Fremont Street Experience salutes groovy, historic summer of 1969

Special to ViewArtist John Van Hamersveld flashes the peace sign from the door of a 1963 school bus that he painted with psychedelic designs in celebration of the "Summer of ?69: Vegas or Bust" series of events on the Fremont Street Experience. The bus is displayed on the pedestrian mall in front of the Golden Gate. special to viewJohn Van Hamersveld autographs his artwork for the opening of the Hippie Nation Gallery & Records outlet at the Fremont Street Experience. The gallery opened as part of the "Summer of ?69: Vegas or Bust" series of events commemorating the happenings of 40 years ago. Advertisement

The eventful summer of 1969 has been reincarnated, and Las Vegas residents need look no farther than downtown's Fremont Street to turn the clock back 40 years.

Jeff Victor, president of Fremont Street Experience, said this year marks a milestone anniversary of one of the most memorable years of the 20th century, and that is why both residents and tourists will be treated to 1969-themed events on Fremont Street throughout the summer with "Summer of '69: Vegas or Bust."

"I've talked to many of our customers," Victor said. "And they have emotional and animated recollections of that year. This being the 40th anniversary of the summer of love, Woodstock and the walk on the moon, we thought it needed to be celebrated."

Victor said that in designing the series of events, including a new Viva Vision show titled "Signs of Life," featuring the work of a prominent California artist, and concerts featuring impersonators of legendary rock bands, planners drew from the rich history and colorful times of the era.

The summer-long event kicked off on Memorial Day and will end on Labor Day with a series of free live performances from bands such as Jefferson Starship, The 5th Dimension, Canned Heat and Three Dog Night performing on Fremont Street Experience stages.

"One Giant Leap" concerts celebrating the July 20, 1969, moon walks of the Apollo 11 astronauts are planned for Saturday with Jefferson Starship and on July 25 with The 5th Dimension.

The series will continue with a salute to Woodstock, featuring tribute bands honoring Jimi Hendrix, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Janis Joplin, Joe Cocker and The Who on Aug. 14-16. The Fremont Street concerts fall on the anniversary of the landmark Woodstock Music and Art Fair that attracted more than 450,000 people to a farm near Bethel, N.Y., on Aug. 15-17, 1969.

The Labor Day End of Summer What a Bummer Bash will feature Canned Heat Sept. 5 and Three Dog Night Sept. 6.

For more information, visit www.vegasexperience.com.

The official artist and designer behind the 1969-themed series, John Van Hamersveld, said Fremont Street's events most likely will appeal to aging baby boomers looking to recapture something special from their youth.

"We've developed a psychedelic look here in honor of that magical year, 1969, and this is a celebration and remembrance of that time," he said. "How can boomers resist? Or anyone interested in American pop culture and history, for that matter."

Van Hamersveld became famous in the 1960s for creating art and concert posters and album covers for music legends such as Jimi Hendrix, The Beatles, Cream, the Rolling Stones and Jefferson Airplane. He also worked in the '70s with KISS and Blondie.

Van Hamersveld is also the owner of a rare vinyl collection. It was all of these components, the artist said, which, combined with his experience and talent, make him the right guy to spearhead the "Summer of '69: Vegas or Bust" events for Fremont Street.

For this summer's events, Van Hamersveld has created a custom-painted 1963 school bus, featuring psychedelic colors he said really bring the spirit of that summer to life.

Van Hamersveld also opened the Hippie Nation Gallery and Records, which feature his work -- everything from digital prints to posters to original drawings and albums.

"There's some really cool stuff in there," he said. "I hope people will come down and check it out. We're only open until the end of summer."

There is no cost to enter the gallery or attend any of the shows.

"It's all free, just like love," Victor said.

Contact North Las Vegas and Downtown View reporter Amanda Llewellyn at allewellyn@viewnews.com or 380-4535.