NIVA Slams Live Nation Expansion, Proposed Demolition of Indie Venue

The National Independent Venue Association (NIVA) is urging Milwaukee officials to abandon plans to demolish, or limit the operations of, the 117-year-old Miller High Life Theatre.

Backstory:

• On January 29 a state-county-city public-private partnership in Milwaukee announced a proposal to demolish the venue, which is operated by independent promoter Pabst Theater Group.

• As per NIVA, a report for the Wisconsin Center District argues the theatre should be removed due in part to competition from a new, taxpayer-backed Live Nation venue being built across the street.

• It’s proposed the theatre be razed to make way for a luxury hotel to serve patrons of Live Nation’s venue and the nearby convention center.

• NIVA notes there are currently a dozen hotels within one to 10 minutes walking distance.

Storied past:

• The 4,000-capacity Miller High Life Theatre has previously hosted The Rolling Stones, Ella Fitzgerald, Aretha Franklin, David Bowie, Jerry Seinfeld and – famously – Theodore Roosevelt.

What they said:

• Stephen Parker, Executive Director of NIVA: “Live Nation has spent millions on lobbyists to convince governments to give them hundreds of millions in taxpayer funding and incentives to ‘bring new shows’ to their communities. What Live Nation calls ‘cultural infrastructure’ through expensive propaganda is actually just ‘cultural extraction’ that leads to even more industry consolidation, fewer shows for indie stages, and independent venues eventually having to close – just like what is happening in Milwaukee.”