Daily Herald: Ron Onesti: When St. Charles became Nash-ville

Ya know, we have had many, many music superstars appear at The Arcada, many of whom, in their prime, sold out arenas and stadiums around the world.

 

People like Eric Burdon of the Animals, Burton Cummings of the Guess Who, Randy Bachman of BTO, Foreigner and many, many more. But when I personally met Graham Nash of Crosby, Stills & Nash, I actually curled up in a fetal position of humility to be in his presence. Now this is British, American and international music royalty … and he is on my stage!

 

His "people" set the preshow stage as being one of reverence. Very few people were to be in the theater for sound check, no "meet and greets" were allowed, "please keep security by the bus," etc. So we all expected one of those stuffy, impersonal celebrity experiences.

 

Nash's son, Will, is his tour manager. He responsibly prepared the stage for his legendary father's arrival with guitars and carpeting. While all this was going on, the two-time Rock and Roll Hall of Famer simply walked off his massive tour bus parked by our rear stage door and began walking around a classic car show that just happened to be taking place along The Arcada's perimeter the same night as his performance.

 

Fans could not believe their eyes. He stopped and talked to car owners, telling them about some of his famous photos that had classic cars in them (Nash became an avid photography nut early in his rock career). He just blew everyone away with his friendly demeanor.

 

I introduced myself to him, and he was humbly grateful for the booking. "The honor is all mine," I responded.

 

He later walked onto the stage, donned one of six guitars there for him and proceeded to sound check the CS&N hit "Teach Your Children." "Oh my God, what a show THIS is going to be," I thought to myself.

 

After sound check, we went into the dressing rooms for some preshow salads we had made for the band. I just had to tell him what a big fan of his I was, not only for his performances with the Hollies, CS&N and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, but truly for his songwriting career.

 

Nash wrote his bands' biggest hits, some of folk/rock's biggest smashes. I asked about the origin of some of his songs. What I got was a rock 'n' roll history lesson I will never forget.

 

Nash first hit the big time as a member of the Hollies -- part of "The British Invasion" of the mid 1960s. I always wondered where the group's name came from because I heard it was in tribute to a girlfriend of a band member named Holly.

 

"It originally had a bit of a reference to the stuff that's around during Christmas, but really, we all loved the music of Buddy Holly," he said. "We called ourselves the Deltas, but in 1962 we changed our name to the Hollies because Buddy had died three years earlier in 1959 and (he) was a huge hero of ours."

 

"Carrie Anne" was a big hit Graham wrote for the Hollies. "It was actually written about Marianne Faithfull, the English pop star. I had a thing for her but I didn't want it out," he said.

 

David Crosby was the guitar player for "The Byrds." As the group toured England in 1966, Nash met Crosby, and reconnected with him later in Los Angeles when the Hollies were touring in the states. They became good friends, and Crosby introduced him to a former Buffalo Springfield band member, Stephen Stills. Crosby had just left the Byrds and Buffalo Springfield had just disbanded. At a party one night, the guys sat down and jammed for fun. What their voices produced hit them all like a thunderbolt.

 

"Not only were our harmonies spot on, but our friendship was harmonious as well," he said.

 

Creatively frustrated with the Hollies, Nash packed up his world and moved to California. When Crosby introduced Nash to his folk protégé, Joni Mitchell, the two fell in love, sealing his deal to become an American citizen.

 

Crosby, Stills & Nash coming together was unforeseeable.

 

"This really shouldn't have happened," Nash said. "Crosby from the Byrds in L.A., Stills from Dallas and Buffalo Springfield, me from England. How could it happen?"

 

One of my favorite songs is "Our House."

 

"Our lives (Nash with Joni) were very crazy at the time. We were living together at her home. One day, we just went into town and happened upon this antique store. She bought a cute little vase. We had breakfast and went back home. I decided to light a fire and I suggested to Joan for her to cut some flowers for the new vase. In such a crazy time, this was just a normal moment. So I sat at the piano and wrote 'Our House.' It was about our moment, very romantic!"

 

"Marrakesh Express," another CS&N superhit, he actually wrote for the Hollies in 1966 about a Moroccan vacation he took from Casablanca to Marrakesh. "Our management at the time didn't think it would sell," Nash said. "So I put it in front of David and Stephen later on, and they loved it!"

 

Another song written during his Hollies years but rejected by the band was "Teach Your Children." Nash, an avid photographer, took particular interest in a picture of a young boy in a park holding a toy hand grenade. "This young boy had such anger in his expression; it truly made me worry about our future. Teach your children well became the message," Nash said.

 

"This was particularly important song because Jerry Garcia, from the Grateful Dead, actually played the steel guitar on the record. He wanted us to teach his band how to harmonize, so that was the deal we made," Nash told me.

 

Nash went on to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for both The Hollies and CSN&Y. He also was honored by the Queen of England into the Order of the British Empire. He is one of the most respected singer/songwriters in history.

 

Nash did only nine shows in the U.S. during this trip, and the Arcada Theatre was one of them. I'm sorry if it sounds like I am bragging, but from where the theater was just a few short years ago to things like this happening there now -- well, I am pretty proud!

 

The Crosby, Stills & Nash sound is simply one that will go down as defining a generation of music. So many songs that became part of the fabric of our Woodstock lives. Their harmonies are absolutely legendary. Graham Nash really isn't one of those household names, as he should be. He is a sincere genius who still loves sharing his music.

 

As he walked onto our stage, the packed house jumped to its feet. "This is going to be a very good night," Nash told the audience. He truly was enjoying himself as he sang hit after hit, prefacing each with a tidbit of history to go along with it.

 

After the show, he met me offstage left, grinning ear to ear. "I heard you singing along with almost every song," he said to me. "Are you kidding, I love this stuff," I proclaimed. "You sounded good," he said.

 

"Really? I could see it now: Crosby, Stills, Nash, Young & Onesti," I said. His smile left his face, he leaned over and said, "You really weren't very good, I was just being nice."

 

A lesson in humility from one of the biggest names in music. He taught this child well; I'll keep my singing to myself from now on.

 

• 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.