Viejas Names Nederlander Talent Buyer

Nederlander Concerts is venturing further into Southern California after being named exclusive talent buyer for San Diego’s Viejas Entertainment and Production.

While the companies previously joined forces to schedule dates for Carlos Mencia and Daughtry at Viejas venues in 2007, the partnership will provide new multi-city routing opportunities for artists in the region. It will also allow Viejas to continue to bring top-level artists, Viejas President Tony San Pietro said in a statement.

"By establishing Viejas venues like Concerts in the Park and DreamCatcher within Nederlander’s larger network of venues in the region, we can continue to bring top-quality talent to the San Diego area and its wealth of music and entertainment lovers," he said.

Nederlander CEO Adam Friedman agreed.

"Over the past eight years, Viejas Entertainment has established these venues as ‘must plays’ in San Diego for artists," he said. "They fit perfectly within, and will benefit from, Nederlander Concerts’ routing strategy of offering multi-city dates throughout the region to artists seeking well-run, iconic venues and first-class promotions by an independent promoter."

Viejas, which is owned by the Viejas Band of Kumeyaay Indians, originally booked the tribe’s casino entertainment, later competing for larger shows in the region.

The company lost a portion of its team last summer when then-president Steve Redfearn and talent buyer John Wojas, along with five other employees, left to form a regional office for AEG.