A lawsuit filed against the Pearl’s music venue Stable Hall and Austin subcontractor Soap Creek Entertainment earlier this week claims that the two LLCs violated a contract with Dallas-based music and entertainment company Wood Hall.
Wood Hall is now seeking $1 million.
The lawsuit outlines how the Dallas company worked to get Stable Hall’s operations started in 2023, but claims “Stable Hall unilaterally and unexpectedly terminated” Wood Hall from operations on Oct. 28, 2024 “without any prior notice or opportunity to cure whatsoever,” in violation of its contract.
It then goes on to allege that San Antonio developer Christopher “Kit” Goldsbury, chairman of the board of Pearl’s parent company Silver Ventures, “directed the termination of Wood Hall to accommodate a friend’s son — Jayson Adams — who has assumed the role of operator and booker for the venue.”
It claims that Potluck Hospitality, an arm of Silver Ventures, strategically took advantage of Wood Hall’s owner Brandt Wood by using his expertise and then depriving him of the opportunity to continue participating in the management and ownership of Stable Hall.
“Potluck and its Pearl affiliates developed a plan to clandestinely cultivate new
management and harvest existing content providers from the Wood Hall team in both talent booking and event,” it states. “After they had taken everything they could from … Wood Hall, Potluck and its Pearl affiliates then orchestrated a timed and intentional breach of the management agreement.”
Soap Creek, an Austin-based talent booking company that worked as a subcontractor for Wood Hall, is accused of continuing to book talent for Stable Hall for months after Wood Hall’s termination, in violation of their contractual agreement.
Stable Hall continued to announce multiple new shows through its social media and email blasts for acts that Soap Creek had only tendered offers to, but as of the date of unlawful termination, were unconfirmed,” the suit states. “Accordingly, this demonstrated that Soap Creek was continuing to book acts for the venue on behalf of Stable Hall.”
Ryan Howard, managing director of Potluck Hospitality, said in an emailed statement the company has recently made a “strategic management change that aligns with our vision for growth and bringing exceptional music experiences back to San Antonio.”
“Stable Hall is committed to delivering live music entertainment to our community,” he stated. “We look forward to sharing more about our upcoming initiatives and events in the near future.”
Wood had not responded to a request for comment from the San Antonio Report as of Friday afternoon.
A century of history
The historic 131-year-old Pearl Stable was once home to draft horses utilized at Pearl Brewing. Designed by architect Otto Kraemer and constructed in 1894, the structure was restored and converted into an event venue in 2006.
In July 2020, Pearl officials closed the Stable as a private venue, saying they would “reimagine the next chapter of the Stable with the intention of reopening as a new concept.” It opened its doors as a music venue in January 2024.
In the suit, Wood says that in 2019 he and his associate Erick Schlather approached Pearl representatives with the idea of hosting a music festival in San Antonio. Over the following months, Wood says the two parties discussed several potential projects, including a music venue, a biergarten, and an arcade, which was ultimately canceled.
Wood Hall was selected to develop and manage the Stable Hall music venue, leveraging its extensive experience in music venue development. The lawsuit stresses that Wood Hall played a key role in conceptualizing and co-developing the venue, even naming it “Stable Hall” as a nod to the building’s historical use as a stable for the Pearl Brewery’s draft horses.
In 2021, Stable Hall LLC was established, with Wood listed as one of its members.
According to the lawsuit, a formal agreement made in 2023 detailed Wood Hall’s partial involvement and ownership. This arrangement was further formalized in December 2023 when the two parties signed a management agreement, allowing Wood Hall to operate Stable Hall in exchange for a fee tied to net sales, the suit states.
Despite this agreement, 10 months after the venue’s opening, Wood Hall received notification of its termination, the suit states.
According to the lawsuit, the management agreement explicitly prohibited such an abrupt termination without a minimum 30-day notice and the chance to cure any defaults, a stipulation Wood Hall claims was blatantly disregarded.
In 2024, the venue booked Black Pumas, Shakey Graves, Ghostland Observatory and Portugal. The Man. among others.
