Ron Onesti: The Sixties … always the 'Time of the Season'

Lately, our schedule is such that bands are literally coming in and going out so fast it is hard to keep track who is actually performing at The Arcada, and just how big of a deal it is that they are there.

I am a huge fan of all of this stuff, so when these bands hit our stage, I am as excited as the fans in the front row. But sometimes even I take for granted the level of rock legends that are in our cool, custom dressing rooms. For example, last week we had The Zombies. What a show that was!

The vocal power of original vocalist Colin Blunstone was absolutely incredible. And the showmanship of original keyboardist Rod Argent added the fun to the show.

The Zombies were are part of the “British Invasion” and appeared on American television after emerging from England in 1964 with their first hit, “She's Not There.” They followed up with “Tell Her No” in 1965 and “Time Of The Season” in 1969.

The band's 1968 album release, “Odessey and Oracle,” is listed as number 100 on Rolling Stone magazine's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. All these songs are big hits from the Sixties that turned into timeless classics, and they were now being performed on MY stage by the guys who made them big!

These guys were as huge as the Beatles at one time. Screaming girls, selling out shows across the country, major radio airplay … they were a part of it all. So when I first met them I was humbled.

I first worked with them about three years ago. They were just coming back out, so their agent, an old friend of mine, called me to see if I could place them at the theater. I hadn't heard much about them in recent years so I added them as a double bill to Burton Cummings of the Guess Who. WOW! What a pairing THAT was! People were freaking out!

So I just had to have them back. This is their 49th year! It's just crazy how many years these bands have been performing. Traveling all over the world, not as big stars anymore. More like appearing at Disney, at local festivals and in smaller clubs and theaters. But even without all the glamour, they still perform as if the songs were just being released, with the same passion and excitement as they had in the very beginning.

I remember listening to the Zombies' sound check and just how good those songs sounded. Then I heard “Hold Your Head Up” by the band Argent. I thought they took a break and the radio was on. That song is one of my all-time favorites. They were playing it live! As much as a rock “aficionado” I think I am, I did not realize that the Rod Argent in the Zombies is the Rod Argent in ARGENT! I was going crazy!

These Sixties groups are just amazing to me. They are all pushing 70 and beyond, and they are still rockin'! Another example is Eric Burdon of the Animals. He is another implant from over the pond that is still keeping the Sixties alive. His “We Gotta Get Out Of This Place” was an anthem for Vietnam warriors, so he is also a part of the fabric of pop culture.

He has played The Arcada on several occasions, bringing the crowd to its feet with his “House Of The Rising Sun.” I became fast friends with him as he really loves America and all that this country has done for him. This was evidenced by an unplanned circumstance. He finished his show to a standing ovation, and began walking offstage. As he got to the side curtain, I walked out with an American flag, just moving it from where it was to where it was supposed to be. He leapt forward and hugged the flag with great sincerity, right on stage and the place went crazy! The flag totally engulfed him. It was so cool! Another memorable moment at The Arcada.

When Colin and Rod hit the stage (along with Jim Rodford of the Kinks on bass), magic appeared with them. They appeared to be as excited to play to the sold out crowd as they were in 1965. Colin — tall, lanky and with big Sixties hair parted on the side — and Rod, smaller framed with an eternal smile. They all bounced around the stage, joking and dancing to the beat of the music.

The cool thing about putting on these shows is I hire them based on the couple of hits I remember, but during their live performances I come to realize just how many more of their tunes I've heard and know! That's how it is with most of these bands. But as the superstars of the Sixties still keep the legacies of the “Summer of Love,” “Woodstock,” “Altamont,” “Flower Power” and the British Invasion alive, generation after generation will continue to foster the memory of these music icons. And that I see as a responsibility. We need to feature this music on a regular basis … and keep it alive!

Yes, the fabulous Sixties had some of our best loved music in history. And the Zombies STILL have it going on. I can only hope I will be as full of life as they still are. To ironically be as alive as someone who represents “The Walking Dead” is a testimonial to the power of music. When it comes to Sixties music, it is always the “Time of the Season!”

• 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.