Podcast: Tod Kniazuk joins Rockabilly Greg in the Flamingo Lounge -

Buffalo Music: The Man behind The Big Easy in Buffalo

Tod A. Kniazuk has focused his career on organizational and program development, policy, governance, and research. He currently works for the City of Buffalo as the senior grants manager responsible for all grants at the Buffalo Police Department; serves as Artistic/Executive Director of the nonprofit music and mentoring organization The Big Easy in Buffalo; and is the event planner for Buffalo’s Best Kielbasa Contest. Tod also serves as Board President of the Friends of St. Adalbert Basilica, on the Festival Committee for Music is Art, and on the Grants Committee for the Threadhead Cultural Foundation in New Orleans.

Prior to his city service, Tod worked at Hauptman-Woodward Medical Research Institute (HWI) in advancement and donor relations. He was the first executive director of Arts Services Initiative (ASI) of Western New York, a regional organization that provides grants, opportunities, professional development, and advocacy to cultural organizations and artists in five counties, as well as public programming aimed at increasing access to the arts. Under his leadership, ASI activated a dozen efforts including an economic impact analysis of the sector, eight regrant programs, professional development sessions for organizations and artists, an “Arts Access” program to provide cultural opportunities to low-income residents, and an annual candidate survey.

Kniazuk also served as the first executive director for Robby Takac’s Music is Art, founding executive director of the Niagara Erie Regional Coalition, consultant for the Niagara University Center for Hospitality Training and Research, senior staff assistant at the UB Regional Institute specializing in economic development and governmental projects, and as a staff member at the Erie County Legislature. He also frequently served as a panelist for the New York State Council on the Arts grant panels, and in 2015 was chosen as one of the nation’s top local arts agency leaders by Americans for the Arts. Tod has presented twice at the New York State Public Safety Symposium; in 2022 on an alternatives to arrest pilot program at the, and in 2023 on grant writing and management.

Tod visited the Flamingo Lounge on December 11, 2025 for an interesting conversation about the music scene and the Big Easy in Buffalo.

You can find out more about the Big Easy in Buffalo at their website: thebigeasyinbuffalo.com or at Facebook

Greg Hennessey’s “In the Flamingo Lounge with Rockabilly Greg” podcast is must listen content for fans of Western New York music. Hennessey just started his sixth season of podcasts, and he’s got over 100 episodes in his archives at https://rockabillygreg.com.

New episodes are available at 9 a.m. EST each Saturday at RockabillyGreg.com. Each posting includes a link to the podcast, website, and social media links, images, and other interesting tidbits about the week’s guest(s).

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