Knicks Owner James Dolan said “there’s room” in N.Y. for Barclays Center, but there is “no real replacement” for Madison Square Garden, according to Andrew Hampp of BILLBOARD. Calling Barclays Center a “good venue,” Dolan said, “I wish them well -- except for basketball -- but we’re just finishing a three-year transformation of Madison Square Garden and you won’t believe what the place looks like. It’s like a brand-new arena.” When asked if Barclays Center might compete with MSG for bookings, Dolan said, “My biggest problem right now is the (NHL) hockey strike, which could put a lot of holes in our calendar.” Dolan: “In this marketplace there’s room for other venues to do well and they seem to be. It’s a nice venue -- if it makes concert-going more appealing to the marketplace, great. That just makes the pie bigger.” Meanwhile, Dolan said of performing with his band JD & the Straight Shot, “I squeeze it in wherever I can. A lot of times I go from the office, change from a suit to the blue jeans, warm up and just hit the stage. I love music so much and it’s always been a big part of my life. It’s something I could never see not doing and it provides balance to me, too” (BILLBOARD, 10/13 issue).
