And up ahead, Live Nation pointed to a second-half (current period) drop of 15 percent for the top 100 tours, part of a very rocky year. During the call, Live Nation CEO Michael Rapino blamed broader economic pressures, though high-profile cancellations by U2 and others are also contributing.

The street disliked the bad news, especially its broader effects on Live Nation revenues. At the closing bell, shares of Live Nation (LYV) dropped more than 10 percent. That might be the beginning of a broader share drop.

So what gives? Sounds like a sector in distress, though plenty of voices are calling for a serious recalibration on pricing. This is the sort of gut-wrenching pain that can hit mature markets, especially ones crashing into broader economic malaise. “I don’t care how famous you might be or how many records you’ve sold,” Audiosocket CEO Brent McCrossen recently commented on an earlier Digital Music News story. “If you’re putting on a lackluster show and Live Nation is charging hundreds of dollars to see it, you’re going to have trouble filling seats, even if you are giving away free CDs with the purchase of a ticket.”

But what about better targeting? In leaner times, that means identifying prime, size-appropriate venues and reaching more dedicated and motivated fans. Doing the relentless homework, and throwing less gigs to chance. On this front, demand-driven Eventful (eventful.com) quickly comes to mind, but plenty of other ideas are bubbling in the targeted touring area.

That includes GigMaven, a free online resource for booking and managing gigs. At its best, GigMaven links an in-demand artist with the right venue, but promoters are always nervous about what the actual attendance will be. With that in mind, GigMaven just started integrating a data-focused API from Next Big Sound to feed better band metrics to venues.

So how’s it doing? Still very early, though according to GigMaven founder Howard Han, the simple idea has already resulted in about 5-10 packed shows. And if it all goes swimmingly, the API tie-up could lead to a better scheduling science – ie, more tickets sold, more beer purchased, and happier bands and promoters. Just like the good old days.

Schuon, who worked closely with Irving Azoff, came into the Live Nation fold through Ticketmaster Entertainment and Front Line Management. The reasons for the departure are unclear at this stage, and the exact timing of the exit is also unknown. Schuon first joined the now-merged company in January of 2009.

Schuon appears to be flying solo at the moment, though he has a deep history in the music industry. Schuon currently sits on the board of Hot Topic, was a programming consultant and advisor to Sirius XM Radio, and carried top or near-top positions at IMF, Infinity Broadcasting, Pressplay, and Farmclub. He was also Executive VP of Programming and Production at MTV, and EVP and General Manager at Warner Bros. Records.

According to disclosures after the closing bell on Wall Street, Live Nation suffered loss of $112 million, or 76 cents a share during the three months ending March 31st. That is a broader drop than a year-ago loss of $102.7 million, or $1.29 a share.

And revenues? Those were predictably up, thanks to the combination. Specifically, sales jumped 49 percent to $723 million, though concert attendance slipped 3 percent to 6.8 million. Plus, spending per attendee jumped 2 percent to $59.71.

Still, the tree may need a bit of time to bear fruit. Live Nation Entertainment CEO Michael Rapino predicted merger-related cost savings ahead, and seasonal gains in attendance and sales. “We remain on track in eliminating redundancies and driving a minimum of $40 million in merger synergies across our operations in 2010,” Rapino assured. “Our core concert and ticketing businesses are entering the busiest time of the year and show count and ticket sales globally remain on track to achieve our plan for 2010.”

*The planned merger between Live Nation and Ticketmaster has hit a snag in the UK.  The UK Competition Commission is reopening the matter following a complaint by German-based ticketing agency CTS Eventim, pushed through the Competition Appeal Tribunal.

*Rhapsody lost more subscribers during the recent quarter, according to financial disclosures from RealNetworks (RNWK).  At the end of the year, the service claimed 675,000 subs, down 15.6 percent from last year.  That was part of a broader loss of $13.3 million, larger than analyst expectations.  RealNetworks, along with MTV Networks, are now spinning Rhapsody into an independent service.

*Ford officially disclosed its partnership with Gracenote, one focused on in-dash system Sync.  Gracenote brings voice activated controls, an album cover database, and playlist creation technologies to the table.

*Also on the automotive front, Volvo disclosed plans to install a touchscreen, rear seat entertainment system on its 2010 XC70.  The system includes broadband, WiFi and a 500GB hard drive, and partners include Gracenote, Sprint, and Azentek.

*Want to license?  Need a license?  This is a crowded space, and Indie Music Tech has assembled a long list of players.

*Want to learn Leadership Lessons from a Dancing Guy?  A short-but-potent presentation by Derek Sivers from the TED Conference is starting to make the rounds.

*Music stocks were mostly tame on Friday, a reflection of broader market movements.  The Dow (DJIA) edged upward 0.44 percent to 10,099.14, and Apple (AAPL) gained less than a percent to $200.38.  Rovi Corporation (ROVI) was among the bigger movers, jumping 9.61 percent to $31.02 following a positive earnings report.