NASHVILLE SPECIAL 2024: PROMOTERS TALK

Country music has always been about taking it to the people. From a fun night out for the fans to developing a career for the artists, live has been the X factor whether country was white hot, as it is now, or something almost invisible to most people in the media centers. AEG Presents SVP, Global Touring & Talent Adam Weiser and Live Nation President/Country Touring Brian O’Connell have been there, done that and given away the T-shirt. The former has taken Luke Combs and Kane Brown to stadiums and Kelsea Ballerini, Dan + Shay and Lauren Daigle to hard-ticket headliners, while the latter not only crafted the Country Megaticket concept but has delivered waves of headliners starting with the late Toby Keith, Jason Aldean, Luke Bryan, Thomas Rhett and more.

In the following discussion, they weigh the reality of a world that’s returned to normal after the COVID disruption.

What’s different about touring this year?

Adam Weiser: We are out of the “pandemic burst” we saw these last few years. We also have more artists than ever touring. I believe artists, managers, agents and promoters are going to be more strategic in how, when and where they tour. Fresh music and content plus exploring new territories is going to be integral to success, especially developing beyond North America.

Brian O’Connell: I believe we are light years ahead of where we were in terms of capturing more value for artists in the primary market through innovations in data and tech.

Last year was a feast.

AW: Fan behavior has changed, especially how they purchase, when they purchase and how many events they’re going to commit to in a given time frame. Fans continue to be keen to buy the best experience, similar to sporting events. But fans only go to so many sporting events a year, far less than an average music fan attends a concert. We need to be more aware and strategic in how we target our audiences.

How does one develop a touring act now? It seems like there are so many paths to selling hard tickets, can you explain a couple ways to create a solid ticket-buying audience?

BO: Country music is popular music, which means country artists can play any room, not just a country room. I do tell young artists to play the country clubs that are still left out there. But it’s also important for them to understand they can capture a much wider audience now and can find success playing rooms outside of the traditional country circuit. So many emerging artists are finding success on social media, so any chance to play is a chance for fans to discover you and your music and to share content from your shows within their own audiences and networks.

AW: Hard-ticket business has always been built by getting out there and doing it. A good mix of the right support and festival slots in front of receptive audiences is helpful. But playing any event without knowing the right ways to surround the [exposure] leaves opportunity on the table. Figure out the right ways to surround everything you do for maximum impact. Fans are consuming so much, but be strategic about when you’re out there, regardless of billing—headliner, support, festival.

Are amphitheaters the new “fair date”? A soft(er) ticket that is low cost, but still yields for the promoters?

BO: Amphitheaters are incredible for many reasons. There is nothing like catching your favorite artist outdoors on the lawn during the summer with friends and family. Those shows are nothing but a great time when we do them for our country artists year over year. The fans keep coming back, and the artists love the vibe. The choice in playing amphitheaters versus any other room comes down to what the artist wants on any given tour. They decide where they want to play on any given year. There is value in every room and every show—there is no such thing as a “fair date” or “softer ticket.”

Are there specific artist tours that set a smaller act up for greater success?

AW: Luke Combs’ world tour the last two years. His 2022 support was Cody Johnson and Zach Bryan, who are now headlining arenas and stadiums. His 2023 support was Riley Green and Lainey Wilson, who are now both headlining arenas and festivals this year.

BO: 2024 will be another huge year globally for touring, period, and another big breakout year in country for many new headlining acts on the road. We will also see major development from the opening and middle slot artists as they ascend to play bigger shows and larger venues. I always feel strongly that at the end of the day, the trick is to ensure no steps are skipped in the overall development process.

With country music as popular as it is right now, I see a wide array of fans drawn to the music and coming out to the shows. That being said, it’s also definitely artist-dependent—every fan base is unique to that artist.

Are festivals serving as an artist development tool? An excellent means to expose young/new acts to a lot of people to accelerate their connection?

BO: Festivals are one of the many great ways to develop artists and expose them to new audiences. One of the most rewarding things about curating so many great country festivals is seeing the new artists come through on the Next From Nashville stage and then watching them make the jump all the way to headlining their own shows.

How has social media changed how you promote shows?

AW: The artist’s music and voice is key to success. It’s the number-one direct tool to reach fans. It allows them to be authentic and relatable.

On our side, we are collecting so much data about our fans that allows us to be better marketers. It takes three-to-five touch points to get a fan to convert a ticket sale; social platforms allow us the tools to reach them as often as we need to.