This is the furthest any city has gone to combat Live Nation. These fights have to start somewhere. And I have been compelled to pour myself into this fight, not just because of how much I care about the local arts and music scene in Portland, but also because I understand the national dynamics and I want to believe that if we can push back here, that this could be the start of something larger.
— Maine Music Alliance organizer Peter McLaughlin
On August 11, Portland, Maine’s independent music community scored a first-of-its-kind victory against industry giant Live Nation–Ticketmaster.
After months of organizing led by the Maine Music Alliance (MEMA) — a coalition of local independent venues, musicians, music workers, and arts organizations — the Portland City Council voted 6-3 to impose a moratorium blocking construction of a Live Nation venue. For now, Portland remains one of the few cities in the United States without a Live Nation foothold. The company is notorious among artists and fans for driving up ticket prices, suppressing wages, and destroying arts communities.
The fight is far from over, but this was a landmark win for Portland and the Maine Music Alliance. It’s the most significant municipal victory for working musicians in recent memory and it offers a blueprint for local arts organizing in cities across the country.
MEMA was born in 2020 at the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic, when Portland’s music venues were plunged into financial crisis. Overnight, shows were canceled, but rent,…
Auteur: Joey La Neve DeFrancesco
