Pollstar Impact NextGen: Mike McDonough

– Mike McDonough

Mike McDonough

Director of Booking, Global Touring for Live Nation

Age 31

Favorite Show Of 2019
John Mayer at the United Center, Chicago.

Mike McDonough’s work at Live Nation has taught him many things but, he says, primary among them is to “lead with kindness,” because it’s a tough world and industry out there. He cites a Lady Gaga fan who approached him at her show at Wrigley Field, the first by a woman in the home of the Chicago Cubs baseball team.

“A fan saw me walking towards production and stopped me to tell me that they had been going through a very tough period in their life and the wait to see this show was something that kept them going in the tougher moments,” McDonough says.

“It was a powerful reminder that we are all incredibly fortunate to be able to do this for a living and that we have the ability to bring joy to people’s lives every single day.”

Not that McDonough’s job isn’t tough itself: He works in tandem with agents, managers, and multiple arenas and stadiums around the world – up to five and six tours at a time – to book and route tours for global artists including Beyonce, Justin Timberlake, U2, Madonna, Lady Gaga. Time management and focus matter.

“The best way to handle it is to stay calm, stay focused and know that at the end of the day, you are doing your absolute best to provide the artist and the fan with the absolute best experience possible,” McDonough says.