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Like The Sands Through An Hourglass
May 8, 2020
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These are the days of our lives! In the last week, Music City was hit by two storms that took the electricity away from 170,000-plus customers and caused hundreds if not thousands of trees to fall, and the mayor wants a 32% property tax hike. Talk about timing.
Meanwhile, the music places are closed, the Grand Ole Opry is playing to an empty building and, strong as it may be, Nashville is having a rough time.
Thousands, including more than a few Music Row folks, sat in the dark for as many as four days. No cable, no internet on top of the stay-at-home order still in effect. It was the lowest of the lows. Musically, hopefully, this the lowest note on the piano. The lowest note on a pipe organ is C_1 or CCCC. We hit that, and now God and Dr. Fauci willing, we might be reversing course
The NFL schedule is out, and almost all the power is back on. The mayor says phase one of reopening the city begins on Monday, May 11th. The climb from piano note A0 back up to somewhere in the middle keys has begun.
It’s been a hell of a 2020. From this point, we aim high.
Brad Paisley’s “No I in Beer” was featured on “The Tonight Show” on Wednesday, May 6th, and it was played by the whole band, not just acoustic. “The Voice” ratings were higher than last year this time as it rolls to a stay-at-home finish. A venue in Arkansas is having a show with all the new social distancing rules in place within the next week.
By the way, is everybody down with the new rules for a concert? Ft. Smith, Arkansas’ TempleLive venue, per its web site, is implementing these restrictions on its May 15th show with Travis McCready:
Capacity reduced 80% from 1,000 to 229.
Venue will be sanitized prior to each event via fog sprayers.
Masks will be available for purchase.
Per CDC guidelines, one-way walkways in theater managed by TL Employees.
Six feet of separation from all seating groups or fan pods.
Ten-person limit in all restrooms. All soap and paper towel dispensers will be no touch.
Closure of bathroom fixtures to maintain six feet of distance during use. Temperatures of attendees to be taken at entry points.
All beverages will be prepackaged or have lids.
TL employees will be actively wiping down touch points in venue and restrooms.You have to start somewhere. Still many unanswered questions, but at least it’s starting. Will the customers follow? They didn’t in Georgia overall when the malls and some restaurants opened. People understandably are squeamish.
Should music reflect more of this time and place? Impossible to say. Luke Combs was concerned his new song, “Six Feet Apart,” was cheesy. It isn’t, but good that it was on his mind. Finding the right tone and position is a moving target. Nashville is a funk-filled place right now. You wonder how all this will be reflected by the pulse takers, the songwriters.
The radio chains killed off some more star-worthy performers last week. Let’s hope that’s over too.
A radio guy told me this week he was feeling depressed. That’s hard to admit to a co-worker. But how could you not be with furloughs, layoffs, no remotes, and broadcasting from home? The radio future feels like anxiety plus. Maybe it’s time for the bosses to set a new tone or the owners to sell these stations to people who can afford to run them.
Automation is fake. It is a great assist, but how do you run a jukebox with advertising? You have no choice but to give them what they can’t get on Spotify, etc. How can anyone come to another conclusion?
Think forward. The “up” button has been pushed on the elevator. It’s a slow-mo trip to the top, bumps on the way for sure, but it’s going up.
They say don’t try to catch a falling knife. Get out in front of this wave, musically and in every way. Lose a little to gain a lot. Take risks, but move the ball downfield. People want facts, not propaganda. Put people on the air that we can trust to tell the truth, not spin. There’s been enough spin from both sides.
The power is back on. Be ready for the light. Summer is weeks away and the fans are ready. Help them, some way, somehow.
The Blue Angels and The Thunderbirds are leading the way. Feel-good time is needed in the world, and you are just the people to make it happen
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