Amplify Media
Founder and Executive Editor of Amplify Media, which covers the event and live entertainment industries; former Managing Editor of Venues Today, an independently owned, print and web magazine published out of Huntington Beach, California
Who Gets the Greek Theatre? The Greek Theatre is one of LA's iconic venues and the biggest money-maker for the Department of Recreation and Parks. Now it's embroiled in a political battle scheduled for resolution tomorrow by the full City Council. Dave Brooks is founder and executive editor of Amplify Media , which covers the event- and live-entertainment industries.
Who’s Really In Charge at LA’s Greek Theatre? In August, LA’s Greek Theatre staged 21 concerts—more than Staples Center, the Forum, Nokia Theater and the Hollywood Palladium combined. But a more important performance may be coming on Thursday as LA City’s Board of Recreation and Parks Commission decides who should run the venue for the next 20 years. Two of the world’s biggest promoters have filed reports running thousands of pages.
Coliseum Scandal Casts Spotlight on Rave Culture Last Friday, two former executives of the Memorial Coliseum, two rave promoters and two other contractors were indicted on 29 counts of bribery, embezzlement, conspiracy and conflict of interest. Today's LA Times reports that one of the contractors is still at large and may be out of the country. District Attorney Steven Cooley says millions of public dollars were stolen and that prosecution will be conducted "aggressively." Jointly run by the City of Los Angeles, Los Angeles County and the State of California, the Coliseum has hosted two Summer Olympic Games, John Kennedy's nomination as President, several world series and Super Bowls, and a mass conducted by Pope John Paul II. But since 2005, almost all the events there have been raves, also known as "electronic dance concerts."
Who's to blame for the opioid crisis? Some of the lawyers who took on Big Tobacco are now going after Big Pharma. It’s all about the deadly epidemic of opioid use. Are the drug companies to blame? What about the users? Later, on today’s Talking Point: making sense of Britain’s upset election.
Is the threat from Russia missing from the Russia meddling probe? There's much being made about the Trump administration's possible ties with Russia. But the bottom line is Russia's effort to influence American democracy. Do the President and his aides care enough to take action before voters go back to the polls?
The Trump agenda: where's the beef? President Trump says big things are happening. After celebrating a House bill on health care, he doesn’t yet have Senate agreement. With James Comey’s public testimony scheduled tomorrow, the President today tweeted his selection of a new FBI Director. Is the Chief Executive all style and no substance? Later, terror attacks in Iran and conflicting claims about who’s behind them.
Terrorism and tweets, hate speech and murder Just days before an election, Britain is coping with a rash of deadly terrorism, and Prime Minister Theresa May is on the defensive. And again today, President Trump has tweeted criticism of the Mayor of London. Later, a double murder in Portland, Oregon has revealed the ugly past of a supposedly “progressive” city. One immediate question: is “hate speech” protected by the First Amendment?