Bill Geist's Zeitgeist

Cool Move, Chevy

Our goal with Music Fridays is to cap the week with a smile, looking forward or looking back. Originally, it was to highlight cool music that hadn't gone mainstream that you may have missed. Recently, it has been about saying farewell to artists we've lost.

A few years ago, we featured Rival Sons with a kick ass song that we would rank as a must on any driving mix tape. It just screamed road trip.

Well, Chevrolet clearly agrees...as "Pressure and Time" is now their backing song on a number of their TV spots.

You heard it here first. :)

New on DMOU: Embracing the Night Time Economy

A lot of attention is paid to the 6a to 6p economy...but that has been a disservice to its 6p to 6a sister of the night. 24 Hour Dallas intends to change that...and we talk with the organization's Coordinator, Bryan Tony, on the most recently released episode of the DMOU Podcast.

Chick here to listen...or find us on your favorite podcast platform.

David Crosby

A particularly bad week for music as we lost Lisa Marie Presley, Robbie Bachman...and David Crosby, who recently talked about his mortality with Howard Stern.

A founding member of both the Byrds and CSN&Y, David also did several projects with Graham Nash over the years.

Rarely the lead vocal in the CSNY world, he was, in a way, like Richie Sambora in Bon Jovi. Jon was great...but the sound was more complete with Richie's layering. That, along with his amazing compositions, is David's legacy.

Our friend Amir Eylon shared this duet with Phil Collins with us last night. It only underscores his amazing talent.

On this Music Friday, we honor David with these links:

David's "Wooden Ships" at their induction into the Rock Hall of Fame in 1997.

His "Long Time Gone" on SiriusXM.

And, "Ohio," with Artists for the Arts Foundation.

Sleep.

 

Not That Hard

Stumbled upon a Social Media post by the former VP of Creative Services for the Nashville CVC. She has recently gone into business with her new husband. 

Jessica Redmond posted: Could you imagine running a business with your spouse?

I know, right!? Pretty terrifying!?

But that clearly hasn't been the case for Terri and me.

That post made me smile...because that was a conversation we had a few years ago during our photo shoot with our friends at C&N.

We riffed on how so many people think working with your life partner would be impossible. But Chris and Natalie (C&N, get it?) said, "spending all day with your best friend? How cool is that?" To which we couldn't agree more.

Which, I guess, suggests that if you couldn't work with your partner...are you really best friends?

Terri and I wouldn't have it any other way. Neither would Chris and Natalie.

Nor would Jess and Justin. Their new podcast (featuring couples that work together) should be fun...and eye-opening.

Wisconsin...You're on Deck

Sensational news out of Illinois last week that their State Legislature has, on a bi-partisan vote no less, approved one of the best pieces of Tourism Improvement District legislation we've ever seen. Aided by our friends at Civitas Advisors, which recently assisted the launch of their 200th TID in Louisville, Land of Lincoln DMOs will soon be able to work with their local hotel communities to increase resources for Destination Marketing and Development.

Hey, Wisconsin? Your competitor to the South already has a sensationally better DMO grant program than you do (and has for almost 40 years). Gonna let them get even further ahead by continuing to sit on your hands?

Just sayin'

Jeff Beck

One of the most unique and prolific artists of the Rock era is taking his place in the Afterlife's House Band this weekend. Jeff Beck transitioned earlier this week at the age of 78 after a short illness.

Hard to know where to start on this Music Friday. I used to crank one of his solo tracks to pump me up on the way to softball games in my younger years. I remember loving on one album track, in particular, during my college radio days. And, of course, there is one of his biggest hits, a ballad with former bandmate Rod Stewart.

But, I'm most drawn to the times he played with others...and he played with everybody (like, he did the lead solo on Jon Bon Jovi's "Blaze of Glory"). And, here are some of my faves to remember him by:

Superstition with Stevie Wonder

Isolation with Johnny Depp

Sweet Emotion with Steven Tyler and Sting

And you know I'll have a rabbit hole for you. This is a full length concert at Ronnie Scott's that spans his many genres and features guest appearances from Eric Clapton and Joss Stone.

He played like no one else by using his thumb to pluck the strings, his ring finger on the volume knob, and his little finger on the vibrato bar. I remember being mesmerized as I shot his appearance at the Madison Blues Fest 20 years ago.

Godspeed, Geoffrey. You were one of a kind.

Going Vertical

As TikTok continues to be attacked in some quarters over privacy and security concerns, there's one thing that can't be ignored. It has re-oriented video content from horizontal to vertical .

On Monday, our friends Dave Serino and Brian Matson of TwoSix Digital posted a video in which they discuss best practices for DMOs in utilizing vertical content on TikTok, Reels and Shorts with Nick and Andy Behling from MI Playground. If you've yet to take the plunge or are unsure of your first steps in Vertical Media, this video is a must.

While timing in at 57 minutes might be off-putting for some, the conversation gets really good at the 36:30 mark. But trust me, if you jump ahead, you'll likely go back to the beginning to see what you missed.

As the video does not feature visual examples, you could listen to the whole thing on your commute or workout, just as you would a podcast like DMOU (which, sorry for the delay...we had some issues with our platform provider and just posted our newest episode with Vail Ross yesterday).

Thanks TwoSix. Always leading us forward.

What Hoteliers are Thinking Today

Prior to the Plague, the best Destination Marketing professionals had a pretty good idea of what their hoteliers were thinking. But today? 

The DMOU podcast is back from Holiday Hiatus with STR's Vail Ross, talking about the new demands, pressures and opportunities facing today's hotel executives. And, it's one of over 100 conversations waiting for you in the DMOU vault.

And, be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts to ensure that you're notified the moment a new episode drops. Because we're looking forward to a great 2023.

Looking at it Through the Customer's Eyes

Trying to find the dock for a Water Taxi to get us to dinner...and the address provided is not recognized by GPS. And there's no signage at the nearest parking lot. Sure, the locals know where to go...but how many first-time visitors miss their reservations because nobody in management of this otherwise sensational experience thought about how a potential first-time customer (who will likely rip them on Social Media) could possibly locate an impossibly difficult to find dock. Have you tried to find your business using GPS (and on all the platforms)? As Todd Rundgren famously said on Something/Anything, "you might be surprised."

Or the web platform that chose to update the skins of all its users without warning and inadvertently caused at least some of us (and I'm guessing more) to have their interface become unreadable? We open a "support" ticket, get a rapid response...and then are told, "looks good on our end." Yeah, because they're all using big screens while the majority of our users are on laptop and mobile. When shown screen shots of how it's not OK, they go radio silent for two days. Hey...we get it. You fucked up and don't know how to fix it. But, an automated, "we know you're still out there" response each day would be nice so we don't start searching for another host because we think you don't care (which I just had, minutes before they finally acknowledged their mistake).

In every enterprise, there needs to be a person responsible for these kinds of missteps. I'm not saying it's a full-time job (though it may well be). But somebody needs to be on the case, everyday, focused on how new and existing customers can revel in your customer care...and be, as Guy Kawasaki once said, "Thunder Lizard Evangelists."

 

Hanging One More Year on Line

With thanks to all who offered their happy birthday wishes online yesterday...you amaze me. Not that I don't know of (and appreciate) your support of this life...but every birthday on Facebook is like Sally Fields.

And, every next day...this song by Paul Simon pops into my head. The lyrics used to be spot on. But, today, we can remove the "I should be depressed (because) my life is a mess" line because, hell, I've never been happier.

But everything else rings true.

Let's Have a Good Time, y'all.