LCCC favorite Neil Berg returns with 'The 60's – Peace, Love and Rock N' Roll' show

Walking audiences down memory lane is where Neil Berg is at his best. Even though over the past couple of decades he's worked as a Broadway composer, producer and lyricist, as well as in the rock world alongside The Doobie Brothers, Journey and Aerosmith, the impresario has been responsible for memorable tours celebrating "100 Years of Broadway" and two incarnations of "50 Years of Rock & Roll" — all appearing at the Stocker Center. Now Berg is back with "The 60's – Peace, Love and Rock N' Roll," which is set to appear April 18 at Lorain County Community College's Hoke Theatre. "After doing the history of rock 'n' roll for the past five years, I always wanted to get more specific about the decades," said Berg, calling from New York City. "So we're starting with the '60s, which is a personal passion of mine because so much happened. "I've always been a big believer that rock 'n' roll is not important for the great music but for the commentary and the movements — what it was talking about during the time. I think anybody who was around during that time knows how important rock 'n' roll was to history. That's coming from somebody who was born in the '60s." While a small child in the turbulent decade, Berg remembers listening to his older siblings' iconic and magical records as the names of dead Vietnam War soldiers scrolled across the television screen. That experience epitomizes the '60s with Berg in his new show highlighting everything from the Camelot Kennedys to the Civil Rights movement. "I'm going to talk about the innocence of the '50s going into the turbulence of the '60s," Berg said. Backed by an eight-member, "kick-ass" rock 'n' roll band," Berg will be performing music from the likes of The Beach Boys, The Beatles, Rolling Stones, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, Aretha Franklin, The Doors and James Brown. "We also get to explore the Brill Building a little bit about how important it was and all of the people writing music for other artists," Berg said. "There was Carole King, Neil Sedaka and eventually Neil Diamond. They didn't start off as pop stars. "We also get to talk about what else was going on in the '60s with Barbra Streisand — 'Hello Dolly,' 'Funny Girl,' 'Fiddler on the Roof' — and other types of music that were influencing rock 'n' roll in the '60s." There's also a deep dive into the two most important rock 'n' roll festivals of the era — 1967's Monterrey International Pop Festival and 1969's Woodstock. For audiences who have experienced Berg's prior shows, he's promising they'll walk out of the new production feeling the same way. "As James Brown said, 'I hope they feel good,'" Berg said. "Music is the universal language that connects all people of all political affiliations and backgrounds. It's the one common language that everyone commonly loves. No arguments." Contact John Benson at ndiffrence@att.net. IF YOU GOWHAT: Neil Berg's "The 60's – Peace, Love and Rock N' Roll" WHEN: 7:30 p.m. TuesdayWHERE: Lorain County Community College's Hoke Theatre, 1005 Abbe Road North, ElyriaTICKETS: $40/Orchestra; $33/MezzanineINFO: (440) 366-4040 or stockerartscenter.com