Sometimes when you see a
need in your community, you just have to fill it yourself. Danny Cash, along with his business partners
and fellow musicians, Rick Owens and Devin Birch, saw a dire need for a mid-sized
music venue in Peoria. Nearby
Bloomington, Springfield, Champaign/Urbana, and Galesburg each had a music
venue serving this market. However,
after the Majestic Theater closed in 2003, this market remained unserved in
Peoria. Driven by their love of live
music, the partners decided to convert a former warehouse space into the
Limelight Eventplex, a new entertainment and event center in order to fill in
the gap.
The Limelight Eventplex
opened in 2015 as a premiere mid-sized venue hosting national and regional
touring artists in a number of different genres. The 20,000 square foot facility provides
amenities usually found only in established venues located in major markets. The main performance space has a capacity of
1500 and is a music lover’s paradise.
The acoustically designed venue features a massive stage, concert sound
and light system, up-close front of stage area, and a VIP loft. “Since the three of us are all musicians, we
decided to build Limelight with the best sound system as well as acoustical
treatment possible,” said Cash. “We
wanted the performance space to be about the sound and the show. We brought in acoustical engineers and
experts to help us get it right. We
focused on efficiency – getting to the bathroom and getting a drink quickly – which
was important to us.”
The Limelight Eventplex
hosted 80 events in its first year featuring artists such as Night Ranger, Brett
Michaels, Parmalee, Marylon Manson, Tech N9ne, Tod Rundgren, and comedians Jim
Breuer and Ralphie May. Cash expects to
grow to 120-150 events per year, hosting everything from rock, country, and
jazz shows to children’s events and comedy shows. In addition to the main performance space,
the complex also has Soundbar, a smaller performance space which regularly
hosts local artists.
A Day To Remember - Just Some Shows Tour at the Limelight Eventplex (photo by Meg Italia Vasseur) |
The entertainment industry
is taking notice as more touring artists report back about their experience at
the Limelight. “This is a great venue,”
says John Ugolini, owner of Kickstand Productions in Chicago. Kickstand has promoted several shows at the
Limelight Eventplex, most recently the A Day To Remember Just Some Shows Tour. “It’s
a good location for routing, has a great sound system,and they take amazing
care of our artists. We will definitely continue to book shows
there.”
Cash credits his staff for
ensuring that artists and fans alike have a great experience. “We’re lucky to have some great people on
staff. We’re all music lovers and we
work hard to make sure everyone has a good time.”
To learn more about the
Limelight Eventplex and upcoming events, check out www.limlighteventplex.com.
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