Who "prospers"? The weasels.
It's sad that "Prosper Portland," formerly known as the Portland Development Commission, is so desperate for a win that it's willing to sacrifice the city's independent music scene, which is one of the few "vibrant" things the city has left, so that its bureaucrats can say they got someting done.
They're about to turn over three blocks in the central eastside industrial district to a couple of the Usual Suspects from the developer marsupial complex so that the evil, evil corporation known as LiveNation can run a 3500-seat music venue that will suck up a good chunk of the money local residents have to spend on entertainment events. The operators of smaller venues around town are apoplectic, as you might expect, and every Portland music lover should share their concern. LiveNation, among other atrocities, runs the hideous Ticketmaster, the giant leech that takes an obscene draw out of every dollar spent on tickets to most concerts. And that's just one item on their bad-actor résumé.
Last month, the Department of Justice and more than half of US state attorneys general sued Live Nation, arguing they stifled and bought out competition to gain a monopoly over the concert industry. And it’s not the first time the company has been taken to task. In 2019, the DoJ found that Live Nation – which merged with Ticketmaster in 2010 – had violated a consent decree that spelled out merger terms that the newly combined behemoth must follow to avoid monopolizing the industry.
Or as the local opponents put it:
Representatives from other major music cities, including Austin, Nashville, Chicago, Washington DC, and Des Moines, have outlined specific unfair and unethical practices that have devastated their local independent music industries, including:
- Purchasing and closing competing venues
- Building or acquiring a smaller capacity venue in close proximity to Live Nation venues to intentionally consolidate control of touring acts
- Subdividing its larger venue in a market, and booking smaller capacity shows there that would have otherwise gone to smaller independent venues
- Pressuring local venues to exclusively use its Ticketmaster software platform for all of their events in order to continue booking Live Nation shows
- Requiring local artists to sign extended proximity and exclusivity contracts, thereby limiting their ability/frequency to perform
- Requiring sponsors of music-facing events to sign extended proximity and exclusivity contracts
- Offering local promoters and artists the use of Live Nation spaces, but at above-market inflated prices
The pushers of the Portland project, Beam Development and Colas Construction, keep pointing out that Portland's existing venues are limited to relatively smaller joints like the Crystal Ballroom (capacity 1500) and Revolution Hall (capacity 850) on the one hand, and the behemoth Memorial Coliseum (13,000) and Moda Center (20,000) on the other.
Not mentioned, though, is the fact that the Moda can be, and sometimes is, configured as "Theater of the Clouds" for events as small as 3500 3000. And you'd think that City Hall, which just absorbed a lot of the downside of the aging Moda in a dubious deal with the Trail Blazers, might be concerned that the LiveNation joint will cannibalize Theater of the Clouds events.
Oh, well. It will be a nice payday for Beam and a crane or two for the construction overlords, and that's what Portland government is always all about. You can bet the deal wil be subsidized to the hilt by the taxpayers. The "Prospers" are full speed ahead, and the lame duck City Council is going along. It's a real shame.
Neither this or the Monqui deal at Lloyd Center eliminates me having to schlep out to Edgefield. Two thumbs down.
ReplyDeleteEdgefield doesn't work for some things. I was out there for Diana Krall. First she had to battle the train whistles, then it was the jets screaming into PDX. She made light of it, but it was annoying.
DeleteSad but true: Live Nation turned Hayden Homes in Bend into the best place in the whole state to see a show. We’re gonna need Providence Park to do 10,000 capacity shows or we’re gonna keep losing good acts to our neighbors down there.
DeleteThat spot in Bend is the antidote to the hideousness that is the amphitheater in Ridgefield. They're getting some big-time acts out there. Sturgill did three-plus hours there last week. The show is up on nugs.net right now. Stunning.
DeleteSpeaking of Ridgefield, that thing was brought to us by LiveNation. I'd really rather they not ever build anything again, ever. James Dolan and MSG have done some great things of late. The Forum and Sphere are both destination venues. I wonder what they could do with the Coliseum, if they were ever allowed.
I’m not sure that the theme “if you build it, they will come” will work in the lower east side water front.
ReplyDeleteFun Fact: With the expiration of most of the current Urban Renewal Areas, Prosper Portland will be out of money by ~2030. Rather than let Prosper Portland say "mission accomplished" and close up shop, council (under Rubio's direction) will likely approve SIX new urban renewal areas to give Prosper a huge infusion of our tax dollars.
ReplyDeleteAnother merging of the "entertainment" biz where the artists are under contract to only play at certain venues- picture a snake eating its tail. Yes is would be good to not have to drive out of town to see larger acts, but not at the loss of local control. But having played music at the local level since the 70's (not so much anymore) it is a shame that music is not really supported where anybody can make a living at it- other than the cheesy corporate slock (name starts with a color). I made more money in the late 70's doing bar gigs than most make now, disregarding the inflation factor which makes the pay these days a joke.
ReplyDeleteThe current lame duck Council is cashing out before the rabble takes over in January; please do not interfere with the current members' retirement plans.
ReplyDeleteSame old same old
ReplyDeleteHow many 3,000 seat music venues does one town need? If they are going to build something like that, why not go for a 6,000-7,000 seater with nice interior and acoustics? I sometimes look at other large theaters and wonder why Portland can’t have something along those lines. If you are going to dio it, do it right…….unless they are talking about an amphitheater.
ReplyDeleteVenues much larger than 3-4 thousand involves a lot more space, staff, and whatnot. The music biz has either big acts or smaller acts and not much in between.
DeleteOh look jack calling a Jewish guy a weasel. Always a class act. Man you suck. I mean this is like a 5 cent analysis. God you suck.
ReplyDeleteAnd your "analysis" is worth maybe 1/10 of a cent. Just like the coupons.
DeleteAs soon as Colas involved, it was a done deal. Black owned union construction company. They’d have given him money to build a factory that turned aborted fetuses and puppies into fertilizer if asked for it.
ReplyDelete