Bill Geist's Zeitgeist

Mustang Sally

Some called him the first "rock star" corporate CEO. The man behind the Ford Mustang and the revitalization of Chrysler, Lee Iaccoca, departed terra firma earlier this week at the age of 94. 

I'm old enough to remember the rabbit he pulled out of a hat to save Chrysler, but didn't know his back story on the iconic muscle car.

On this Music Friday, we offer a tip of the hat to the man that helped turn driving into so much fun with this version of the '60s classic "Mustang Sally" by Buddy Guy and Jeff Beck.

Tops down...

Woodstock 50

It was a cool and ambitious idea. Recreate the magic of the Woodstock Music Festival on its 50th anniversary.

But, cool and ambitious ideas often flounder...and it increasingly sounds as if the festival that promised acts such as Santana, Dead & Company, Robert Plant, Nathanial Rateliff, Gary Clark, Jr., David Crosby, Common, David Crosby and scores of others may be a no-go.

On this Music Friday, let's go back to the original (honestly, how can it be 50 years ago?) for two of the performances that defined the event for me:

Santana's "Soul Sacrifice" and Sly & the Family Stone's "Higher."

50 years later...still blisteringly relevant.

The Enigma that was Leon Redbone

We lost two of the most unique and iconic musical stylists to emerge from the 1970s over the past week, as Leon Redbone and Dr. John departed terra firma. As both deserve their own tribute, I'll feature Dr. John next Friday. 

One of my favorite Leon Redbone moments was in the early 1980s when Budweiser featured the enigmatic artist in a TV commercial. My guess is that 90% of America (and, I'm being generous) had no idea who Leon Redbone was...but somebody on the creative team did and thought featuring him in this beyond surreal (for the era) commercial was a good idea. That person was likely fired immediately or went on to a stellar career.

In an era in which there were often cross-over acts between musical genres...almost nobody was doing the music of the 30s and 40s. And yet, Leon Redbone did...and got away with it. Those in the business adored him. Those on the outside...well?

He only had one song that made the Top 100...but his influence was unmistakable.

One this Music Friday, we say farewell to Leon Redbone with "Seduced."

If you missed his life, this short-form documentary has just been released.

Enjoy the next plateau, Leon...we enjoyed your time-tripping on terra firma.

Rockin' GoT

Sunday posts are rare for me. But tonight's finale of Game of Thrones is no small event.

Every Friday, we offer a rare music find (or offer up a tribute to an artist that has transitioned to the next level). But, this amazing performance just can't wait 'til next Friday. It has to be enjoyed today.

Rockers Tom Morello (Prophets of Rage), Scott Ian (Anthrax) and Nuno Bettencourt (Extreme) take on the Game of Thrones theme, in a decidedly rock style. Toss in showrunner Dan Weiss and original composer Ramin Djawadi for authenticity. And, coolest of all, they invite country star Brad Paisley to join in...who just shreds it.

My long lost brother from another mother shared this on my Facebook timeline yesterday...and I just must share it with you.

As we prepare to say farewell to Winter...let's rock the theme for "Game of Thrones."

The Power of Music

Yes, Music Friday is still a day away. But, this is just too cool not to share.

Last Sunday, the Handel and Hayden Society played Boston's Symphony Hall. A 9-year old boy was in attendance with his grandfather. And, at the close of the orchestra's performance of Mozart's "Masonic Funeral Music," before the crowd erupted into applause, that boy, described by family members as "primarily non-verbal," exclaimed "wow."

Just wow.

The backstory and audio of that amazing moment are HERE.

Music (like Tourism) is transformative. Maybe that's why they both mean so much to me.

Chris Farley

Yeah, I know it's a Music Friday. But, Adam Sandler's turn as host of SNL last weekend has me thinking of the song he closed with about his friend Chris Farley.

Chris was a Madison boy...and that sensibility was a big part of his appeal on the international stage. While we hate how it all ended, we couldn't be prouder of the kid from Maple Bluff, who was chronicled so well in the documentary "I Am Chris Farley."

Somewhere, in the boxes upon boxes of video and audio cassettes I've yet to unearth after a succession of moves, I have a video I shot of Chris and Tom Arnold jumping on stage, totally unplanned and unannounced at the Taste of Madison in the early '90s, tearing through an R&B classic with Madison's O'Bros (and WJJO's Johnny Danger on bongos). I will find that video and I will share it...but, gimme time. There are a lot of boxes.

In the meantime, you may have seen the SNL performance of Adam's tribute to Chris. But, this compilation video from Netflix is so much better.

Hard to believe it's been over 20 years. RIP Chris...and, thank you Adam for such a touching salute.

Toga!

Sometimes, you roll into a town for the first time and just know you've been there before.

That was the experience I had last week as I rolled into Cottage Grove OR. A cute downtown; one with real potential. But, it was the banner across Main Street that caught my eye. I'd seen this streetscape, this architecture and that sign before. But, where?

Try 40 years ago (and every time I've watched the movie since). It's the parade route for the climactic scene in Animal House, filmed in Cottage Grove.

This weekend, they'll attempt to regain the Guinness Book of World Records' status as largest Toga Party in history. If you're near...go.

We planned this for Music Friday, but, we're going with it right now. It's back to Otis Day and the Knights...and the song that is forever linked to Togas.

Shout!

Busted

It was around mid-day that I got an e-mail from a DMO pro that posed an interesting question regarding yesterday's post.

He said, you're talking to smaller destinations...but you're using larger city examples. Got any for us little guys?

Busted.

But, let's break this down. Nothing that the bigs do can't be replicated in a smaller community. People often claim money is the issue for not being able to do something...but money is never the issue if it's important enough to the community. If it's important, the money will always be found.

So, to my friend and his peers, let's start with that. Can you make the case to the City that a vibrant Nighttime Economy will spur economic and residential growth? Then, the City should invest revenue to make that happen. It is, after all, economic development. And, what City can argue with that?

But, I hear you. City leaders often aren't that sophisticated. Now what?

May I suggest that, if you're dedicating resources to content creation and industry partner relations, you're already halfway there. Because, if you already have boots on the ground, connecting with your nighttime economy is a simple adaptation of a work shift. As I said to my CEO friend, dedicate one day to working 2 to 10. Meet the people that are making the nighttime economy hum. Capture and post soundcheck from a band. Grab and post photos or videos from restaurant kitchens as they work their magic. The people who's job it is to know the destination should know it more than 8-5.

You've got this.

The Power of the Nighttime Economy

It's what encourages a drive visitor to stay the night and not head back home after whatever they came for (assuming it wasn't a nighttime experience). And yet, the magnet of music, theatre and comedy is missing in so many communities. In our work with destinations, we often survey community stakeholders as to what they think would move the needle for both enhanced livability and tourism growth. In second and third-tier cities, the answer is almost always "something to do when the sun goes down."

But how? How does a Destination Marketing Organization encourage business owners to take a chance and make an investment that may not pay off? And, as a DMO pro once said to me, "we don't have a relationship with those entrepreneurs because they're coming to work as we're heading home."

My smart ass answer, of course, was that he should spend at least one day a week working a 2 to 10pm shift in order to better understand (and build a relationship with the purveyors of) the nighttime economy.

That's what Chattanooga's Mary Howard Ade does as she connects the dots in Chattanooga's ascendant music scene.

And, the City of Vancouver is about to launch a one-year pilot program to hire a Music Advocate to attempt to mitigate the obstacles local performers face so that the music can flow and produce an even greater dent in the economy than its current $690 million, supporting 8,000 jobs in the city.

Just saying you support local music doesn't get the job done. Somebody has to own it. 

Chattanooga and Vancouver understand that fact.

Here's hoping many more cities see the light.

Owner of a Misunderstood Heart

I'm increasingly drawn to the creatives that mash two or three songs together to create an altogether fascinating take on the originals.

Ryan Nellis is one of those audio geniuses.

On this Music Friday, we're going with his mash of '80s disco and prog rock...Santa Esmeralda's cover of the Animal's cover of "Don't Let Me Be Understood" and "Owner of a Lonely Heart" by Yes.

And, it so works.