Live Nation Announces Exclusive Booking Deal With Nashville’s Basement East

Jason Kempin / Getty Images – Ruston Kelly
Ruston Kelly performs at Nashville’s Basement East on Feb. 8, 2019.

Live Nation announced a multi-year exclusive booking deal with Nashville club The Basement East on Tuesday.

Known as “The Beast,” the venue, which typically holds between 500 and 600, opened in 2015 and is the sister club to the smaller, pre-existing The Basement, which holds around 100.

“For decades, co-owners Dave Brown and Mike Grimes have fueled the Nashville live music scene, not only by giving Nashvillians the chance to see great touring acts, but also by thoughtfully nurturing local artists,” Brian Traeger, Live Nation President – Tennessee, said in a statement. “Over the last two years, along with general manager Tara Charles and talent buyer Richard Sloven, they have successfully raised the bar in all areas at The Basement East, from programming and customer service to aesthetics and acoustics.”

Under the new deal, Sloven will join Live Nation Nashville as talent buyer/promoter.

“We are very excited to be partnering in this joint venture with Live Nation,” Grimes said in a statement. “With Richard Sloven continuing his role at ‘The Beast,’ we are certain it will serve all involved and bring even more amazing live music to the Nashville community.”

Recent box office highlights for The Basement East include Phish bassist Mike Gordon, who sold 575 tickets and grossed $14,396 on March 10, and a co-bill between Pedro the Lion and mewithoutyou that sold 506 tickets and grossed $13,262 on Aug. 23. Other acts to headline the venue in recent months include Danny Brown, The Hold Steady, M. Ward, Built to Spill and John Moreland.

The Basement East move continues a busy year for Live Nation’s Nashville operation, which in February announced plans for a 7,500-seat amphitheater less than an hour south of Music City, U.S.A. In July, Live Nation tapped Opry Entertainment’s Sally Williams to become President of Nashville Music and Business Strategy.