LOUISVILLE, KY (CelebrityAccess) — John Peters’ MassConcerts announced the acquisition of the longtime Louisville concert venue, Headliners Music Hall.
According to Peters, MassConcerts’ newly hired talent buyer Vickie Gordon will lead booking efforts for the venue, supported by the company’s New England-based talent buying team.
The building, which originally served as a cafeteria for a local bottling plant, functioned as a rehearsal hall for big bands performing at nearby hotels during Louisville’s Prohibition era.
In 1988, the property was transformed into a live music venue following investments by Mike Pollard Sr. and Fred Wooten Sr.
Louisville concert promoters Billy Hardison and Joe Argabrite, the venue’s most recent operators, took over management of the 725-capacity club in 2010. Under their leadership, Headliners hosted a wide range of artists—from indie folk acts like My Morning Jacket and Shovels & Rope to hip-hop artists such as Ice Cube and MC Lyte.
“After 15 rewarding and memorable years, we are passing the ownership and operations torch of Headliners Music Hall to John Peters and MassConcerts to re-focus on concert promotions. But we’re not going far. We still intend to bring to Louisville all of your old and new favorites—what we’re best known for—including landing shows in Headliners, just like we did before we owned her. We are proud of what we have accomplished and feel we have properly honored the legacy of this 27-year-old internationally renowned independent venue. As most of you know, John is an extremely skilled promoter and venue owner and has assembled a top-notch team to work with Headliners’ staff. We know that we’re leaving our beloved venue and team in good hands,” Hardison and Argabrite said in a joint statement.
“I’m very excited to carry on what Billy and Joe have built in Louisville. The room fits into our expanding network of venues in the Midwest and Southeast. We plan to keep what works there and add to it,” added MassConcerts’ John Peters.
