The new season at the Greek Theatre, its first under new management, is off to a noisy start. And, if you're a resident in the theater's posh neighborhood, not in the music-to-your-ears kind of way.
The Los Feliz Ledger reports that a recent Iggy Pop concert garnered more noise complaints from residents in one night than the Los Feliz Improvement Association had received in the past three years combined. That seems to confirm the worst fears of neighborhood residents.
Last year, there was lots of drama surrounding the future of the Greek. The city's contract with long-time operator of the Griffith Park venue, Nederlander, was set to expire, so Nederlander teamed up with LA Live-owner AEG to put in a bid for a new 10-year concession contract. But the duo faced opposition from concert mega-promoter LiveNation.
In a surprising twist, the city decided to just run the Greek itself under an "open venue model," which would allow for a range of concert promoters to use the venue. Residents have feared that allowing multiple concert promoters to book shows would lead to noisier concerts and more disturbances near their homes.
Nederlander's contract with the Greek ended in October, so this year's season at the Greek is its first run under the new system, and the Los Feliz Ledger reports there are already a few bumps in the road. Here's what the president of the Los Feliz Improvement Association told the newspaper about the sold-out Iggy Pop concert in late April:
"It was after 10 p.m. on a weeknight and Iggy was cursing over the loudspeaker. The entire neighborhood could hear it ... Yes, there’s a freedom of speech issue, but there’s also the issue of the appropriate kinds of acts for an open-air auditorium in a residential neighborhood."
Remarkably, that hasn't soured residents on the Greek's new leadership, it seems. "We had Nederlander trained. Now the training wheels are back on," the LFIA rep says, adding that SMG, the management company hired by the city to oversee, but not book, shows at the venue, has been very responsive to neighbors' feedback.
- Some Hiccups in First City-Run Greek Season [Los Feliz Ledger]
- Here Are LA's Modest Makeover Plans For the Greek Theatre [Curbed LA]
- Here's Los Angeles's Plan For Running the Greek Theatre Itself [Curbed LA]
- Los Angeles Just Going to Run the Greek Theatre Itself [Curbed LA]
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