Seeking Transcendant

Okay, I again come to you folks for help.  I do not have a radio shift coming up, but might consider adding some Joe to my podcast if I can get something good out of you.  So the article is pretty wide right now, but as we look at future of music, we see these bands that have sort of become cottage industries.  Our boy Joe being one of them.

But if you spend time in LA, you get to see the so called musician as DJ.  For example, the guys from Fall Out Boy, and Good Charlotte.  They spend more time spinning records, the touring.  A good part of this is the cost it takes to move a record by them, labels have lost interest in making their records.  So these guys are out of work, and they are trying to get on TMZ, to keep there piss poor clothing company going.

Cats like John Mayer, no records.  Too expensive.  So he is famous for making out with Brad Pitts ex now, and getting a tattoo.

Someone like drummer Travis Barker now is a highly sought after session man, and his clothing company that existed before his band broke, is his primary focus.

But, at the same time there are bands that are outside of that, that tour, release records, and manage to survive.  For example Joe B, playing all the time, supporting the band, the bus, the office, the merch company, the record company...all of it turns off of Joes live show and his ability to deliver and maintain his fans.

Someone like Social Distortion, after 25 years as a punk band sold 34 nights in a row OUT at the Orange County house of blues.  Mike Ness tours with a second band to 3000 seaters, playing with Springsteen on the east coast.  All of this allows him to tour, and suppor the machine regardless of his label.

The Black Keys, cat Power, North Mississippi All Stars.

Early example of would by Buddy Guy spending January at Legends, every year, and it being thirty of the biggest nights.  Regardless of whatever he had going, he came home for those weeks.

We see more and more labels changing the business model, embracing Record Label 2.0.

Beck has a great perspective on this, even for someone who is an institution.  He talked about Keith Richards, and how no matter how big the machine gets, you place someone between you and the swirl, and you play guitar.  He talked about how soon it will be mega bands like Jay Z, the Stones, U2, and that ilk, and then everyone else in a van.  Putting out music for free.  Touring hard.  A rebirth in live music.

RS got me, and please start your laughing now, an interview with Celine Dions manager, who is her husband I think.  She opened Vegas up to a new era of musician, and now you see it being something differant.

Venues like The Joint, Boulder Junction, and so many others, are real music clubs. 

So my question to you is this, who else is successful?  I do not want to make it about money, but lets use our boy Joe as an example.  I remember Joe rocking a BMW 7 series.  Owning the home in LA.  Making coin.  Supporting a top notch touring band, with a seriously expensive  promotion budget.

Who is like that?

Not the dude rocking the nice dodge van, but the dude rocking the new winnie.  The dude who is technically not struggling.

I am looking for bands that are surviving because of their business savvy, but have not stopped playing live music.