In a recent article, music touring industry journalPollstarpredictsa “country summer” as three chords and the truth could very well lead the way to music’s live event industry healing itself.
To wit, Creative Artists Agency’s Brian Hill — who works with booking country performers Lady A, Eli Young Band, and Home Free — says the following:
“It appears the fans are willing to get as much as they can right away. I have seen a lot of stuff doing very well. And I kind of predicted things would do well because I assumed the patron has the same sense of urgency to be entertained as I do personally. I think if people have disposable income, they are going to step up to the box office and buy a ticket because they have been on lockdown for 14-16 months.”
Garth Brooks has successfully sold out every event he’s announced so far on a stadium-only tour. As well, Kane Brown ambitiously has set forth to reach every National Basketball Association arena in the next 12 months. Also, CMT’s just announced the resumption of a 35-plus city run of dates for Tanya Tucker, plus amphitheaters are in the offing for Eric Church, Luke Bryan, Dan + Shay, Dierks Bentley, Blake Shelton, Thomas Rhett, Brad Paisley, and more.
“As a genre, [country likes] to tour 365. We are a working, touring genre. Country, as a genre, has more available touring entities than the other genres,” Hill notes. “I know when I was a kid if I wanted to see somebody, I made sure I had the money to go do that. To go get that concert ticket, it was a priority for me, and I’m hoping it’s a priority for the consumer today.”