Master The Basics And Be True To Your Core Belief's And Values

In May we went to see Carole King and James Taylor's Troubadour Reunion tour at Jobing.com Arena. As I posted previously, this was one of the best shows I've ever seen for so many

reasons.

It appears that I'm not the only one that feels that way. Ray Waddel wrote about the concert for Billboard magazine. This story could serve as a white paper on how to do things right in the concert, music, record, video and promotion business.

So many times in our industry, we try to reinvent the wheel, but if you just master the basics, stay true to your core beliefs and values, you can have huge success too!

Read the article here:

Bad Father of the Year Award... Maybe....Maybe Not

I might win the Bad Father of the Year Award. My fourteen year old asked me to take her and her friend to see George Lopez in concert at the Dodge Theater. I was able to get tickets and we went to the show last Wednesday night.

Wow! This wasn't Disney on Ice or the circus. This certainly was not the same George Lopez that is on Nick at Night. Clearly, the show was inappropriate for a fourteen year old. Or was it?

Lopez was hysterical, foul and raunchy. At first I was embarrassed, then I said to myself that these kids see and hear this stuff every day at school, Television, the internet, Myspace and text messaging. While I don't condone the language or the the behavior, I actually felt good that I could share this show with my daughter. She was not embarrassed, so why should I be. We all were laughing the entire time. It really was a great show and a lot of fun. What concerned me was that she got all the jokes. I'm still a little troubled by that.

It was actually a bit inspirational at the end when Lopez thanked everyone for coming and that he appreciated the fans support. He went on to say that you should follow your dreams and that he had dreamed of being a comedian since he was eleven years old, living in the hood, being raised by his grandmother. He added that he had eleven sold out shows in Phoenix, one of the highest rated syndicated TV shows in the country and he was on Forbes list behind Jerry Seinfeld. What a great success story and an inspiration for kids today.

After the show, we went to dinner at FEZ to support Body Positive's Dining Out For Life. All the proceeds from dinner that night went to help fight and treat AID's. We talked about that, we talked about the show and a lot of other things.

My point is, we live in a diverse society. All kinds of people all kinds of situations. I think it is important for kids to be exposed to everything (even an inappropriate concert) and not shelter them from reality. I was happy that I could be at the show with her. We laughed, we talked, we ate at a hip restaurant, we supported a charity, and we hung out together and had fun. It was some good father daughter bonding Wednesday night. When your daughter is fourteen you take it when you can get it.

You be the judge...

Please and Thank You are the Magical Words

My Friend Dan invited me to go see Matchbox Twenty last night. Had a great time with Dan, Richelle, Kristi, Chris and Nicole (they all wanted their name in the Blog). This was the second to last show before the end of their “Exile in America” tour and you would never know it. The show was electrifying and full of energy! This is a band that you can tell really enjoys playing with each other.

As I have written before, I’m big on customer service. Customer service comes in all ways, shapes and forms, across all businesses and industries. It is know different in the concert business. As a matter of fact, it is well known that the Greatful Dead, back in the day, was so big on customer service that they conducted exit surveys at their concerts to feel the pulse of their fans so they could always give them what they want. Thus, the “Dead Heads” would follow them from city to city and show to show.


Back to Matchbox Twenty….. Beside form the show being great and thoroughly enjoying myself, Rob Thomas, the front man for the band did something that I have never seen done before at a concert. As the show was ending, the music stopped. Rob was standing at center stage and he humbly addressed the audience. He thanked everyone for coming to the show and supporting the band. He said that if it wasn’t for the fans, they could not do what they enjoy doing. He went on to say that he knew that time was precious and he appreciated everyone making the time and coming out to see them. This was not your obligatory, “Thank you, thank you very much Phoenix……Elvis has left the building.” You could tell that this was sincere, from the heart and that he really meant it.

Finally, as the band was leaving the stage, and the lights were still down, the huge, jumbo video screen that served as a backdrop for the entire stage, lit up with what looked like a posted note. It said, “Thank You”. It was big enough for even the people in the back of the lawn section to see it.

I walked away and said to myself, WOW, these guys get it. They make great music, give you your moneys worth at the show and then let you know how much they appreciate your business and support. This is smart marketing and good business. There in lies a big reason why this band has sold 28 million records,has three multi-platinum albums and has had a successful tour when the economy stinks.

I remember what my parents tried to impart on me when I was growing up. Always say "Please and Thank You", it will go a long way. You know what? They were right!