Despite the fact that we live in an increasingly on-demand entertainment culture of streaming and DVRs, the live music business continues to thrive. Fans dream of their once-in-a-lifetime experience to see one of their favourite artists bestow the world with their magic in an intimate venue in front of a small but precious crowd. Those of you who have experienced it first hand can concur that it’s the ultimate fulfillment, magical and unexplainable, it leaves you on a massive high.
Although investors refer to live shows as a “perishable experience”, they also know that the experience is a high yielding one too. In 2013, Live Nation reported $2 billion in revenue. In 2014, House of Blues Entertainment CEO Ron Bension admitted “overall for our portfolio, we’re up in show and ticket sales… it’s a good business if you can withstand the cycles, and we’ve been able to do that”.
More than just doubling their portfolio in the last three years, Live Nation has “made a huge commitment to artist development”, Bension continues. “We’re starting to help [developing acts], and we’re seeing evidence of that as we see bands work with us from 300-capacity rooms to 3,000-seat rooms”.
The Live Nation portfolio includes about 80 clubs and theatres, including House of Blues, Fillmore, Tabernacle, Palladium and Irving Plaza. According to Billboard, Live Nation clubs’ annual ticket sales amount to an approximate $300 million. Two words: Holy Moly!
1. The House of Blues, Orlando, Florida
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The House of Blues grew out of Isaac Tigrett’s (founder of The House of Blues) deep love for “the Blues”. Isaac’s goal was to make the music of the rural south, including Blues, Rhythm and Blues, Gospel, Jazz and Roots-based Rock & Roll, known to the world. The very first House of Blues opened in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in 1992. Dedicated to “education and celebrating the history of Southern Culture and African American artistic contribution to music and art”, today, The House of Blues is located across the US, with venues in Orlando, Washington, Dallas, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles and more.
2. Tabernacle, Atlanta
The Tabby, first established in 1996 as a music venue, was originally a Baptist Church. The 106-year-old historical building was converted into one of the most popular music concert halls in the US and is known today for having showcased some of the hottest acts of our time, including Guns N’ Roses, Bob Dylan, Prince, Robbie Williams and Adele amongst many more.
3. The Fillmore, Silver Spring, Maryland
In the mid 1960s, The Fillmore Auditorium in San Francisco became the centre point for psychedelic music and counterculture in general. “For more than 40 years, the legendary Fillmore name has stood as the link between some of the most influential artists in music and their fans”. Pink Floyd, Santana, Cream, Otis Redding, Aretha Franklin and Miles Davis. The Silver Springs, Maryland, venue opened in 2010 as part of a campaign to extend the original San Francisco Fillmore Auditorium’s brand across the US – You can now find a Fillmore venue in San Francisco, North Carolina, Detroit, and Denver.
http://www.fillmoresilverspring.com/
4. The Hollywood Palladium, California
The Hollywood Palladium is located at 6215 Sunset Boulevard, famous worldwide for being the epitome of a place where dream comes true. First opened in 1940, the killer venue has housed the most legendary acts around. Today, the venue continues to be a major pop reference in TV and film and a place where you can enjoy live music every night of the week.
http://www.thehollywoodpalladium.com/
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5. Irving Plaza, New York
The world famous ballroom-style music venue, Irving Plaza, has served as a Polish Army veterans’ headquarters, a swing music ballroom, a rock venue, and has also hosted church services. It was in 1978 that the hall was converted into a rock music venue and saw the likes of B-52, Ramones, Talking Heads, U2, Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton, Pearl Jam, Dave Matthews Band and Red Hot Chili Peppers rock the club, establishing the venue as a premium location for punk and new wave in the US.
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