Abramorama announced that it has acquired U.S. distribution rights to RadicalMedia’s production of Jake Sumner’s feature-length documentary “Ron Delsener Presents,” a history of the career of arguably the most influential concert promoter in New York.
The doc — which was reviewed by Variety during previews in 2023 — includes exclusive interviews with Jon Bon Jovi, Jimmy Buffett, Cher, Art Garfunkel, Billy Joel, Lenny Kaye, Lorne Michaels, Bette Midler, Gene Simmons, Paul Simon, Patti Smith, Bruce Springsteen, Steve Van Zandt and many more. The film will be released in theaters across the country beginning with a weeklong engagement at NYC’s Quad Cinema on May 30th, followed by multiple engagements across the Tri-State area and select cities nationwide. Ron Delsener and guests will be participating in multiple Q&As during the film’s run at the Quad.
Sumner said, “For generations most of the live music in New York City and most of its iconic venues were presided over by one individual and his small team, and that was Ron Delsener. Ron’s personal story tracks the tale of live music from a cottage industry to the dominant cultural force and global business it is today. He is probably one of the only living sources of the live music business’s entirety, or at least a version of it. The scope of Ron’s story, breadth of archival footage and source material (largely found in his basement) spans decades and reveals a somewhat unknown history of live music.”
The doc chronicles the events and tactics that transformed live performance from disorganized, low-fi events to international tours, arenas, and, eventually, into a global empire — and at 86 years old, Delsener is still at it, and remains a familiar presence at New York concerts. From the Beatles at Forest Hills Tennis Stadium, to bringing David Bowie to Carnegie Hall and Patti Smith to the Palladium, it’s a miniature history of much of the rock music of that era — and arguably the highlight of the doc is his recounting of Simon and Garfunkel’s 1981 reunion concert in Central Park, which features a flawlessly edited back-and-forth chronicling how he convinced Simon that the reunion was actually the singer’s own idea (which Delsener knew was the only way the reunion would happen).
Abramorama CEO Karol Martesko-Fenster stated, “Abramorama is thrilled to collaborate with Jake and the extended film team to bring this engaging portrait of a quintessential New Yorker to a broader audience,” with Founder Richard Abramowitz adding, “During the 70s, Ron Delsener produced more memorable music in New York than anyone else, helping to form the musical tastes of a generation. There are too many to list but for a small sample consider: Bob Marley and the Wailers, Bruce Springsteen, John Prine, Linda Ronstadt, Bonnie Raitt, The Kinks, Richie Havens, Simon and Garfunkel, even… Benny Goodman and Ella Fitzgerald! Each show was a convening of enthusiastic music-lovers in Central Park under the stars in what felt like the center of the universe. Many thousands, maybe millions, owe Ron a huge debt of gratitude. I know I do.”
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