A former colleague accused me recently of being “stuck in the ‘60s,” as if to suggest the past couple of years have been more memorable.

This obsession with the ‘60s is simple enough to explain. The majority of Americans today are Baby Boomers, born between 1946 and 1964. Our generation is largely associated with Woodstock, tie-dyed shirts and experimental drugs. We also drove Nixon out of office and generally gave the finger to the Establishment (which might explain why the Establishment is now giving us the finger back).

We have since grown up, gotten a bit grayer and swapped the VW Bug for something easier on the bowels.

Somewhere inside us still, however, maybe way down past the indigestion, sits the rock ‘n' roll. It surfaces every once in awhile, sometimes at a stop sign, or in the shower, or maybe on a hillside during a break in a hike or jog.



“Deep down inside ... you neeeeeeeeed ... looooooooooooove!!!!!”

And it comes pouring out, frightening the birds and other critters that are left wondering who in the hell the bald guy in the running shorts is and why he is standing on their hillside screaming a Led Zeppelin lyric.

And so it's easy to see the appeal for John Driscoll's annual showing of the “Summer of Love” at the Off Broadstreet theatre in Nevada City.

I went there last Saturday night mostly to see Janis Joplin reincarnated. The legendary singer with the one-of-a-kind set of pipes is alive inside Sue LeGate. I swear on my friend Frank's eyeballs, Sue LeGate looks and sounds exactly like Janis Joplin. I have video to prove it.

The storyline follows a young girl from the Midwest who is infatuated with Janis Joplin, who shot through the ‘60s like a meteor before exploding in a ball of substance abuse at the age of 27. The girl named Ronnie Sprague meets Janis at the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967 and is instantly hooked on her soulful voice and gentle personality.

Backed up by a wonderful cast of Katie Baker on keyboard (Sunshine Sunshine is her stage name), Dave Halford on bass an`d guitar (they call him Joe) and Off Broadstreet staple Chris Crockett (get there early and get some bonus tunes from his one-man show), LeGate steals the stage with her hilarious style and chilling Janis Joplin impersonation (I saw Janis live in San Francisco and ... I'm telling you ... she's back).

The cast takes us back to The City, when the Jefferson Airplane, Big Brother and the Holding Company, Quicksilver Messenger Service and Janis ruled the day.

Act 1 ends with LeGate's rendition of “Ball and Chain” and “Down On Me,” bringing the house down itself with a show-stopping “Piece o' My Heart.”

“‘Summer of Love' is one of my favorites because it reminds me of the tremendous energy we “boomers” put into trying to make the world a better place back in the 1960s,” said Driscoll, who runs the Off Broadstreet with his wife Jan and staff of family and friends. “For all of our faults we knew society could not continue to deny basic human rights to large portions of the population.”

He said Joplin personified that quest. “In spite of her own emotional handicaps and the craziness of her generation, she never stopped trying for something better.”

“Summer of Love” is slated to run through Aug. 28, but it's a good bet that many of the performances will be sold out, so get your tickets now. The shows are Friday and Saturday nights at 8:15 and there are group tickets available at a discount. For tickets and more information, call John at (530) 265-8686.

There is beer and wine available before the show and during intermission. They also serve some of the best pies on the planet, thanks in large part to Paulette's Country Kitchen.

To contact Editor/Publisher Jeff Ackerman, e-mail jackerman@theunion.com or call (530) 477-4299.