Cold, Cold Zoom

It’s like watching horses getting ready to explode out of the gate at the Derby. The middle part of 2020 was a sad place for new music from Music City. But KABOOM!! Have you looked at the charts this week?

It’s a who’s who of new. These baby artists have been on the runway trying to take off since 2019. It has always taken a year or more from signing to getting that first hit, but 2020 … 2020, that’s all you need to say.

With no touring, and radio air talent doing shows from home, it’s been a really crazy year with so many new faces to process. Honestly, if at least five of the Top 10 came up to your door for Trick or Treat, would you know their name? I bet most could not pass that test.

New blood is the lifeblood of the business, virus or no virus. As Vince Gill sang, “Everybody’s talking about the next big thing.” We have lots of new things!

The labels have somehow pulled off the voodoo and their acts are on the air, even without the usual promo tours and getting to know you events.

We are anything but back to normal in Nashville, and if you look at The University of Michigan, it is scary what might be ahead. Radio air teams are not all back in their stations. Routine listener habits have not really returned 100 or even 75 percent.

With the political ad money turning off in a few days, the commercial loads will calm down. Radio financial health is dicey.

Radio stations are trying to roll with the flow. New music was badly needed, actually. Great job to the label promo teams pulling off the very hard to impossible.

So many people in Music City are in a very tight financial situation right now. No touring trickles down to no income for thousands, from bus rentals to sound tech and all in between. Can’t imagine what it’s like for a new artist’s team with no income/no touring. Just making it on hope around the corner.

We all have that hope. We have to learn how to fight this virus and still have a life.

Politics are about to drive the near crazy over the top. Furloughs, elections, layoffs, working at home, the holidays and award shows every week -- how much crazy does 2020 have left in it?

Zoom and other virtual meeting places are great if you already know those online. For a group of strangers, it can be passionless and cold. Teaching in Zoomland, running a business in Zoomland, appearing on TV via Zoom are all growing old.

Zoom is a beneficiary of these crazy times. Maybe it’s generational too. It’s all about what you are used to. But in person relationships can’t be over, can they?

How bad do we all need to hear the sound of applause and the opening sounds of a concert? Laughter was badly needed on that “Gwen Goes Country” bit with Gwen Stefani on “The Tonight Show.” A beautiful bit just was flat with no laughter. You need people to give life to things.

Love how “The Voice” is putting screens up for people in the audience and sweetening the reactions. Kelly Clarkson does that on her show, as do others.

Let’s get our New Year’s resolutions and wishes ready. Fill back up the empty office buildings, get our stadiums full and theaters open and get this virus in the history books. We can wish and pray!