(CelebrityAccess MediaWire) – Jason Miller, former head of the House of Blues Denver office, has left HOB to join Live Nation’s touring division in the company’s Beverly Hills office.
He will be working to book national tours for the company.
Miller’s departure leaves HOB without a direct presence in Denver, although the company assured the Rocky Mountain News that its commitment to the city is unwavering, and that one of their signature nightclubs will eventually open there. All bookings will be handled by the HOB Los Angeles office for the time being.
In the competitive Denver market, HOB once controlled and presented shows at the Coors Amphitheatre, the Paramount Theatre and Magness Arena, and dominated Red Rocks.
The changing shape of the local concert scene, however, has pushed HOB to third place nationally, behind Live Nation and AEG, and Live Nation’s Chuck Morris Presents has become a strong force in the Colorado market.
Now, HOB’s only dedicated venue in the area is the Coors Amphitheatre, which has seen declining numbers throughout its short summer seasons.
"The biggest promoter in town has been slowly replaced by the Live Nation juggernaut," Doug Kauffman, head of Nobody in Particular Presents, which often co-promotes with HOB, told the paper. "We've been doing a lot of shows together. They've been a good partner. I expect to continue."
HOB officials are planning keep its Denver office open to handle the logistics of putting on shows, while the acts will be booked out of Los Angeles.
"We're dedicated to the market," Alex Hodges, EVP of the company's concert division, told the News. "With Coors Amphitheatre and Red Rocks and working with (NIPP) and the Lecture Hall, we've got some great opportunities. We feel very bullish and very strong about it."
Miller's departure leaves nine full-time employees in the Denver office, about half of what it was during the late '90s.
"One could theorize that Jason's leaving could indicate some impending shakeup in the nationwide makeup of House of Blues, but that's speculation on my part," Kauffman told the paper.
"You have to have your own real estate to be able to compete these days," says promoter Barry Fey, who was hired by HOB a few years back to try to hang on to the market. "They have no place to call their own except the place that holds 18,000 people."
As for putting a club in the city, Hodges told the paper, "Denver is very high on the club list, but a couple of locations haven't worked out."
HOB has opened three more clubs in the past 15 months, with one in Houston due to open this year.
Regarding Miller’s departure, Hodges said, “Jason was a favorite of mine. I wish him all the luck in the world.” –by CelebrityAccess Staff Writers
