Founded in 1972, Jam has produced high-profile events including the first Farm Aid, the recent Cooperstown Baseball Hall of Fame traveling exhibit, the museum exhibit “Bodies: The Exhibition,” and tours for a massive roster of artists including the Rolling Stones, Adele, Michael Jackson, Billy Joel, Bob Dylan, U2, Frank Sinatra and Prince.
Over the years the Chicago-based Jam went head-to-head with some of the biggest promoters/producers in the world such as LiveNation, and held its own.
“We kept our mojo by living up to our motto: ‘Brought to you with a little help from your friends at Jam,'” Granat said with a chuckle. “We owned venues, managed venues, which kept us in control. When many of my contemporaries were selling out or dying out, I was the only one who stayed in the game because I knew the field.”
Those venues included the Park West, the Riviera, the Aragon and the Uptown theaters.
While Granat said there were way too many shows to single out even a handful of his proudest moments, he noted that “any show at Soldier Field is a massive undertaking.”
Of Wrigley Field’s recent commitment to full-on summertime concerts, Granat said, “They should have done it a long time ago.”