This story originally appeared in our Sept. 30 – Oct. 13, 2026 print edition. Check out the edition online here and find where you can get a print edition near you here.
The 1960s was an era of fondly remembered tumult with an iconic musical soundtrack. Whether you lived then or simply love the songs it spawned, you should head to downtown Cincinnati’s Aronoff Center on Friday evening, Oct. 16, for an award-winning theatrical production: “The Sixties Show.”
Craig O’Keefe, the show’s co-founder, producer and artistic director, calls his show, “the greatest 1960s musical recreation show on Earth. We’re not part of the tribute world. Our show isn’t nostalgia. It’s a transmission — history at full volume.” Offering authentic music backed by archival video footage and storytelling, the immersive performance transports audiences back to the music, the politics and the pop culture of that momentous decade.
O’Keefe and co-creator Tom Licameli, veterans of the New York and Los Angeles music scenes, created the show as an off-Broadway theatrical production more than a decade ago. In a recent phone interview with CityBeat, O’Keefe recalled early engagements in small clubs — just two or three attendees in their very first outing — that now fill larger clubs and midsized theaters across the United States. Still building thanks to popular demand, “The Sixties Show” now routinely plays to sold-out venues from coast to coast. The stop at the Aronoff is the show’s first visit to Cincinnati. It has often had return engagements in many U.S. cities. A longer run could happen soon in New York or Chicago, and a trip to London is in the works for 2027.
O’Keefe called his show “a time trip back to the 1960s with live, note-for-note recreations of music from the era. There’s no recorded backing, just our own voices and our own musical abilities. It is decidedly not simply a nostalgia tribute act.”
“The Sixties Show” is anchored by a powerhouse lineup of six musicians, including O’Keefe, who serves as the show’s musical director and plays bass. He has toured with Stone Temple Pilots, Oasis, Sublime, Weezer, Daryl Hall, The Smashing Pumpkins, Dave Edmunds and Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons. He played bass for Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees The Rascals on their 60th Anniversary Tour.
O’Keefe joked, “I was barely out of diapers at the end of the ’60s.” All the show’s musicians were, in fact, born in that decade, but each one has deep experience with legendary musicians including Paul McCartney, Mick Jagger, The Who, The Beach Boys, Bruce Springsteen, Steely Dan and the Saturday Night Live Band. Joining O’Keefe for the show are co-founder Licameli, guitar and bass; Jim Boggia, guitar and ukulele; Kevin Bents, keyboards, guitar and bass; Jeff Miller, keyboards; and drummer Scott Devours. Most of them also provide the show’s vocals. The Sixties Show setlist includes hits by The Beatles, The Beach Boys, The Doors, The Kinks, The Byrds, Cream, The Rolling Stones, Bee Gees and The Dave Clark Five.
O’Keefe’s main musical hero from the era is Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys. “He did the whole thing, the sounds, the arrangements. He did it all.” One of O’Keefe’s favorite albums is The Beach Boys’ “Pet Sounds.” He also admires “Strange Days” by The Doors, “Village Green” by The Kinks and “Led Zeppelin II.”
“We do the great ’60s songs note-for-note, with guitars and amps from the era along with our period multimedia and light show. We put together a great quality show. Our band members are really into this. We don’t play any song we don’t love and do great. We kill the songs we do,” he said.
“The Sixties Show” band uses no backing tracks, no pre-recorded samples, no pre-recorded audio of any kind. Every number is played entirely live. The musicians use 1960s vintage guitars, keyboards and other instruments to match the original recordings.
“We sound just like the vinyls for our high-energy trip to the ’60s,” O’Keefe said.
The set, backed by multiple projection screens, resembles an old TV studio, scattered with nostalgic items such as a VW Beetle and a Microbus, an image of an Apollo astronaut space suit.
Attired in “Mod” styles to underscore the show’s time-travel aspect, the performers use narration to sustain momentum. “We keep it light, never get political,” O’Keefe explained. It’s a chance to learn about — or recall — the ’60s, a great deal of knowledge in a very entertaining way.
Audience response has been overwhelmingly positive from Boomers who lived through the era as well as more recent fans from generations X, Y and Z. They all describe the show as an emotional, transporting trip back in time.
O’Keefe pointed out, “People are amazed that we’re actually playing live music — every single note we play is done live. We recreate the intricate harmonies and melodies, every note is correct. We love this decade.” He underscored, “This is not a nostalgia tribute act. It’s a concert, it’s time-travel … and it’s unforgettable.”
The show is part of the Cincinnati Arts Association’s “CAA Presents” 2026-27 Season. Tickets: www.CincinnatiArts.org or 513-621-2787. (Group sales of 10 or more should call 513-977-4155.)
