Big Noise Names Eli Lande To Head New Live Division: Exclusive

Courtesy Big Noise – Eli Lande, Brian Rucker

Big Noise is making some ruckus this week with the announcement that Eli Lande will head up the media collective’s new live festivals division as the president of Big Noise Live. Brian Rucker has also been named Big Noise Live’s senior vice president, events and partnerships.

Nick Gross, who is the drummer for pop rock band Half The Animal, founded Big Noise earlier this year with a record and publishing division run by Vagrant Records co-founder Jon Cohen and producer John Feldmann, who has worked with artists including Five Seconds To Summer, Blink-182, and The Used. Half The Animal and Ashley Tisdale. are currently signed to Big Noise.

The newly created Big Noise Live division will oversee all aspects of festival development including funding, concept and IP development, talent booking, marketing, brand partnerships, event management and execution.

Lande will be responsible for Big Noise Live’s strategy, business development, revenue and operations. He most recently served as senior vice president of events for Universal Music Group, where he ran the company’s North American events business. His resume also includes founding Townsquare Live (part of Townsquare Media); holding SVP roles with Live Nation corporate and Wasserman Agency; and his work with Left Bank Management, with clients such as Elton John, Rod Stewart and the Bee Gees.

Rucker will oversee the implementation and execution of all events and integrated brand partnerships. He is the former head of live industry relations for Pandora Media and also held executive management posts at Townsquare Media, Live Nation and Wasserman Media Group.

“As a drummer in a touring band, I found that nothing connects an artist more to the audience than a live show,” Nick Gross said. “It is this fundamental belief in the power of community and shared experience as the basis of a very compelling business model that led me to partner with Eli in forming Big Noise Live.”

Lande said, “Working with Nick and Brian to launch this endeavor is very exciting as we see a bright future to serve fans’ increasing appetite for unique live events, along with the continued uptick in brand partnership investment in the experiential space. There is no better time than now to be building a bespoke, progressive live events company.”

Rucker added, “We have put together a compelling pipeline of new projects, along with a multitude of best-of-breed partnerships across venue management, consulting clients, sponsorship sales and talent management/agencies. We are excited to announce many of these partnerships very soon.”