CMJ is in full swing in New York City. A pricey lawsuit couldn't come at a worse time, and that's exactly what The New York Times is now reporting. CMJ is being haunted (not by old rock gods) by an incomplete business transaction four years ago. The CMJ's founder Robert K. Haber was to merge CMJ with Metropolitan Entertainment, headed by concert promoter John Scher, The New York Times reported back in 2009. The estimated $2.4 million deal would have included tours and other programs, but then it went kaput.
Scher is suing over unpaid loans, legal fees and other costs. This all amounts to roughly $1 million, a cost that seems steep to the average music fan, but to the higherups in the music industry, it is not quite as painful.
You hear the acronym thrown around, but what exactly is CMJ? It started in 1978 as College Media Journal, a magazine geared towards college radio programmers. In 1982 it changed to CMJ New Music Report.
The CMJ Music Marathon itself was born in 1982 and has since been every October week after. They now bring you a week packed with 1400 acts across 80 New York City venues. The energy at a CMJ show is incomparable to any other music festival.
Since the new millennium they've helped get relatively unknown bands in the music industry eye. Amid indie bands and cult-following bands, you would recognize past performances from M.I.A., Mumford & Sons, Lady Gaga, MGMT and hundreds more acts, including Arcade Fire who is rumored to make a private show this year. MusicTimes.com has been reporting on the highlights of this year's marathon.
Over 100,000 concertgoers are estimated to attend the shows until this Saturday. There is no report of an impending legal settlement. Here's hoping the focus can remain on the joy of music rather than the business end going forward.
