For generations of New Yorkers, few names are as closely tied to the city’s live music scene as Ron Delsener. Now playing in select theaters, the new documentary Ron Delsener Presents offers an all-access look at the relentless promoter and impresario whose career has shaped decades of iconic concerts.
Over a 60-year career, concert promoter Delsener became synonymous with New York City’s live music scene, shaping generations of iconic performances. From booking The Beatles at Forest Hills Tennis Stadium to bringing David Bowie to Carnegie Hall and Patti Smith to the Palladium, Delsener’s influence runs deep. Perhaps his most legendary feat was convincing Simon and Garfunkel to reunite for the largest concert in Central Park’s history.
The film explores how an inside look at Delsener transformed live music from chaotic nightclub gigs to global tours and sold-out arenas—a cultural evolution he helped pioneer. Even today, Delsener remains deeply involved in the business, fueled by a passion that refuses to fade.
The documentary features interviews with Delsener alongside a stellar lineup of music legends including Billy Joel, Patti Smith, Bruce Springsteen, Jon Bon Jovi, Art Garfunkel, Paul Simon, Lenny Kaye, Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, Verdine White, Lorne Michaels, Bette Midler, Jimmy Buffett, Cher, and many others.
“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, ‘Ron Delsener Presents.’…Delsener was the guy that took the chance, that’s something you need someone to do for you.”
Billy Joel
Director Jake Sumner’s connection to Delsener runs deep. “I don’t remember exactly how or when I met Ron Delsener,” Sumner says, “but he was a figure I was aware of from a young age as ‘the guy who does all the shows in New York.’” Growing up around the music business, Sumner recalls how Delsener’s name carried a certain mystique. His early memories include Delsener magically producing tickets to Knicks games and the Ringling Bros Circus for Sumner and his sister, like pulling rabbits out of a hat.
Sumner saw Delsener as more than a storyteller, but as a living archive of live music history. While the story of recorded music is well documented, the behind-the-scenes of iconic live performances often remains a mystery. Delsener’s career — from booking The Beatles and Bob Dylan at Forest Hills to founding a network that evolved into Live Nation — embodies that hidden narrative.
The original plan was to film Delsener touring New York’s concert venues, but the COVID-19 pandemic put live music on pause. Instead, Sumner spent much of 2020 in Delsener’s East Hampton basement, uncovering a treasure trove of rock ’n’ roll history: concert tickets, Village Voice ads, rare photos, and 8mm film reels that became the documentary’s visual heart.
Even as the world shut down, Delsener refused to stop working. “I witnessed Ron leaving voicemail after voicemail, refusing to believe the world had actually closed down,” Sumner recalls. “…no matter what happens, Ron can’t stop.”
Now in the later stages of his life, Delsener’s tenacious spirit still fuels the live music scene. Sumner believes Ron’s relentless hustle helped shape live music into the cultural powerhouse it is today.
The film’s soundtrack includes classic tracks from The Beatles, Count Basie, Billy Joel, Ramsey Lewis, The Lovin’ Spoonful, Ike and Tina Turner, David Bowie, KISS, and Simon and Garfunkel, alongside an original score by Beastie Boys producer and keyboardist Money Mark.
Sumner is an award-winning filmmaker known for shorts like Fantastic Man and Bob of the Park, which won DOC NYC’s Grand Jury Prize. He’s directed commercials for major brands including Nike and Google. Ron Delsener Presents is his first feature documentary. Producer Margaret Munzer Loeb leads MML Productions and Lismore Road, a nonprofit focused on social impact films. Her recent work includes Ron Delsener Presents and Plan C. She holds degrees from Brown University and NYU.
Producer James A. Smith’s credits include Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck and the Emmy-winning George Carlin’s American Dream. He earned a Producers Guild Award for Jane and produced Flipside, which premiered at TIFF in 2023. Jon Kamen, founder and CEO of RadicalMedia, has produced award-winning projects like Summer of Soul and Hamilton, earning Oscars, Emmys, and Grammys. Todd Stiefel, founder of the Stiefel Freethought Foundation and a political satire Super PAC, has invested in films such as Bad Faith and graduated from Duke University.
“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 Presents is now playing in select theaters. Tickets are available here.
Watch Ron Delsener Presents
5/30 – 6/12 – Quad Cinema – New York
5/30 – 6/5 – Scene One Spectrum 8 Theatres – Albany
5/30 – 6/5 – Burns Court Cinema – Sarasota
6/4 – *Patchogue Theatre for the Performing Arts* – Patchogue
6/11 – Nantucket Dreamland Theater – Nantucket
6/12 – Regent Theatre – Arlington
6/13 – 6/19 – Mary D. Fisher Theatre – Sedona
6/14 – The Palace Danbury Theatre – Danbury
6/14 – Violet Crown Santa Fe – Santa Fe
6/14 – Cinema Arts Centre – Huntington
6/15 – *Alamo Drafthouse Brooklyn* – Brookyln
6/18 – *GRAMMY Muesum* – Los Angeles
6/18 – Alamo Drafthouse Sloans Lake – Denver
6/18 – Alamo Drafthouse Naples – Naples
6/18 – Alamo Drafthouse Raleigh – Raleigh
6/18 – Alamo Drafthouse Village – Austin
6/18 – Alamo Drafthouse LaCenterra – Katy
6/19 – *Laemmle NoHo 7* – Los Angeles
6/20 – 6/26 – The Moviehouse – Millerton
6/21 & 6/22 – Harkins Theatres Shea 14 – Scottsdale
6/21 – 6/23 – Laemmle Claremont 5 – Claremont
6/21 – 6/23 – Laemmle Town Center 5 – Encino
6/21 – 6/23 – Laemmle Glendale – Glendale
6/21 – 6/23 – Laemmle Newhall – Santa Clarita
6/21 – 6/23 – Laemmle Monica Film Center – Santa Monica
6/21 – *Smith Rafael Film Center* – San Rafael
6/28 – *North Shore Towers Cinema* – Floral Park
6/28 – Martha’s Vineyard Film Center – Tisbury
7/3 – *Jacob Burns Film Center* – Pleasantville
7/6 – Jacob Burns Film Center – Pleasantville
7/9 – DENIZEN Theatre – New Paltz
7/11 – DENIZEN Theatre – New Paltz
7/12 – DENIZEN Theatre – New Paltz
7/9 – *The Rosendale Theatre* – Rosendale
7/13 – WFMU Monty Hall – Jersey City
7/14 – Woodward Theater – Cincinnati
8/10 -*Long Island Music & Entertainment Hall of Fame* – Stony Brook
8/14 – ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks – Bethlehem
9/19 – Alamo Drafthouse Winchester – Winchester
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