Everything's coming up Fillmore

[Preferred B]

http://pollstar.com/news/viewnews.pl?NewsID=7810

More Fillmore

 

Live Nation began staking its claim to live music history in earnest March 29 with the announcement that three already-notable venues - New York's Irving Plaza, Philadelphia's Theatre of Living Arts and Detroit's State Theatre - are being rebranded with the legendary Fillmore moniker.

They join the former Jackie Gleason Theatre in Miami and two existing Fillmores in San Francisco and Denver and are promised to be the first of many nationwide. The rebranding is part of Live Nation's commitment to small- and mid-sized live music venues as well as enhancing the live experience for both the fan and artist, according to Bruce Eskowitz, Live Nation's CEO of North American Music.

"We do thousands of shows in small and midsized venues every year and we have some great venues, even putting aside the two existing Fillmores and House of Blues," Eskowitz told Pollstar. "We have some of the best, absolutely great venues in the United States. "We are converting many of those and you'll continue to see us convert and expand many of them to both The Fillmore and House of Blues brands," Eskowitz continued.

But it's not just about branding, according to Eskowitz. In addition to hanging new marquees, the new Fillmores will sport the iconic chandeliers reminiscent of the legendary originals, and will add the element of commemorative poster art that was endemic to the culture of the venues under founder Bill Graham. The Fillmores will also sport the familiar barrel of complimentary apples.

"We'll be able to incorporate some of the great things that you know at Irving Plaza but also some of the great traditions of The Fillmore," Eskowitz said.

He would not estimate the ultimate number of Fillmores that Live Nation was considering unveiling in the near future, but a source told Pollstar that there are presently several more under consideration, as well as House of Blues branded venues.

Nor would he put a price tag on renovations to buildings being rolled out under The Fillmore moniker but he did note that, where necessary, Live Nation is investing in lighting and sound systems, and upgraded artist dressing rooms in addition to the spiffy new chandeliers and coats of paint that are parts of The Fillmore "vibe."

There's no fixed formula being used to decide if a room is either House of Blues or Fillmore material; however, The Fillmores may be as small as 800-seaters while House of Blues tend to be twice that size.

And of course, Live Nation already controls some of the best-known venues of that size that are not either HoB- or Fillmore-branded, including The Wiltern in Los Angeles, the Tabernacle in Atlanta and Verizon Theatre in Houston.

The inaugural show at The Fillmore New York at Irving Plaza will headline British sensation Lily Allen April 11. The Theatre of Living Arts will open as The Fillmore Philadelphia April 27th with native son Todd Rundgren headlining. Other shows already on the books in Philly are Peter Bjorn & John, and Amy Winehouse.

The poster art thing is cool, but must everything become the same?

[pnêyu]

Freaking Clear Channel--it's bad enough that they already control the means of distribution across the country. Do they have to shove the hegemony down our throats even more so than they already do???

[mountain bed]

The Fillmore isn't a freaking "brand", Mr. Eskowitz...it's a state of mind that you people never would begin to understand.

 

God, these people piss me off..

[WaronWar]

Clear Channel sucks!

[quarter23cd]

April fools? (please please please be a joke)

[jhh4321]

April fools? (please please please be a joke)

 

I hope so, the story was published on 4/1.

[viadurham]

sweet merciful crap, who is running these companies? yes, lily allen playing the fillmore takes me right back to the days when miles davis and santana and neil young would play the fillmore. i'll admit, the one in denver is pretty nice, but what's the purpose behind this?

 

by the way, i'm opening a cbgb day care service. please submit your applications.

[quarter23cd]

what's the purpose behind this?

Marketing. And/or pure evil. Take your pick.

 

 

you'll continue to see us convert and expand many of them to both The Fillmore and House of Blues brands

I don't know what it is about the word "brand" that makes my skin crawl, but geez, whenever I hear somebody slip into advertising-speak I just want to pull my hair out. There is something about being made explicitly aware that you are being sold a product (or an "experience", which is maybe worse) that somehow cheapens the overall effect.

 

I don't know what makes music venues a sacred bastion of individuality that they should be immune to this sort of chain-store branding that characterizes pretty much everyplace else, but somehow when I walk into a venue I don't like to think of it as being a cookie-cutter copy of someplace else--like walking into Applebee's or something. Applebee's is ok for what it is, but that's not the environment I want to go see live music in, you know? And slapping a recognizable name on a place and hanging a chandelier isn't going to do much to change the average concert-goer's experience, imo.