Friday, March 26, 2010 

Tonight You Drink....

Just returning from a USO tour in Kuwait with Brad Cotter, Tim Beattie tells me this joke he heard from a soldier there (one of the best I've ever heard):

A guy rubs a lamp, a genie appears & grants him ONLY one wish (no wishes for more wishes, etc.); he wishes his... ahem... whizz comes out as the best wine ever known to man; the genie grants his wish.

The guy fills up a glass with his special "pour"; he tastes it, his wife tastes it - it truly is the best ever had by anyone.

Every evening after, they come home and enjoy the genie's magic; the husband "pours" two glasses, he & the wife partake.

One night, the wife comes home ready for wine, but the husband is only holding one glass. The wife: "Honey, where's MY glass?"

Husband: "Sweetie.. tonight you drink from the BOTTLE."

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2:53 AM | |

Wednesday, February 17, 2010 

The 'Bama Bad Boy (Part 2) | Brad Cotter

After driving to Chicago to do a sold-out show at the Woodstock Opera House last Saturday (big big fun), I trucked it back to Nashville to finish up some things, and rolled over to my pal Tim Beattie's east Nashville place for some food & drinks.

It was a pleasant surprise to see Brad Cotter there - they'd been shooting some "unplugged" live music video earlier that day. I think one reason Tim is good friends with Brad & myself: I see some distinct similarities between us. Another thing: Brad is ONE funny dude, and we laughed our asses off.

Among other things we discussed, I pointed out that there are many many many folks in this world who would love nothing better than to hang out with some seasoned industry veterans like Brad, Tim & myself, get a "peek behind the curtain," get their input on an original song or two, play some tunes, and hear some of these very very funny and (sadly for this piece), completely unrepeatable things that were some of the highlights of the night. The music industry may totally suck a lot of the time, but one thing that makes it somewhat bearable: the musicians themselves are some of the most entertaining humans on the planet.

I will share this "insiders' secret" with the world: as with most of the musicians and creative people I know, most of the conversation covered "been there/done that" scenarios, online marketing, social media, and blogs (including this one). Translated: How to make money from one's art. But actual discussion of the music itself is probably the smallest part of the dialogue.

I will say that Brad is one tough sell for "outside the box" concepts, and he can point/counterpoint with the best of them. I can imagine there's not much he hasn't seen, pitched or been pitched by some very savvy, slick, sharp operators, so it's hard not to be cynical in the middle of very cynical business (again, he reminds me of me).

That said, I'm thinking the trick is this: In a way, you have to forget your past success (or near-success); you have to stop beating yourself up and 2nd-guessing why something that seemed like a sure solid thing melted like cheap chocolate in your hand; You have to have the vision & courage to reinvent yourself. In Brad's case, I'm thinking he needs to acknowledge his true nature as an artist and person.

From what I'm discovering, it seems the whole gospel/Christian/Nashville Star perception/branding for Brad Cotter has been like trying to fit a square peg into a round hole - it's not who he really is. If Brad had enjoyed more success in that genre, I also think it was only going to be a matter of time before he lit the dynamite, bit the hand that fed him and blew it all up anyway - but on a bigger level. What's that quote from Benjamin Franklin?: "A house divided unto itself cannot stand?"

If I were his PR agent, I'd definitely push the darker/funnier/authentic side of this artist; and I'd focus on getting him on camera ASAP, interviewing other stars (he'd be great at it). Assuming he got some traction as an on-camera personality with the right format, I'm thinking getting folks out to pay for his shows, selling CDs, merch, etc. would be a slam dunk. (are you listening, Mr. Cotter?!?!?!?) Maybe we'll even see him again tonight for some video/cooking/music at Beattie's...

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10:14 AM | |

Sunday, February 07, 2010 

Brad Cotter | The 'Bama Bad Boy


Had some beers with Brad Cotter the other night at a Nashville music showcase room/bar called The Rutledge. I'm talking with the Rutledge about getting Totally Chipotle on their bar menu, we'll see where that goes.

I really liked chatting with Brad - very talented, real smart/knows the music business, very funny/articulate and... ONE BAD BOY. Why do I say that?

For starters, I'm pretty sure he's a preacher's son. Seems to me the preacher's kids are always the wildest ones in town; they've been roped in & down-pressed so hard growing up, they
usually go crazy the first opportunity they get.

Second, he's good friends with my good friend Tim Beattie, (on right, photo by Leigh Hanlon) my fave/best harp player in the world. You can't be goodie goodie and be pals with Tim Beattie, folks.

Third, he's obviously got a wild streak in him when he does a very truthful interview regarding the current state of country music with Billboard magazine days after winning Nashville Star (the country version of American Idol), essentially pissing off the Nashville music mafia and destroying any hopes of a mainstream career. Tim Beattie had a great quote, telling Brad: "You did that interview a million records too soon." CRAZY BAD BOY!!!

But you know what? As I told Brad, I think he probably gained a lot of secret fans in the industry and absolute respect from all those in the business too afraid to speak the truth about how the industry really is - I know I've gotten in trouble myself for telling it like it is, and I've paid the price. And I'm not even a preacher's kid - go figure.


As an example of what Brad most likely lost career-wise, look at who he beat on Nashville Star who seems to be doing just fine: Miranda Lambert (R).
In the spirit of how most folks love a good comeback story, though (and with some PR spin, of course), I think it's just a matter of him getting involved with the right material/branding/re-inventing, etc. I've been chatting with him about a long-simmering TV project I think he'd be perfect for - The Americana Music Series. Think Austin City Limits, but live worldwide streaming online (Ustream.tv?), Brad as host, more of a raw production, with Brad bringing in his picks for the best Americana music that country radio would never play.

Knowing the power of TV (who would ever go see a Miley Cryus concert or buy one of her CDs without that TV show first?), I think Brad could come back to where he was with the right on-camera format.

There are some lyrics Brad was hitting me with the other night which stuck in my head: Some lines about how he's glad he didn't close his eyes to pray in church, because he saw the preacher's daughter winking at him... Hell yeah. To get a sense of the exactly what Brad had right in the palm of his hand...check out a couple of his video clips (the guy is absolutely a star).




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10:24 AM | |

Tuesday, June 16, 2009 

The Rock & Roll Kitchen® Live | December 2008

Finally got around to editing some video from a private party we did last December at Chicago Recording Company (in Chicago - can you believe it?!?). The band features some of my very favorite, world-class musicians, who I hope you agree are also excellent performers. What you don't know is this: There was no soundcheck OR rehearsal for this one - everyone just got in cold & went at it. Professor John (a great singer & writer) does "Jambalaya" while Chef Joel Nickson of Wishbone Restaurants & I cook jambalaya in front of the band. Also features Tim Beattie, Chip Znuff, Dennis Webber, Tony Dale and Paul Coscino. Directed by Hank Neuberger, audio by Chris Shepard. Enjoy!


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4:34 PM | |