Aftermath?

As I sat on the A train on the way to the office: I was thinking about the interesting weekend that I just had. On Saturday night I had a really cool birthday party. I was surprised at how many people eventually showed up. It was so nice to see everyone. It was an honor for me to see all of my friends and make a lot new ones. My homey Michael Weintrob was the best person to through the party with as he is a crazy social butterfly in his own right and has a completely different set of friends then mine. Although I had an awesome time; I think the next time I do a party it I will do something during the day; like a brunch or a cookout. I want to do something where folks can socialize a little easier, maybe play group games or something. Why do we all have to be so grown up and hip all the time. Folks didn't leave the party until 5AM and I went to sleep around 6:30PM then woke up to clean up at 9:30 so I was exhausted all day Sunday. I finally took a nap at 4PM and woke up at 7:30PM to a text from my friend Jomo asking me if I could come to the emergency room and stay with our friend Scott because he just got admitted for severe abdominal pain. Jomo couldn't stay because his sister in-law was admitted to the hospital and he had to be on call as that developed. It was a lot to wake up to. Anyway, I went to the hospital and waiting with Scott; he received a cat scan and they found a kidney stone. They gave him a bunch of pain killer and I took him home.



On my way to the office while I was writing this blog I was listening to what may possibly be the best Live album ever; Bill Withers: Live at Carnegie Hall. If you have not heard this album I suggest that you cop it and give it an intent ear. This album is especially important for musicians as it is a text book for how to engage and audience and pace a show. Keep in mind Bill Withers was a huge star by the time this show was recorded; but his comfort on stage and his ability to make Carnegie Hall into his own backyard or living room was remarkable. The lesson that we learn as artists and those like myself who consult and manage artists is that you have to give of yourself in some way. People want to get to know you in someway that goes beyond the hype. With the gap closing on physical distribution and the influx of millions self produced artists that are cluttering the internet with songs and videos; it is really hard to find a means for distribution. Well, what comes before the opportunity to distribute and sell is the ability to make a connection to someone who gives a f*ck enough to patronize you. So at the end of the day Bill Withers in the 70's had hit records but he didn't have the internet; he didn't have YouTube or Blogger or MySpace or Facebook. As artists and promoters in the independent music game; we need to be known on a much more intimate level than ever. Whether it's Twitter or YouTube or Blogger; create a way for consumers to know a bit of your story and your life, you would be surprised at who would watch and listen.