Kevin Conner’s music strikes a chord with audiences across and beyond the western suburbs

By Valerie Hardy

As summer fades into memory, we’re reminded of its hallmark sights, sounds, and smells: the scent of funnel cakes wafting through the afternoon air, the sight of a Ferris wheel spinning against the backdrop of a cerulean sky, and the sound of a reminiscent guitar riff resonating through the crowd as the sun slowly sets. One of the key men behind the music amidst the quintessential festival scenes: Kevin Conner. Conner is the lead guitarist and backup vocalist of one of the Midwest’s most enduring and eminent classic rock tribute bands: ARRA.

Listen to the band perform, with Conner’s fingers flying across the fretboard, and the nostalgic notes
will transport you back to the 1970s or 80s and leave you feeling like you’re sitting at a sold-out arena tour show.

All About ARRA

ARRA has brought classic rock to audiences across the Midwest for more than three decades.

Perhaps ARRA’s acclaimed authenticity stems from the fact that the band formed on the heels of the heart of the classic rock era. Established in October 1989 (a couple of months before pop superstar Taylor Swift was even born), ARRA has faithfully been covering rock’s greatest hits for over 35 years, amassing a loyal following along their journey.

Though humble, Conner is proud of his band’s longstanding success. “We’ve always been the premier classic cover band for festivals and clubs,” Conner said, “and if you see us live, you’ll think we’re pretty [freaking] good.”

Conner elaborated on ARRA’s lasting popularity among the concert-going crowd: “After playing fests for as long as we have, people know us, and if they don’t and then they see us, they remember us.”

ARRA still features most of its founding members, including Conner, guitarist Jim Zahrobsky, bassist Steve Latka, and keyboardist Kevin Kreis. The band also includes 20-year-old drumming phenom Wolfgang Paul and current lead vocalist Tyler Holcomb. ARRA’s original lead singer, Ronnie Platt, left the band over a decade ago to tour as the frontman for legendary rock band Kansas.

ARRA owes its name, at least in part, to Platt. “He would show us marquees from shows with three bands with longer names [listed] really small, and then one band with a short name [in larger lettering] that really stood out,” Conner explained.

With this in mind, the band settled on the concise and palindromic ARRA. Years later, they backwardly designated ARRA as an acronym for American Rock ‘n’ Roll Association.

Staying Power

Although the band’s membership evolved over the years, ARRA has stayed true to its roots, which has proven successful. Conner attributes having withstood the test of time to the “chemistry of the members we have or bring into the band” and not having “the drama that typically breaks up bands.”

He also credits the classic rock genre, as it has “not only stayed but gotten stronger.” Conner wasn’t always sure this would be the case, however. He recalled sharing in an interview years ago that his biggest fear was that “classic rock would go south like 50s and 60s music.”

He said he “couldn’t have been more wrong” – and couldn’t be more grateful that he was.

Conner described the timelessness and universality of ARRA’s setlists. For example, whenever the band plays the Journey anthem “Don’t Stop Believin’,” people of all ages sing along.

ARRA in Action

ARRA performs year-round, but “we look forward to the summer and fall for the festival and outdoor club season – to get into communities and look forward to what we do,” Conner said.

ARRA is an annual part of the “Arbor Evenings” weekly Wednesday night lineup of live music at the Morton Arboretum. They are also a staple at the Frontier Days Festival in Arlington Heights and Minooka Summerfest each year. ARRA has played at Downers Grove’s Rotary Grove Fest and will once again perform at Elmhurst’s Rock the Block Party on September 6. You can also catch ARRA at the Autumn in the Park Festival in Palos Heights on September 19 or the Village of River Grove Fall Flannel Fest on October 4.

Beyond the Stage

Kevin Conner’s biggest fans are his wife, Denise, and daughters, Alex and Jessica.

While by night Conner is often a “superstar for two and a half hours,” he said, he sees himself first as “Kevin Conner from Cicero,” who has been living in Downers Grove since 2001. “I’m just a guy who has to go to bed every day to do the best I can to be the best I can.”

By day, Conner is a senior account executive for a material handling intralogistics company. “I really love doing it,” Conner said of his full-time career, a sentiment he also holds about performing his music.

However, what he loves most is his family: his wife, Denise, and their 15-year-old twin daughters, Alex and Jessica. Conner had a proud moment recently when one of his daughters wore an ARRA shirt to school. “A guy came up to her and said, ‘That’s a great band, ’” Conner recounted, “and she said, ‘That’s my dad’s band!’”

To learn more about ARRA and see a full schedule of their upcoming shows, visit arraweb.com. 

April & Kevin

April & Kevin harmonize in their covers of some of the all-time best pop and classic rock songs.

When not performing with ARRA, Kevin Conner takes his music in a different direction alongside Downers Grove native April Katsafanas – his partner in the acoustic/electric duo aptly named April & Kevin. A mutual friend brought them together, and Conner offered to help Katsafanas connect with a studio to record some of her solo songs. After hearing her play the guitar and sing, Conner was impressed and thought performing with Katsafanas would be “a cool addition to what [he] already did with ARRA.”

Conner appreciates that April & Kevin is “truly 50/50” – he sings one song, then she sings one – and that “with April, there are no dark clouds.”

Katsafanas sings Conner’s praises as well. She not only considers him “a star” but also “family.” She said, “Meeting him changed everything for me.”

Conner credits Katsafanas’s extensive “Downers Grove connections” for creating an ardent fan base for April & Kevin right from the start. Katsafanas added, “Our community has really been there for both of us.”

With Conner’s ARRA schedule, Katsafanas’s solo performances, and the pair’s respective work and family commitments, April & Kevin squeeze in shows together whenever possible. The venues they play most frequently are Neat Kitchen + Bar (Westmont), Ballydoyle (Downers Grove), and Potter’s Place (Naperville).

April & Kevin will be performing on October 9 at Ballydoyle and on November 20 at Neat Kitchen + Bar. For more information about April & Kevin and their performances, visit aprilandkevinlive.com.