Ron Onesti: 2014 at The Arcada … are you kidding me?

It was back in May of 2005 when I accepted the challenge of taking over an 80-year-old theater to make it a viable entertainment destination. I really didn't know what I was up against, especially since I didn't realize saving the Vaudevillian venue meant facing the Prohibition Era-style economic downfall that was looming about that same time.

But I hung on by my fingernails and went "all-in," an am now proudly able to proclaim The Arcada Theatre as being one of the top live music venues in the country! And 2014 really put us over the top.

How? First of all, we produced 147 independent concerts and special events there last year! Most were with legendary acts in music, big names … and big rockers. We also put together some unique events in tribute to other artists and milestones. And I continually try to make The Arcada a concert venue where I would buy a ticket as a fan myself.

One of the big names we started the year off with was the supergroup Cheap Trick. This was the band's first time at The Arcada and they established the record for selling-out the theater fastest. The show sold-out in 15 minutes! So I added another show … that sold out in three hours! And it was one of the most energetic and fun shows we have had, and they loved the place, proclaiming it the band's new home in the Chicago area.

One of the events we held of which I am most proud was he 50th Anniversary of The Beatles on the "Ed Sullivan Show," effectively establishing the "British Invasion" and taking rock music into another hemisphere. We not only held the event on the exact day of the show (Feb. 9) in 1964 but also hosted one of the biggest acts of the entertainment mecca in Branson, Missouri - Beatles tribute band extraordinaire The Liverpool Legends, who performed the Ed Sullivan set exactly the way the real guys did it!

Taking it a big step further, we also brought in Louise Harrison, George's sister, who was actually there backstage at "The Ed Sullivan Show" that night. Not only was she there, but she was also responsible for George performing and had a big hand in helping to establish The Beatles in America. It turns out George Harrison was extremely ill with a 103-degree temperature. They even went to the extreme of rehearsing a stand-in for George as it did not look like he was going to be well enough to perform. His sister Louise nursed him back to health that day and the rest is history.

It was an amazing night of songs and stories. And the very moment The Beatles performed on "The Ed Sullivan Show" 50 years earlier in 1964, Louise Harrison was in St. Charles over the countless other venues who were chasing her down.

Another incredible night was when Gordon Lightfoot hit The Arcada stage. He's a huge figure that for generations has had a cult following that was almost overwhelming. "The Wreck Of The Edmond Fitzgerald" was a song that helped define an era in music. He is a multiplatinum album recording artist, a folk/rock legend and one of the most tremendous songwriters of our time with hits performed by Elvis, Barbra Streisand, Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash, to name a few. And he also performed at The Arcada Theatre in St. Charles. Now that's a big deal!

More incredible and very special nights included a visit by blues/rock guitarist Jimmie Vaughan, older brother of the great Stevie Ray Vaughan, whom Stevie credited with teaching him how to play. When former members of The Electric Light Orchestra got together, they came to The Arcada to revisit all those great hits. And not only did we kill with a fabulous "80s Night" with Eddie Money and the group TOTO, but when the musical stars from the 1985 NFL champion Chicago Bears showed up, the place went crazy! Steve McMichael, Dan Hampton and Otis Wilson got onstage with their own band to entertain with classic rock and Motown hits. Another memorable and unique night at The Arcada!

Hollywood superstar Kevin Costner returned with his country band, saying The Arcada "felt like home." Ricky Nelson's sons, Gunnar and Matthew, performed a heartwarming musical tribute to their father that brought tears to the eyes of the standing-ovation crowd.

On another night, Mickey Dolenz remembered his brother from The Monkees, Davy Jones, and joining him onstage was the actual inspiration for the television show "The Partridge Family," The Cowsills. More great nights!

Alan Parsons, The Guess Who, Blue Oyster Cult, Thin Lizzy … the classic bands just kept coming! When Vegas came to St. Charles in the person of Engelbert Humperdink, entertainment royalty hit our stage. Johnny Rivers gave a rare performance to a sellout crowd, Herman's Hermits held it's Fan-Fest here, and even the power-punk band DEVO made an appearance in 2014!

The classic rock favorite band of the masses, Kansas, picked a new lead singer this year. The new band member, Ronnie Platt, was from a popular cover band in Chicago. And when the band was to feature its new singer in Chicago to celebrate the hometown boy's first local appearance, they chose The Arcada to do it.

How about names including KC & the Sunshine Band, Bill Medley of The Righteous Brothers, America, Ronnie Spector, Buddy Guy, LeAnn Rimes … even "ZuZu" from the film classic "It's A Wonderful Life" spent the weekend by us at The Arcada.

This year, we also lost very close friends of ours who shared special moments with us. Joan Rivers filmed her last stand-up television show for Showtime on The Arcada stage. She could have done the show in New York or Hollywood, but she did it in St. Charles! We held film legend Mickey Rooney's 89th birthday party at The Arcada, and pop/rock musical funnyman Paul Revere performed his very last show with his Raiders at The Arcada … they will all be dearly missed!

Yes, and as Frank Sinatra put it, "It Was a Very Good Year." We also celebrated Frank's 99th birthday on Dec. 12 with an incredible multimedia musical salute we produced ourselves.

I sincerely want to thank all of you who have made The Arcada your home for live music. The only thing more exciting for me than what we accomplished at The Arcada in 2014 is what the year 2015 holds.

If you can stand the excitement, come see what we have cooking. Between the music and the meatballs, The Arcada is where the stars come to play (and eat)!

• Ron Onesti is president and CEO of The Onesti Entertainment Corp. and The Historic Arcada Theatre in St. Charles. Celebrity questions and comments? Email ron@oshows.com.