Greatest Blossom Music Center concerts: No. 5 — Janis Joplin

Flashback: Joplin was a central figure in the influential California music scene of the 1960s alongside The Doors, Jefferson Airplane, Grateful Dead and others.

The intrigue: The Blossom gig was her second stop in Cleveland in 1969 following a May 9 show at Public Auditorium.

• Tickets were just $2 for the lawn and $2.50 for the pavilion, with Rod Stewart's band Faces as the opener.

What she did: Joplin roamed the lawn greeting fans during Faces' set. Her own performance kicked off with a fiery cover of Eddie Floyd's "Raise Your Hand."

• Joplin went on to perform staples like "Kozmic Blues" and "Piece of My Heart," sipping from a bottle of Southern Comfort between songs.

Between the lines: When the concert ended and the lights came on, fans chanted Joplin's name.

• She returned to the stage, instructed her crew to put the sound equipment back and performed the kind of rare, spontaneous encore you no longer see today.

The bottom line: The concert marked the end of an era — it was Joplin's final performance in Northeast Ohio. She died in October 1970, less than a month after the death of Jimi Hendrix.

Go deeper: Blossom Music Center's 10 most memorable concerts