Several weeks ago Entertainment Tonight Online published an article that caught my attention (mark that one on the calendar). Carlos Santana wrote an open letter to NBC about the halftime show for this year’s Super Bowl. The headline read, “Carlos Santana Slams Super Bowl Halftime Show.” I kind of view that as rather thin-skinned considering how polite the letter was.
Basically, he begins with a thank you for being invited then he expressed disappointment that they picked industry standard performers over notable local bands (Journey, Steve Miller, and Metallica). Carlos then refers to these bands mentioned as real live bands with real live instruments.  ET’s response?  “While the halftime show has tended away from rock . . . it’s hardly fair to call a halftime show filled with GRAMMY winners not real music. And Metallica? At the Super Bowl?”  Winning a Grammy hardly makes you “real” music.  It means you are backed by the industry with a ton of studio doctors and people that have the clout to play politics for your notoriety and their pocketbooks.  If you like these acts, fine.  But when programming comprises a lot of your show you cannot call it entirely live now can you?

Let’s make this clear.  I am not a fan of Journey but they are top rate musicians.  I am not a fan of Steve Miller, he has a few good songs but he bores me (adding to that, his comments about his significance over Pete Townshend’s in a 1982 Musician magazine interview does not endear me either).  With that said, they have brought a lot revenue to San Francisco and a lot of viewers would enjoy the nostalgia.

ET’s comment about Metallica was a real surprise! “And Metallica? At the Super Bowl?”  Yes, are you fools ET?  There’s a reason why Madden football has Heavy Metal artists on every version of their game.  It’s certainly not because they are incompatable with football! Then to compile more stupidity, they throw in Rudy Giuliani saying that Beyoncé’s performance was outrageous because of her support of Black Lives Matter. ET quotes him from Fox & Friends as saying,”You’re talking to Middle America when you’re at the Super Bowl,” he said on Fox & Friends. “If you’re going to have entertainment, let’s have decent, wholesome entertainment, not use it as a platform to attack the people who put their lives at risk to save us.”

Hate to break the news to you Rudy but most of Middle America is getting a beer and a sandwich during halftime and probably bought Beyoncé’s CD.  It’s mostly background.  You’re making it more notable by your comment and, besides, it’s not like she’s coming out in favour of something like the L.A. riots.  She makes her small statement and you blow it up with yours . . . eh, kind of like I’m doing, ahem, I do digress . . . which is my point.  What does this have to do with Carlos Santana’s letter? Nothing.  It just takes away from his point.

There are things that Carlos has said in the past that I disagree with and the acts he names are hardly away from the industry but . . . HE HAS A VALID POINT.  You have the Super Bowl in different cities every year.  This promotes the city and brings in revenue and notoriety.  Why not promote that city’s musical and cultural heritage instead of promoting the acts that flash on WAL Mart TVs in their electronics department?  Why not take the time to celebrate what that city has to offer culturally and musically? Doesn’t this help these places more than helping artists on Universal’s label?  Doesn’t this promote  America as diverse, culturally aware and proud of its cities and people?  Why not even include one or two unsigned local bands?

I know the tradition (if you can call it that) is to take the biggest promoted artists and put on a slick production.  But does it do anything besides make background?  Bless you Carlos for making this point. Additionally, thank you Carlos for being so polite and eloquent.   Anyone could have written a disgruntled, rude and angry letter.  His was one of tact, courtesy and respect.   That is class which is, unfortunately, rare these days.