Ron Delsener Presents - Enzian Theater

Ron Delsener Presents is an all-access pass to New York’s greatest gigs-featuring some of the iconic artists who performed in them; and a portrait of the singular figure who brought these shows together, rock concert promoter and impresario Ron Delsener.

In a career spanning sixty years, Delsener was the name behind virtually every major contemporary music concert in New York City for generations. From promoting the Beatles at Forest Hills Tennis Stadium, to bringing David Bowie to Carnegie Hall, and Patti Smith to the Palladium, to somehow convincing Simon and Garfunkel to bury the hatchet and play the biggest concert of all time in Central Park, Ron Delsener was behind it all.

Ron Delsener Presents offers an intimate look into the life and legacy of legendary concert promoter Ron Delsener, showcasing never-before-seen archival footage and fresh interviews with Delsener himself and iconic artists who helped shape modern music. Featured voices include Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel, Jon Bon Jovi, Verdine White, Bette Midler, Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, Paul Simon, Art Garfunkel, Patti Smith, and more. The film’s soundtrack spans generations, with classic tracks by The Beatles, Count Basie, David Bowie, Ike & Tina Turner, KISS, and Simon & Garfunkel, and features an original score by Money Mark, renowned producer and keyboardist for the Beastie Boys.

Through a portrait of a mercurial and relentless showman, Ron Delsener Presents takes us behind-the-curtain through the last half century of the live music business, chronicling the tactics that drove live performance from disorganized, low-fi nightclubs to international tours, arenas, stadiums, and, eventually, into a global empire. A transformation that Delsener is in many ways responsible for. Working in a business he helped to create, Delsener now in the later stages of his life, still has his hand in the game. Sure, he could stop—maybe even he should—but Ron doesn’t know how.

2023, 96 minutes, USA, Directed by Jake Sumner, Unrated

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“Ronnie was a risk taker; he was willing to take the gamble. New York City had all different kinds of acts, but they were all promoted by Delsener. Delsener was the guy that took the chance, that’s something you need someone to do for you.”
– Billy Joel
“Every time you went to New York, you knew you were going to see Ron Delsener, he’s going to take care of you at the gig, and you were going to have a good time...He’s the exact guy who he seems to be now.”
– Bruce Springsteen
“Ron Delsener... One of the strangest people ever. But fabulous!”
– Bette Midler
“Ron was ubiquitous and New York’s his town. He’s just always been there.”
– Paul Simon
“Ron Delsener Presents at the Palladium they were probably some of our greatest concerts...His energy was always a part of it, I don’t know what he did, it’s like he injected the air with something. When we had a concert with him, you could feel it.”
– Patti Smith