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Hot Take: Big Artists Need To Stop Booking Big Artists As Openers
- Rebecca McDevitt
- Nov 16
- 3 min read
Contributed by Rebecca McDevitt
There is something magical about stepping into a venue early, grabbing a drink, and discovering an artist you have never heard of. That is the point of an opener. It is the spark before the headliner. It is where so many lifelong fans realize they just stumbled into their next obsession.
But somewhere along the way, major artists started treating openers like mini co-headliners. Think massive names stacked with massive names. Think tours where everyone is already on your playlist. And honestly, it is killing one of the most important pipelines the music industry has.
If the goal of an opener is to plant seeds, then the industry needs to start planting the right ones.
Big Names Should Not Always Book Big Names
When an arena-level artist books another arena-level artist as an opener, it feels exciting for a moment. But what it really does is eliminate a powerful chance to break new talent. Smaller and mid-sized artists are fighting harder than ever to be seen. Touring is expensive. Social media is unpredictable. Discovery fatigue is real.
Give those artists stages. Give them rooms filled with people who want to fall in love with someone new.
That is how careers start.
Fans Actually Want To Discover Someone New
There is a unique thrill in walking into a venue and realizing you have no idea who is about to step on that stage. Fans love it. They want it. They want to experience that moment where a song hits and they go, “Who is that and why am I suddenly obsessed?”
When the opener is already a household name, that discovery magic disappears. It becomes a second headliner instead of a spotlight moment for an artist who is ready to grow.
The Industry Grows When Artists Give Back
Major artists were once those small names on tiny stages. They were once the openers no one knew. They were the ones hustling for their first break. And the cycle continues only when the biggest names remember where they came from and give those opportunities back.
That is what keeps the industry alive. That is what shifts the landscape. And that is exactly where smaller artists bloom into acts that eventually fill their own rooms.
Why SoundCheck Is Stepping Into That Gap
This is why we champion rising artists. This is why we dig into the stories behind the names you might have only heard in passing. This is why we highlight dreamers who are waiting for someone to believe in them.
SoundCheck exists for those who deserve a chance. The ones who make fans feel something real. The ones who would light up an arena if they just had the opportunity to step on the stage first.
Larger artists have the power to shape the next generation of music. And if they want the industry to thrive, it is time to stop booking only big names and start planting seeds again.
Because the opener spot has the power to start a ripple that becomes a wave.
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