stonewall53
06-15-2009, 12:53 PM
Live Nation, the largest producer of live concerts in the world, and AEG Live, the second largest producer, refuse to book any events at the Civic Auditorium. These oligopolists with local venues such as Mountain Winery, Shoreline Amphitheatre, The Fillmore, and The Warfield, prevent the citizens of Santa Cruz from attending a live concert locally. KR Holt-Haugen of Goldenvoice Concerts, told me that she would not schedule a concert in Santa Cruz that would compete with The Warfield, a Goldenvoice venue. With the proposed merger of Live Nation and Ticketmaster, the parent company of AEG Live, the power to dictate which artists play at what venues is greatly enhanced and the merger of the #1 and #2 producers will destroy any remaining competitive balance in the marketplace.