Blog

Lee Anderson‘s wife tells him he’s a hoarder, but he prefers to see himself as a Renaissance man of many interests — pop art, ’80s movie posters, ’90s TV action figures, baseball cards and a closet filled with more than 600 pairs of sneakers.
“I love having people over because I love showing off all the s— I have,” says Anderson, who is a year into his new role as president of Wasserman Music — a job that places him at the intersection of commerce and the biggest names in pop culture. He says his zeal for finding, signing and developing talented artists is no different from his passion for adding a rare or sought-after find to his various collections and is part of the skill set that makes him exceptional at his job.

Known for his unmistakable phone voice and large-frame glasses, the Bridgeport, Conn., native cut his teeth in live music working at Burlington, Vt., venues like Nectar’s and Metrodome. Eventually, he joined Paul Morris to work on the agency side of the business, which brought him to Paradigm and then Wasserman Music in 2021, where, in addition to overseeing Team Wass, he works with a client list that includes Skrillex, Zedd, Swedish House Mafia, Charlotte de Witte and Disclosure.

Trending on Billboard

How has your day-to-day changed now that you are president?

I have more responsibility for the business and everybody there, and I’m carving out extra time to make sure I allocate the right amount of time to each client [that I represent]. The net result is that I’m working significantly more hours. It’s looking at how to actualize and optimize all the opportunities that we have across our company with what’s already there. That doesn’t require a larger head count. It requires figuring out how to work better together and how we look at the whole business.

What’s a recent accomplishment under your leadership?

The hiring of Kevin Shivers, James Rubin and Cristina Baxter from WME. Having senior agents of their caliber, at the top of their game, join Wasserman was a milestone for our company, and I’m proud that we’ve been able to build a place that those three would want to join. Our culture of transparency played a role.

What kind of clients are you looking for?

We want to work with clients that we’re aligned with in terms of vision and approach. We’re known for discovering talent early and growing them into stars. But we try to be very thoughtful and honest and make sure that each agent who’s assigned a client has the bandwidth to give them what they deserve to get there. We really believe that everything starts with strategy — short and long term. It builds accountability for us as a business to do what we say we’re going to do. If we don’t, you should fire us.

Let’s talk about breaking your client, DJ-producer Yousuke Yukimatsu. He has landed some big U.S. bookings, including top billing at Portola Festival. How did you connect?

I saw him on the internet, and a manager that I have a relationship with called me and said, “Have you seen this?” I was like, “Yeah, I’ve been obsessed with it for like the last three days.” He said, “Look, we’re in touch with him, there’s a manager in place, and we’re talking about potentially working with her. Would you be interested?” I said, “Absolutely.” I got on the phone with them and laid out the way I would approach it. And I did what I said I was going to do.Wasserman Music President Lee Anderson on the Festival Headliner Shortage & Why Fyre Fest Isn’t an Anomaly

What’s your strategy for him?

Generally, when you’re coming in, there are metrics of ticket sales or streams or social media engagement. But he’s unique. This wasn’t a producer with a bunch of his own records. He’s very much a Laurent Garnier-style selector and very respected DJ and technician. There was a huge swell of excitement around him. Danny Bell at Portola Festival saw that right away. Huston Powell with C3 saw that right away. We began to put some headline shows up, selling out 3,000 and 5,000 tickets instantly. He had goals, and I understood the aesthetic and types of events and artists he wanted to play around and the types of rooms that he wanted to be in. And we were able to put that plan together.

Are festivals still a good outlet for breaking artists?

Yes, but it has to make sense. There were times when we’d envision our artist playing in front of 15,000 people, and they’d actually be performing for closer to 400 because they’re on at 2 o’clock. So now I ask a number of questions: Is this going to be an impactful moment? Who else is playing at that time? I usually start with that before I even start with the fee. I don’t think I’ve ever had a deal die over the money.

Is there a headliner shortage in the festival space?

It’s hard to get a headliner these days, and that has hurt the festival ecosystem to a degree. I don’t want one client playing 40 festivals in a summer. I want my clients playing the right moments, with different cultural ecosystems that appeal to different audiences.

What makes a good festival talent buyer?

The best talent buyers are the ones that are calling me and chasing me about an act that I haven’t even pitched. Buyers who like to put cool packages together.

Do you want your agents pitching all the big festival buyers?

If an agent sends a list of hundreds of acts to a festival buyer, they’re not doing their job. If an agent’s doing a good job, they should have a plan and targets for their clients. They should be inviting buyers to a show or sending music or doing all the things it takes to get those bookings.

Billy McFarland flamed out trying to revive Fyre Festival. Could another disastrous event like that happen again?

As long as there are ambitious, naive people all over the world who do not recognize their blind spots or realize they’re capable of failure, there will be festivals that crash and burn. I just don’t want to work at the agency that’s got half the lineup on the next one that goes down. It’s very important for agencies to be diligent about what they’re looking at in terms of live opportunities for their clients — and not just look at an offer with a big guaranteed number. Fyre is not the only time we’ve seen things like that.

Tell me about some of the things you collect.

I love Danny Clinch photography. My two favorite artists of all time are Jay-Z and Phish, and I have Clinch prints of both. And for my birthday like eight years ago, Clinch printed and framed a photo that he had taken of me and Skrillex together at Bonnaroo and signed it for me. That is one of my most prized possessions. I collect a lot of toys and pop culture items from the ’80s and ’90s like Miami Vice action figures still in the packaging or like Cheech and Chong or Jay and Silent Bob. I have all the McDonald’s cups from the Dream Team, and I collect sports cards and baseball cards. I’m into sneakers and have over 600 pairs, mostly Nikes, as well as the old Charles Barkley and Deion Sanders sneakers and stuff that I probably will never wear. But I have to have them because I had them when I was in sixth grade or something.

What’s the most you’ve spent on an item for your collection?

I spent seven years collecting all of the original Hasbro World Wrestling Federation action figures from the late ’80s and ’90s. Some of those in the newer, limited series are hard to get, and I paid between like $300 and $400 per figure.