AEG Buys Half of Bowery Presents (But Not Bowery Ballroom or Mercury Lounge)

AEG, the massive entertainment company owned by controversial mogul Philip Anschutz, has acquired 50 percent of the Bowery Presents, the promotion company which runs numerous clubs in the New York City area and beyond, including Terminal 5, Music Hall of Williamsburg, and Rough Trade NYC, The New York Times reports. Bowery Ballroom, and Mercury Lounge are not a part of the deal, according to the Times, as they are still owned by Michael Swier, who co-founded the Bowery Presents but sold his stake in the company in 2010.

Bowery Presents joins Goldenvoice, the promoters behind Coachella, Panorama, and more, in AEG’s massive portfolio, which also includes arenas, stadiums, theaters, festivals, and sports teams all over the world. AEG chairman Jay Marciano told the Times that Bowery Presents will book AEG’s NYC-area venues, including the PlayStation Theater in Times Square.

Anschutz has long been known as a supporter of conservative political causes, but his monetary contributions to anti-LGBTQ organizations recently came under renewed scrutiny in the wake of the 2017 Coachella lineup announcement. Not long afterwards, it was revealed that Anschutz had given money to groups supporting anti-LGBTQ initiatives as recently as 2015, calling into question Anschutz and AEG’s claims that reports of his donations were “fake news” and smear campaigns by competitors.

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