Bill Geist's Zeitgeist

Bunny Wailer

The last member of the ground-breaking group The Wailers has departed terra firma...but what a life Bunny Wailer led. We could only have been as blessed.

Hanging out on the streets of Nine Mile, childhood friends Bunny, Bob Marley and Peter Tosh created the Wailing Wailers and achieved international success. All three ultimately went on to sensational solo careers, with Bunny winning three Grammys in the '90s.  He was still churning out music videos in 2017 and, even after a stroke laid him low, participated in a Playing for Change video of "Soul Rebel."

We say farewell with one of my faves, "Roots, Radics, Rockers and Reggae."

Thanks for all the smiles, Bunny. For, no one could ever have the blues when listening to you.

The Day the Music Died

This week in 1959, the fledgling rock world lost three of its brightest voices when a plane carrying Buddy Holly, the Big Bopper and Richie Valens crashed shortly after a concert at the Surf Ballroom in Cedar Lake IA. Both the Buddy Holly Story and La Bamba were fairly righteous movies for the uninitiated. If there was ever a movie about the Big Bopper, I never saw it.

Don McClean immortalized the tragedy in his hit "American Pie" in 1971. And this week, he and Home Free released this gem.

On a Music Friday in which we look back, it's an acappella version of the classic "American Pie."

Sublime.

The Inaugural Concert

While the 'VID clearly played a role in changing up the tired, staid tradition of Inaugural Balls...this week's "Celebrating America" show should be the de facto new tradition, n'est-ce pas?

With the Boss kicking off the evening on a somber tone, the event was capped off by an over-the-top Katy Perry, who thought she was the star...and not the Fireworks of which she sang.

In between, there were sensational performances from the Black Pumas, Jon Bon Jovi (if for nothing more than the timing of the cinematography), John Legend, Foo Fighters, Justin Timberlake & Ant Clemons and more.

If Music can lead a national renaissance, it doesn't get much better than this on the first Music Friday of a new era.

A Day of Hope

I'm not blind to the fact that roughly 50% of Americans voted for the other side. And, I'm not blissfully unaware that a large number of those that voted for the former President were likely not watching the coverage of this Inauguration Day. But, that's a shame.

Because what was on display today in the nation's Capital was a breath of fresh air. An Inaugural Address that offered inspiration and hope; almost Kennedy-esque and, in retrospect, a stark contrast to the darkness of the last address. An evening devoid of balls and parties in which mere mortals could never picture themselves...but instead, a televised celebration of America to which we were all invited with front line Americans featured alongside some of our favorite performers. And, an evening that concluded with the most bad-ass fireworks display I've ever seen. And, here's to future inaugurations continuing this tradition. Tonight, I feel empowered to be inspired.

Those who know me well, know that I am fiercely independent in my political views. I believe the two-party system is the axis of evil. I believe it prevents us from what we could be as a nation...and that the media prefers the two-party system because it makes their narrative easier, not our country better. Thus, other points of view don't get the air they deserve.

Put another way...do you want Coke and Pepsi as your only choices in life, or do you occasionally hanker for a Mountain Dew?

So here's the deal. As a nation, we test-drove the Trumpian model and found it to be good for the economy but bad for a boatload of other things. So, all I ask is that we test-drive Biden-Harris. A majority of this country's citizens wanted a change. Let's see if they can deliver.

I hope to God that they can...for all of us.

Image Credit: NBC

 

Where Music and Economic Development Meet

This is about the time of the year when this blog moves from discussing the issues surrounding Destination Marketing and Community Development to featuring really cool songs of the season. Typically, it's a fairly hard pivot with a degree of whiplash. That we always post music finds on Fridays mitigates it slightly...but we've never had a segue like today.

Earlier this month, I stumbled upon a holiday music video by an Oklahoma-based duo named The Imaginaries. At the close of the video, as the credits begin to roll, what to my wondering eyes did appear but a logo shout out to the Chickasha Economic Development Council (it's on the band's homepage, too). Yesterday, I had the chance to chat with EDC Director Jim Cowan. He told me that Christmas has always been a big deal in this town of 17,000, a half hour out of Oklahoma City. Their Holiday Lights extravaganza typically attracts hundreds of thousands each year and this year, the installation of a 40-foot tall replica of "the leg lamp" from "A Christmas Story" drew national and international media attention from as far away as Japan.

But, it's the sheer livability of a community like Chickasha that Jim believes is the hook to get entrepreneurs and families to move there. And, as people in urban centers rethink where they live in this new work-from-home environment, smaller communities need to stand-out from the crowd. In this Hallmark-style video, the nostalgia, the friendly culture, the arts, music and video all come together to position Chickasha firmly on the list for consideration. And, we love the brilliant marriage of Music, the Holidays and Economic Development.

As we transition over to our favorite Holiday Music finds of the year, luxuriate in "Hometown Christmas" from The Imaginaries. 

17-11-70

My brother from another mother during my days in Rock Radio was one Jim Murphy. We, along with a crew of intrepid radio innovators, helped propel an FM Rocker, 60 miles outside Downtown Chicago, into the Top 20 in that city's Arbitron ratings in the mid '80s...no small feat. We did it with irreverent style and an eclectic playlist that refused to play only hits. And yeah, a 50,000 watt blow-torch of a signal.

Jim reached out the other day with a photo from within his fridge. It was of a gallon of milk, stamped with the expiration date of 11-17-20. He asked if it rang a bell...and, it didn't until he said, "50 years ago?" And, it all came flooding back.

17-11-70 (in the British style of numeric dating) was the title of the live album from a then-emerging Elton John. His first album didn't elicit much attention in the States. His second, contained the hit "Your Song" and was released in April of 1970. In November of that year, he was touring in America and was offered the opportunity to play live on New York's WABC-FM (live concerts on the radio were a big deal before TV concert shows and, of course, the internet).

The live bootleg of that radio concert on WABC-FM is an amazing glimpse into what was to come. If you want some background to stave off today's Friday the 13th Blues, these 85 minutes are pretty cool. You'll get the crackle and pop from an old vinyl...but it's an audio snapshot from 50 years ago. Before his first single in America exploded.

During the concert, he talks about the release of the single from his last album, shares a song from his new album that had just been released two weeks prior as well as a song from a soundtrack to a film that was coming out in 1971. Fascinating how the music industry operated 50 years ago...and how Elton was playing everything. This live album was released on March 12, 1971. The soundtrack to "Friends" 12 days later. And then..."Madman Across the Water" seven and a half months later. It was an incredible burst of creativity.

Because there's no video from that WABC concert, we salute that moment on this Music Friday with this gem that was featured on "17-11-70" a few months earlier from a BBC-TV concert. This is "Burn Down the Mission."

And, Jim? We so gotta reconnect soon. And, thanks for the smile from your fridge.

Gaining a Broader Understanding

Last month, the President issued an Executive Order that would prohibit federal agencies from offering diversity, equity and inclusion training for government workers. In doing so, he called DEI initiatives "divisive" and "un-American."

I'm not sure how helping government workers better understand unintended bias and identify ways to open up opportunities for all is "un-American," but the American Society of Association Executives last week urged the Administration to rescind the directive, post haste.

Truly, the only people that believe that DEI programs are "divisive" are those that want a strict continuation of the status quo...a status quo that pretty much sucks. Which is one of the reasons we issued our position paper on Board Diversity in collaboration with Searchwide Global this summer.

It's also why you should consider the Travel Unity Summit October 21-23. The All-Access Pass is only $50 and offers sessions from some of the top names in travel accessibility and DEI, including Destination DC's Elliott Ferguson, Sports ETA's Al Kidd, HospitableMe's Billy Kolber and many more. And, there are a handful of sessions that are free, including the keynote from Travel Unity Executive Director Roni Weiss.

For more on the Travel Unity Summit, click HERE.

Eddie Van Halen

We lost two more names in the world of Music this week. Johnny Nash, often credited with bringing reggae to America, passed away at the age of 80 at his home in Houston. He had several hits over more than two decades...but his biggest was the lilting "I Can See Clearly Now."

But, the one that was the punch in the gut was the loss of rock innovator Eddie Van Halen. A self-taught guitarist who made many of his own instruments, Eddie's sound was immediately identifiable. And, with such an extensive catalogue of work, we have a lot of choices on this Music Friday.

Track 1, Side 1 of album 1 announced Eddie's arrival to the world.

It was the band's fourth album in which Eddie introduced keyboards to the VH sound. David Lee Roth once commented that Eddie played keys with his fists. "Jump" is one of their best videos, primarily because it shows Eddie as supremely confident and having a ball.

It's a horrible video...but it's proof that Eddie supplied the guitar solos (and, apparently, rearranged the bridge) in Michael Jackson's "Beat It" despite not being paid or credited.

Then there's this...the moment that Eddie and Sammy jammed at Farm Aid '85 that sealed the deal that produced the "Van Hagar" era.

And, we all slow down. When Eddie welcomed Diamond Dave back to again front the band, he looked tired...but his guitar work still sizzled on "Tattoo."

If you're pressed for time, just watch this compilation of greatness.

Rest now, Eddie...you blazed a trail that will never be forgotten.

The Lack of a Coherent Strategy

The global pandemic has laid bare the absolute lack of leadership across the globe that should cause us all to re-examine whether voting for an eloquent candidate produces qualified individuals to lead us.

Here in America, a President that was unable to grasp the enormity of the growing menace passed it off as nothing to worry about in the early days of the 'VID. And, whether you support or loathe the man, the President told us not to be concerned...and the power of the office lulled many into complacency when swift action was needed. We now pay the price for that faith.

Because of that lack of leadership at the top, States were the next line of leadership. Some addressed the pandemic aggressively. Others followed their President's lead. The resulting shitshow of uneven mitigation threatens us all.

One of the leaders in shutting down the virus was Ohio Governor Mike DeWine. Many of us watched as he would announce lockdowns...and Michigan, Illinois, Wisconsin and others would rapidly follow. In the early days, Ohio was rocking it on the nation's behalf, stepping into the leadership void at the Federal level.

But, in recent days, the protocols that Ohio has employed have a lot of people scratching their heads. There is a lack of consistency and coherency in the ever changing rules businesses must follow. A recent op ed piece by Chelsie Thompson, President of Renaissance Performing Arts, called into question the inequity of the State's standing orders.

Strip Clubs are open (essential services, apparently?) but Performing Arts Centers are not? Casinos are open..but not live theatre? Bars featuring live music with hundreds of people, shoulder to shoulder, are OK but museums are not? It's as if the State believes Arts & Culture are inconsequential.

As Chelsie so eloquently said, "What we cannot accommodate is the continued confusion on what is and is not allowed to happen across the state, the obstinate refusal to acknowledge the presence and impact of our industry on Ohio’s economy, and the egregious double standard to which the arts are being subjected under the Responsible Restart plan."

Honestly...can we have leaders that work with epidemiologists to produce a coherent strategy? Is that too much to ask?

Yeah...it obviously is.

The Unnoticed Victims

All of Broadway shut its doors within days of the first usher testing positive for the VID. Many believe live theatre won't return until there is a vaccine.

We pine for the days we can once again experience live performance; to once again support actors on stages making us feel alive and sharing powerful truths about the human condition.

But, what about Playbill? That booklet that is thrust into your hand as you enter the theatre? Can it survive this crisis?

You gotta love CEO Phillip Birsh's take: “Playbill is 136 years old,” he tells Fast Company. “We’ve survived five depressions, 20 recessions, two world wars, terror attacks."

But...they've laid off half their staff. And, every day the theatres are dark is a day that Playbill isn't published.

Another unnoticed victim of this insidious disease.