What Does the 2011 Summer Concert Season Look Like?

The 2011 summer season starts out good for concertgoers, but not necessarily as well for the promoters.  Last year was a rough year for ticket sales.  This year several concert promoters are promising it will be more affordable to see your favorite band perform live.  This is also good news for the artists and venues because if the consumer does not go to concerts the seats are empty and they don’t make money.  Promoters are also hoping that if the consumer pays less for the ticket they may spend more on merchandise.  Of course there are some artists who charge high prices, especially for the seats up close, they will continue to sell out stadiums within hours of going on sale.   These ticket prices can go for as high as $275.00. 

So who is touring this summer?  First I have to mention my favorite band, U2.  For the most part U2 is finishing up a tour that started in 2009.  Last year U2 postponed their tour when Bono had emergency back surgery.  

It seems as though every year we get the usual 70’s/80’s bands touring and this year is no different.  Journey, Foreigner, Def Leppard, ZZ Top, Heart, Rod Stewart, Janet Jackson, Styx, Prince, Cheap Trick, Huey Lewis and the News, Poison, Howard Jones, Stevie Nicks, and Motley Crew are touring to name a few. 

Some other bands who are touring are Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Taylor Swift, Linkin Park, Kid Rock, Rage Against the Machine, Coldplay, Kenny Chesney, Bon Jovi, Metallica, Santana, Black Eyed Peas, and Madonna.  These are the top acts of the season.  I’m sure more artists/bands will be touring as the season comes upon us.   The summer of 2011 seems to be a promising season for the concert industry and those who are hoping to see their favorite artist/band perform.  Hopefully most ticket prices will be affordable to the consumer as promised.

                                                                                                                                                              Perpetua, Matthew (2010). Cheaper Concerts Coming in 2011 Declining ticket sales lead to lower prices Retrieved on May 22, 2011 at http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/cheaper-concerts-coming-in-2011-20101227

2nd Annual California Music Industry Summit

While searching the web for some news about what's happening in the concert industry for the summer of 2011, I came across the California Music Industry Summit.  The 2nd Annual California Music Industry Summit will be in Oakland, California June 10th - 11th.  Formally known as Soul Music by the Bay, this year the conference is more inclusive to all genres of music and entertainment.


The conference is two days of entertainment business education where the attendees will have the opportunity to learn and network with executives in entertainment law, music production, songwriting, publishing, studio engineers, radio station executives, record labels, social media and marketing, public relations, distribution, personal management, and much more.


The California Music Industry Summit will have live music events, thought provoking panels and expects to attract more than 600 music professionals and artists.  Joe Kennedy, President and CEO of Pandora will be a keynote speaker. Just a few of the additional speakers include American Idol Finalist La Toya London and Larry Batiste, Musical Director for the Grammy Awards, and Phil Tan, 3X-time Grammy Award Winner, Audio Engineer.  The California Music Industry summit prides itself with being the West Coast’s most informative and thorough music conference event.  


Artist Managers, Studio Engineers, Producers, Attorneys, Paralegals, Record & Music, Publishing Executives, Concert Promoters, Artists & Repertoire reps, Agents, Tour Managers,  Artists, Musicians, Students, and anyone seeking to get into the entertainment/music industry should attend.  I am fortunate to live close to Oakland, I will be there!