The 2022 Rockin the Downs Concert Series is scheduled to begin in June, and President and CEO of Batavia Downs Gaming and Hotel, Henry Wojtaszek and Marketing Director Ryan Hasenauer are very busy planning for the 2023 summer concert season and future indoor concert events.
After announcing a marketing partnership with the Riveria Theatre in North Tonawanda on Thursday, Wojtaszek says he hopes the new partnership will enable both locations to cross promote and attract great acts in the future.
“The concert business is a very competitive industry,” says Wojtaszek.
“You’ve got to get an early start. We started looking for out 2022 acts last September, we announced the lineup in December. We bid on 13 total acts, and we got 10 out of 13.”
The Downs is already working on acts for the 2023 summer concert series and other indoor concert events.
“A lot of good ideas have come out of collaboration with another musical venue, we are also working on some country acts, and a Singer/Songwriters series in the Clubhouse. We are interested in increasing the quality of the bands we are getting, and we’ve done that from the beginning. Our series this year costs a little more than the series we started with four years ago and we want to continue to bring in the higher acts.”
Wojtaszek says he learned about Michael DelGuidice Show that Celebrates the music of Billy Joel after attending DelGuidice’ Show at the Riveria Theatre.
“I wouldn’t have ever known that Michael DelGuidice was an act if I did not travel to the Riveria.”
DelGuidice will be making his Batavia Downs debut on Friday, August 12th, 2022, he is currently on tour with Billy Joel. In October of 2013, Billy Joel was so impressed with Mike’s singing, Joel personally hired Mike to join his band. Mike and his band play all of Billy Joel’s big hits. They will also perform a few astonishing renditions of other classic rock hits, plus some of Mike’s own original work.(Batavia Downs press release/12/1/21)
Batavia Downs has been a major sponsor for the Riveria Theatre for the last three years.
“The entertainment industry struggled as a whole the last two years, and we are always looking for new ways to promote and host great concerts. Batavia Downs shares that same vision and this will open the door for bigger and better things to come in the future at both venues. I think we can all agree that there is always room for more live concerts in our lives,” says Riviera Theatre Executive Director David Fillenwarth.
Over the past five years, Wojtaszek has been engaged in the music industry in WNY.
“Finding out who is available to come and perform, it’s a yearlong endeavor now. “
The Rockin the Downs Concert Series came about after Wojtaszek’s conversation with a Batavia resident who clued him in about a large concert that was held outside at the Downs in 1994 called The Great Northeast Country Jamboree, the event was a 36-act four-day event, and the largest country music event ever held in WNY.
“They showed me this is a prime area to have a concert, and they also shared information about a company that has the resources and equipment just down the road to put on a concert, and that’s how Rockin the Downs developed.”
Wojtaszek attends each show during the summer concert series and talks with concert goers to get feedback.
“We even take suggestions as far as bands. We do try to make it a little diverse, we try and make sure we target the demographics of the people who come here, we try and get some rock, contemporary, some country and some southern rock.”
Last year the two bestselling acts were 70s style music, Tommy James and The Shondells and the Grassroots, says Marketing Director Ryan Hasenauer. This year, so far, the bestselling act is Herman’s Hermits starring Peter Noone.
Each show involves a lot of work says Wojtaszek. With a week of preparation for each Friday night show, Batavia Downs employees put in extra effort each week to make the experience a great one for concert goers.
“We have employees that go the extra mile to provide great customer service and put in the hard work necessary to put on a concert. To see that people have had such a wonderful time at a reasonable price at a very comfortable environment and enjoying themselves and having great music, it’s very rewarding.”
For information on the concerts scheduled for this summer and to order tickets: click the links below www.BataviaConcerts.com
Upcoming Events – Riviera Theatre