And sooner or later
Everybody’s kingdom must end

They misdiagnosed the cause of my car overheating.

I’d just been on the phone with them earlier in the day, scheduling an appointment for major service two weeks hence, then I was ascending the hill on the 405, from the Westside to the Valley, and my car started to overheat. This was not my BMW of the seventies, which was not made for hot weather, which went into the red when you drove up a hill in hundred degree heat, since the day I bought it my Saabaru’s temperature gauge has never moved, it heats up to a certain level and stays there, but now it was jumping near the red, and if it gets into the red you must shut the engine down, but when I took my foot off the gas, the engine got cooler, but when I went downhill into Sherman Oaks it got hotter, which is against the principle of a low gear in a standard transmission, so I drove it to the Subaru dealer the following morning where they diagnosed the problem as a failed radiator cap.

This did not sound right to me. And I’m somewhat knowledgeable about cars, because I grew up in the era when they didn’t work, when no one had one over 100,000 miles, when everything in my 2002 broke, including the steering wheel. But today cars are so much better, they’re kind of like computers, you used to have to know how they worked, now you just press a button and they run, seemingly forever. That’s another issue, do you need a new car? Of course you can lease, but that’s a bad use of your money, I own, but at what point do you bite the bullet.

I should have bitten the bullet that very day and ponied up for a new car, because after they said it was only the radiator cap I paid $1500 for said major service. And after dinner at CUT with Peter Shapiro, the damn automobile overheated in the same damn place on the 405, so I drove it to the dealer the very next morning where my service writer was unavailable and I tracked down the head mechanic, Darryl. Now, you’ve got to know Subaru is burgeoning, they used to have one and a half service writers, now they’ve got five. Used to be Darryl was easily located in a corner of the one and only shop, but now you have to canvass multiple buildings to find him. But I eventually did.

Now you’ve got to know, Darryl is the best mechanic I’ve ever encountered, there’s no problem he can’t diagnose, and after describing all the details of my problem he told me it was a blown head gasket, and when I told him the car was thirteen years old and had 92,000 miles on it he looked me in the eye and said “Get rid of it.” Which I would have done, but I was $1500 upside down, damned if I was gonna get burned, especially when I found out it would be $3500 more to fix the damn thing.

That’s right, I knew what a blown head gasket was, Darryl described it as “luck of the draw,” saying I’d done nothing wrong, and my nephew is the number three BMW salesman in America, but he’d only give me a grand for the machine, and there was no way I could get it to his place in Irvine, so…

They gave me a Crosstrek to drive. I was stunned at how good it was, especially the blind spot warnings, but despite the excellence of Darryl, I do not want another Subaru, they’re noisy and technologically antiquated and mine was far from trouble free. That’s what they told me, I could make a trade on a new Subaru, which I didn’t want. I made it easy for them, they could do one of two things, give me my $1500 back or buy my car from me.

They said they did not buy cars, I said the service center was owned by the same dealership that sold new cars.

They came back and said they’d give me twenty percent off the repair.

I told them it was very simple, they could honor my original offer, cash return or purchase, or I would either cancel payment on the credit card or sue them in small claims court, and I would win, I’m an attorney, it’s a clear cut case.

I was shitting a brick, I was in shock, there was no way I was fixing the car for that price.

And that’s when Paterno told me to hold my horses, they were already NEGOTIATING!

I didn’t get it. But Peter said they’d come down already, to wait to see their next offer, the game had begun.

I was anxious, I saw no way I could win, they held most of the cards, and my car and my cash.

But an hour later they called with an offer. How about if they charged me for parts and they ate all the labor?

I said yes.

Now ultimately my car is back on the road, I authorized a couple of more repairs, since they were not charging me labor on anything they did, and there was trouble taking the engine apart, they had to send it to a machine shop, which I had to pay for, but right now the car is in tip-top shape, but I still should have bought a new one.

But that’s not my point.

Last night, on Fox of all places, Trump said not to impeach him because the economy would tank.

He’s starting to negotiate.

I know, I know, it looked like he was gonna serve out his term, he’s survived this long. But as Frank Rich said last year, it took two years for Watergate to play out.

But, you say the Congress will never authorize impeachment.

It probably won’t get to that. Because if you know your history, the Republican Senators told Nixon he had to go. Ultimately the Republican Senators are gonna tell Donald Trump to go, if he doesn’t declare victory and leave early.

Oh, 25% of the public still supported Nixon when he resigned, that’s not the point, it’s a game, and Trump just blinked.

It’s been a bad week. Trump keeps trumpeting all the good he’s done, but so did Nixon.

At some point the camel’s back breaks.

And it’s kind of how you lose a fortune, very slowly and then all at once.

But most people did not live through Watergate, they’ve got no perspective. And the news is all about the horse race, who wins or loses the pennant is irrelevant to them. And this week especially has proven there are two teams, I checked the Fox site Tuesday and Cohen and Manafort were not even close to the top. Still aren’t. Which makes you think that Trump can survive in this topsy-turvy world, but he won’t.

He’s begun to negotiate, he’s playing defense, which is a bad place to be. Just ask Hillary, just ask the Democrats, they’ve been playing defense for decades, because the Republicans play offense, all the time. The right wing defines the issues, to the point that Democrats are running away from the demonized Nancy Pelosi.

But now Mueller is defining the game, by sticking to his guns, by being a Republican to begin with.

I’m so afraid your courtiers
Cannot be called best friends

So Trump demands loyalty, believing the government should be run like a Mafia family, but Sessions says no go, he’s already running from the stink, there comes a time when you defend yourself, like John Dean, because you realize the man in charge is not looking out for you, and you don’t want to go down with the ship.

And if my hands are stained forever
And the altar should refuse me
Would you let me in, would you let me in, would you let me in
Should I cry sanctuary

No one wants to save Trump other than himself.

Congresspeople want to save their jobs, first and foremost, they blow with the wind. They’re afraid of being primaried, they’re staying the course, believing their constituents are behind them, but they’re not.

The polls were wrong about Trump’s election, they’re wrong about his support. A certain number will support any right wing President. The rest are delusional. But in between there’s a coterie who have a sense of right and wrong, and in a country of hard working people falling behind they don’t want to believe the game is rigged, that you can get away with bad actions with impunity.

And now David Pecker has turned state’s evidence.

And rather than talk to the portraits in the White House, like Nixon, Trump is talking to his minions at Fox, at rallies, but he’s stumbling, he’s lost his self-confidence, he’s on the run.

Life is a game, some know how to play it, some don’t. Some learn through experience, others repeat their mistakes. You succeed with a village, Peter Paterno told me how to play my hand. Donald Trump has only listened to himself, demanded loyalty and breached the compact on a regular basis, the only supporters he truly has are his family, and already some of its members are on the run.

While the juggler’s act is danced upon
The crown that you once wore

You think you can bend the game to your will, but it’s been around too long, you’ve to play by the rules or support the new game. Bad actors always get caught, via their own acts, karma may not be instant, but it comes eventually and it is real. The highway is littered with politicians whose careers ended by their own hands. Can you say Gary Hart? Can you say John Edwards?

The king is dead, the king is dead
Long live the king

Life will go on, there will be a new king, in this case Mike Pence, maybe even a Democrat two years hence, because no one is bigger than the government, no one is above the law. That’s part of the premise that Trump ran on, the game was rigged and he was gonna drain the swamp, but it turns out the quicksand is gonna consume him, and the more you fight it, the faster you sink.

Sure, the Republicans could triumph in November. There’s a chance Trump could survive.

But history repeats. We’ve seen this movie one time already. And we all know you live or die, succeed or fail, based on your team. Michael Jordan needed Scottie Pippen to win, and LeBron couldn’t carry a second-rate team all by himself. And the NBA reflects the modern paradigm, while football programs are rife with out of control coaches disrespecting their players. That’s what the #MeToo movement is all about, it’s a backlash to mistreatment, to male power. You could get away with it before, but not anymore.

My car will not last forever. At some point I’ll have to replace it. Maybe sooner rather later.

But I’ll get a new automobile, I’ll survive.

Just like our country.

It doesn’t need to be run by Trump.

P.S. The lyrics are from Elton John’s “The King Must Die, the closing track on his first American album from 1970. Art reflects life, art reflects truth. No one quotes their bank account when they’re looking for answers, they play music, they look at art, trying to gain insight into humanity.

P.P.S. No one is immune, everyone gets their comeuppance. Be a student of the game, maybe reinvent it, but know there’s a cost for those who cannot foresee what’s coming down the road, just like with Facebook, Zuckerberg and Sandberg were venerated leaders, does anybody want to lean in like Sheryl anymore? No, and the funny thing is she’s not even aware of it, just like Donald Trump.

“The King Must Die” – Spotify

“The King Must Die” – YouTube

I was at a gig last week and a promoter told me young agents had never heard of Bob Sillerman.

That was a turning point in the touring business, when Sillerman rolled up the promoters in 1996, it’s the basis of the present touring landscape. You might think history is irrelevant, but he who knows it triumphs, not only in war, but business.

Seymour Stein knew history, he went to “Billboard”‘s office to uncover the hits of yesteryear. And if you listen to Seymour’s story, you’ll find the blueprint for success today.

First and foremost there’s the passion. If you ain’t got it, move on, the business is too tough. Like AC/DC sang, it’s a long way to the top if you wanna rock and roll – getting robbed, getting stoned, getting beat-up, broken-boned. If you don’t have an inner mounting flame, you’re not gonna survive. Actually, that’s one of the problems with the business today, the focus on the penumbra, everything but the music itself, music is just not a vehicle to riches, when done right, it’s life itself.

Seymour was led by that light. He took advantage of opportunities, didn’t listen to advice to his detriment. But found a way to survive and prosper.

It’s a learning experience, with no degree, none of the usual markers that can get you ahead in this life.

So you need to listen to Seymour’s story, even if you have no interest in the Climax Blues Band, Peter Green, Madonna, Depeche Mode, Talking Heads or the Ramones. Because Seymour saw something in all of these acts, and he acted upon it. And there was not instant success, but he got to the point where he’d refined the process, he recognized what was a hit and was able to sign it.

Maybe you know Seymour’s story, maybe you read his book, but in this podcast he evidences nuances, you can read between the lines, you can learn.

And you should.

A snippet:

Seymour Stein on this week’s podcast: https://t.co/yG5cDwmrd2 A snippet-Seymour Stein on the ever-changing music industry: pic.twitter.com/Yceg8wTJH8

— Bob Lefsetz (@Lefsetz) August 23, 2018

Listen to Seymour Stein on…

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Overcast

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You have to order the black Uber.

I was going to the museum. I figured I’d spring for Premier. But what turned up was a car of no denomination, at least not one I could decipher, with a broken seatbelt driven by a guy who didn’t speak English. I figured it was just India. No! Turns out there’s another Uber page, so on the way back I sprang for the best, which turned out to be a Toyota Innova. I know, I know, we don’t have that car in the States. It’s like a mini minibus. A three row car. Which cost me all of ten bucks, instead of the four it took to get there in the “Premier,” that’s right, India’s cheap, not that I’ve got a handle on it, for that I’d have to stay here months!

You learn by asking questions. One person told me only the top five artists could tour, the rest were too busy playing weddings, devaluing their brand. But another person told me scores of acts could tour, but in both cases they said the public doesn’t like to pay. Forty percent might buy a ticket and the rest get in for free. But aren’t the paying customers pissed? They said no. What is the truth, that I’m trying to find out.

Troy Carter hipped me to a book called “Factfulness,” recommended by Bill Gates, its author posits that it’s not as bad as you think, we believe outside of the U.S. and Western Europe it’s all third world, with no education and no medical infrastructure, but that’s the way it used to be, fifty years ago, twenty, but so much progress has been made recently.

I was looking for poor people.

Privak told me there weren’t any. But did he say this because he’s an Indian? Kinda like “Wild Wild Country,” Privak believes the Bhagwan was for real, the American press depicts him as a charlatan. That’s right, we compared notes on Netflix, if you’re not international, you’re doomed, kinda like Pandora.

So we’re driving…

Oh, that’s right, the traffic. Tuesday it was insane. A free-for-all. If you’re not willing to spot barely an inch between you and the next vehicle you’re not made for Indian driving. And then there are the motorized rickshaws, little black and yellow beetles, with three wheels and a polished plastic top. They’re darting in and out of traffic, shuttling school kids, people in full religious garb… That’s another thing in Mumbai, you’re not sure whether to heed the warnings. The street food looks delicious. In New York, you’d partake, but here? And everywhere else in the world you walk the street and are afraid, but natives told me India was safe. I just came back from a walk along the strand, I was literally the only white person I encountered in an hour. Some people looked at me funny, I was a bit self-conscious, now I know what it’s like to be a minority.

So Tuesday Ralph and Privak and another associate took me to the Gateway of India. Built by the British, they exited through it when they left. And it’s there that the terrorists entered when they went to bomb the Taj Mahal Hotel and Leopold’s to shoot up the place. You remember. Or maybe you don’t, maybe it has to happen in the States for it to register. Anyway, a group of Pakistani terrorists bombed the hotel and then went to Leopold’s restaurant and killed people there. So now there’s security, like at my hotel, the Taj Lands End, they lift the hood and the trunk of every car before they let you in the driveway. And they scan your body and your goodies before they let you inside. So, once again, I ask you, is Mumbai safe or not? I don’t know!

But I do know that you cannot feel safe in transportation, just because you’re not driving that does not mean you’re immune. I wondered how there were not more accidents and then BAM! We got rear-ended. I’m thinking about my back, I’m thinking I’d better buy one of those international health policies.

And we drove by this high-rise which was the house of some billionaire, it’s got six hundred rooms, or so they say, it has so much security outside you’d think it’s a military outpost.

But so many of the buildings are schmutzy, they need a paint job.

And nearby the hotel they’re camped out in droves hoping to get a peek at a Bollywood star, I can’t remember his name, but it wouldn’t mean anything to you anyway.

But Bollywood is even bigger than the legend. You know how you go to a place and you find out things are overblown? Not Bollywood. It runs the music business. It’s all about having your track in a film. And there are “playback artists,” who sing the songs for the actors, they’re known by name, they can go on tour, Bollywood is big business, far bigger than the movie business in America in terms of social, political and music business.

So the Brits have been coming here for centuries. Like the Beatles, looking for enlightenment, looking for answers.

Is it achievable here?

I don’t know.

But it is hot and it is humid and if you live in Los Angeles you might consider it to be unbearable. Then again, people live in Miami. And as bad as the weather is in NYC, people stay there.

And speaking of people, the young ones are trying to stand out, via fashion.

I’m literally halfway around the world, twelve and a half hours ahead of L.A., and I’d like to tell you it’s the same, but it isn’t!

P.S. Although everybody has a smartphone, iPhones are exotic. You can buy cheapies for far under a hundred bucks.

P.P.S. Everybody says people don’t like to pay for music. And right now, a streaming subscription costs you a dollar or two a month. And you might think no one can afford it, but everybody here says they can. They say music was devalued in the cassette era, when albums were sold for twelve cents. That’s right.

P.P.P.S. They skip generations here. Outside the metropolis there is no cable, it’s all about mobile. You do everything on your phone. When we go to 5G in the States, watch out for this. I’m sick of paying Charter $200 a month. Oh, if I cancel TV the internet rate just goes up. Technology can disrupt anything, be prepared.

P.P.P.P.S. My favorite exhibit at the museum was the history of man. And what’s interesting is like the Jews, they used the term CE, not AD, and BC. As in “Common Era’ and “Before Common Era.” Sure, Jesus is here, but he does not dominate, the foremost religion is Hinduism. And once we stop fighting over religion, there could be peace in the world.

P.P.P.P.P.S. The best stop was at the train station. That’s one legend that’s true, public transportation is crowded! They literally have to squeeze you on. But the trains… They look like they were built in the forties, they’re dark and dirty and you stay in them for days, just like out of a movie. As for buses, I’ve yet to see a clean one, or a new one.

P.P.P.P.P.P.S. There are beggars, there are people with no shoes, never mind teeth. They coexist with the wealthy. And in the middle of the street I saw four guys towing a stand of bamboo, which is used for scaffolding. That’s right, the past and the present coexist.

Spotify’s in trouble, its licenses are going to expire!

Nicki Minaj produced a tweetstorm about Spotify, claiming the company put the kibosh on her album!

Music distribution is mature. The news outlets don’t want this to be so, so they keep printing headlines that make you think otherwise. But the truth is the music business was in turmoil for fifteen years, but now it’s not. Now it’s a matter of how great your music is and whether you can develop a fanbase, the rest is just a sideshow.

That’s right, for fifteen years there were issues of piracy, a fight for the future, but music was the canary in the coal mine for digital distribution, it was disrupted first, and it’s the only medium that’s figured out a solution, all songs, on demand, for a low monthly price.

Don’t argue with the future, don’t go against the big boys (and girls!)

Every day I get e-mail from individuals saying they’ve solved the music distribution problem, that they’ve got a better Spotify. Don’t they get it, Spotify won! Not only Spotify, but Apple and Amazon, you’ve got to heed Peter Thiel’s mantra, go where the competition ain’t. It’d be like someone e-mailing you they’ve got a Netflix competitor, just ready to roll out, that will be more producer-friendly and will pay creators better. Huh? The ship has already sailed.

If you’re a marginal artist, and by that I mean by income, use the new tools to your advantage, don’t rail against them. You’ve got low streaming payments because few people are listening. Yes, I get it, in the old days you made more with a ten dollar CD, but chances are you wouldn’t have a record deal and wouldn’t be able to play the game at all. And you wouldn’t be able to have direct contact with your fans. Something is lost in every step forward, but the gains outweigh the losses. But that does not mean people won’t bitch. And marginal news outlets won’t gin up headlines to get you excited over nothing.

Spotify ain’t going out of business, it’s quite simple, they are the labels’ biggest customer! Sure, there are strengths on both sides of the aisle, you negotiate to the best of your ability, utilizing your leverage, but putting Spotify out of business would be like refusing to sell through Amazon, and now even Nike does that. But the problem is musical people speak from their hearts, their emotions, they don’t seem to have a business overview. The labels want Spotify to survive. They want to get paid!

As for all the writers…

You can’t make any money in journalism anymore, and music scribes are the serfs of journalism. On the low end, they’re uneducated nincompoops beholden to artists and labels and on the high end they’re self-publishers trying to sell views, self-anointed experts who are anything but. As for “Billboard,” it decided to play to the public and now it’s neither a trade nor a consumer publication and its charts are so out of touch as to be meaningless. Nicki Minaj is right there, about gaming the numbers by selling merch with the product. Of course this should be outlawed, but she does it too! But why “Billboard” does not go to a straight streaming chart and…

Being #1 is just a circle jerk, a way to make you feel good about yourself. The only question is whether you can sustain, whether you can build a fanbase that will support you. But there’s no chart for that.

And we live in a TMZ world, where it’s about evanescent headlines, as if they meant anything. Ever wonder why the truly rich don’t brag, don’t want people or the government in their business? Only musicians are dumb enough to believe chart numbers count. They’re laughed at by the true players, who drop seven figures for a private while they talk through your performance. Used to be musicians spoke truth to the man, now musicians are slaves to the man, despite believing otherwise. Just like the public they sell to, consumers at the tit of consumption.

So if you’re a musician, know that there’s plenty of money if you gain success. And you gain success on your own terms. But really, it comes down to ticket sales and merch counts, how many fans do you have and how rabid are they, and there’s no “Billboard” chart that illustrates this, as a matter of fact it’s inside information most people are not privy to and the holders of this data don’t want it revealed. They don’t want to talk about papering houses, what really sells, they just want to blow smoke that you believe is truth.

Kinda like the journalism in the music business.