Half way Done ...Where are We?

I think my first love was my mom/dad, then my dog followed shortly by my radio. I loved my TV, too, but my radio was there even when the lights were cut off. My radio is still here long after my mom and dad have gone.

This weekend through the static of AM radio in Southern Maine, I listened to the Saturday night Oldies show on WABC. What memories flashed through of days gone by on those sunset Saturday nights listening to those songs coming out the front speaker and maybe the rear one on a few of the cars.

Listening to WLS or WABC ... WLAC ... WWL ... WLW a little ... KAAY a few times when possible ... great times, or they sure seemed like it.

Magic ... radio at its best was a magic machine. Is what everyone is doing today magic? Each of us will have to answer that a few times it is ... in the morning. But you have to wonder why not?

The music business is much the same way. It lost i's way or lost touch of the customer's pulse somewhere along the way. But look at what's going on today. The ONLY people really having any magic effect on anyone are Disney people: Jonas Brothers, Miley (still ... I think) and (they hope) soon, The High School Musical kids again. Some things never change. Kids want their musical idols. Taylor Swift is qualifying, too. She isn't a Disney invention,n but she sure knows the recipe ... or someone does. Check her out in the new jeans ads .. LEI. Wal-Mart stuff. She is on a roll!

The gas stuff gets more complicated every week. Anyone watching how the airlines are throttling back? In the Fall, it seems the magic time for pain will be in the air. Just flew and everything was fine. Sure doesn't sound like that is the Fall forecast.

Will the out-of-sight budgets for recording get fixed, too? Will the performance return? Will the old Dick Clark package tour return? The common band with each singer/act doing five songs? Who knows?

Plenty of nervous people are in the touring booking and buying biz. Who is the breakout act for 2009 ... and will Chesney's theme just keep rolling 50,000 people at a time?

The Urban/Kidman baby story got a ton of worldwide press. Rascal Flatts on the 4th in Boston seen by millions; they remain very underrated! It was quite a sight!

Enough said about "Nashville Star." I guess some people just have to be homers and ignore the obvious.

On that theme, more so then even Hollywood, Nashville is sensitive to bad reviews. Hollywood people will cut your head off, too, but it's so big the monster just ignores everything and moves forward. Here the small town petty-control people still try to rule ... on a much smaller scale.

Nashville acts ARE the big time. A handful of them ... maybe 10. These big stars make more money than most of their Hollywood associates. Garth bought a home this week in Malibu. Probably wrote a check in full.

Taylor Swift right now is huge! Kenny, Tim, Rascal Flatts and a few others are rock-star big. There is much to be thankful for in Music City. But what's next? This movie with the same cast has been rolling for five, maybe 10 years. Are the next stars really here?