Maine Music Alliance sends Live Nation back to the drawing board

Portland, Maine has become the first city in the United States to successfully block a Live Nation venue, thanks to the efforts of Maine Music Alliance in rallying grassroots community support for a buffer between large capacity entertainment venues inside of their community. These efforts form a strong initial win in the battle for local markets supporting local music.

A buffer of 750 feet between 1,000+ capacity entertainment venues will go into effect in Portland, helping support the existing independent venues in the area.

The Maine Music Alliance statement reads, in part:

“Last night proved that a community united is more powerful than any corporation. With all of you, we've helped create a blueprint for cities around the country to fight for their local scenes and to win…The unfortunate reality is the opposition has billions of dollars at their disposal. We do not. The next steps will require money.”

In an interview with Maine Public Radio, Portland area musician Emilia Dahlin said: “Change the rules and change the game, if you know the entity that you are dealing with has just been found guilty of anti-trust laws by a federal jury.” As previously reported, a jury recently found Live Nation to be an illegal monopoly that overcharged fans.

As of publication, Live Nation had not yet issued a response. While some local business owners say they believe a large music venue would bring more reliable, year-round activity to Portland’s downtown, others argue that a new Live Nation music venue would make it more difficult for Portland’s existing music venues to operate. And if Portland’s existing music venues close, other downtown businesses will struggle as well.

Donating to Maine Music Alliance is a great way to support their efforts in fighting for Maine’s local music scene.