MSG’s Dolan invests in Eyellusion

Eyellusion, the company behind hologram tours by deceased rock icons Ronnie James Dio and Frank Zappa, has raised US$2 million in seed funding from Madison Square Garden Company (MSG) board member Thomas Dolan.

Dolan, the brother of MSG CEO James, will also serve in an advisory role for Eyellusion, which is currently gearing up for the upcoming the Bizarre World of Frank Zappa tour. He also serves on the board of broadcaster AMC Networks.

“The Eyellusion team is incredibly talented, bringing a combination of unique skillsets and experience across music, touring and digital effects,” Dolan comments. “I have been evaluating opportunities in this space for some time and believe Eyellusion has the best expertise and production chops for successful pursuit of this growing opportunity.

“I can’t wait for the team to share the new shows they’re creating with live music fans everywhere, making history along the way.”

“This funding ensures our ability to continue executing and delivering on our vision of bringing fans the shows of their dreams”

LA-based Eyellusion in December wrapped up the first leg of its successful Dio Returns tour, playing to theatre-sized in seven countries over 18 days, backed by Dio’s former bandmates. It will return for a full world tour in early 2019.

“When Eyellusion was founded in 2015, we had a vision for how holograms could deliver a completely new live music experience while preserving the legacies of music’s most important and impactful artists,” says Jeff Pezzuti, CEO of Eyellusion.

“It has been an amazing journey, and as we sign new artists for productions, this funding ensures our ability to continue executing and delivering on our vision of bringing fans the shows of their dreams.”

Get more stories like this in your inbox by signing up for IQ Index, IQ’s free email digest of essential live music industry news.