by Sharon Gissy
Music industry veteran and Chicagoan Sean McDonough has become the new national talent buyer for FM Entertainment. FM Entertainment promotes and produces concerts throughout the Midwest in 18 venues including Concord Music Hall and Apollo Theater, books music festivals like WIIL Rock Fest, Throttle Fest, and Kraut Fest, and provides entertainment at the Chicago Speedway and other events. Upcoming events include the Open Air Pre-Party at Concord Music Hall, Lordi, Overkill, and Testament. Owner Frank Mastalerz, who has been promoting shows and managing bands for decades under the FM banner, said "Sean has long been a staple of the Chicago music scene starting from his days at the Metro and has grown to be one of the premier and most well respected talent buyers within the music industry."
Sean McDonough started out answering phones at the Metro in Chicago's Lakeview neighborhood. Over a 14-year tenure at the club, he rose through the ranks to become the head talent buyer, booking shows with acts such as Smashing Pumpkins, Muse, and The Flaming Lips. He booked the Goose Island Fest in 2003, which included acts such as Sonic Youth, Guided By Voices, and Bob Mould. He also worked hard at developing local acts like Fall Out Boy, Rise Against, and Alkaline Trio, and was even a part of the managing team of the Smoking Popes from 1994 until their breakup in 1998, later spearheading their 2005 reunion tour.
Sean's other experience includes time spent in New York booking Irving Plaza and the Gramercy Theater for Live Nation, where he booked shows with Jay-Z, Gaelic Storm, and Lenny Kravitz, among others. He also began booking the Bottom Lounge in 2010 and turned the West Loop club into one of the more diverse music venues in Chicago by booking acts as varied as Blonde Redhead, G-Eazy, Dashboard Confessional, and KMFDM.
In 2012 Sean returned to Live Nation as the senior talent buyer for House of Blues Chicago, soon bringing the Bottom Lounge into the Live Nation fold. While at the House of Blues, Sean booked acts such as Guns n' Roses, B.B. King, and Megan Trainor, and continued to pursue his personal mission to support and promote local artists.
Sean lives in Chicago with his wife Meghan, daughter, and dog, Duke of Squirrel.
Music industry veteran and Chicagoan Sean McDonough has become the new national talent buyer for FM Entertainment. FM Entertainment promotes and produces concerts throughout the Midwest in 18 venues including Concord Music Hall and Apollo Theater, books music festivals like WIIL Rock Fest, Throttle Fest, and Kraut Fest, and provides entertainment at the Chicago Speedway and other events. Upcoming events include the Open Air Pre-Party at Concord Music Hall, Lordi, Overkill, and Testament. Owner Frank Mastalerz, who has been promoting shows and managing bands for decades under the FM banner, said "Sean has long been a staple of the Chicago music scene starting from his days at the Metro and has grown to be one of the premier and most well respected talent buyers within the music industry."
Sean McDonough started out answering phones at the Metro in Chicago's Lakeview neighborhood. Over a 14-year tenure at the club, he rose through the ranks to become the head talent buyer, booking shows with acts such as Smashing Pumpkins, Muse, and The Flaming Lips. He booked the Goose Island Fest in 2003, which included acts such as Sonic Youth, Guided By Voices, and Bob Mould. He also worked hard at developing local acts like Fall Out Boy, Rise Against, and Alkaline Trio, and was even a part of the managing team of the Smoking Popes from 1994 until their breakup in 1998, later spearheading their 2005 reunion tour.
Sean's other experience includes time spent in New York booking Irving Plaza and the Gramercy Theater for Live Nation, where he booked shows with Jay-Z, Gaelic Storm, and Lenny Kravitz, among others. He also began booking the Bottom Lounge in 2010 and turned the West Loop club into one of the more diverse music venues in Chicago by booking acts as varied as Blonde Redhead, G-Eazy, Dashboard Confessional, and KMFDM.
In 2012 Sean returned to Live Nation as the senior talent buyer for House of Blues Chicago, soon bringing the Bottom Lounge into the Live Nation fold. While at the House of Blues, Sean booked acts such as Guns n' Roses, B.B. King, and Megan Trainor, and continued to pursue his personal mission to support and promote local artists.
Sean lives in Chicago with his wife Meghan, daughter, and dog, Duke of Squirrel.
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