For a few years just after college, I sold merch for touring bands. It was a great gig because not only did I make a percentage of the sales, but I got to spend time with incredible musicians like John Legend, Amy Winehouse, Sia and Justin Timberlake.
Most of the time before and after the show, I hung in the lobby with fans willing to spend way too much on overpriced t-shirts, buttons, stickers, and other swag. Once, Citizen Cope asked me if $50 for a hoodie was too much. I laughed and said, "You should see what Aerosmith charges."
So, recently, as I was playing around with Gemini Lyria 3, I had to admit the AI-generated songs weren't terrible; they might even make it onto someone's playlist. Yet, I couldn't help but laugh thinking about the idea of someone spending $50 on an AI band hoodie.
