How do you save a historic theater, keep legendary artists coming back — and build a life around “music and meatballs”?Ron Onesti, President & CEO of Onesti Entertainment, joins Hogpod as the Arcada Theatre in St. Charles prepares to celebrate its 100th anniversary.Ron tells the story of driving out to the Arcada 25 years ago, finding a dumpster out front and discovering the theater was being gutted for offices. He had no money, started making what he calls “stupid offers,” and somehow began a journey that would transform the Arcada into one of Chicagoland’s most distinctive live music venues.Then he did it again — helping bring the condemned, fire-damaged Des Plaines Theatre back to life.But this episode is about more than buildings.Ron explains why relationships can matter more than money when booking artists, why George Thorogood calls the Arcada “home,” what really goes into an artist rider, and why one performer told him coming there was “like going to my aunt’s house for dinner.”And yes, there are meatballs.We also get into Neil Sedaka’s six pairs of black socks, Paul Anka rewriting “My Way” for Ron’s birthday, Brian Wilson’s years in St. Charles, the growing competition for touring acts, aging rock legends, tribute bands, and what it takes to keep live music alive.The timing couldn’t be better: the Arcada Theatre turns 100 on September 6, 2026, with a centennial celebration featuring Priscilla Presley, Chubby Checker, a Ferris Bueller’s Day Off parade recreation, thousands of people doing the Twist, and a History of Rock ‘n’ Roll show.🎶 NEW MUSIC”Ron Onesti’s Meatballs” — our Dean Martin-style tribute to Ron’s favorite combination: music and meatballs.https://open.spotify.com/album/2821lRz13s1pVxUpxf5AAV🎧 MORE HOGPOD MUSIC ON SPOTIFYhttps://open.spotify.com/artist/2QtmZydAIuDFTsbgOxqr7f🎯 KEY MOMENTS00:00 Music & meatballs02:00 Meet Ron Onesti02:42 A dumpster outside the Arcada changes everything04:14 The condemned Des Plaines Theatre05:38 Rebuilding during COVID09:18 Meatballs, Taylor Street & Sunday gravy12:20 George Thorogood: “I’ll always come back here”13:34 Neil Sedaka’s six pairs of black socks14:43 “It’s like going to my aunt’s house for dinner”15:46 “You set the bar”17:14 “My life is all about music and meatballs”20:40 Celebrating the Arcada’s centennial21:34 September 6: the 100th anniversary parade22:34 The History of Rock ‘n’ Roll26:32 The challenge of booking aging legends28:44 “The music has become bigger than the people”35:04 “It’s 150% relationship based”40:17 The artists Ron still gets excited to book41:04 “Uncle Paul” Anka rewrites “My Way”42:12 Brian Wilson in St. Charles49:48 The Onesti formula: make it feel like home📍 TOPICS IN THIS EPISODERon Onesti – Arcada Theatre – Arcada 100th Anniversary – Des Plaines Theatre – Chicago music – Chicagoland music scene – live music – concert promotion – George Thorogood – Priscilla Presley – Chubby Checker – Brian Wilson – Paul Anka – Neil Sedaka – music and meatballs🎤 FEATURED LINKSArcada Theatre 100th Anniversary + Eventshttps://www.arcadalive.com/eventsDes Plaines Theatrehttps://desplainestheatre.comOnesti Entertainmenthttps://oshows.comBackstage with Ron Onestihttps://www.arcadalive.com/blog/category/backstage-with-ron-onestiRegina Karma — Sunday Music with Regina KarmaSundays at 5 PM at Capri of Willow SpringsMike Dermont + FRICTIONFriction Fest — October 24 at The Broken Oar❤️ SUPPORT HOGPODhttps://www.patreon.com/hogpod🎙️ Hosted by Pete Jansons with Mike Dermont and Regina Karma📞 BOOKINGbooking@hogpod.org#Hogpod #ChicagoPodcast #MusicPodcast #RonOnesti #ArcadaTheatre #Arcada100 #DesPlainesTheatre #ChicagoMusic #ChicagolandMusic #MusicAndMeatballs

If you’ve spent any time in the Chicago tribute scene, you’ve probably seen Chris “C-Bob” Bobrowski on a stage somewhere — Rok Brigade, Super Unknown, Ten, No More Tears, No More Faith, and roughly ten other projects depending on the weekend. C-Bob returns to Hogpod with Pete Jansons and Bongo Mike for a wide-ranging one: AI and musicianship, the Chicago tribute scene, shrinking attention spans, David Lee Roth, legacy bands with zero original members, and Reggie’s full-album Halloween shows — all circling the big question underneath: is live music becoming a dying art form, or is it just changing? Plus the Long Grove bridge that’s been hit 75 times, C-Bob’s line of the night — “Everybody wants to be a rock star; they just don’t want to pay for it” — and the reveal that the man has roughly 28,000 albums catalogued in Excel and backed up on a NAS. 🎯 KEY MOMENTS 00:00 An AI companion sings C-Bob the Lane Tech fight song00:46 Two Lane Tech alums reconnect — room 144 & the drafting-to-engineer path03:02 Welcome back — and congrats, C-Bob married Amy03:47 The Coterie’s comeback & the one-hit-wonders scene05:20 Herding 30 musicians — the Wolfie jams & how these events come together07:58 In memoriam: Peter Katsis — Ministry, Riviera & The Firm09:45 C-Bob’s 15 bands — Rok Brigade, Super Unknown, Ten & No More Tears13:08 The Long Grove bridge that’s been hit 75 times15:30 Reggie’s Halloween full-album night — Ten does Pearl Jam’s “Vs.”17:10 Rock House — the band playing what nobody else plays19:13 Why the Discord jam ended — Andrew Blake takes the torch22:00 Orland Park fest, the rain & Wedding Band at 25 years25:55 Ronnie Platt — Shooting Star to Kansas34:58 AI & musicianship — “a tool, not a creative element”37:16 Glenn Hansard, “Falling Slowly” & the live-music conversation43:57 Can AI replace the musician? The synthesizer question47:14 Are younger fans still coming out to live shows?51:11 Is live music a dying art form?51:53 “Everybody wants to be a rock star” — nobody wants the 10,000 hours55:34 Keeping people engaged — video walls, medleys & showmanship1:01:11 “Nobody watches the whole thing” — the Shorts game1:07:03 Old bands with zero original members — the Ship of Theseus1:07:59 David Lee Roth: showman, not singer1:10:44 Rapid fire — favorite new band, Jerry Garcia & getting old1:14:15 28,000 albums, an Excel list & a triple-backed NAS 📍 Chicago music – Chicagoland music scene – tribute bands – Rok Brigade – Ten – Super Unknown – AI and musicianship – David Lee Roth – Ship of Theseus – live music – Reggie’s – Pearl Jam – Chicago tribute bands 🎤 FEATURED LINKS Rok Brigade — Def Leppard tributehttps://rokbrigadeband.com/ / rokbrigadechicago Ten — Pearl Jam tributehttps://tenchicago.com/ / tenpearljam Super Unknown — Chris Cornell / Soundgarden / Audioslave / Temple of the Doghttps://super-unknown.com/ ❤️ Support Hogpod on Patreon / hogpod 🎙️ Hosted by Pete Jansons and Mike “Bongo” Orfanos (Bongo Mike) 📞 Booking — booking@hogpod.org #Hogpod #ChicagoMusic #ChicagolandMusicScene #ChicagoPodcast #MusicPodcast #TributeBands #RokBrigade #LiveMusic #AIMusic #ChicagoMusicScene #PearlJam

A guitar player walked into her Lake Zurich fitness studio, said “I have a proposition for you” — and that’s how a personal trainer became the Nancy Wilson in one of Chicago’s premier Heart tribute acts. Lisa LaManna sings and plays the Nancy Wilson role in Heart 2 Heartbreaker — the Chicagoland Heart & Pat Benatar tribute alongside Jerry (Benatar) and opera-trained Diva. This week she gets into getting recruited right before COVID, the terror of nailing the “Crazy On You” intro solo in heels (“you’re on an island”), her years with the ’80s All-Stars and the “I Love the ’80s” all-star nights, first concert Billy Squier at the Providence Civic Center (and the video that “ruined him”), why Prince is her “music Jesus,” front row at the Purple Rain tour, why Tinley Park’s skyboxes wreck the sound, and a completely unhinged Pop-Tart debate involving Crisco, butter, microwaves and “extra gluten.”🎯 KEY MOMENTS00:00 “I have a proposition for you” — a guitarist walks into her gym01:01 Welcome, Lisa01:05 Broken Oar storm show & the summer-festival weather gamble02:56 The Skokie Backlot Bash umbrella storm04:05 Chicago’s premier Heart & Pat Benatar tribute — the Vixen / Heart of Glass connection05:29 Adam, Diva & the band — joining right before COVID05:45 The recruitment story, full version07:37 MaxFitness — her Lake Zurich training studio09:14 Festival showcases & meeting Aussie Reborn10:58 The washboard wedding & the “I Love the ’80s” all-star nights13:10 Piano to guitar — “once you plug that thing in, there’s no going back”14:58 The “Crazy On You” intro & playing in heels15:49 Solo nerves — “you’re on an island”17:19 “How can you say no?” — the honor of playing Nancy18:05 Jerry & Diva — Evanescence, Joan Jett & Scandal19:38 The Warrior, FM/Easy FM & juggling bands21:32 Festival season & getting lost on the way to gigs24:30 Parking-lot war stories & the captain’s suit26:57 Deep-cut Heart & the Bad Animals tour29:36 Why Tinley Park’s sound gets screwed up (skyboxes)30:51 Ann & Nancy Wilson — key changes & aging rock voices33:28 Heart’s “Stairway” at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame34:34 Rapid fire begins35:04 First concert — Billy Squier at the Providence Civic Center37:45 “That one video ruined him” — the Billy Squier debate39:44 Favorite artist: Prince — front row at Purple Rain, “music Jesus”41:31 The Gap Band, Earth, Wind & Fire & Paisley Park44:07 Favorite movie: Titanic45:14 The Pop-Tart question — Crisco, butter & “extra gluten”47:36 Where to train & catch the band — MaxFitness, Alpine Fest, Jack Tripper49:44 Gun to your head: Pop-Tart or hot dog?51:09 The wig that won’t quit — “funny for everyone but me”52:18 Let’s get all three back on📍 Heart 2 Heartbreaker – Lisa LaManna – Nancy Wilson – Heart tribute – Pat Benatar – Chicago cover bands – Crazy On You – Billy Squier – Prince – Purple Rain – MaxFitness – Lake Zurich – 80s rock – women in rock – Chicago music scene🎤 GUEST LINKSMaxFitness: https://www.maxfitnesslisa.com/Heart 2 Heartbreaker: https://heart-to-heartbreaker.com/Heart 2 Heartbreaker on Facebook:   / heart2heartbreaker  Lisa on Facebook:   / lisa.lamanna  ❤️ Support Hogpod on Patreon:   / hogpod  Hosted by Pete Jansons and Mike “Bongo” Orfanos (Bongo Mike).📞 Booking — booking@hogpod.org#Hogpod #ChicagoPodcast #MusicPodcast #Heart2Heartbreaker #HeartTribute #NancyWilson #PatBenatar #ChicagoMusicScene #TributeBand #80sRock #WomenInRock

John Gabrysiak — “John G” — has spent 40+ years in the music business, from booking agent for John Mayall, Johnny Winter and Levon Helm to Music Director & Talent Buyer at Special Events Management (chicagoevents.com), where he now books the bands for Chicago’s biggest summer street festivals.Pete and Bongo Mike sit down with John for a full-circle conversation: Pete booked the Cubby Bear in the early ’90s; John was on the agency side that fed it. What follows is duffel bags of cash, sold-out shows in 20 minutes, the smoke weekend that cancelled BurgerFest, and an honest look at why a concert ticket went from $11.50 to $341.This episode opens with a tribute to Peter Katsis (1957–2026), the legendary Chicago-born music manager (Ministry, Bush, Smashing Pumpkins, Backstreet Boys), whose name comes up during John’s Morrissey story.CHAPTERS0:00 Cold open — in memory of Peter Katsis0:40 Welcome — meet John G1:15 Billboard at the library – Elton John at 123:49 NIU concert committee: Cheap Trick, Zappa, Sammy Hagar5:02 American Famous Talent: Lonnie Brooks to John Mayall6:40 ZZ Top’s Antenna Tour & Levon Helm with Ringo’s All-Starrs8:05 Fred Bohlander and the birth of Monterey International9:43 Cubby Bear days, Q Productions & Coran Capshaw’s $15011:44 Johnny Winter sells out the Cubby Bear in 20 minutes14:29 Duffel bags of cash – wire transfers & ACH18:11 The smoke weekend: BurgerFest Friday cancelled20:47 Weather, lightning & a festival monsoon save22:44 Freddie Jones’ “In a Daydream” on the Artemis mission23:34 Festival economics: the $10 donation nobody pays26:01 Booking the season — it starts in October27:46 Fewer national acts / “drink and sing ‘Jessie’s Girl'”31:34 The opening-act shakedown: how agents bundle33:21 Why people stay home now35:04 DJs, laptops & “$175 to see a laptop”37:46 AI ads and unlicensed band photos40:05 Ticket prices: Rush at $11.50 vs $34145:53 VIP packages with “no artist participation”46:33 What Special Events Management actually does48:22 The Lincolnwood Fest turnaround51:04 Polestar & the idea of a local booking database53:07 How many fests? ~15 a season54:09 Rapid fire: the worst concert ever (Morrissey / Riviera)57:23 Molly Hatchet & the cowboy-hat standoff58:47 Pop-Tarts closer + come back soonGUESTJohn Gabrysiak — Music Director & Talent Buyer, Special Events Managementchicagoevents.com | LinkedIn: /in/johngabrysiak | X: @JGTRICK | IG: @johngchicago#Hogpod #ChicagoMusic #LiveMusic #ConcertBooking #MusicBusiness #ChicagoFestivals #JohnnyWinter #JohnMayall