front me doesn’t think about what she wants until she’s next in line.  Then there’s serious pondering followed by, “OK, I guess I will have double frappalito decaf with almond milk and one pump of sugar free raspberry and one pump of regular chocolate.  And do you still have the herbal spice syrup? And stir it counterclockwise please.  The last time I was here they did it clockwise.”

Dave Burgess

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Bob! try going to the Whole Foods here In Tribeca NYC. The thick stench of aggressive entitlement hangs heavy, from the rich moms trying to mow you down with their strollers to the finance bros in blue shirts pushing you out of the way to the a*sholess who bring their dogs inside even when the huge sign outside says no pets. Everyone talks like they’re sending food back at the country club. I hate it, and them.

Daniel Frith

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They act that way because they don’t value or understand the concept of a society.

The reason why so many European countries end up in the top 10 lists of the world’s happiest countries is because they’re societies, not just collections of individuals. There’s an intuitive understanding that life is better if you live someplace where people can be healthy, kids can have an education, and working to live is better than living to work. To make those things possible, you need a society. That’s a foreign concept to me-first people.

Craig Anderton

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Welcome to LA. Chock full of self absorbed self entitled pricks! A hyper exaggerated version of America. The a*sholes taking up two spaces? Probably moved to LA from Jersey or Florida or Boston.

Derek Morris

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There are dogs in Ralph’s too.

M.

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Hi Mr. Lefsetz,

I’m in Michigan and all that sh*t was at Wal-Mart and Menards, yesterday!

No sh*t!

P.S. Add kicking your cart aside to the list!

John Payne

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Larry David, is that you?…..

To be continued,

Sjaak

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Quite the rant Bob!!! I think you checked all the boxes and none of us will be sending you a therapy bill.

LOL….. deep breath, hold, release and repeat for 10 mins….

Cheers!

KELLY CLARK

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Why I go to Publix!!

Eric Giles

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Love!

Will Nutting

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Dogs everywhere. I bitch about this on the regular. I love dogs. They’re sweet and fun and as long as they’re behaved and in their place, fine. But the amount of dogs I see in Cafes, Grocery stores, etc. I’m done. When did this become okay?
These clerks don’t get paid enough or have it in them to bother addressing Karen and her accessory poodle. The drama. Or we’ll get, “it’s a support animal!” And we’re supposed to feel the villain – immediately! How dare we suggest Muffy, the award winning poodle, as some kind of pariah.
Some people are afraid of dogs. Some people are allergic to dogs. Some people are selfish pricks who only see their own needs. It’s just more of the ME society.
I’m over it.

Marc McDonald in Boston

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Lighten up Francis.  When I run into those types I remind myself to be grateful that I don’t have to wake up every morning and be them.

Whole Foods may cause hypertension, call your doctor and find out if Ralph’s is right for you!

Neal Berz

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Just order Whole Foods online and save yourself the horror,  No one actually goes to the store anymore except the people who work for Instacart and Whole Foods

Noah K. Lesser

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Im not sure about rich people as I only know a couple.  But you are spot on (get it) about dog folks.  Why bring a dog to Lowes or in a plane? Why spend a grand on a kenel?  Why spend $30k on dog surgery?
What about people that are allergic to dogs?  I guess they dont count like those allergic to gluten or peanuts.
From RJG

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Bob, you’re so right about this! Well said!

B.J. van Kalker

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Love it , great read Bob, I’m a millions miles away from LA but I had that same experience there 25 years ago.
Hope the roast beef was nice

Robbie Williams

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you and I are so alike lol ….

Michael Levine

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Rude folks in every store, Bob.   This is America and you had a bad day.  It’s just the way it is.

Lizzz Kritzer

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All dogs are wonderful, many dog owners are not. If YOU found that woman insufferable, take pity on that dog, he or she has to live with that woman! LOL.

Jer Gervasi
Las Vegas, NV

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Best newsletter ever 🙂

Richard Dunlap

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Whole Foods is overrated anyway. The ethnic markets here in Chicago carry equally good produce at half the price.

Helaine Krysik

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Preach it. My wife is all about organic, but even she won’t go to The Whole Paycheck because (a) she doesn’t trust them and (2) all of the reasons you don’t like it.

The only place worse is probably Erewhon.

As my dad says, “you can smell the smug when you walk in.”

—

Jordan Kenning

London UK

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Spot-on yet again,  Bob!

…People who’ve got “dietary restrictions that don’t square with any science”.

Love it!

I’m not used to laughing out loud at seven in the morning.

My day is already made.  Thanks.

Art Velordi

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I’ve always said it was Reagan who ruined America.

Bob Davis

retired tour accountant

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Jon’s is where it’s at.  And check out the many farmers markets throughout the city.  You’ll be eating better and have a few extra bucks in your pocket.

Regards,

Chris Bennett

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take a nap, Bob.

Todd Burns

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Bob, I hear you. But you lost me with dogs. You don’t like dogs, well, that’s your business. But don’t blame the dog. Cesar Milan said “Problem is not dog, problem is human.” Many dog owners just should not have a dog. They don’t understand the responsibility. They have one as a trophy. They just aren’t good people, whatever. But the dog isn’t the problem.

Thanks.

Steve Kaplan

Minneapolis

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Bob, I am with you one hundred thousand percent!!! Entitled people need lessons in humility and I have a feeling many of them may be getting them sooner than later if things continue as they are and I doubt it will be pretty. Anyway, sorry you had to go through that and hope your day today will be better!

Tom Gillam

New BraunfelsTX

PS- I love animals but they do not belong in the place where I buy my food, or in most public places for that matter, privileged people get their jollys out of parading around their pets and making others uncomfortable by doing so. I didn’t read what you said as “you hate animals ” I read it more as “be smart about where you bring your pet so as not to infringe on my personal space”

Just my two cents

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I don’t like dogs either.

It feels good to say that out loud.

Hope Dlugozima

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Oh my Lord, thank you – I could have written this as it’s basically a speech I make at least once a week!!!  Let’s add the arseholes who continue their stupid phone calls at the checkout, not acknowledging or respecting the clerk who’s trying to earn a crust. I’m old enough now that – probably like you, I suspect – the angry words I used to mutter under my breath I now say out loud ( my wife always helpfully points this out……)
It’s at the point now where I often say “I really can’t venture out” – but we all need a slice of beef and a refreshing salad from time to time , right?
Perfect piece, again, thanks. “I’m not alone”

Adam Howell

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Don’t say you don’t like dogs. Thats not it. You don’t like humans with untrained dogs.

Danny Jay

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I don’t like Whole Foods.  All that natural sh*t gives me the willies.

 

By the way, I’ve never been to a grocery store/supermarket—high end or low end—where there weren’t shoppers who use their carts with no awareness of the existence of other shoppers, stopping the cart in the middle of the aisle while they look for something on the shelf.  It’s my pet peeve.  I try to be aware and considerate; when I stop to pick something off the shelf, I move my cart over so that others can pass by.  But most shoppers just don’t do that.

 

Don Friedman

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Bobby,

I couldn’t agree more. You’re my mensch.

Gary N. Hunter, CCIM

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Amen

David Terry

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I am far from rich after a career employed in mostly indie music companies not in C Suite – and I save TONS shopping at Whole Foods with my Prime credit card and buying what’s on sale.  Quality of food is good too. WF is cheaper than my local stores and we definitely eat better quality and more variety because of the money we save at WF.

Leslie Greene

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Though I love dogs I too am not on board with this “dogs go everywhere” mentality, particularly in my produce isle! That said, good grief Bob. Are you the old man on the street corner yelling at the air? Hang in there. Go listen to some Rolling Stones. You’ll feel better.

Marc Ducharme

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GET OFF MY LAWN, BOB!

Johnny

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Amen Bob-I avoid Whole Foods. And I know exactly the level of rich you are talking about. Karen Merrifield

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Hahaha! This was excellent.

Eric Spence

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You don’t like dogs. Pretty much says it all.

Mitch Tenzer

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Thank you for writing this.

As a midwesterner who came from nothing who had to earn every penny I have in my life I could not agree more.

If you think Whole Foods is bad, try competing in the housing market with these same people.

Been in W. LA for 20+ years and have grown to loath these folks.

Peter Rinker
TC Management

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Man, Bob, you are going to catch hell for this one but you are spot-on re the entitled schmucks and morons taking up all of the oxygen in the room!

Ross Field

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I feel your pain…often at the Costco gas station people don’t seem to understand there is a line…get the hell off your phone and attack the task at hand when it’s your turn…fill up and go…don’t sit in your car and check for phone messages or tap in a new destination, get out of line already…

It doesn’t seem to matter what make the car is, Porsche or Ford…some folks are just unaware.

Ed Kelly

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Love this one!   No where else to get this truth…
Joel Sercarz

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couldn’t agree more!! The worst.

Paul Cantor

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Who needs Andy Rooney when you’ve got Bob Lefset

Chris Nilsson

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Well said and that is why I will never shop at Whole Foods. Prices are too high and the snob are too many.

Dennis Paulik

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Terrific!

Couldn’t agree with you more!!!

Stevan

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So funny, but yeah I’m with ya on this one!

Young Hutchinson

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Yay again, Bob!

I love Whole Foods, cheaper than local Key Foods in NYC, cheaper than Shoprite or whatever it was in SF.

But parking lots too small. Worth the $10 a month for delivery, not to hassle with those parkers or those aisle pigs.

Check out America’s Undoing, says what you and I have been saying for years–and my oh so liberal and woke friends seem to have dropped me for harping that Biden’s why we got trump.

Keep it up, Bob

Schuyler Bishop

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Want to have some fun the next time you go to the Whole Foods deli for roast beef? Ask the pony-tailed kid behind the counter for two-fifths of a pound. Watch the puzzlement begin.

Lou Bruno

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Yes!

George Darville

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Thank God I read it all the way through. You are no Bill Burr but nice job!

Ocho the Invisible

Dana Walden

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I loved this, Bob — thanks!

Bill Higgins

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How is there anyone left in California to complain about at the Whole Foods?

Sincerely,

Aubrey Parker

A Nashville Native

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It’s hard to fault anything you experienced or said.  Same BS here on the east coast Bob.

Heading to Spain to do a leg of the Camino trail with a buddy who is doing the whole thing.  To shut off and be around like minded people for a week is exactly what’s needed.

Hang in there pal.  You are beloved and not alone in your thoughts and feelings.  Just less of us every day It seems.

Lee Posner

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I think you’re off base here.

Yes, there is a different group that shops Whole Foods.  They care a lot
about what they eat, and, for them, shopping for food isn’t just dash in,
get something, and run–it’s an exploration.

Especially at Whole Foods, an institution that’s built for people who care
a lot about what they eat!

If you want to grab and run, and the pace at Whole Foods isn’t fast enough
for you, shop somewhere else.

Are the people who shop at Whole Foods rich?  I don’t know.  They are
certainly people who spend more on their food, because the place is
expensive.  But they can be ordinary people who simply decide to spend
more on food that their neighbors do.  Yes, there are some expensive cars
in the parking lot.  There are also plenty of Hondas and Toyotas.

And the dogs–Bob, people love their pets.  Be tolerant!  Advocate tolerance!

Finally, don’t bring your Jewish identity into this, particularly along with
a stereotype of Jews.  That disserves all Jews.

dave roberts

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I hear you on this. But you have to remember – in the public sphere, we are the lowest life form. That’s right – the impatient old man. Old people are supposed to be invisible. We certainly have nothing to be impatient about.

But, but – we’re not old! We’re Boomers! Nah. We’re just old.

Best,
Tom Quinn

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Hey you kids…. Get off of my lawn!!

Glenn Cooper

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I know you acknowledged it, and…sure rich people are a*sholes who think they’re more important than everyone else

But dogs are better than almost every single human alive. If people walked around with a hat that identified them as dog haters like they do with the red trump hats, I would appreciate that warning sign more than the red hats.

Good luck with your inbox detonator haha

Michael Wendell

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LOL. I feel you on all of this, Bob.

-Sarah Martin

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It’s not just the rich, Bob. There’s LOTS of poor people who don’t give a f…

I see it at whole foods and I see it at Shop Rite.

Besides the parking over the lines, how about the people with handicapped placards who are fine? They park in the spots and then walk around the store for hours! They should fine the doctors who give them out!

And how about the people who have just walked all over the store, then just leave their shopping cart in the parking space as opposed to walking a bit to put them in the cart corral?

I get pssed off too!!!

I miss George Carlin a lot. My favorite comedian.

Kevin Kiley

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Bob,  I just make fun of them in a way that they pay attention. I’ll say something to the checker, deli server like ” can you believe this woman, maybe she has had no education past 6th grade if that. And if they turn their head, I say “yes you” !

Pat Mallahan,
Guatemala
We are moving out of Seattle, talk about entitled. Good people still live there, but Microsoft, Google, Bezos and  THAT woman’s family.

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Wow…George doesn’t like you either.

 

Dogs are not allowed in our Whole Foods. Weird that they would allow that in CA.

 

Jim Lewi

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I have always liked you, Bob but just had to say, you lost me on the dog-idea.

Now I’ll be finding it hard to believe anything you say, because you are being too curmudgeon-y about dogs, who are in many cases, cleaner and nicer than some people.

The energy you put into your grudges against rich people, people who want to think about their order, and dogs, none of whom have hurt or taken anything from you except patience, is just over the top –

And, in that case, the exact same gripes you’ve expressed here, could just as easily be tossed right back.

Imagine the great, ironic comedy of that!

Amanda Trees

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With all due respect Bob, “Can I go on record that I don’t like dogs” is the saddest sentence you’ve ever written.

Dogs are MUSIC incarnate!

“A dog wags his tail with his heart” (Same place real MUSIC come from!)

“A dog is a bond between strangers” (Just like MUSIC!)

“Dogs’ lives are too short. Their only fault, really” (ironically just like MANY legends of MUSIC!)

“The more I see of men, the better I like my dog” (I’d think this one would resonate perfectly with you!)

“Scratch a dog and you’ll find a permanent job” (Like your always epic ‘MUSIC’ newsletter, which sadly now covers Whole Foods grievances as well)

Still love ya, but if anyone needs a dog it’s definitely you brother.

Scott Roback

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Bob:  say it aint so!  You don’t like dogs?!?   We all know what Dog spelled backwards is!   You know who else doesn’t like dogs?   The menace who is currently squatting in 1600 Penn Ave in DC.  See this video from Ricky Gervais please.

Ricky Gervais – I Absolutely Love Dogs::

As a Palisades fire victim our pup has been a life saver.An absolute Emotional Support (ESD)…period.    btw:  since our move to Santa Monica I’ve very much become a Trader Joe’s man myself.  Screw Whole Foods, dude

 

Gary Spivack

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You are pretty cranky!

But much of what you say is true, otherwise.

Regards;

David Bodnar

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Great post. An air of Curb Your Enthusiasm about it and I’m here for it!

I often wonder why people do not have “spacial awareness”, breathing down your neck whilst standing in line, standing in the middle of an aisle – oblivious to anyone around them, having a conversation with someone on their cell phone whilst on speaker phone (in a doctors office…), fumbling around for their form of payment after having stood there for 5 minutes watching the check out person scan all 50 of their items, driving at 50 MPH in the fast lane on the freeway with no one in any other lanes, oh and there’s a line behind them because everyone is on their phones and …oblivious. I could go on and on and I think the older I get the more annoying it becomes because I don’t have the luxury of time and I damn well know better!

I do not think its a wealth thing though Bob, its an intelligence thing, its growing up not being taught that other people matter, not being taught what empathy is, not being taught manners, not being taught the value of please and thank you. These things are becoming lost arts. Everything is becoming transnational, highest bidder wins and the losers… well they are just the losers.

Cheers,

David Ralph

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One does not see this behavior in New York (except for the dogs). Sounds to me as if your problem is with your fellow Californians. I had my own beef story happen in Monterey!

sofu_gan

___________________________________

Well said, Bob.

I, too, like some dogs, but their ubiquitous presence in restaurants and commercial aircraft really does unsettle me (just about as much as the adult passenger next to me in pajama bottoms and with filthy bare feet).

dennis brent

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We are leading parallel lives (although I reside well east of the 405). My lovely, talented, brilliant, and successful wife can withstand the slings and arrows of performing simple tasks like shopping, getting gas, driving, and going out to eat. Me? You can take the kid out of the East Coast…, but I was indoctrinated at an early age. You are correct; it’s survival. We alter cockers need to support one another, so thank you for giving us a voice!

Cheers,

Jere Mendelsohn

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Jeez, who woke up on the wrong side of the bed?  Too many margaritas last night?  Accidentally deleted one of your rants?  And just because some woman is a shopping sociopath is no reason to come down on the dog.  It’s just being dragged around like the rest of us.

Peace.

David Leonard

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Bob,  That’s enough whining!  Go to Costco!

Paul Medeiros

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You obviously had a bad experience on this day. But I assure you there are plenty of thoughtful, kind, and unselfish people at Whole Foods at any given moment, probably the majority of the people in the store.  And some of them are probably rich.

To lead with how you hate rich people because they’re entitled and better than the rest of us is a blanket generalization that I would think you would be above making.

Chris Donohoe

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As the saying goes – “there’s no such thing as a bad dog, just a bad owner.”

PS/ Prediction: you’re gonna hear from Mike Bone, LA’s biggest advocate for canines.

Jim McKeon

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I’m not wealthy (far from it) but here’s my big complaint about restaurants:  They are so busy trying to out-fancy each other that they have forgotten half of their market.  I’m talking about people who don’t like fancy food.  I am one of those people.

You can find a “burger” in most restaurants, but it is nothing like a regular good old fashioned hamburger.  They put so much crap on, because they want their burger to be “artisinal” or whatever this week’s buzzword is.  Even if you order the “classic burger” you still get a brioche bun (too dense) or a pretzel bun (too dry) and a beef patty that’s too big and has been machine-made (so there’s no juice left in it), and piled with lettuce, pickles, onion, special sauce or some kind of salad dressing, ketchup, mustard and Lord knows what else.  If you ask for just a patty and a bun they look at you like you have three heads.

You can barely find the basics anymore, like fried chicken, roast beef, a chicken fried steak.  There are plenty of steaks, but again, they are too concerned with spices, “rubs,” special sauces and toppings and other crap that serves to hide the taste of the meat.  You can’t find mashed potatoes anymore, unless they have the skin, garlic, bits of other foods mixed in.  All in the name of making them special.  I don’t want “special,” I just wanna eat.

If you go to any buffet, you’ll find that the “comfort food” items are the most popular, without fail.  Why don’t restaurants realize this and offer food for us meat-and-taters types?

Mike Blakesley

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You’d really hate the Whole Foods in Beverly Hills. Rich people often wait to find a parking spot closest to the store entrance, which creates a backup of cars out that spills out onto the street. The parking garage is so small that no spot is far from the entrance to begin with, so this is pointless. And they often take up more than one spot.

People also bring small dogs there frequently and let them walk in the aisles, which are narrow and crowded. This is not only a danger to the dog, because they could be stepped on, but people could also trip over them. On one of my visits there, someone’s dog relived itself right in front of the coffee/smoothie counter, and before it could be cleaned up a few people stepped in it and tracked it on their shoes into the nearby area that has the open-air olive bar and the dining room where people eat what they buy at the hot foods bar. Seeing that would have really set you off!

TCP

___________________________________

Absolutely loved this!! Spot on especially with regard to dogs and their entitled owners. We are two peas in a pod on this one!!!! God I’m glad someone with an audience said this!!!! Thank you.
Ps I hope what you were making made up for the shopping trip.

Warren Lara

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Posts like this one make me feel as if I know you.

If you were here, I’d give you a cookie and a glass of milk and sit with you on the front porch.

Roberta Mueller

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YOU… are the best Bob!!!!

Thank you!

Best, James Patrick Regan

___________________________________

I get it, Bob, I really do.

But for YOUR sake, take a breath.

Seriously, stress and the tension from it WILL take a toll.

I do my best to remind myself of that in similar situations and gradually an getting better at relaxing into it.

After all, you’re the one who professes to put our health first…

DG

___________________________________

Bob,

I love a good rant!

David Epstein

___________________________________

Here for it, Bob. Eat the rich. And their dogs too.

Hannah Harlow

___________________________________

BAM! The rats keep winning the Rat Race, as the real Atlanta Rhythm (and the one and only Ronny Hammond) sang, in I’m Not Gonna Let it Bother Me Tonight.” Great screed, but we are so f*cked.Dream is over luv. But keep those hits coming.

Chip Lovitt

___________________________________

@ Ralphs or Kroger you find shopping carts being returned where they are supposed to.

@ Whole Foods you find them stranded blocks away on a sidewalk.

The epitome of entitlement.

Adam, Playa Vista

___________________________________

Smacks of the Whole Foods on San Vicente in Brentwood…

Zac Scribner

___________________________________

I could have taken that entire essay and sold it as my own. It’s kind to say people live in a bubble, they are too often purposefully arrogant. Now more than ever.

We have Whole Foods here in Central Florida. What keeps the general public away is the prices. Where the two classes meet head on is at a Florida-based chain that is often so omnipresent, you’ll find two locations across the street from each other. Here is where you see oil and water refuse to mix.  You have the upper class doing their best to remind economy why they are where they “lesser than”. My partner and I have about a 30-minute mental window before our brave faces wear off and we need to get out.

I yearn for Albertsons. Grieve for Albertsons. I have to go to the West Coast for them now. All of ours were assimilated years ago. A photo of me in Albertsons is like being at Mount Rushmore to my family. There’s a hotel in Missoula, MT with one next door. I imagine paradise is a lot like this. Paradise, MT however does not have an Albertsons.

Literally saw the menu dilemma play out yesterday. Well known, popular chain that has salads on menu. Basic salads, nothing complicated, convoluted or mind numbing.  Older couple spent 20 minutes going thru the salad menu, complete with ingredients and dressings, with cashier. Very accommodating cashier. Award winning patience. Had others customers not used app or kiosk, this would have been a riot. How do I know it was 20 minutes? They were at register when I showed up for my app order and had just seated as I was leaving when my meal was complete.

Life shouldn’t be so challenging.

Thank you for reminding me I am not alone for searches of signs of intelligence in the universe.

Kevin Andrusia

Orlando, FL

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Damn straight on that one.

If you move to nowhere you can avoid this sh*t –  it’s way better for the possibility of avoiding a*sholess like her and the population is way friendlier and laid back   …but you gotta drive long distances to get food and learn how to make restaurant quality meals because no good restaurants exist and you gotta drive a long way to get to city doctors.

Too many people in the world now. Getting more and more crowded and mean everywhere. Why can’t people understand the more crowded the more we have to think of the other guy?

They don’t – so you are forced to simply split.  We left close quarters after 30 years because of leaf blowers 24-7 and multiple dogs barking at 6 am.  And then all day long.  This sh*t did not exist 20 years ago. People were more considerate.

At least the damn dog at Whole Fooda didn’t try to bite you.

Maybe you could just stop leaving your house and have them deliver the roast beef.

And even the middle of nowhere will be filled up soon.

Patti Jones

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Surprised how you didn’t mention that they hate/avoid tipping, and that they’d rather to stay home than pay cover charge (“add me +1 please”), and that they have no problem paying $24 for a cocktail or valet, but can’t stomach waiting 5 minutes in a line… or that they don’t event bother going to Whole Foods in person and complain that the Prime shopper/driver took too long to deliver groceries (not to mention picked the wrong replacement item for their out-of-stock seitan)… or that they are excited to pop by an international shantytown for a selfie but wouldn’t be caught dead after dark in the “ghetto” across their town… or that they gladly spend thousand per year in unused/unknown digital subscriptions yet do everything in their power to avoid paying the same amount in municipal taxes… and that their entitled dogs are more well-behaved than their entitled (and left-to-their-own-devices) children…

And that all of this rings quite shallow anyway, because you/we/us/they all here are the global 1% in reality, and even those that haven’t reached the Whole Foods income bracket are still better off financially than 99% of the humans on earth… still have plenty of food to eat, and the time to complain about it.

Check your privilege. And please remind all your readers to do the same (on a daily basis).

I’ll be checking mine today.

Erik Schneider

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Great rant!

This is exactly why I moved 600 miles away from LA to the middle of nowhere.

I love people, but I was fatigued loving ten million folks all at once.

I’ll leave LA and SoCal to those that wish to remain. Thirty-five years was twenty-five years too long.

Here, there are more trees than people. We haven’t hit 65 degrees yet this year. There are far more wet misty days than sunny ones.

There’s an airport, but most people drive 5 hours to Sacramento or Oakland to catch a flight.

I’d have to drive a similar distance to find a Whole Foods or even a Trader Joe’s.

We have a “Co-op” that looks just like a Whole Foods, but I’ve never stepped inside, because I hold fast to my belief that a “co-op” should have dim lighting and sawdust on the floor, not be lit up inside and out like Dodger Stadium.

And I’d forgotten a Panamera even existed.

My only regret is moving to a place that doesn’t have a Panda Express.

Somehow I’ll survive.

Dave Howard
Eureka, CA

PS. My dog is 100% my child . He goes inside with me at Walmart and Target where he’s welcome.  We stay out of Costco (we have one of those!)  and Safeway where dogs aren’t allowed.

I agree, bad dog owners, aisle hoggers, and meat sniffers suck.

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Damn right about Dogs.

Selfish consumerism and corporate delusion.

Dogs owners are so riotous right now. Their own isle in Bunnings!!! (Aust hardware chain)

Care dogs, companions, cute animal accessories as well as bite your face off terrifying dogface snappy killers all out in public on a Sunday arvo sharing shopping spaces with unsuspecting shoppers.

We’ve seen the results and it’s just noisy drama unfolding.

Pets are money making for corporations and that’s why. It will backfire eventually.

Obviously I’m a no pets person. Lots of animals in my life,  all wild.  Used to keep chickens. Till the wildlife ate them.

If I could have a companion pet, it’d be a cat. But it’s not practical (I resent my family who make excuses not to leave the house due to the cat) because I travel uninhibited because I don’t keep a house pet.

A Dog (or any pet) has rights to be treated humanely. Like a human?  Dog owners take advantage of an grey area and at times that person has the same rights but extra, with their dog to care of/ look after their interests if that dog is part of their care package. In dog friendly specified spaces they are sailing just fine, dog on a leash. No cares in the world with full doggy confidence.

Until

it gets in a fight with another aggressive dog. Killing it or being killed.

Or sniffs my crotch and my partner (also not into dogs) punches it in the nose starting an argument with the dog owner.

Or sh*ts in the isle or in the trolley on top of goods that they have now decided to return to the shelf.

Or bites a kids face off. Or part of a limb.

Barking to the point of madness.

Or maybe it enjoys the outing and makes no issue or annoying noises besides attracting attention of other human dog lovers, getting pats and although you only bought a coffee at the cafe  in the hardware store it was a lovely morning out.

Ffs. I’m over it. No dogs please.

If, I have to go this retail space to shop under sufference I’ll do so  begrudgingly and with caution.  I will however complain, if there’s a dog incident.

We all should have rights not to be subservient to someone else’s dog in our retail environment.

Kylie Cowling

Australia

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About halfway through your rant I thought “this would make a great stand-up bit… ala Larry David.   Glad you pointed out it’s all about delivery.  I feel your pain with the Whole Foods crowd.  Go home and make a cocktail?

cheers!

Michael Crittenden

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Just curious Bob;  What is your net worth?

Marty Jorgensen

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Get this illustrated a la Harvey Pekar. You’ll make lots of money and then you can go back to Whole Foods, take up two spaces and be the a*shole that someone who’s miffed by your entitled behavior gets to complain about: the circle of life!

Bob Merlis

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I love your boomer rants.  Nice to get one that is mostly not about politics.  Also, vaccines are straight up poison.  The rich avoid them because… vaccines… an excellent way to suddenly develop autism.  Only people who haven’t studied the actual history of vaccines know this.  There is an embargo on information.  Repeat the lie that vaccines saved us from polio long enough and people believe it without question.  Anyway, love ya!  I do think you struck the tone you were going for.

Punchi Lux

Spotify playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5yCx2gzgolz2sctLCC8NTe?si=2f94399bd6bc4eb4

1

I used to hear from him all the time.

That’s what happens when you write something positive about somebody. But time passes and they have no more hits and you don’t, which is weird, because you still feel connected.

I bought the initial Alarm EP when it came out in 1983.

It was a different era. One of optimism. The seventies were history, as was the Iran hostage crisis, it’s like the entire slate had been wiped clean and replaced by a sunniness which we didn’t know we were paying the price for until this century, for it’s the eighties when income inequality started to burgeon, and if you fell behind there was no way to catch up, unless you won the lottery. But in the eighties the music and fame was still more important than the money, today it’s reversed. And as a result we were passionate about the scene, which was driven by MTV.

You couldn’t get it everywhere at first, not even in Manhattan, which is kind of weird when you look back from today, where too much is instantly at your fingertips. But you’d go to the house of someone who had it and you’d be mesmerized, you couldn’t turn it off.

And at first it was English acts that had traction on the Continent, because you broke through video as opposed to radio play there, but then the script flipped, Tom Petty and Genesis survived, and eventually Don Henley brought the boys of summer, but really it was a new era, headlined by…

Culture Club. And a lot of one hit wonders, from Haircut 100 to T’Pau (I used to hear from Carol Decker too)…

Then ultimately U2.

And thereafter Duran Duran. Duran Duran invented the MTV paradigm, truly. Spend a zillion on an exotic video and…if it works you become the biggest act in the world.

But before that U2 broke through at Red Rocks.

Not that U2 was unknown, after all how indelible is “I Will Follow”? One listen was enough, you had to hear it over and over again, and they continue to play this song live, and it’s still radiates the same high watt energy.

“October” was a critical and commercial disappointment and then in the spring of 1983 came “War.”

This was before Bono was hanging with world leaders trying to save the globe, before he wore those glasses, back when the Edge even had hair, and when you dropped the needle on “War”…

SUNDAY BLOODY SUNDAY!

Most Americans had no idea what Bono was singing about, but it was an anthem anyway, and when that Red Rocks video hit the air, with Mr. Hewson parading around in the fog… U2 triumphed.

And that same spring is when the Alarm made their debut.

Now in hindsight, if only the Alarm were on a major label… They were on I.R.S. Sure, the Go-Go’s broke, but Danny Elfman gave up Oingo Boingo to become a film composer.

You see England was a different market, the press could carry you to success. But in the U.S. you had to spend money, and Miles Copeland was notoriously tightfisted. So…

The press got me to buy the Alarm’s EP and their first album, which were filled with anthems, akin to U2 but more upbeat and…you could get them on one listen.

From the very beginning, “Unsafe Building,” Marching On,” “Sixty Eight Guns,” “Where Were You Hiding When the Storm Broke” and then…

“Give me love

Give me hope

Give me strength

Give me someone to live for”

“Strength” is a veritable tear. It leaves the station and you’re running to catch up, and when you get on the train you hold on for dear life.

This is rock and roll.

There were more in the same mold, yet not similar, but the true American breakthrough was “Rain in the Summertime.”

I was glad to see the band all over MTV. Then again, I kept wondering about their guitars in that video, how did they survive all that water? Is this the way you should treat your instrument?

Ultimately “Sold Me Down the River” had even more chart impact, but it wasn’t long thereafter that it was over.

2

The nineties were a lost decade, for me anyway, despite the economy raging, it didn’t trickle down to me.

And in the latter half of the decade there was the internet, and you no longer had to leave the house to find the action. But before that…

Being broke, one of the best places to hang was Borders on Westwood Boulevard.

It was much better than Barnes & Noble… Many more books, not as dark and there was an amazing selection of magazines and a café and…

Listening stations. Which were still pretty uncommon.

And one night, in the empty music department, because who would buy their albums at Borders as opposed to Tower up the street or Rhino just a few blocks away, I saw this Alarm album “Standards” and put on the headphones and was…POSITIVELY STUNNED!

I won’t recite the litany of my problems, but this music made me forget them, it was powerful. I mean I loved “Achtung Baby,” but the Alarm is a bit different from U2, it’s the driving force, that train ride I mentioned above.

And I didn’t own “Rain in the Summertime” at home so I played it. And then played it again. And again.

And then “Strength.”

And I ultimately bought that greatest hits CD. And I’d put it in the drawer of my million dollar Sony CD player that moved the CD not the lens and cranked it up and it blasted out of the JBLs and I kept the windows closed so as not to completely piss of my neighbors and I smiled in my own cocoon.

“I love to feel the rain in the summertime

I love to feel the rain on my face”

It doesn’t rain during the summer in Southern California, but where I grew up on the east coast…

Sure, maybe at the end of the summer it rained and was miserable, but on those hot humid days at the end of June, in July and the beginning of August…that rain was a relief.

And the amazing thing is it’s got nothing to do with money or status. It’s just a personal experience.

“And then I run ’til the breath tears my throat

‘Til the pain hits my side

As if I run fast enough

I can leave all the pain and sadness behind”

That’s right, my mind was haunted by memories and loss. But when the Alarm blasted…

And then…

“Someone write me a letter

I need to know that I’m still alive

Someone give me a telephone call

I need to hear a human sound”

I couldn’t afford long distance phone calls. Radio promotion men called me every week and I didn’t let them off the phone, they were my connection.

“Someone open up a door

And let me out of this place

I’ve been caged up for oh-so-long

I don’t know if I’m living or dying”

When done right, music gets you through. It’s not a bling fantasy, but something electric, like you plugged yourself into the socket and all those volts lit you right up.

And there were the classics on the CD, the aforementioned “Sixty Eight Guns” and “Unsafe Building,” but there were numbers that had never truly resonated previously.

“I don’t know why and I don’t understand

How you sold me down the river”

That’s not exactly how it happened, but nevertheless I still could not understand, and neither could Mike Peters in “Sold Me Down the River.”

But screw the lyrics, just that stinging guitar was enough to put the number over the top.

And Mike’s delivery! It was never casual. You needed a frontman who could deliver without production, who could grab the audience’s attention and then hold it, and hold it…through the tension and the release.

Mike could do that. And that’s pretty rare today, not that it was so common in the days of yore. Then again, it wasn’t like today, there weren’t all the amateurs competing with the pros on Spotify, cluttering the channel with their substandard music delivered in a pedestrian fashion at best.

That’s right, the Alarm were a professional band.

And they had success.

But that was back in the eighties.

3

So Mike told me he’d been sick, and he was energized by his recovery. He was going to spread the word, not that most people knew, this was before ubiquitous internet information. If “Rolling Stone” and MTV News didn’t cover it, good luck getting the story out there.

But he carried on.

Not with hits. Mike had energy, but times had changed. Even U2 can’t have hits anymore, they went on the road and played “The Joshua Tree” from start to finish. You’ve got your niche, your fans, you mine them…

But that’s not the way it used to be. Used to be if you made it on to MTV and stayed there, YOU WERE KNOWN AROUND THE WORLD!

And Mike Peters was.

And now he’s gone.

He just couldn’t beat the leukemia. He held illness at bay for decades. but it ultimately got him and snuffed the life out of him at 66.

So what do we do with that?

Well, if you’re a youngster, 66 sounds old. But I remember Irving remarking when Jerry Weintraub died at 77 that it was before his time. Now that I’m over 70, I get it. You don’t know how long the ride lasts, but you hope it does until all your friends are gone, not forever, you don’t really want that even though you think you do.

So Mike’s gone, all the accolades mean nothing to him.

And what are the odds they’ll be spinning the Alarm’s music fifty or more years from now? Pretty low. Good luck with even Duran Duran.

But if you were alive back then, if you lived at the record store, if you were glued to MTV, you know exactly who Mike Peters was.

He was not a one hit wonder. He didn’t sing covers written by committee. No, Mike Peters channeled his inner truth. He was angry, pointing out injustice, but that was back when music was seen as more than entertainment, as a way of speaking truth to power. You didn’t want to hang with the billionaires, who didn’t even exist back then, you just wanted to triumph in the world of rock and have an impact.

Mike did.

He reached me

Maybe he reached you.

But one thing’s for sure, the energy in the Alarm records is baked into the grooves forever, it’s still there, pull up the tracks, you’ll be energized, you’ll smile, you’ll be amazed.

And that would have made Mike Peters happy, that’s exactly what he was looking for. To reach you with the sound, with his message, sans trappings. He just wanted to be a rock star.

And he was.