Agency Intel: UTA’s Matt Meyer Talks Bud Light Super Bowl Music Fest, Halsey & Machine Gun Kelly Co-Bill

Matt Meyer
 – Matt Meyer
UTA

Although February is a typically quiet period for touring and live music, the Super Bowl always brings some added excitement. And, this year taking place in the media circus known as Los Angeles, that’s kicked up a notch.  

Dozens of unofficial events will take place in relation to the Big Game, which will feature the hometown Los Angeles Rams against the Cinderella story Cincinnati Bengals at SoFi Stadium on Feb. 13, including Shaq’s Fun House at the Shrine Auditorium and Kodak Black at the Novo. 
However, the biggest show – other than the actual halftime show, of course – is likely the Bud Light Super Bowl Music Fest, a three-night affair featuring top artists that would be a major event under any circumstances.
Night one, Feb. 10, features Halsey and Machine Gun Kelly (and special guests), night two (Feb. 11) is topped by Gwen Stefani, Blake Shelton and Mickey Guyton and night three (Feb. 12) will see Miley Cyrus and Green Day take the stage at the newly named Crypto.com Arena the night before the Big Game.
“There’s a big approval process,” says UTA’s Matt Meyer, who represents both Machine Gun Kelly and Halsey, explaining that the NFL, Budweiser, the venue, operator AEG and still others all have to sign off on any artists performing at this particular event. “We passed.”
With extra moving parts with the NFL and a major sponsor involved, Meyer says having UTA’s music brand partnerships team at his side was essential. “It’s a show, but whenever you’re doing anything with a brand it’s important to have your brand arm and person involved,” says Meyer, noting Sara Schoch of UTA’s music brand partnerships department, with whom he said had a “Batman and Robin” role for the Super Bowl Music Fest.

“It’s also not ideal being the only voice in the room,” Meyer adds. “You need someone to bounce things off of. The two of us were really able to dial it in. I’m able to talk more about production, show specs, politics on billing, different things on that, while she’s able to dive in more on the asks, the promo stuff, the brand affiliations. It all worked. It was awesome, it’s fun.” The event is presented by hospitality company On Location, in conjunction with Anheuser-Busch and the NFL. 

Halsey and Machine Gun Kelly
David Livingston / Getty Images – Halsey and Machine Gun Kelly
HALSEY AND MACHINE GUN KELLY pictured together in Los Angeles in 2016. They’re playing the Bud Light Super Bowl Music Fest, Feb. 10, which means being approved by multiple entities, including the NFL.
Meyer’s clients built momentum over 2021, with Machine Gun Kelly’s “Tickets To My Downfall” being one of the first major amphitheater tours to go out last summer, to go along with major festival plays, while Halsey just announced her own “Love And Power Tour” for this summer, which will also include headlining stops at Governors Ball, Milwaukee’s Summerfest and more. The two have a song together, 2020’s “forget me too,” and Meyer says the show just made sense.
“This is supposed to be fun. It’s a big show coming back and it’s a big deal for both artists,” says Meyer, adding that ticket sales upon onsale were ahead of the previous year and sales were expected to remain strong as the event draws closer. “The Super Bowl is one of the biggest events in the world every year and something people will gather all over the world to be here for. Music brings people together, this is why we do it. With this event in full, being around one of the biggest events in the world at a brand-new stadium in LA, it just creates this awesome excitement.”

Talking about recent touring activity and looking forward to spring and summer of ‘22, Meyer says he’s optimistic and currently only having major uncertainty with Canadian dates.

“I feel like we’re almost in the clear, in the sense that people are getting vaccinated and staying safe and getting tested,” he adds. “The Super Bowl feels like almost a culmination, coming around a monstrous event, worldwide.”