You probably looked at that title and thought “Who is Seth Hurwitz?”

Short answer – owner of the 9:30 Club in DC. Longer answer – the guy who also owns Merriweather Post Pavillion and the restored Lincoln Theater, and one of the few contenders who can go up against Live Nation/Ticketmaster.

No, Hurwitz doesn’t know us. ::sad face:: But he recently said something that really resonates with us at VCS.

Washingtonian magazine asked him why the public should bother going to shows if they can get it all online, anytime they want. Here’s how he replied:

That’s not a concert—that’s a video. A live concert … is a fantastic social experience. You’re in a room, sharing it with people—the crowd noise, the applause. Most people are at a screen all day. We sell escapism. When you go into that room, everything else goes away.

Hurwitz is absolutely right. [Read more…]