Name an artist you think is ready to make the leap from theaters to arenas, and one ready to make the leap from arenas to stadiums.

I’d love to see Jessie Murph in arenas very soon. She’s already done college arenas in the Midwest and South. I could see Benson Boone making it to stadiums. He’s a star.

You’re at a show. A 13-year-old fan with a piercing voice, seated right next to you, is singing along very loudly to every song. What do you do?

Turn on my phone, flip the camera to selfie mode, sing along with the 13-year-old and post.

Name someone you either work with or do business with who doesn’t get enough credit for the great job they do.

Sara Pullman. She is our SVP of operations, the glue that holds the company together, den mother, jack of all trades and the backbone of our music division.

Most everyone has an I-saw-them-when story about seeing a great artist in concert before they were famous. What’s yours?

Bruce Springsteen at The Bottom Line in New York in 1976.

Wearing the T-shirt of the artist you’re seeing in concert: Fitting homage or kinda cringe?

Not my personal style, but I certainly appreciate those who want to honor their favorite artist in that way.

A 13-year-old fan with a piercing voice, seated right next to you, is singing along very loudly to every song. What do you do?

Let them rock.

Wearing the T-shirt of the artist you’re seeing in concert: Fitting homage or kinda cringe?

Awesome.

Name someone you either work with or do business with who doesn’t get enough credit for the great job they do.

Stephen Reader and Audrey Flynn at 5B are the best marketing team in the business, hands down. Content creation, marketing, digital strategy and more—there is no one better.

Wearing the T-shirt of the artist you’re seeing in concert: Fitting homage or kinda cringe?

For fans: By all means, wear your artist T-shirts at the gig. It’s all about solidarity with fans and the artist. For extra cred, wear your tour dates tee from the artist’s first tour. Post-concert, for the next month, wear your newly purchased event tee everywhere and show off how cool you are.

For me (manager): Never wear a band tee to the band’s show. Embarrassing backstage. At front of house, it creates endless requests for selfies. Much better to wear your old Leonard Cohen tee to demonstrate intellectual superiority. Outside of California, wear your In-N-Out T-shirt as a surefire way to break the ice with West Coast visitors.

Most everyone has an I-saw-them-when story about seeing a great artist in concert before they were famous. What’s yours?

1. Big Brother and the Holding Company in late 1967 at Irvine Auditorium, University of Pennsylvania. Special guest: Philly’s own Soul Survivors (“Expressway to Your Heart,” Gamble and Huff’s first national hit). After their uneven debut on Mainstream but before Cheap Thrills. I disagreed with those who felt that Big Brother was dragging Janis down. I thought they were an idiosyncratic band with great chemistry. I loved the rough edges that Columbia sanded down, probably with Janis’ enthusiastic consent. And they got booed by a lot of frat boys who came for the Soul Survivors.

2. Linda Ronstadt in November 1970 at Main Point, Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. Right after “Long Long Time” was a Top 40 hit from the Silk Purse album. Ronstadt has said she hated how she sang on Silk Purse, but she sounded really great in front of about 300 people.

3. Stevie Wonder in April 1972 at the same venue as above. At a popular low point, post “Signed, Sealed, Delivered” and months before “Superstition.” Soul and rock tour de force.

4. Bob Marley and the Wailers in June 1975 at Quiet Knight in Chicago. Bought Catch a Fire in 1973 (because you bought everything on Island) and was hooked. Unbelievably great show.

What’s the biggest single threat facing the live music business?

The erosion of the middle-class artist. If artists can’t build sustainable careers in clubs, theaters and sheds, eventually you stop developing the next generation of arena and stadium acts. A healthy live business can’t just work for superstars. The middle of the pyramid has to work too.

You’re at a show. A 13-year-old fan with a piercing voice, seated right next to you, is singing along very loudly to every song. What do you do?

This actually happens quite a bit these days and I think it’s now part of the concertgoing experience for many acts. I think the appropriate thing is to leave them alone and let them enjoy the show and live their best life. In fact, we are just coming off a couple of years of touring arenas and stadiums with The Lumineers where this happens every single night. Luckily for us, those Lumineers fans have impeccable vocals!

Name someone you either work with or do business with who doesn’t get enough credit for the great job they do.

For Dead & Company, from the beginning, our tour director has been Derek Featherstone. It’s difficult to imagine the business of Dead & Company without him. He is the head of production and FOH engineer and was a crucial piece of the puzzle for our massively successful run at Sphere. He masterfully keeps everything on an even keel while working closely with management to protect the artist and execute their vision on the road. And when it comes to audio, he is unmatched—no problem is too big or complicated. He is one of the most technically proficient audio experts in the world.

What’s the biggest single threat facing the live music business?

In CMN’s case, the Latin entertainment market continues to face challenges stemming from the Trump administration’s immigration policies. Many individuals are hesitant to attend concerts and public events due to concerns about immigration enforcement activities and ICE operations. As a result, event attendance has declined. This reaction is understandable, as personal safety and family well-being take precedence over entertainment and recreational activities.

Wearing the T-shirt of the artist you’re seeing in concert: Fitting homage or kinda cringe?

Fitting homage. I do it all the time.

Wearing the T-shirt of the artist you’re seeing in concert: Fitting homage or kinda cringe?

Wearing merch at a concert is a hell yes from me. In fact, I’ve gotta track down a Plimsouls shirt for their upcoming reunion show!

Most everyone has an I-saw-them-when story about seeing a great artist in concert before they were famous. What’s yours?

Maybe the one perk of sticking around, besides the illusion of perceived wisdom, is all the great artists I’ve seen before they were gods. From Iggy Pop playing my high school theater with Bowie on piano and Blondie opening, to AC/DC at the old Waldorf, I’ve seen a lot of really big artists in really small venues. The most impactful for me personally was probably The Clash at Temple Beautiful in San Francisco. I believe it was their second show in America.

Name someone you either work with or do business with who doesn’t get enough credit for the great job they do.

Mackenzie Dunster, Gracie Abrams’ tour manager. She has created an environment where everyone feels safe, supported, heard and genuinely cared for. So much of her work happens quietly and behind the scenes, but her impact is felt in absolutely everything. We, as a team, are better at what we do—and a much happier family while doing it—because of her.

Most everyone has an I-saw-them-when story about seeing a great artist in concert before they were famous. What’s yours?

R.E.M. at The Ritz in New York on the Chronic Town EP tour; The Clash at Bond’s in New York; The Specials at Hurrah in New York.

What’s the biggest single threat facing the live music business?

There are many. The rising cost of touring, short-term rewards over long-term artist/career development, market oversaturation…

Name an artist you think is ready to make the leap from theaters to arenas, and one who’s ready to make the leap from arenas to stadiums.

Two artists whose music I love spring to mind for the step up to arenas: Steve Lacy and Geese. For the leap to stadiums, I’d say ROSALÍA. I’ve had the pleasure of working with her on the LUX campaign, and her arena business globally has been incredible. The show was otherworldly. She is ready.

Name a person you either work with or do business with who doesn’t get enough credit for the great job they do.

Rose Moon, for sure. She was my first hire at September 20 years ago, and her knowledge of all things live is incredible. She has worked every level of live, from the smallest clubs, theaters and arenas to Vegas residencies and stadium tours. She was also an integral part of the team that built our own stadium for Adele in Munich. She has been incredibly important to everything we’ve achieved.

Most everyone has an I-saw-them-when story of seeing a great artist perform in concert before they were famous. What’s yours?

There are a few, but if I had to pick one, it would be seeing On a Friday at the Jericho Tavern in Oxford. They signed to Parlophone and became Radiohead.

What’s the single biggest threat facing the live music business?

Oversaturation and greed. There are simply too many shows for the amount of money people have to spend. The hot shows will sell out, and quickly, but the mid-tier acts and the artists who went optimistically big on venues off the back of weak records will continue to suffer.

You’re at a show. A 13-year-old fan with a piercing voice, seated right next to you, is singing along very loudly to every song. What do you do?

I’m 100% singing along! That’s half the fun of being at a concert. I’m there to feel the music, lose my voice and have the best time.

Most everyone has an I-saw-them-when story about seeing a great artist in concert before they were famous. What’s yours?

Amy Winehouse at The Borderline in London in September 2003. Tiny room, and that voice and stage presence… you just knew you were seeing someone different.

Name an artist you think is ready to make the leap from theaters to arenas, and one who’s ready to make the leap from arenas
to stadiums.

The Marías will leap from theaters into arenas with the release of their next album. I’d expect a continuous ascent for Sabrina Carpenter as well, with stadiums in her near future.

Wearing the T-shirt of the artist you’re seeing in concert: Fitting homage or
kinda cringe?

Cringe might be an aggressive assessment, but wear something else—because it is likely you are buying another T-shirt that night to remember the evening.

Name an artist you think is ready to make the leap from
theaters to arenas, and one who’s ready to make the leap from arenas to stadiums.

Theaters to arenas: Role Model. Arenas to stadiums: a tie between Sabrina Carpenter and Tate McRae.

What’s the biggest single threat facing the live music business?

The rising cost of a concert ticket vs. what the average consumer can afford to pay.

Name an artist you think is ready to make the leap from theaters to arenas.

RAYE.

Name someone you either work with or do business with who doesn’t get enough credit for the great job they do.

The Viscontis. Chris Visconti, who co-reps bands with me, is an amazing agent. Nicole Visconti, who does tour marketing at UTA, kicks ass. She is a part of a lot of my teams and is an MVP/VIP.

Wearing the T-shirt of the artist you’re seeing in concert: Fitting homage or kinda cringe?

I love concert merch and band tees, but the show is where you buy it—not wear it. Wearing the band merch at the band’s show is a rookie move. If you have to wear a concert shirt, then grab a Black Flag tee and that should cover you.

Most everyone has an I-saw-them-when story about seeing a great artist in concert before they were famous. What’s yours?

One was Nirvana at Bogart’s in Long Beach, California, in February 1990. Tad opened. It was Seattle grunge in its rawest form. The other was a Jeff Buckley residency at Luna Park in West Hollywood in January 1994. I believe he played every Monday in January and I didn’t miss one.