I was at my early 20-something cousin’s wedding this past weekend and experienced yet another example of what the future holds for the service industry as driven by technological advances.

Thanks be to my fellow Gen X’ers, long gone are the days of the wedding band woefully screaming out horrific version of Proud Mary. The CD brought the DJ business to functional mobility. Yet still, the service element was required to “man the mix”.

This wedding was a new twist: nothing but an in-house sound system and an Ipod. It struck me how simple and profound it was. I’m sure the Father of the Bride was happy spending his $1500 on something other than some cheesy tuxedo-clad cummerbund bound self-proclaimed party inciter who looked to lure anyone to join in on yet another gut bomb version of “Paradise by the Dashboard Lights.”

It got me thinking about the service industry. In years past boomers and X’ers alike were looking for the one “in charge” of the information and willing to pay top dollar for their services. The information revolution has produced a new breed of consumer empowerment.

Back to the wedding: Everyone under 25 somehow knew the new custom – Search and play, giving courtesy to the former requester to allow their song to play out in its entirety. What was interesting to watch was the way the Gen X’ers responded. No one over the age of 25 knew who was “in charge?” A new generation gap was formed before my very eyes.

Did the DJ business see it coming? With very little effort, the consumer empowerment revolution took on a new (and I would argue MUCH improved) twist. And it occurred to me how yet again a new product had displaced another industry.

Thanks to the Ipod and digital revolution, we are no longer subject to the distribution of music someone else thinks is a good idea. We are empowered as consumers to make decisions for ourselves and save mightily along the way in order to consumer products and services that engage us in a meaningful way.

Like watching great retro movies and spinning vinyl…