Deep Purple, Josh Turner highlight Elgin concert series

This summer, downtown Elgin will be home to a whole lot of music, including several well-known acts.

Ron Onesti of Onesti Entertainment Corp., who also is president and CEO of the Arcada Theatre in St. Charles, told members of the Elgin City Council on Wednesday night that he's again partnering with the Grand Victoria Casino and the city of Elgin for a Rock 'n Roll Jackpot concert series at Festival Park on the banks of the Fox River.

Last year, the partnership yielded three classic rock summer concerts, including Lynyrd Skynyrd and Joan Jett & The Blackhearts.

"It was very successful," he said. "And at the end of the day, people enjoyed themselves and left with a great impression of downtown Elgin."

This year, the lineup will be more varied, Onesti said.

Fourth of July performances, which will be capped off by fireworks at the end of the night, will include Three Dog Night, Dennis DeYoung formerly of STYX, Creedence Clearwater Revisited and a band formed by former 1985 Chicago Bears players, Onesti said.

Country singer Josh Turner will play July 12, while classic rock icon Deep Purple will play Aug 20. These two acts will likely yield the largest crowd of about 8,000 or 9,000 people, Onesti said.

Other concerts will include Italy's Il Volo in a performance with the Elgin Symphony Orchestra, Vince Neil of Motley Crue, Tom Keifer of Cinderella, and Dee Snider of Twisted Sister, he said.

The lineup features "a variety of different forms of entertainment, different ways of engaging all kinds of different people to get them to downtown Elgin," Onesti said.