Pro-Confusion..

Talk about anti climatic! With all the controversy surrounding this TV spot I dont even know what the point of it was. The irony is that its basically a pro-choice ad.. If they had a message they were trying to convey they should fire the ad agency responsible for it. My understanding (although not apparent in ad whatsoever) is that Tim's mother had a medical condition that had her doctors advise her to terminate her pregnancy in order to possibly save her life. She then made the "choice" to keep him and take the chance which in and of itself is a decision i respect because "she" made it. What isnt mentioned is the fact that if every woman made that same choice in her condition many of them would die. So one could argue that either decision is pro-life and pro-choice simultaneously. Context is a beautiful thing.
If Focus on the Family was making a case for the pro-life movement they must of been speaking in code. And although I don't think the Superbowl is the place to do it I respect their "choice" to speak however they choose to.

The Who

I must say I was pleasantly surprised by the Who's Superbowl performance. Sure they looked not a day under 90 years old but hey held their own.... although Roger Daultry seemed to have left his neck in his hotel room. Sure we all could of thought of about 7542 better options that have been relevant since the invention of the internet but its obvious where the NFL stands on their choices. "Boobgate" changed everything years ago when America was apparently traumatized at the split second site of an actual breast... I must say however with his opened shirt Pete Townsend was dancing at the edge of exposing his 78 year old male t*ts which would of sent us all into a dark place. They would of had to resort to crazy pet tricks or clowns in the future.

Hand Job.

Sarah Palin's hand notes for the "Teabaggin" Convention. Classic. I cant tell you how many times I did this in high school.. I guess thats the point. High School.. Im actually starting to feel compassion for her. She is who she is and was thrust into this whole thing without even being close to prepared.

Showtime

I'm in NY for Nikki & Rich's show at the Highline Ballroom Tuesday night. This is a homecoming of sorts for Rich as its the first time the group has played here. Overall its their 4th show and the fact that they are playing the Highline says a lot about how the past year has developed. I've posted numerous times about them (duh im their manager) but never out of straight promotion. I post because I'm truly excited to be involved in the development of one of the most talented groups I've been around in my career. Rich lives outside the box production wise and has an incredible ability to tap into multiple genres simply by following his gut instinct. I firmly believe that he will be become one of the most important producers in music. Write that down and I'll sign it. So many producers are stuck in the lane of "hit making" that is so formula driven. Nikki is from another planet vocally and lyrically with an incredible rare ability to emotionally connect to an audience thats reminiscent of another era. I cant tell you how many times my eyes have watered up listening to her sing. Onstage her confidence is mind boggling. About 10 months ago I heard the music for the first time (thanks to Marc Rose) and was completely and utterly floored. What they didn't have was a foundation to build upon to start the process of presenting it to everyone. The music was too good to do anything half way. They had done their job. They had holed themselves up in the studio and wrote... and wrote.. They had reignited a passion in me that the business had burnt out. We all as a team, including my wife Kelly, became committed to getting it done and all fed off each other. Since then because of their belief in themselves and the goals we laid out, they have put themselves in a position to make a difference in the business at a time when differences are hard to come by. Musically they are brilliant.. Yep I said it. The production and songwriting scream authenticity and remind us all of why music can be a powerful force in our lives. Music that "feels" good as well as "sounds" good. The music that is on-line is only a small microcosm of what is on their album. What they've added over the past months is a full range of songs that touch on everything from R&B, soul, hip-hop and pop.. All in a way that is truly their own. I still get goosebumps when I hear a new song they've done. Image wise we've stayed true to who they are, this isn't a science project. They are a representation of what pop music could be. After getting 3 offers from our first show at the Viper Room we signed with Warner/Reprise because they seemed to understand it the best. For me coming off a long run at a label, being skeptical has become second nature and while we don't always agree they seem to have what is lacking nowadays.. soul.. And the team we work with there have been amazing. Tuesday will be their biggest show to date at a venue that has had some legendary shows. To work with a group that ALWAYS delivers is a pleasure and confidence is so much better than anxiety and fear. This is their moment. Its happening fast and its happening right. I'm full of pride and cant wait for the world to hear what they have to offer. If your in NY this Tuesday and want to see for yourself rsvp to: nikkiandrichshow@gmail.com

Super torn.

Im torn on the game today.. so utterly down the middle that hopefully by simply writing about it I will lean one way or the other.. First off it goes without saying the city of New Orleans deserves this big time. Thats a no brainer. Seeing some light shine on a population that has suffered so much would be wonderful to watch. Issue for me is that I don't really like the Saints.

Cant put my finger on it.. Tons of talent, great coach, good bunch of guys.. Go figure.. On the other side Peyton is the Michael Jordan of football without all the rings. No one in my opinion is a better student of the game. That alone would be impressive but his ability to apply that knowledge in an instant is mind blowing. Being that football at this level is hugely mental its incredibly rare for someone to not allow immediate past mistakes effect his state of mind. Without blinking his mental database is going a million miles a minute to adapt and fix whatever needs fixing. Many times you can predict the outcome of a game after the first few drives, not with Peyton. I dont care if its 28-0 Saints at halftime, he has the ability to score 4 TD's at 13 seconds a pop. I like Peyton the way I liked Michael. Im simply grateful to be alive to watch him play and I root for him to go down as the greatest QB of all time.... So all that said I guess im still stuck.. If i go with my old school Aristotle "whats best for the most people" I gotta go with the Saints and the city of New Orleans.. They better play the game of their lives... Im already starting to change my mind...

Dear You Tube and its advertisers

OK look I know times are tough and we are all looking to fill up every possible revenue stream available but the whole advertising over content is not only annoying but utterly ineffective. The goal of advertising is to tap into an emotion, lay an image and message on top of that and allow it to resonate enough so the consumer will reach for their wallet.. The emotion your associating with your product is ANNOYANCE and ANXIETY. You've become the c@ckblocker. Post Tivo its bad enough we now have to sit through a commercial that we cant fast forward. If that was all it was I'm sure we could begrudgingly live with it since its usually when we grab a drink, shuffle some paper or do anything not to be marketed to in that moment. The bigger issue is when you advertise OVER the actual content we are watching. While I was looking for a Beyonce performance I had to look to find one that was clean. Some had 3 ads with "click here" buttons that blocked over 40% of the screen. Who's idea was this? Imagine listening to the radio and every 10 seconds an ad for the latest erectile dysfunction miracle pill played directly over the track? The lesson that seems to be taking a long time for advertisers to learn is that not all impressions are good impressions and spreading your message over the top of an annoyed public probably ain't the move..

"Beyond"ce

i know Im late on this post but that fact that it still comes up in conversations a couple times a day means I gotta put something up.. So here it is: Beyonce KILLED the Grammy's. She is one of those rare artists that embodies every single attribute of a superstar has at the highest level. Off stage she seems humble, mild mannered, respectful and most importantly grateful for all of the opportunities shes been given. Onstage shes the baddest bitch on the planet. Most importantly she has endless amounts of talent and confidence... and confidence is like a powerful magnet. From what i know and have heard her work ethic is off the charts and I have a TON of respect for that.. The trick is a true superstar makes it all seem effortless... What can i say, I've seen a million award shows (we all have) with run of the mill performances (we all have) but this one simply blew me away..