Features
Pollstar Live! Digital Sessions Continue Tuesday With Travis McCready & TempleLive’s Mike Brown
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Pollstar Live!’s Digital Sessions interview series with key figures in the live entertainment industry continues May 19 with cover feature artist Travis McCready and TempleLive GM Mike Brown, the duo responsible for the first ticketed comeback show, slated for May 18 at TempleLive in Fort Smith, Ark. The duo will appear in conversation the day after this historic show in conversation with executive editor Andy Gensler on May 19 at 12 p.m. PT / 3 p.m. ET via Pollstar‘s Facebook page.
McCready, straight out of Natchez, Miss., formerly fronted the powerful rock band Bishop Gunn, the real-deal Delta swamp blues, rock and stomp act that opened for The Rolling Stones at NRG Stadium, played dates with Guns N’ Roses and Lynyrd Skynyrd and was repped by WME. Rolling Stone called them “Southern rock’s must-see new band” of 2019.
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cover of Pollstar
The duo, for the last several weeks, has been at the center of a global media storm as they tussled with state authorities over the comeback performance. The ticketed show, which saw the 1,100-capacity venue cut down to 229, was originally slated for May 15, until the state issued a cease and desist order and ripped down the venue’s licenses, which resulted in the show being moved to May 18. This because the state had slated its openings for three days later despite giving indications shows would return by then.
Brown has gone far beyond the State guidelines for other public gatherings with capital outlays on disinfectant, fog sprayers, touchless thermometers, masks, pre-packaged drinks and a full staff for a show limited to a fifth of the venue’s 1,100 capacity. He also traced the geographical locations of ticket buyers and shared that information with the state’s Department of Health — practices that may become standard going forward.
The McCready/Brown Pollstar Live! Interview will stream via Pollstar’s Facebook page on Wednesday at 12 p.m. PT / 3 p.m. ET.
In the meantime, visit the Pollstar Live! livestream hub, which features a library of informative conversations with some of the industry’s leading executives including Artist Group International founder and chairman Dennis Arfa, Brooklyn Bowl/Dayglo Presents founder and CEO Peter Shapiro, Nederlander CEO Alex Hodges, First Avenue CEO and Board President of the new National Independent Venue Association Dayna Frank. This in addition to artists like Drive-By Truckers’ Patterson Hood who have given their perspectives.
For notifications about the One-on-One series and other digital programming, sign up for reminders from Pollstar here.