CMAs

When you spend most of your time speaking genuinely, intentionally and with meaning, then most likely when you’re put in the spotlight you will do the same.

Like when Chris Stapleton gave his acceptance speeches at the CMA’s tonight.

A speech like that doesn’t make good TV, it makes a good person.

And isn’t it weird that the other most genuine country performer was Kasey Musgraves with her her sparkly leotard, and pink-suited band.  Couldn’t be more different than Chris’s vibe, and yet it feels similar in a way.

Genuine can come in many shapes and sizes.

We know it when we see it.

And we know it when we don’t see it.

And for most of the show tonight, as with most awards shows, its scripted reality and a lot of fumbly bumbly, immaturity  and ego dying to cover up insecurity.

We’re forced to sit through 99% mediocrity for the one or two glimmers of hope…that tell us it’s ok to strive to be the real deal.  That shooting for the lowest common denominator doesn’t have to be the goal.

Everyone knows the real thing it when they see it.  You can feel it from a mile away.

It has everything to do with who you are as a person, and to what degree you understand why you’re around in the first place.

Christ Stapleton wasn’t able to come off as super legit because he won an award…he won an award because he is super legit.

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I’m always interested in your perspective, whether affirming or dissenting. Continue the conversation anytime: gabethebassplayer@gmail.com

Pete Yorn’s Music

Pete Yorn’s music is makes me feel like I’m allowed to feel whatever I’m feeling.

It’s unobtrusive. It doesn’t DO much.  It just sits there, like a good friend, listening.

There’s a lot of other people who write unobtrusive music that doesn’t do much and it’s painfully awful…like an annoying stranger.

There’s something about those few Pete Yorn records that instantly turns him from a stranger into that good friend, every time.

You don’t have to be outlandish to be unique.  

You don’t have to be loud to make a difference.  

You don’t have to be the talker in order to be doing something important.

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I’m always interested in your perspective, whether affirming or dissenting. Continue the conversation anytime: gabethebassplayer@gmail.com

Future Of TV And Film

What if whatever TV show or movie you were watching you could pause it, click on anything on the screen and order it for yourself.

That’s the future.

You want one of Don Draper’s suits? Just find the episode and click.

How about the rowing machine Claire and Francis use on House of Cards?

Or even one of Rachel’s haircuts from Friends…maybe you click on her hair and you get a list of people in your area who are good at that cut.

This is going to be a huge revenue stream.

It’s impulse buying on steroids.

Product placement will be insane, and will be scalable, trackable and more accurately bought and sold to advertisers.

Everything in every show will be for sale.

Every frame from every scene in every show will be cataloged, categorized and monetized.

Right now there’s a gap.

Right now if you see something on a TV show or movie that you want, you have to pick up your phone or computer, search for it using some vague terms and hope someone has blogged about it, and then maaaaaaybe you can order it for yourself.

Like it or not, we will see growth in commerce by giving people more (yes, even more) of what they want.

Desire creates the technology.  The technology creates more desire.

What do I want?

I want the medallion from The Goonies that Mikey wears around his neck.

I’m always interested in your perspective, whether affirming or dissenting. Continue the conversation anytime: gabethebassplayer@gmail.com

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Rockstar Halloween

A couple years ago I went to a Halloween party.  The theme was rockstar.

So cliche for living in Nashville. I know.

I half expected everyone to just dress up as themselves.  Thankfully, no one was so vain.

The most amazing thing was that as I walked into the party (dressed as Keith Richards), I could tell who EVERYONE was dressed up as.

There was a Freddie Mercury, David Bowie, Katie Perry, Bono, John Bonham, Amy Winehouse, Paul McCartney, Slash, and a bunch more.

Sooooooo good.

But now, as you read that list, for each person on there I bet you have a pretty good idea of how YOU could dress up as that particular rockstar.

They all have a thing.  A unique distinction in their appearance that is easy to pick out.

I’m not saying you should run out and get a face tattoo or start wearing a clown nose all the time.

But considering the ease at which you can imitate the appearance of so many successful entertainers in the music biz…it’s certainly something to think about.

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I’m always interested in your perspective, whether affirming or dissenting. Continue the conversation anytime: gabethebassplayer@gmail.com

People Forget What They Say

People forget what they say.

That’s a big reason why you need a contract.

A contract doesn’t mean you vs. them. It means “lets be clear now, and then when we forget we can come back to this contract and be clear again”.

And this clarity brings people together.

Having a document that helps you and them remember the same version of the story brings people together.

Its amazing how often two honest, upstanding, good intentioned, smart people remember the agreement completely differently 6 months down the road.  

“I thought it was $5000 total”

“No, I thought it was $5000 plus the set up and lighting fees”

Neither of these people are malicious or trying to pull one over.

They just don’t remember.  They forgot what the agreement was.

Write it down.  Put it in a contract.

If nothing else put it in an email and request a confirmation email.

Artists and the entertainment business is the worst when it comes to this stuff.

Start exercising that muscle.

Agreed?

Confirmation email requested.

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I’m always interested in your perspective, whether affirming or dissenting. Continue the conversation anytime: gabethebassplayer@gmail.com

You Are Not Lucky

We all feel like we’re imposters.  Like if everyone really knew what our life was like behind the curtain, it would all fall apart.

It’s easy to think that the good things that come our way are simply lucky breaks.  That’s what we tell ourselves.  We’re lucky.  We don’t know how the good thing happened, but we got one past the goalie despite all of our shortcomings and inferiority, a good thing happened anyway.

Conversely, it’s easy to think that the good things that come for other people…that they must have worked really hard for them and are talented and smart and have this WAY they do it, and are good looking and persistent and have a fantastic, romantic, epic story to back it all up.

“I get lucky sometimes.  THEY’RE the talented ones.”

No.  You got the opportunity because you are one of the talented ones too.  It might feel like luck, but only because you downplay your own significance in the story…and you don’t know the whole story either.

I hate hearing artist interviews where they get asked about some amazing thing that happened and they basically reply with “It just kinda happened”.

No it didn’t!

It happened because you’re willing to work, even when no ones watching.  It happened because you’ve spent years getting closer to the bullseye.  It happened because you have a way with people that is extraordinary.  It happened because you have a knack for surrounding yourself with smart, talented people.

You are not lucky.

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I’m always interested in your perspective, whether affirming or dissenting. Continue the conversation anytime: gabethebassplayer@gmail.com