S6 Ep22: Good Skews – The Crack in Live Nation's Monopoly (with Devon Léger)
From Weekly Skews by Weekly Skews
April 25, 2026 · 45 min · Season 6 · Episode 22
About this episode
Matt discusses the changing landscape of the live music industry with guest Devon Léger, focusing on the decline of Live Nation's monopoly and the rise of local music scenes.
Live Nation's predatory grip on live music is finally cracking — and a homegrown, hyper-local music scene is rising up to take its place. Matt sits down with longtime music publicist and industry expert Devon Léger to talk festival season, why the corporate giants are getting pinched, and how Live Nation's monopoly playbook (own the venues, the artists, the tickets, then jack up prices) is running into real backlash. They get into the surprising forces reshaping the industry — from Gen Z drinking less to indie festivals outlasting the Coachellas of the world — plus how house concerts, co-op venues, and immigrant music scenes are quietly building a more sustainable future for live music. If you're feeling discouraged, Devon's prescription is simple: go to a show. Follow Devon's work: Seattle Picks on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/seattlepicks_206 Seattle Picks on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@seattlepicks Hearth Music: https://www.hearthmusic.com KITHFOLK newsletter: https://hearthmusic.substack.com This episode is sponsored by ZBiotics. Go to https://www.zbiotics.com/SKEW now. You'll get 15% off your first order when you use SKEW at checkout Weekly Skews is brought to…
People in this episode
Host: Matt
Guest: Devon Léger
Topics covered
- live music
- music industry
- monopoly
- indie festivals
- Gen Z
- sustainability
Keywords
- Live Nation
- Devon Léger
- live music
- indie festivals
- Gen Z
- house concerts
- sustainability
Sponsors
ZBiotics, Americans United for Separation of Church and State
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Live Nation
Places: Seattle, Coachella
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