Best Promoter
Danny Zelisko
Renowned Phoenix concert promoter Danny Zelisko has done and seen it all — and he’s the first to tell you about it. In his 2020 memoir, All Exce$$: Occupation: Concert Promoter, he spins unforgettable (and often wild) yarns from 45-plus years of producing more than 10,000 gigs since the mid-’70s for a who’s-who of music legends in the Valley and elsewhere. Like helping Pink Floyd sell out back-to-back nights at Phoenix Municipal Stadium in 1988. Or booking Paul McCartney at Sun Devil Stadium in 1990, or smoking weed with Perry Farrell when the now-defunct Compton Terrace hosted the first Lollapalooza show in 1991. As enthralling as this behind-the-scenes glimpse was to read, it told us what we already knew: Zelisko has profoundly shaped and influenced the local concert scene for decades, from mentoring Crescent Ballroom/Valley Bar co-owner Charlie Levy early in his career to advising the current proprietors of Celebrity Theatre after longtime owner Rich Hazelwood died in March. And he keeps bringing icons like Styx, Cheap Trick, and George Thorogood to town for fans of a certain age to enjoy and younger fans to discover. Keep going, Danny — we aren’t ready for you to hang up that backstage pass yet.