Peter Shapiro - The Music Never Stops: What Putting on 10,000 Shows Has Taught Me About Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Magic

Peter thinks like a musician. He understands the spirit of the music Im trying to make because he wants to create situations for that music that enhance the experience on many levels.

PHIL LESH , Grateful Dead, author of Searching for the Sound

Peter Shapiro is a unicorn. He has a magical/mythical quality to him. We met back in the days of Wetlands, which youll read about in this book. You never knew who you were going to see theresome nights it could be Dave Matthews Band, the next night Toots and the Maytals, another night its Pearl Jam. I dont know any venue that existed that could pull that off. I remember wondering who was behind this, who could make these nights happenand that was Shapiro.

JIMMY FALLON , The Tonight Show

Pete is the rarest of personalities in the music industry. He explodes into the room, swinging for the fences, full of unbridled enthusiasm and joy, with huge energy and huge ideas. For Pete, the dream is still alivethe power of live musicand I love him for that.

TREY ANASTASIO , Phish

Peter is the reincarnation of the 60s and 70s entrepreneurs. Hes as close as we have to Bill Graham.

STEVIE VAN ZANDT , E Street Band, Little Stevens Underground Garage , The Sopranos , author of Unrequited Infatuations

I met Pete in the late 90s when he opened his first club. His boundless energy and enthusiasm are infectious. He is so passionate about all that he does and is ready to dive in at the deep end. He has great taste and is a perfect combination of the creative collaborator who has his eye on the business side of things, which is quite a rare quality but so important. One Love.

CHRIS BLACKWELL , Founder, Island Records

Ive given Peter eleventh-hour surprises like How about a practice Usher show? or Can we organize a quickie Elvis Costello performance? Anyone else would have riddled me with bullets for taking such a grand idea and tossing it to him with seconds left to spare. But with him its always Oh, man, I cant wait to get to it. And its always magic.

QUESTLOVE , The Roots, author of Creative Quest

The Music Never Stops , like everything Peter Shapiro, inspires and ignites all of our senseseven those we didnt know we had. Peter is a brilliant architect of communities, cultures, and dreams. This book is where you come to grow and for your deal to go downand if you look at it rightyoull find the next rainbow, at just the right time.

BILL WALTON , NBA Hall of Famer

Peter has said, I try to think obsessively about the future, and you have to be ready for multiple different paths. One of those paths has been to make millions of concertgoers more aware of our global environmental movement, while encouraging environmental awareness and commitment by the music industry. He is always collaborative, he dissolves differences and he makes it happen. Hes that kind of guy.

KATHLEEN ROGERS , President, Earth Day Network

Pete Shapiro has borne witness to the inner workings of the most important cultural events of the last quarter century. Impresario, Innovator, and Beloved Instigator the stories in his book will blow your mind!

DON WAS , President, Blue Note Records

Its a special person, a magician of the tallest order, who simply figures it out. A person filled with passion for the blessing, the reason we all wake up day after day with a glimmer of optimism and hope: the music. Petes story is one of dedication, persistence, success, and some failure too. Its an inspiring journey. He always has multiple irons in the fire and dozens of balls in the air. He is an idea person who is on a crusade for the music, with the talent, knowledge, and drive to bring the vision to life. This book could easily be called Whatever It Takes .

BEN JAFFE , Creative Director, Preservation Hall Jazz Band

I met Pete in 1996. Since then, Ive told anyone who will listen that he is the Bill Graham of our generation. He kept my word.

GREG SCHOLL , Executive Director, Jazz at Lincoln Center

In an industry filled with hucksters and charlatans, Peter Shapiro is a music promoter with a heart and a soul. He produces music with all the best parts of the good old days and none of the bad. He is a real, live Unicorn.

ROGER MCNAMEE , Cofounder, Elevation Partners, Moonalice

The most important concert producer of his day.

JOEL SELVIN , San Francisco Chronicle

Copyright 2022 by Peter Shapiro

Jacket design by Alex Camlin

Jacket photograph Beau Rogers

Jacket copyright 2022 by Hachette Book Group, Inc.

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First Edition: August 2022

Published by Hachette Books, an imprint of Perseus Books, LLC, a subsidiary of Hachette Book Group, Inc. The Hachette Books name and logo is a trademark of the Hachette Book Group.

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Library of Congress Control Number: 2022937303

ISBNs: 9780306845185 (hardcover); 9780306845178 (ebook)

E3-20220625-JV-NF-ORI

Thank You

Andrew & Jon, for accelerating the car for me at key points along the trip.

Mom & Dad, for creating and then feeding the engine, especially when I was going to places that were not on the map that you had given me.

Rebecca, Roxy & Simon, for being in the car with me and never asking me to change directions, wherever we were headed.

(and thank you, Larry and Charley, for being the first to get into the car.)