PROTECT THE FUTURE OF MILWAUKEE’S HISTORIC INDEPENDENT MUSIC VENUES

MILWAUKEE, WI, August 18, 2022….. Opponents to a proposed development of two new music venues adjacent to the downtown Deer District by a subsidiary of Beverly Hills based music conglomerate Live Nation/Ticketmaster, have joined forces to protect the future of Milwaukee’s historic independent music venues.

Save MKE’s Music Scene (SMMS), LLC, was created to support Milwaukee’s historic independent music venues and oppose the proposed Live Nation/Ticketmaster sponsored development which threatens the viability of Milwaukee’s robust live music industry.

“Live Nation’s proposed development threatens the very existence of Turner Hall, Cactus Club, Miller High Life Theatre, Pabst Theater, Riverside Theater, Shank Hall, The Rave, and many other iconic neighborhood music stages, which have made Milwaukee’s live-music scene a jewel among the nation,” said Craig Peterson, the organization’s executive director.

Madison-based Frank Productions Concerts Live (FPC), a subsidiary of Live Nation/Ticketmaster, has proposed building two concert venues on a portion of the former Bradley Center property at the intersection of State Street and Vel R. Phillips Avenue. The 4000 and 800 person venues would be built adjacent to the Fiserv Forum and would share access to the Deer District.

Live Nation is a publicly-traded conglomerate involved in every aspect of the music industry, including managing artists, promoting concerts, owning venues and ticketing, through their subsidiary Ticketmaster Entertainment, Inc.

“Live Nation is just like Walmart,” said Peterson. “They come into a community with uncompetitive pricing, put the independents out of business, shutter neighborhood businesses and displace workers. The only difference is Walmart doesn’t charge outrageous service fees to enter their buildings. Live Nation/Ticketmaster does.”

“The Live Nation proposal is a direct threat to the future of the Turner Hall Ballroom,” said Emilio De Torre, executive director, Milwaukee Turners, Inc. Turner Hall, 1034 North Vel R. Phillips Avenue, is a National Historic Landmark, built in 1882 and designed by Henry C. Koch.

Turner Hall is home to the Turner Hall Ballroom, a two-story, 7,000 square foot entertainment space, which hosts a wide range of social, cultural and political events. The Turner Hall Ballroom has contracted with the Pabst Theater Group which has promoted hundreds of music events at the location.

“Live Nation will be directly across the street from us,” said De Torre. “They want their artists and concert tours to appear at their venues, which cuts out the independent venues like us. This threatens our viability and very existence, which relies upon revenue from live concert performances.”

“It is great that Live Nation is around to bring in stadium and arena shows,” said Peter Jest, owner of the iconic Shank Hall, 1434 N Farwell Avenue, “but there is no need for them to come to small town America and wipe out Mom and Pop concert venues and promoters. The land would much better be used for a hotel to attract more conventions, that seems to be the main focus in town. I am sure we will lose conventions if Milwaukee does not have enough hotel space, but I don’t think we will lose any concert acts because we do not have yet another 4,000-capacity concert venue in town.”

“In years past a promoter would book an act and build a relationship all the way up to arena level,” said Jest. “Those days are gone as Live Nation just waits until the acts get big and throws an absurd amount of money at them. The small promoters and venues just get the bands on their way up and on their way down, and now Live Nation wants that too. Having a California- based big concert conglomerate, known as the Walmart of concert promotion, wipe out small Midwest businesses is not good for anybody, except Live Nation stockholders.”

Kelsey Kaufmann, owner of the storied Cactus Club, 2496 South Wentworth Avenue in Milwaukee’s Bay View neighborhood, believes the Live Nation development is a threat to small venues too. “Live Nation’s proposed venues are scalable,” said Kaufmann. “As exemplified in other cities, Live Nation facilities can be adapted to hold crowds of 100 or 4000. The Cactus Club can’t compete with a publicly-traded corporation for acts. In Chicago, independent venues have organized against Live Nation’s multi-venue Lincoln Yards development with the understanding it is a direct threat to their existence. Live Nation is a threat to Milwaukee’s live music culture, our artists, communities and neighborhoods.”

Peterson said the organization will oppose any zoning changes to the Bradley Center site that includes the Live Nation proposal. “We have boots on the ground and there is very little support among the neighbors for this proposal. There is a deep concern about security after the

tragic shootings earlier this year, and adding this development to the Deer District would be a mistake until the crime situation is under control.”

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Craig Peterson

Zigman Joseph & Associates

414-614-4680