Aspen Live: 20 Years of Passion.

"It's a long way to the top, If you wanna rock and roll."  AC/DC 

20 years of Passion w/ Jim Lewi and Aspen LiveWhen Jim Lewi decided to "send it" off the extreme chair lift in Aspen on Saturday, he didn't really consider all the consequences.  Luckily, Lewi recovered from the resulting "yard-sale" and played through with an aching back and a bruised ego.  

In 1996 Lewi took another un-calculated risk.  From the back of his van...Jim Lewi begat ASPEN LIVE (click for their website).  20 years later Aspen Live is "THE think tank" for the  Music and Live Entertainment industries.  Aspen Live is considered the "Sun Valley Conference for the Music Industry" and has morphed into one of the most influential, most enjoyable and most fun conferences on the calendar.

Click for pix:  20 YEARS of PASSION

The Aspen Live crowd is tightly knit, they like to party and they like to do deals...with each other.  "The Hang" is often more important than the finely currated curriculum.   Agents, promoters, venue owners, ticket sellers, tech geeks and music professionals make it out to Fat City every year to gig on the mountain and off.  The result:  Aspen Live is a family.

Bob Lefsetz laying down the knowledge.If there is one word to describe Aspen Live it's PASSION.  It was clearly a passion project when Lewi created it in 1996.  Think about it...the music industry in 1996 was in complete disarray.  CD's were being sold for pennies over cost...remember CD's?   R.E.M. and Tracy Chapman were really hot (really). Beck's album Odelay ruled the day (sort of).   The internet music scene was just getting started. Real live ticket scalpers, excuse me...brokers still had jobs. Touring was thought to be a necessity in order to sell discs. Tupac was super hot, but then he got shot...RIP.  M.C. Hammer declared bankruptcy and Michael Jackson got divorced from Lisa Marie Presley.  Napster didn't  even come out until 1999. Suffice to say...a lot has changed since 1996.  Aspen Live has evolved.  Yet for 20 years it has remained a cutting edge event to learn, to meet, to greet,  to network and to get business done.

One thing has not changed over two decades.   Jim Lewi is still passionate about Aspen Live.  Almost all the Aspen Live attendees love their careers in the music and live entertainment business.  This years con had over 150 registered participants from all rungs of the music food chain.

Highlights included an intimate discussion with the guys responsible for putting together the Fair Thee Well / Grateful Dead shows in Chicago and Santa Clara last Summer.  Mike Luba and Peter Shapiro had some great stories to share.  Andrew Dreskin is generally considered the first guy to sell an on-line ticket and rumor has it he's done quite well in that business.  How well?  Let's just say he wears success nicely.  All this mishegoss  was moderated by Steiny Steinberg.

Day 2 saw a lively discussion with Mark Williamson, head of artists services at Spotify.  That was followed by a session with Scott Borchetta, the guy who broke Taylor Swift. There was a wee bit of irony in the scheduling, because in case you haven't heard, Spotify and Taylor dont agree on much.

Marc Geiger / WME Keeping it real under Bob's glare.Bob Lefsetz (who grills everyone) went one-on-one with one of the most powerful men in music.  Marc Geiger who heads up Music for William Morris Endeavor.   Geiger, considered a visionary into internet music and  a founder of Lalapalooza comfortably held his own under the glare of the spotlight that is Bob.

it was a great itinerary to celebrate the 20 th year of Aspen Live.   That to go along with the skiing and riding, the networking and the non-stop kibitzing.

The overwhelming thing that bands the Aspen Live family together is the undying passion for music and entertainment.  Make no mistake about it...Aspen Live is a family.   Whether its your rookie year or your 20th time attending Aspen Live...it's hard not to get pulled in for the real thing..."the Hang". 

Congratulations to Jim Lewi and Aspen Live on their 20th Anniversary session.  You have built a lasting and meaningful event here in Aspen.  Cheers to the next 20 years.  To the Aspen Live fam...anyone who has ever attended...we'll see you out here in Aspen next year for one of the best, most productive ways to party like a rock star.  

Click for Pix:  20 Years of Passion.

 

Super G Pow Day helps USA.

The organisers of the Birds of Prey World Cup Races at Beaver Creek have it pretty dialed in.  By the time the racers get on course...everything is in order...except the weather.  Nope, the FIS and Vail Resorts can't control Mother Nature.  It was a FULL-ON POW DAY at BEAVER CREEK on Saturday.  Setting the scene...picture cold blowing winds, flurrying snow...heavy at times, poor visibility and full house of fans stoked to see the world's fastest skiers. The show must go on.   AspenSpin, anticipating a weather hold for the race was out schalping the Beav with a bunch of Doctors from Detroit, but that didn't stop the World Cup.

Austrian star Marcel Hirscher laid down the fastest run.  The U.S. Ski Team held down the next two podium spots.  Ted Ligedy scored the silver and Andrew Weibrecht ripped bronze.   The entire U.S. fared well in the inclement weather (for racing...I loved it).  Travis Ganong finished a very strong 6th and returning veteran Tommy Biesemeyer nabbed 11th.

Sunday's G.S. was a wee bit disappointing>  Ligety going for a 7-peat on the Birds of Prey skidded out for a DNF.  Austria's Hirscher took the win.

Photos:  Courtesy of the U.S. Ski Team.The entire U.S. Ski Team jumped on the podium at Birds of Prey.

Ligety scored a Silver in Super G at Beaver CreekA strong weekend for Weibrecht, He navigated the POW to run third in Super G.

Norway goes 1-2 in the Birds of Prey Downhill at Beaver Creek.

Aksel Lund Swindel and Kjetil Jansrud went 1-2 in the Birds of Prey downhill at Beaver Creek.  It was a beautiful day at The Beav and a HUGE one for Norway.   France's G. Fayed finished third.  Photo: via FB

Mikaela Shiffrin goes BACK to BACK in Aspen. (video)

Rippers gonna Rip. Mikaela Shiffrin wins back-to-back World Cup races in Aspen.Mikaela Shiffrin is a dominant performer in Slalom and she proved it by blowing out the field for the second straight day in Aspen.  Two World Cup wins in a row for the USA's skiing prodigy from Eagle-Vail, Colorado. Her 3.07 second triumph in Saturday's  slalom race was the largest margin of victory in the history of the Women's World Cup slalom.   On Sunday she had a small bobble at the top of the course and  "only" scored a 2.65 second spread over the second place finisher.  Shiffrin is the first American woman to stand atop the podium in Aspen since 1981.

When Mikaela Shiffrin skis...the other slalom racers just watch and wonder how they can make up the time. She's a World Champion, an Olympic Champion and the odds on favorite to take the overall World Cup Globe for 2016.

Shiffrin is clearly a once in a generation athlete.  In addition to possessing off-the-chart talent, Ms Shiffrin is incredibly poised and mature for a 20 year old woman.  Mikaela has an extremely strong work ethic and a drive for perfection.   She's humble, she's nice, and she's very, very friendly to the fans. One thing you don't notice on the surface when encountering this pretty 20 year old...she has the killer instinct.  She wants to win every single time...and she will do whatever it takes to go for the Gold. She has a quiet confidence that exudes dominance.  Despite possessing that drive to win..every time...all of her teammates and even her international rivals seem to like Mikaela  Whatever she's doing it's certainly working.

AspenSpin has had encounters many, many all-star athletes from a wide variety of sports as well as tons of celebrities from the entertainment world.  Mikaela Shiffrin is probably the classiest, most down to earth, most dedicated performer we've met.  All the accolades and trophy's she wins are well earned and deserved.   Aspen loves her.

LONG LIVE the QUEEN (of ski racing).

Also huge kudos go out to the free spirit from Jackson Hole and fan favorite RESI STEIGLER for her awesome top 10 performance in Aspen.   Way to go Resi!!!

Superstar Mikaela Shiffrin Photo: AspenSpinResi rocks it with the fans.

The Champion and her biggest fan.

Mikaela Shiffrin Wins the Slalom in Aspen. (Video)