TT 518: Jon Batiste, THE BIG MONEY TOUR

"plays America"

Received some PR yesterday:

Jon Batiste is a pianist of true merit, although—like many New Orleans musicians—he can probably play a variety of instruments pretty well. I personally find the guitar in this photo to be something of a surprise [footnote], but, at any rate, the PR email leans into the piano:

Monia Ali has been doing good work discussing how much fans are willing to pay for “platinum” music experiences. I am not sure if Batiste is jazz—probably he is not—but this is the first time I can recall seeing VIP packages offered for someone who commands the languages of jazz at a professional level.

The website has the ticket breakdown. All top three tiers offer a Commemorative Ticket with Display Case.

The VIP prices in Portland require an additional click to find.

Pinnacle Meet & Greet $494.75

High Road VIP $378.00

Lean on My Love VIP $263.25

(The difference between High Road and Lean on My Love is a signed lyric sheet for $114.75.)

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If the name of the tour, “Big Money,” is hard to parse—it seems confusingly on the nose—the related Instagram post may offer clarification.

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2022 Jon Batiste Amazon Prime Day commercial, “Get Out of My Dreams and Into my Cart.”

Batiste sings softly at the piano: “Get out of my dreams”

phone: “PRIME DAY”

Batiste internal monologue: “Some piano polish would be good….and some hair pomade…maybe some socks…I do need a new blender...”

Blender: “Did somebody say, ‘Blender?’”

Song kicks off with high-energy dance routine: “When’s that Prime Day? I need to know! When’s that Prime Day? So many things to buy! Like this sequined pillow: watch it glow! I’ll get a bathrobe, a three-man canoe…a new massager; not one, but two! I’ll get some cocoa butter, some camping supplies…because Prime Day is coming, the 12th and 13th of July! (Baby!)”

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[footnote] I’m only speculating, but selecting “Batiste plays guitar” as the marketing image for the Big Money tour might be an attempt to link Batiste to the recent hit blues guitar movie Sinners, especially since Miles Caton also wears a tight collar dress shirt without tie. (I wrote a short review of Sinners here).