Lady Gaga, Cost of (Artist) Living, and Best Wishes for Willie Nelson

How about that Super Bowl, eh? Sportsing aside, Lady Gaga pulled off the remarkable feat of offending nobody and entertaining everybody with her halftime show. Before it started, everyone wondered if she’d make some sort of political statement in this super-charged, super-divided time in our national narrative. You could almost hear the sigh of relief from some quarters when she didn’t. But wait a minute. Wait. Could kicking things off with a little “This Land is Your Land” have been a statement after all? Woody Guthrie certainly intended it as such. Here’s a little history review on that subject from the Washington Post, along with the rest of the week’s news from our little corner of the music world. Go team!

If you were looking to Lady Gaga (or any other pop star) to lead the resistance, maybe you’re barking up the wrong tree. NPR’s Ann Powers reminds us it’s always been not the musicians alone but their audiences who have made a difference in the world. [NPR]

As New Orleans becomes a more desirable place to live, rising housing costs are squeezing out musicians and other culture-makers who put the city on the map. [NPR]

Lots of musicians sell T-shirts, and some get pretty creative about it. But the ever-stylish, retro-inspired Pokey LaFarge has gone beyond that by launching his own clothing line (which does include T-shirts) with the Knickerbocker Mfg. Co. [Knickerbocker Mfg. Co.]

You know what this country really needs? Another mega festival. The companies behind Coachella and Bonnaroo and Outside Lands are in talks to launch a 60,000-capacity event in Denver in 2018. [Consequence of Sound]

Willie Nelson has canceled a whole bunch of shows lately, citing illness. We’re pulling for you, Willie. Hang in there, man. [Saving Country Music]