Bob Lefsetz on Keith Urabn, Bryan Adams and Bonnie Raitt at the Roxy (5/19/08)

Industry columnist Bob Lefsetz waxes poetically on the last night's Bryan Adams show at the Roxy and encountering Keith Urban backstage. Here's an excerpt...

WHO WOULDN’T WANNA BE ME

Sunday night, I watched the ACM awards. Everybody played live, there were tons of guitars. If you want rock and roll, dial in a country station, it’s absent from the Top Forty outlets.

And about two-thirds of the way through, the man married to the movie star stood in front of the stage with his three supporting axemen and played his radio track. It was this man I ran into on the stairs backstage at the Roxy.

I had no urge to speak with Nicole. And I usually don’t speak to rock stars if I’m not introduced. But impulse took over. I was a friend of his manager Gary, I was the one who’d written that piece. I got the blank stare of a celebrity who’d met too many fans. Not wanting to be rude, but put out. So I explained a tiny bit more…and Keith Urban’s eyes lit up! He pointed at me. YOU’RE THE GUY! GOOD TO PUT A FACE WITH THE NAME! We were now old buddies.

This is why I write...to possibly connect and have an artist read something I write and say "He got it!". Lefsetz polarizes people as he isn't afraid to pull punches and call out managers, artists and promoters. Say what you want, but you can never blame him for not being honest.

Go here and read more if you want to know who came out with Bryan Adams to jam.

I was so inspired by what I read, I wrote Lefsetz personally...I'll republish it below:

Bob:

I'd like to think of myself as a writer, but it's tough and often I feel like I'm a hack. How do you express emotions through words? How do you write about that FEELING that a song or album gives you where you can feel like you can conquer the world all because a four-minute track did something for you no other human could?

I over-think everything and often don't write as much as I want but I have to tell you, after reading this latest piece on the most undervalued arena act of the 80's and 90's and the current live king of the arena reinvigorated me. Screw grammar...I'm going to go with my gut feeling and the grammar Nazi's and elitists can criticize me all they want.

That piece shows why Urban and Adams are two of the most unappreciated artists we have today. Not only did it inspire me, but I'm directing my iPod dial to CUTS LIKE A KNIFE now! It's been far too long since I heard "The Only One".

The best writing inspires someone to give a song/album/artist another look...and to those already under their spell, it reminds them of why we love them so much in the first place.

Best,

Tony Kuzminski

antiMusic Network