Skyline Artists Agency Acquires Strategic Touring

Mike Kaiz

The Skyline Artists Agency has acquired Strategic Touring as part of an ongoing expansion of its contemporary artist division led by Mark Lourie, who has been promoted to VP of Contemporary.

Strategic Touring founder Mike Kaiz will join Skyline as an agent, bringing with him a roster that includes Henhouse Prowlers, Upstate, Armchair Boogie, Kind Country, and Jeremy Garrett. He and Skyline Nashville agent, James Leslie, have also signed two-time Grammy nominee Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen.

Kaiz founded Chicago-based Strategic Touring in 2018 after a stint at Portland, Oregon’s Blue Sun Entertainment agency.

“Mike has excellent musical taste and the work ethic required to develop new artists, particularly in these challenging times,” said Lourie.

“I’m proud to join a team with Skyline’s passion and experience,” added Kaiz.

Kaiz joins Skyline’s emerging and contemporary artists division which includes argonaut & wasp, Darlingside, Freddy Jones Band, Gangstagrass, Mystic Bowie’s Talking Dreads, We Banjo 3, Zoe Keating and more.

“At a time when many others are retrenching, we are growing our team and doubling down on our commitment to developing and serving artists,” said Skyline Artists Agency President Bruce Houghton.

Since the first of the year, Skyline has also expanded its Arts division with the promotion of Andrea Sabata to VP of Performing Arts and addition of agent Ben Rossman, and grew its Nashville presence adding Laura Schneider as head of Artist Relations and Sean Quinn as Tour Coordinator.