Even if your tastes run more toward Rachmaninoff than rock, you have a stake in the lawsuit filed by the management at Merriweather Post Pavilion.

No matter how it turns out, there's a good chance that the fight between the pavilion's management company and a giant concert promoter will further delay a downtown redevelopment process that has already dragged on for years and can ill afford yet another drag on its momentum.

It's My Party Inc. and It's My Amphitheater, the companies that operate the outdoor music venue, are suing Los Angeles-based Live Nation, alleging that the world's largest concert producer is keeping major acts from performing in Columbia by violating antitrust laws and generally exercising a monopoly on the concert industry (see story, Page 1).

But the suit has implications beyond Merriweather or even the surrounding Symphony Woods. The pavilion, a focal point for life in Columbia since its early days, will remain a centerpiece of the revitalization of Town Center, whatever shape it ultimately takes.

After it acquired Merriweather as part of its purchase of The Rouse Co., General Growth Properties Inc. hired Bethesda-based IMP to run the amphitheater and that company has given it the old college try. But IMP says the big acts that would keep Merriweather a going concern are being kept away because of dirty pool on the part of Live Nation.

The 11-count complaint claims that Live Nation controls 19 of the top 25 regional markets in the country and signs deals with artists for entire tours that require the performers to play at only Live Nation-owned venues.

Before you say, "So what? I never go to Merriweather anyway," remember that under General Growth's proposed plan to redevelop downtown Columbia, a renovated Merriweather is to be the linchpin of a cultural hub that will attract visitors. As such, it will serve as a key component to the economic health of Columbia and Howard County.

The downtown plan undoubtedly will evolve to one degree or another as time passes, but Merriweather must certainly occupy a place of importance in it.

A few years back, General Growth proposed enclosing the pavilion and turning it into a much smaller, indoor venue and developing much of the surrounding land as commercial and residential property. But a grassroots effort, supported by some influential politicians, persuaded General Growth that it was a bad idea, and the company agreed to keep Merriweather open as the outdoor amphitheater it's always been.

But if the pavilion can't consistently book performers that will draw crowds, that future is in danger and the plan for downtown Columbia would certainly have to go back to the drawing board, further delaying a project that has already taken too long to get started.

If IMP's allegations of anti-competitive behavior on the part of Live Nation don't hold up in court, Merriweather's management will have to fish or cut bait. It would mean either a lavish renovation that the big-drawing artists could no longer ignore, or -- more likely -- a reversion to the idea of a smaller venue for smaller acts.

If, on the other hand, the courts determine that Live Nation is indeed a functioning monopoly and act to break it up, Merriweather could enjoy a resurgence as a premier venue in the region.

And that could take years. Do we have the time to wait?

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