As founder and producer at U.S. Concert Agency, Nicholas Abate has established himself as an expert in live events and entertainment services. With nearly two decades of professional experience, Abate has achieved much with little more than perseverance and dedication, as well as living by the “Fake It Until You Make It” motto. Unwilling to give up on his dreams, he is sure to continue making an impact in his industry. In recognition of his accomplishments, he has been honored as a Top Professional by Marquis Who’s Who.
Ambition in the Entertainment Industry
With only a high school education, Abate began his journey in the live events and entertainment industry in a non-traditional fashion. He had decided that even if he had to start by scanning tickets, the chance to make connections with artists and build relationships was enough. With this attitude, he joined Live Nation in operations in 2006.
Building from this foundational experience, Abate joined CBS Radio as a promotions assistant in 2009. Two years later, he decided to found Stage Left Entertainment, where he worked as the CEO and producer. By 2013, he had made enough connections to work with various productions in Europe.
Overlapping with these roles, Abate worked in operations in the U.K. and as a video director for Parkpop Music Festival in The Hague, the Netherlands, from 2013 to 2015. In 2014, he also took on a role as production coordinator for the Rock Wechter Music Festival in Rotselaar, Belgium.
Refocusing on Stage Left Entertainment
By 2016, Abate had left his various roles in Europe and returned to the U.S., where he became a tour coordinator in a short stint and outsourced the service of producing events for local radio stations and National Brands such as Boston Beer Corporation. After some time working for other entities, he decided to focus solely on his work as a producer at Stage Left Entertainment and produce in-house content.
The Impact of COVID-19 and Finding Success Again
Unfortunately, COVID-19 and the aftermath of the pandemic led to several failed events, ultimately causing Stage Left Entertainment to decline and close its doors. His personal life had declined at a faster rate, becoming financially broke as a result, leaving him relying on industry colleagues, family, and friends for financial assistance for years. Rather than giving up on his work and passion, Abate stayed focused and persevered through it all, finally taking the opportunity to build a new company, U.S. Concert Agency, in November 2024. Since then, he has achieved significant success in his industry. He became humble and grateful through the darkest of times.
Today, Abate considers his most notable achievement to be producing the first concert at the “Field of Dreams” movie site, where Kevin Costner filmed in the 1980s. Through the U.S. Concert Agency, Tim McGraw performed in concert on August 30, 2025, at the site. For this achievement, Abate received the key to the city of Dyersville, Iowa. A day later, he produced another concert featuring Nickelback. That weekend show drew 35,000 attendees.
Plans for the Future
Within the next five to 10 years, Abate aims to become a mentor for others in his field. Though he believes there will be a recession in music festivals, he also recognizes that the right industry knowledge could help entrepreneurs capitalize on smaller, boutique events. Ultimately, Abate is not ready to slow down yet and has plans to continue making an impact in the entertainment space.
