John Madden’s JBM Promotions shows (the “B” is wife Brenda, who handles most of the administrative duties) skew toward singer-songwriter, bluegrass, and roots artists, with the bulk of his bookings at intimate venues like Southgate House Revival in Newport and Memorial Hall in OTR. His musical moonlighting (he worked at GE for 35 years) began after seeing folk artist Chris Smither at Dayton’s Canal Street Tavern and getting the number for his booking agent. The rest is Cincinnati concert history, as he consistently promotes 30 a year, establishing strong relationships with dozens of acts who have become repeat customers (Richard Thompson, Hayes Carll, etc.).
Madden says music streaming has negatively impacted the concert business, as paltry royalty rates and the loss of physical album sales have driven up ticket prices for live shows. He also laments recent consolidation in the booking business, because smaller agencies like his focus more on building a lasting fanbase than on short-term revenue.
JBM’s “Americana Celebration” concert (October 25 on all three Southgate House stages) pays tribute to the legacy of WNKU-FM, the radio station whose 2017 demise caused a dip in shows when his type of musicians lost valuable airplay. “It was a devastating blow when we lost that station,” says Madden. “I don’t know that we’ve ever quite recovered.”
John and Brenda are lifelong music fans who still enjoy watching the performers, and you’ll find them cheering alongside fans at shows like James McMurtry (September 12 at Woodward Theater) and Patty Griffin and Rickie Lee Jones (October 26 at Memorial Hall). His advice to anyone who enjoys live music: Get out to a show or three at smaller venues, where you can find your next favorite band before they break big.
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