Last year, L.A.-based megapromotion company Live Nation bought L.A.-based megavenue chain House of Blues. The transaction derailed House of Blues’ potential buyout of the Paramount Theater, owned and operated by the Seattle Theater Company, and sent ripples through Live Nation offices around the U.S.

This week, Seattle Theater Company announced the hiring of Adam Zacks, founder of Sasquatch! Festival and former Senior Talent Buyer for the Seattle office of Live Nation. Zacks is now Senior Talent Buyer (such a mercenary title) for Seattle Theater Group, a brand-new position created for Zacks with the intent of ramping up STG’s concerts division. Zacks will book shows at the Paramount and STG’s other venue, the Moore Theater, and will continue to book concerts at other venues around the city under the auspices of STG. Zacks will also negotiating with Live Nation so he can continue to work on Sasquatch! as an outside consultant.

Also brought on board by STG is Vera Project veteran Kate Becker, who will be Director of Development.

These are big moves for STG. As a non-profit arts organization, they must be kicking financial ass to be able to affort two proven industry pros. It’s likely that Becker’s role will bring in the cash to pay Zacks’ salary, and Zacks’ role will bring in the cash to continue expanding the organization.

What that expansion means, though, is unclear. Seattle music lovers can certainly look forward to more and better concerts at the Paramount and the Moore. Hopefully, we can also look forward to physical improvements in both theaters (especially the sound at the Paramount. Seriously.) Zacks had booked 60 percent of Live Nation’s shows in Seattle; now those same shows will fly under the STG banner. It’s possible that, with this refocusing on their concerts division, STG will taper their fine arts programming—stuff like the bodies exhibit and the dance performances they’ve hosted this year. It’s also possible that STG will use their expanded concerts division to fund more fine arts programming.

Either way, it’s always heartening to see someone bow out of the private sector to work for an arts non-profit. We might get less Young Frankenstein at the Paramount, but we’ll get more big-time concerts.

Stay tuned as more info is reported.