Live Nation Prepares for Ticketing Venture with New Hire

Live Nation moved a step closer to becoming its own ticketing entity when their contract ends with Ticketmaster at year's end by hiring a chief executive to oversee the ticketing unit. Nathan Hubbard was hired as CEO of the new division after serving in the same position at Musictoday, another ticketing company Live Nation purchased in 2006. Hubbard is expected to build a platform that will enable Live Nation to handle the expected 20 million tickets it intends on selling. The launch of the ticketing unit would be the final phase Live Nation plotted out when signing artists like Madonna and Jay-Z to all-encompassing 360 deals, as well as give Ticketmaster its first true competitor.

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Song Stories

“Time to Pretend”

MGMT | 2008

Listening to MGMT’s breakthrough song, one might interpret it as being about the excesses of rock stardom, but it’s actually about the duo’s pet praying mantis. Ben Goldwasser and Andrew VanWyngarden told Rolling Stone they got the idea from the insect's jerky movements. The mantis died, but the two bandmates kept the egg sack and allowed the hundreds of eggs to hatch. “We tried to name them all, but they died after a day,” said Goldwasser, with VanWyngarden chiming in, “But the praying mantis dance inspired us.”

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