Tommy Dorfman: One Promoter vs The Monopoly | Live Nation, Ticketmaster, Power & Price of Music | Up+Adam

Sponsored by The Mountain AirTommy Dorfman’s story hits differently when you place it next to what’s happening right now in live music.In this episode of Up+Adam, Adam sits down with promoter and entrepreneur Tommy Dorfman, who went from building a nightlife empire to taking on Live Nation Entertainment and Ticketmaster in a legal fight that’s stretched over a decade. What started as a collapsed festival deal turned into something much bigger. Dorfman claims he was pushed out of the industry and has spent years trying to bring what he believes is a broken system into the light.This conversation lands at a moment when Live Nation and Ticketmaster are facing intense national scrutiny. Recent reporting and legal action have raised major questions about monopoly power, ticket pricing, and control of the live entertainment pipeline. From federal and state challenges to public debate around whether meaningful change is actually coming, the conversation is no longer theoretical. It is happening now.• Rolling Stone perspective on the Live Nation verdict and what it means for fans and the industryRead here• Good News Network coverage of the antitrust ruling calling Live Nation and Ticketmaster an exploitative monopolyRead here• The New Yorker on whether the Ticketmaster monopoly verdict is real change or a mirageRead hereWhether you follow the business of music or just wonder why concert tickets feel out of reach, this episode connects one man’s story to a much larger question about power, access, and the future of live events.*********PORTABIDET: UP+ADAM IS AN OFFICIAL SPOKESPERSON FOR PORTABIDET - USE THIS LINK FOR UP+ADAM LISTENERS TO LEARN MORE AND GET YOURS!*Timbre Event with Cal Poly EIM Students Info HEREListen to Up+Adam with Adam Montiel:Official Website: adammontiel.comApple Podcasts: Up+Adam on Apple PodcastsSpotify: Up+Adam on SpotifyiHeartRadio: Up+Adam on iHeartRadioYouTube Music: Up+Adam on YouTube Music********CHECK OUT OUR WOODS HUMANE PET OF THE WEEK!********ADAM’S TEDX VIDEO IS HERE!********FOLLOW ADAM ON INSTAGRAM*********Sincere Thanks to the current supporters of Up + Adam. Please take a moment and visit them and thank them for supporting local broadcasting, and valuing what we do here. Thank you for supporting them!Life ElementsCity of SLOWoodsHumaneSocietyTin City DistilleryOriginal Music by Dan Curcio and Moonshiner CollectiveMoonshiner on Spotify HEREPlease Rate, Review, and Subscribe to the podcast, and learn more at AdamMontiel.com©2026 Up+Adam with Adam Montiel / LoBro Studios, All Rights Reserved.