A Summer Splash

How nice is it that a new song comes along and people are excited about it ... talking about it. Garth Brooks had that this week with "All Day Long." It got the effective once-an-hour debut from iHeart Country stations ... and others, for the most part, had it during the day.

I remember a record company promo man driving from Atlanta to Montgomery in mid-1970s; he was asleep in our parking lot when I got there at 5a-something to do the news. He had the new Carpenters song, "Goodbye to Love." He brought it in and it went on the air ... exciting to hear a new hit record. It still is! Now what... will that song fall back to overnight and grow back to mornings in maybe five months?

Radio needs fewer commercials ... better commercials ... good on-air content that includes fresh music does take some risks. Talking is good if you aren't just being stupid or filling time with endless promo liner cards.

Willie said the whole world is going to pot. He may be right ... the story didn't get big play, but Canada just legalized pot. Early Fall it will be in retail across the country. When the U.S. tour buses head back to American border crossings smelling like pot, the drug dogs will go crazy! Could make for some interesting problems. Trying to bring the legal Canadian pot like Cuban cigars (Toronto) will be problematic. Just saying...

Music City artists for the most part didn't get into the children at the border debate. Me Too, you name it, fear of Dixie Chick'ing still remains ... Staying politically neutral a smart play for the career-minded. A few are out for every cause; we shall see how that works out.

Jason Aldean's Lower Broadway Nashville had a grand opening this week. Sure are a lot of those star-named watering holes down there. A few more still to come. Does Nashville keep blowing up? The NASCAR Awards might be interested in coming to town ... The NFL draft is in 2019. Big prices ... big-city issues on the front burner.

Taylor a Swift, Luke Bryan, Zac Brown, Kenny Chesney and Zac Brown all have stadium shows on tap the next few weeks. It is amazing the ticket money, beer money and every other kind of money flying around this town right now.

Maybe someday the songwriters will get to cash in on the boom!