Blues Fest Gets $10K Gift

The Niagara Falls Reporter recently ran an op-ed / investigative piece questioning Mayor Paul Dyster’s intention to give $40,000 to the Niagara Falls Blues Festival when its promoter, Toby Rotella, told the paper he could do the festival without it.

Dyster suggested that the extra money would help bring in a big act like Buddy Guy, but the paper suggested it had to do with Dyster’s relationship with Global Spectrum, or the Hard Rock Cafe, or something like that.

Apparently Dyster has spent more than $700,000 of public money on concerts at the Hard Rock, according to the paper. The columnist got an anonymous tip that this all had to do with Global Spectrum, which sells beer for the blues festival.

The conspiracy has something to do with Global Spectrum being involved with the Buffalo waterfront development, and that they “have a restaurant there” managed by a former Hard Rock executive who is a close friend to Dyster. “Is it possible that Dyster wants a big act so it will draw more people so that Global Spectrum will sell more beer?” the columnist asked. “Is it possible that Mayor Dyster is trying to also help Global Spectrum so that public money is used to aid a private company to get bigger crowds and hence bigger beer sales?”

When the dust settled, the city council allowed $10,000 to go to the festival. However, the paper was more concerned with a $468,720 contract the council approved for the repaving of City Hall’s 1-acre parking lot.