About us

Our story

Nik Entertainment Co. is a creative organization dedicated to the presentation of live music. Home of Nik and the Nice Guys (the band which brought rock and roll to the Super Bowl), the act delivers immersive live music experiences to corporate and public events!

Nik bands travel the globe creating a fun-filled party environment by combining mainstream music with theatrics, choreography, costuming and comedy.

Nik supplies upbeat, engaging, danceable entertainment for your big event, gala, or special occasion.

The beginning

Nik and the Nice Guys was formed by a group of Canadian hockey players at St. Lawrence University in the early 70’s. The band included NHL coach Mike Keenan and present day Nik manager Gary Webb. High-energy performances established a new college standard and left fans wanting more after graduation.

Luckily, when Keenan became coach of the Rochester Americans hockey team in 1980, he decided to get the band back together—this time with a group of daytime business professionals who would become night time party animals raising money for charity. However, thanks to some high-profile, big stage bookings, Webb parlayed the band’s newfound success into a full-time touring operation.

Nik played a significant historical role in shaping the entertainment dynamics of Super Bowl weekend.

Touchdown time

In the late 80’s, NFL Properties experimented with live rock music at the world’s largest annual media event. This was in stark contrast to the string-based orchestras and “safe” variety acts employed in the past. NFL executive Maureen Rosen took a huge career risk and hired an unknown crazy band called Nik and the Nice Guys. The success of Rosen’s gamble and off-the-wall Nik performances paved the way for MTV and live pop music to become an integral part of every Super Bowl.

Nik continued to play high-profile worldwide events and even landed the house band gig for ESPN’s “The Lighter Side of Sports” and NBC’s “Bob Uecker Sports Show” in the 90’s. Reruns of these shows played like crazy all over the world and Nik soon hit the road touring in Europe, The Cayman Islands, Japan, Mexico, and everywhere in between!

To meet the unbelievable booking demand, Nik and the Nice Guys spun off a number of niche showbands and formed Nik Entertainment Co. to manage these acts.

The documentary

Michael J. Kirk is an award-winning filmmaker who has directed, produced, and written over 140 projects in the past 25 years. In late 2022, Michael embarked on a mission to tell the story of Nik’s influence on the music culture of Super Bowls—beginning with their legendary New Orleans performance in 1986. Fans will enjoy this exclusive look behind the scenes as well as interviews with major sports executives and our very own Iron Mike Keenan.

Stay tuned for information about the film’s release!

Meet the team

Gary W. Webb

President and General Manager

Gary is a founding member of Nik and the Nice Guys. Originally from Burlington, Ontario, Gary attended St. Lawrence University and has a graduate accounting degree from Clarkson. He was formerly an Audit Partner at Deloitte.

Ken Gardner

VP, Music & Audio

Ken joined Team Nik in 1999, originally as a performer. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering Technology at RIT and holds an MBA from St. John Fisher College.