68
DENNIS ARFA, 68
Chairman, Artist Group International
MARSHA VLASIC
President, Artist Group International
ADAM KORNFELD
President of touring for North America, Artist Group International
Last Year’s Rank: 57
BRAGGING RIGHTS: Arfa’s client Billy Joel is on track to sell 1 million tickets in the fifth year of his monthly residency at New York’s fabled Madison Square Garden. He also sold out nine stadium shows, including Wrigley Field, Fenway Park and his first-ever concert at Dodgers Stadium.
ROCKING AND ROLLING: AGI continues to carry the rock mantle, booking Metallica’s $111 million stadium run. The agency also assembled a package tour with Rod Stewart and Cyndi Lauper. For Vlasic, the veteran booking agent had continued success with Neil Young, Elvis Costello and Iggy Pop, and she says Cage the Elephant, which is prepping a new album, is on track to be “a major festival headliner in 2019.” She also predicts the next two years will “bring back rock ’n’ roll music.”
MUSIC TREND THAT SHOULD BE RETIRED: (Arfa) “Verified Fan — you’ve got to be flaming hot to use it in a successful way. It’s for Wall Street, not the music business.”
