LOS ANGELES, Aug. 30, 2010 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- After many attempts to amicably resolve a dispute over the cancellation of an Insomniac, Inc. promoted Tiesto concert at the Los Angeles Convention Center on October 30, 2010, Insomniac Inc. filed suit Friday, August 27, 2010 against the Los Angeles Convention Center ("LACC") and the City of Los Angeles in an effort to allow world-renowned artist Tiesto the opportunity to perform for his fans.
"It is with great reluctance that Insomniac filed suit against the City and the Convention Center. We do not want to enter into litigation and we have been working tirelessly to resolve the matter with the City without having to resort to the courts. We want a concert, not a lawsuit," said Insomniac founder, Pasquale Rotella.
Tiesto, a Grammy-nominated artist, DJ and record producer performed live at the Opening Ceremonies of the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece. He is a legendary musician who has performed at venues across the world in such cities such as Las Vegas, New York, Miami, Rome, London and Mexico City, and this summer Tiesto headlined the main stage of the Coachella Music & Arts Festival. None of the other dates on Tiesto's 2010 U.S. tour have been disrupted.
On August 13, 2010, the LACC terminated the contract citing an unrelated event that took place at another facility completely unrelated to this artist and this concert.
"Insomniac has promoted/produced 5 sold-out Tiesto concerts in Los Angeles in 2008 and 2009, all without incident," said Rotella.
In November 2009, LACC staff members, including their Director of Security, attended one of the three sold-out Insomniac-promoted Tiesto concerts at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. Following the concert, the LACC enthusiastically pursued Insomniac to use the LACC as the venue for Insomniac's music events. Faced with a variety of options for venues, Insomniac ultimately agreed to host the 2010 Tiesto concert at the Convention Center, largely as a result of the interest of LACC's staff as well as the unique opportunity to present a concert at a venue embodying LACC's location, capacity and architecture.
The planned Tiesto concert at the LACC is an 18 and older event that will take place on one night with a potential for a crowd of approximately 17,000 people in an indoor venue that was built to hold large groups of people within its walls. Simply put, this is a concert and it should be treated in the same manner as any other concert held in Los Angeles - just like the other electronic artists playing in town like the Chemical Brothers at the Hollywood Bowl on August 29, or DJ John Tejada who played at Walt Disney Concert Hall on August 20.
"I can't help but draw comparisons to the 80's movie classic 'Footloose,' where dancing and rock music were banned," said Rotella. "But I'm confident that - much like the movie - the City of Los Angeles will realize the positive attributes that music and dance bring to a community."
John Lawrence and Tal Finney from the law firm Dongell Lawrence Finney LLP are representing Insomniac, Inc.
About Insomniac, Inc.
Insomniac produces innovative concerts and music festivals amplified by state-of-the-art lighting design, interactive circus and theatrical performances, and audience participation. Insomniac's premier annual event, Electric Daisy Carnival, is one of the biggest music festivals in the United States. Insomniac has produced more than 250 music events for more than 2,000,000 concertgoers in California, Nevada, Colorado, Texas, Florida, and Puerto Rico. Founded and led by Pasquale Rotella, Insomniac has been based in Los Angeles since it started in 1993.
CONTACT: Englander, Knabe & Allen Eric Rose (805) 624-0572 Jennifer Forkish (818) 641-6200