Roll up for the mystery tour!
That's right, for the benefit of Mr. Kite there won't be a show tonight, but starting in October there will be. From Boston to Toronto to Brooklyn to Manhattan to Los Angeles to San Francisco. That's right, from Beantown to T.O. to the Big Apple to Tinseltown to the City by the Bay, Jason and I will be taking our show on the road.
What does this involve?
An up close and personal with personalities who refuse to hold back and will speak the truth about not only the music business, but politics and law...did you know Jason's a driver of the Innocence Project and has gotten numerous wrongly convicted people out of jail? YOU DO NOW! And you think you know everything about me, but this newsletter is an edited take. Come to the show and...
Jason will be interviewing me and I'll be interviewing Jason and we'll answer the questions you want to know, like how did Flom sign all those acts and how did I go from zero to where I am now.
How did this happen?
Jason said he got a bigger reaction doing my podcast than all the other press he's done previously COMBINED! It was his idea to go on the road. I decided to go along. You see Jason doesn't always hit, but his ratio of success is legendary, and I want some of what he's got.
So we were in Toronto at Canadian Music Week, having a long conversation with Canadian rappers, there is such a thing, and Jason proffered this idea. And when I awoke he already had an agent and the tour was already rolling down the pike.
Marc Geiger is the majordomo agent. And he and his team have booked this experiment to see if you want to come, DO YOU?
Prices are low.
Buildings are small.
I guess you get to decide.
But I've gotten an education. I thought I knew a lot about the business, but only when your own show goes on the road do you really learn what's involved. The offer process. The ticket pricing process. The routing process. Actually, we were gonna do Chicago and D.C. too. But then the dates flipped, so instead of playing D.C. and then Chicago, which makes logical travel sense, it became the reverse. You see every venue is not available on every evening. And the new routing required we twiddle our thumbs and burn time in between gigs so this time around we decided to pass on those cities.
And then there was copy and artwork.
Copy is my department.
As for photographs, they were shot on the eve of Rosh Hashanah by attorney Ken Hertz, photographer extraordinaire. But if you think this is a shoestring operation, you'd be wrong. Boston and Toronto are promoted by Live Nation and Brooklyn is promoted by The Bowery Presents and Manhattan is City Winery and L.A. is Spaceland and San Francisco is Goldenvoice. So this is a professional production, the only amateurs are US!
Then again, Jason is famous for his keynote speeches and jokes, a couple of which he's sure to tell on stage. And I've done tons of live dates too, but I can't guarantee Gene Simmons will show up...
Now hype is not my forte. But in this world if you don't tell people, they don't know. And if you don't believe in yourself, nobody else will.
So...A SPLENDID TIME IS GUARANTEED FOR ALL!
Saturday October 13 - Boston - Tsai Center at Boston University: $30 - www.ticketmaster.com/event/0100552AD856A2FA
Sunday October 14 - Toronto-Phoenix Concert Theatre: $75, $50, $35 (CAD) - www.ticketmaster.ca/event/10005525EB259B45
Tuesday October 16 - Brooklyn- Rough Trade - $25 - axs.com/events/361234/lefsetz-vs-flom-no-holds-barred-tickets?skin=roughtrade
Thursday October 18 - New York - The Loft at City Winery: $35, $28, $22 - citywinery.com/theloft/lefsetz-vs-flom-at-the-loft-10-18.html
Monday October 29 - Los Angeles - The Regent - $20 ($27 day of show) - www.ticketfly.com/event/1760739
Tuesday October 30 - San Francisco - Great American Music Hall - $25-$49.95 - www.eventbrite.com/e/lefsetz-vs-flom-no-holds-barred-gamh-tickets-50004121674
Of course there will be fees on top of these prices, but we don't control those!
Needless to say, we couldn't do this tour without not only the promoters, but Marc and his assistant Jesse Robbins, who has done yeoman's duty shepherding these novices down the slope.
So, this is a cheap night out. And they tell me it's all about experiences these days, and you're gonna have one!
P.S. You know me, but just in case you don't know Jason...ah, what the hell, I'll print all the hype:
Jason Flom is one of the most successful A&R people of all time, having signed everybody from Kid Rock to Katy Perry, Tori Amos to Lorde and now Greta Van Fleet. "The Lefsetz Letter" is read by a who’s who in the music business, from Michael Rapino to Drake, from Irving Azoff to Steven Tyler. Come see Jason and Bob debate the issues that matter in today’s cacophonous music business world, from getting signed, to marketing and distribution. Expect a no-holds barred conversation where names are named and foibles and successes are illuminated. If you want to hear how the music business really works, THIS IS THE PLACE!
Jason Flom is the Founder and CEO of Lava Records, Lava Music Publishing, and Lava Media, LLC. Flom previously served as Chairman and CEO at Atlantic Records, Virgin Records, and Capitol Music Group, and he is personally responsible for launching acts such as Katy Perry, Kid Rock, Lorde, and Greta Van Fleet. He is a leading philanthropist and expert on criminal justice issues and an internationally recognized and celebrated public speaker. Flom is the founding board member of the Innocence Project and serves on the boards of numerous criminal justice reform organizations. He is the host of the hit podcast, Wrongful Conviction, now in its sixth season, which features interviews with men and women who have spent decades in prison for crimes they did not commit, some even sentenced to death. Flom’s love for animals inspired his latest project, the children’s book Lulu Is a Rhinoceros, co-written with his daughter Allison Flom and released in June, 2018. The book explores social themes addressing individuality, tolerance, and most importantly, acceptance, and launched with partnerships including Bonobos, Zappos, and the African Wildlife Foundation.
Bob Lefsetz, Santa Monica-based industry legend, is the author of the e-mail newsletter, "The Lefsetz Letter." Famous for being beholden to no one and speaking the truth, Lefsetz addresses the issues that are at the core of the music business: streaming, ticketing and the music itself. His intense brilliance captivates readers from Steven Tyler to Drake to Deadmau5 to Quincy Jones to music business honchos like Michael Rapino, Jay Marciano, Steve Barnett and Irving Azoff. In these days of turmoil, "The Lefsetz Letter" is a must-read. Never boring, always entertaining, Mr. Lefsetz's insights are fueled by his stint as an entertainment business attorney, majordomo of Sanctuary Music's American division and consultancies to major labels.
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