In the high-stakes world of live music promotion, Seth Hurwitz stands out as a maverick who has maintained his independence and principles while building some of the most beloved music venues in Washington D.C.
As the founder of I.M.P. and owner of iconic venues like the 9:30 Club and The Anthem, Seth Hurwitz has carved a unique path through an increasingly corporatized industry. His approach offers valuable insights for anyone involved in live music, from venue operators to promoters and even artists.
Here’s what we can learn from his decades of experience and success.
Focus on Each Show, Not Just the Career
One of Hurwitz’s core philosophies is treating each concert as a unique event rather than viewing his work as merely building a career. “It was never about a career,” he reflects. “People ask me all the time, ‘How did you envision all this? How did you plan?’ We really didn’t plan anything. It’s all about just putting on a show.”
This “at-bat mentality” frames each performance as an opportunity to create something memorable. Instead of getting caught up in long-term career strategies, Hurwitz concentrates on making each individual show exceptional. This approach has paradoxically led to long-term success precisely because it prioritizes quality over expansion.
Create Spaces That Serve the Music and the Fans
Hurwitz designs venues with the music experience at the forefront. The recently opened Atlantis, which pays homage to the original 9:30 Club, exemplifies this philosophy. While recreating some elements of the gritty original venue (including deliberately installing a structural pole that could obstruct views), he left out the less favorable aspects like the infamous rats and odor that once characterized the space.
What makes his venues special is their ability to create intimacy between artists and audiences. The 9:30 Club, The Anthem, and now The Atlantis are all designed to “look full no matter what you do, no matter how many tickets you sell.” This careful attention to scale ensures that both fans and performers enjoy an energy-filled room, regardless of ticket sales.
Maintain Fair Ticket Pricing
Perhaps Hurwitz’s most vocal stance has been against exploitative ticket pricing. “I just don’t believe in it,” he states plainly when discussing ticket scalping. His philosophy is straightforward: “The more people pay for tickets, the less shows they’re going to go to.”
He advocates for setting fair initial prices and limiting resale markups, arguing that this is the only effective way to keep concerts accessible. “If it doesn’t make sense, it doesn’t make sense,” he often says about deals where the breakeven point is unreasonably high. This commitment to fair pricing stands in stark contrast to industry trends toward dynamic pricing and premium VIP packages.
Hurwitz testified before Congress against the Live Nation/Ticketmaster merger in 2009, foreseeing the negative impact it would have on ticket prices and consumer choice. His persistent advocacy for resale caps reflects a belief that the unchecked secondary market harms the entire ecosystem of live music by pricing out regular fans.
Build Community, Not Just Venues
The success of Hurwitz’s venues stems partly from their role as cultural hubs. “The 9:30 Club has always been a home for acceptance—whatever you are, it’s okay,” he explains. This culture of inclusivity has been carefully maintained through generations of staff, creating spaces that feel like communities rather than mere business establishments.
This community-building extends to how Hurwitz interacts with artists. His “favorite thing in the whole world” is standing at the stage line of The Anthem after greeting the band, watching excited fans file in: “Everyone is happy and there’s this joy there… That’s the best moment ever.” This genuine enthusiasm for creating memorable experiences informs every aspect of his business decisions.
Stay Independent and Trust Your Instincts
In an era of corporate consolidation, Hurwitz has remained fiercely independent, focusing on excellence in his local market rather than expansion. “I’m not national, and I’ve never had a desire to be national,” he explains, quoting Marcus Aurelius: “If you seek tranquility, do less.”
This commitment to independence allows him to make decisions based on values rather than solely on profit potential. “If I think something’s wrong, I say no. If I lose the show over it, that’s fine,” he says, demonstrating a willingness to walk away from deals that compromise his principles.
Embrace Continuous Learning and Growth
Despite his success, Hurwitz considers himself “a work in progress” who gets up every day “with the intent of improving my business and myself.” An avid reader who consumes books on topics ranging from philosophy to meditation, he believes that “if you spend a day complacent or not learning anything, it’s really a waste of a day.”
This openness to growth has helped him adapt to industry changes while maintaining his core values. He credits books like “How to Win Friends and Influence People” and “The Power of Now” with helping him navigate business relationships and maintain perspective in a challenging industry.
Create Unique Experiences in a Saturated Market
In discussing the oversaturated festival market, Hurwitz observes that “festivals that are well-thought-out and have a clear vision will succeed and perform well, and the ones that seem to exist simply because the organizers wanted to jump on the festival bandwagon without offering anything unique will not.”
This insight applies equally to venues. The Anthem, which Hurwitz considers “the prototype” for the next evolution of live music spaces, addresses a specific need in the market: a mid-sized venue that can accommodate acts too big for clubs but not quite ready for arenas. His understanding of these market gaps has allowed him to create venues that offer something distinctive.
Trust in the Long Game
Throughout his career, Hurwitz has benefited from the support of people who “bet on him” when he was young. He acknowledges the role of both luck and perseverance in his success, noting that “there’s people that work every day just as hard as I do that don’t get the breaks I got.”
This perspective has shaped his approach to business relationships. He values long-term loyalty over short-term gains, building a reputation for fairness that has earned him the respect of artists, employees, and business partners alike.
Conclusion: Authenticity as the Ultimate Strategy
What ties together all of Hurwitz’s approaches is an unwavering commitment to authenticity. In an industry increasingly driven by algorithms and corporate strategies, he remains focused on the fundamental appeal of live music: creating genuine connections between artists and audiences.
“We sell mystique,” he says. “Live music is fantastic and unpredictable. I don’t want to take away from it.” By preserving this essence in his venues and business practices, Hurwitz has not only achieved remarkable success but also contributed significantly to maintaining the cultural value of live music in an age of digital consumption.
His example reminds us that running a successful music venue isn’t just about the bottom line—it’s about creating spaces where unforgettable musical moments can happen, night after night, for anyone willing to buy a ticket and show up.