Ah leenia, no offense, but take away the notion we are talking about folk/traditional/singer-songwriter, etc, and what you just wrote sounds like someone complaining about "that rock and roll" 50 years ago.

"When somebody makes a music video with so many flashing, blazing lighting effects that I have to stare at my knees while listening, that's not the music of friends. That's commerce." Ok, I'll give you this one, a video is made for pure promotion. But I've seen Allison Krauss videos, and just recently, I saw a few videos by Oysterband. Minus the flashing lights, etc, but videos nonetheless. I consider both of those to be the music of friends. Ultimately, it is about promotion, but if you've earned one dollar from the music you make, I don't care who you are, and what type of music you produce, you are going to find a way next time to make two dollars, then 5 and so on.

"When a performer's personal beauty is more important than his musical talent,that's commerce." Actually, Seth looks pretty much the same to me as he did back with Equation, so I don't think that one is true.

"When every number has the same tone, tonality and topic as every other number, that's commerce." That's opinion strictly. If I can sense variety within the 10-12 tracks on an album, there is no sameness.

"When it doesn't matter if people can understand the words, that's commerce." My wife loves the Dave Matthews Band. I've told her I can't understand him most of the time, but its more about the way he sings, not some devious plot of his to make people buy his albums. She has told me at his concerts lots of people know the words. She feels the same way about Richard Thompson, someone I never, ever would accuse of crass commercialism.

"When it doesn't matter if the lyrics hurt people by promulgating destructive attitudes, that's commerce." Damn, I was looking forward to Seth singing London's Burning by The Clash.

"When the person who succeeds is merely the one with the best publicity machine, that's commerce." Ever seen someone with the biggest publicity machine fall flat on their face in failure despite that machine? I have. If Seth is still around in a few more years, which I suspect he will be, a percentage of that will be because of publicity (although see above on videos-musicians do want to have a career), but the larger reason will be talent, which he is.

Have fun at your bluegrass concert tonight. And if they aren't being paid for the show, make sure the hat gets passed around for them, I'm sure they are just itching to make that video for Blue Moon Of Kentucky! Just kidding!!!