The Doors 21st Century

Verizon Wireless Amphitheater, Houston, Texas

March 28, 2003

At 8:40 p.m., Carmina Burana music began as the famous Joel Brodsky young lion photo of Jim 1943-1971 was projected on the screen.  The stage was still dark as silhouettes of the band members could be seen taking their positions onstage.   The stage lights came up to show Ty Dennis at the drums in black shirt and black knit cap, and sporting a damn fine goatee;  Angelo Barbera in black on bass, standing to the right of the drums;  Ray in dark slacks with a dark jacket over a yellow shirt settling in at the Alesis keyboards;  and Robby in camouflage pants and brown and black long-sleeve print shirt with his guitar strapped on.   Ian strode to stage front in blue jeans, black tee-shirt, wraparound sunglasses, and Bathing Ape leather jacket.   The venue capacity is 2,400 and was surely solidly sold out;  the audience was on their feet and cheering wildly

The theater had a large screen behind Ty, where video images would be projected all evening.  There were large screens mounted very high on each side of the screen for projecting close-ups of the performance.

Roadhouse Blues opened the set, with the video behind Ty showing old cars and trains, drag races, checkered flags, etc.   Robby moved over to Ray for some early instrumental interplay.   Naturally, everywhere were cups of beer raised high over heads each time the 'and got myself a beer' was sung.  It was a rousing start to the night, a perfect choice to make sure everyone was up on their feet, dancing and singing along.

At 8:50 that song ended and the band went right into Break On Through ... loud, fast, and furious.  No one could possibly be sitting .. the excitement was so palpable.  Ian inserted the "dead cats, dead rats" verse.  The backdrop video was colorful psychedelic gooey oily bubbles, as well as video of cemetery crosses and an American flag.  Ray and Robby sang along with Ian during the final breakneck lines ... what a killer one-two punch to start off the night and quickly convert the skeptics and nay-sayers.

Following that workout, there were simultaneous moves onstage to get more comfortable:  Ty removed his knit cap; Ray removed his jacket, revealing that he was wearing a dark blue shirt under the yellow long sleeve shirt and Robby removed his long sleeve shirt, revealing a plain light grey tee-shirt.

Next up:  the opening chords to When The Music's Over, accented by psychedelic colors washing over the video screen.   Robby came stage front to play his lead, before the "cancel my subscription" section.  During the "what have they done to the earth" part, the video images were comprised of beaching whales, fires, the moon, animal slaughter, a fetus:  powerful images selected to accent the lyrics.   As the song ended, Robby sang the second "we want the world" and Ian really stretched out the "untilllllll the end."

It was 9:10.   Ian said that when you think about revolution, when you think about sexuality, when you think about intelligence ... you think about The Doors.  Jim lives!!   Ian said he'd put any 25-year old mother-fuckers on stage against them.   The audience reacted in agreement, and Robby's signature chords opened Love Me Two Times.  This was accented by video from old black & white romantic movie scenes, dancing hippies, hummingbirds and blooming flowers.   Ian left the stage during the instrumental part.  Robby moved over by Ray for their musical exchanges.  As Robby hopped backwards to his mike position, Ian returned to the stage, pointed to Robby, and called him a bad-ass!!!!   I should mention that the audience was still on their feet.

9:15 -- Ian removed his glasses.  Ray introduced Ian, Robby, Ty, Angelo, and himself.  Ray counted off and the band launched into Alabama Song, accompanied by more old movie clips which appropriately included beer halls and Charleston dancers.   Back Door Man followed, accompanied by videos of black blues musicians on guitars, harmonicas, jugs ... Robby was using the bottleneck on this.   Ian encouraged the audience to get up.  Everyone I could see was already standing, but he must have seen some sitters in front.

Five To One was accented by video clips of police, riots, bombs, protestors, tear gas, etc.  Ian turned to the backdrop and pointed to the images at one point.  Angelo joined in with Robby and Ray singing on "get together one more time."  Ian did some of his finer strutting as the song concluded.  Ray was doing vocal interplay with Ian, egging him on about 'what he was gonna do out in that car.'  Ian just nailed the climax .. he is so right in this frontman slot!!!

A music stand was brought out to Ian, which he referred to by saying it's because he's not Jim!   Ray said they have been writing new songs for a new album that should be out late in the year, with contributions from Jim Carroll, John Doe, Ian, Henry Rollins, Michael McClure ... and that we were about to hear them trying out a new song called Cops Talk (or, Cop Talk) for the very first time.  Ray and Ian alternated on the vocals, which began:  "Cops talk, what do they say, I listened today."  It was a mid-tempo song, comparable to Riders On The Storm or Love Street.  It has some great fluid guitar lines throughout.

Now it's 9:35, and the band went into the re-worked Strange Days.  I continue to like this updated version more and more with each listen.   During the instrumental outro, Ian did some serious mike-twirling which brought Roger Daltrey to mind.  Ian also spun and whirled and danced AND danced!!   Ray rose to his feet at the end of this song.

Hooray ... Robby's custom Rick Turner guitar is handed to him at 9:40, and all the band members left the stage except for Ian, who crouched in front of the drum riser during Robby's intricate introduction to that most special Robby Krieger showcase that is Spanish Caravan.   As the intro approached the familiar (recorded) portion of the song, Ty returned to the drums and then Angelo re-appeared, both crouched and waiting for their musical cues.  Ray strode back onstage from the opposite side and took his seat perfectly timed for the song's start.   Robby was stage front bathed in the spotlight.    Midway through the song his power cord must have loosened, but it was quickly re-connected.   Ian commented, "That was Jim."    Ian effectively added some flamenco hand-clapping.  Robby re-checked his power cord again during the song, but all was well!

Ray introduced Ghost Song, which Ian recited as the two native American Indian dancers who have been a constant at all the shows, danced onstage.  My Universal Amphitheater review dissed this section of the show, because it seemed to slow the pace and last too long.   However, there were about a dozen dancers onstage at that show and the performance was extended.  Back to basics with these two dancers to focus on, I have changed my mind.  It was haunting and spiritual, and the audience really enjoys it, too.   Ian left the stage as Ray took over on Hill Dwellers.  Ray introduced the dancers as they exited the stage as being members of the Lakota tribe in New Mexico.

Robby asked the audience if they were supporting our troops, which evoked a positive response.  With the bottleneck on his finger at 9:55, and the psychedelic gooey bubbles as backdrop, we were treated to Moonlight Drive.   Ian was really into this performance, and they went straight into Horse Latitudes.  Ian gave it a chilling and startling reading.   Ray provided a solo outro to the song.

Wild Child feels like Ian's signature Doors song, and he was encouraging everyone to stand up.   Some people had decided to rest their feet during the last few numbers, but this got everyone up again.  Ian twirled the mike, did some Indian-like dancing, and jumped up on the drum riser where he did some mighty fine strutting while images of native Americans played on the backdrop screen.

It was 10:05 already;  Ray invited folks to come to Dallas the next night.  Obviously, many in the audience besides my friend David and I were planning to do just that -- an easy 4-hour drive.   Familiar scenes from the Doors video began playing as we heard those thrilling opening chords to L.A. Woman -- always a killer performance.  Ty and Angelo were right on with their rhythms through the song changes.  Ian took the opportunity to slap a few hands at stage front.   Robby ended with a jump.

Ian teased us by asking if we wanted to hear one more song.  Ray began saying Texas Radio & the Big Beat, and then proceeded to narrate the song in a style that is best described as evangelical or incantation in style.   Although one of my least personal fave Doors songs, naturally the Texans loved it.  

 Now it was 10:15, and Ian shook some hands as the band delighted everyone with the opening chords of Light My Fire, accented by those gooey oil psychedelic bubbles again:  the perfect backdrop.  Ian left the stage when the instrumental ride began.   While Ray played his solo lead, Robby perched on the drum riser for a few minutes and then approached Ray, standing in front of him.  Robby returned to his mike area before his own signature guitar lines began, where a roadie fussed with his power cord.  As Ray's solo ended, Robby introduced him and then took the spotlight for his own solo, which included a sample of My Favorite Things.  When it was Ty's turn to shine, it was great seeing Ray and Robby playing with and off him ... it was so reminiscent (sigh).  Robby was near Ty and really interacting.   At 10:25 Ian returned to the stage and injected "get up, stand up, stand up for your rights."    Ian got up on the drum riser, took a huge leap off and rolled around on the floor during the  f**k  f**k  f**k  part.

Now 10:30, and the original Doors logo in purple appeared on the backdrop screen as the band left the stage while Robby slapped a few hands before exiting.  The Doors 21st Century manager Tom Vitorino went to a mike and asked if we wanted more ... the crowd response answered unequivocally, and they promptly returned to sounds of thunder as storm clouds rolled by on the screen, signaling Riders On The Storm.   Robby, and then Ray, took solo leads as gooey bubbles played behind.  Ian crouched in front of the riser during the extended instrumental.   When the song ended, Ian bowed to the audience with his hands in prayer position.

Ray indicated readiness and they were off and running with Maggie M'Gill.  Robby really poured on the bottleneck playing on this one.  Ray joined Ian in singing the "I'm an old blues man ..." refrain at the end of the song, and then the band left the stage again.

The house lights were up and many people had begun leaving.  Tom Vitorino came onstage again, and then Ray returned with outstretched arm saying that he had one more -- maybe two more -- songs left!  People scrambled back to their seats or ran down the aisles to get closer to the stage.  Some girls climbed onstage to dance when Peace Frog began.  More girls climbed onstage and suddenly there were ALOT of girls dancing in their bras ... except, of course, for the one who couldn't get hers off fast enough!   Marco brought a white towel to wrap around her as she tried to shimmy out of her pants as well.   She had trouble holding the towel as she continued trying to slip her pants down.  Marco returned once or twice more to get her to cover up before there were suddenly so many people onstage that crew and security people swarmed onstage to flank the band members, who continued playing without missing a beat.   Ian climbed back up on the drum riser so he could be seen above all the stage dancers.

Soul Kitchen followed, and by now there were several dozen people dancing onstage.   Even Angelo got up on the riser for a brief period.  Ian was getting grabbed and groped and pulled.   There were some uniformed guys onstage when the song ended;  Ray again mentioned the Dallas show the following night, encouraging the audience members to go by saying "maybe they wouldn't be chased offstage in Dallas."   The uniforms glared at Ray's remark.   At 10:55, it was over for good ... 2 hours and 15 minutes, but still NOT ENOUGH for all of us.

  return to Ida's LA Woman Confidential home page   

 for more Doors news and reviews

by Ida  3/30/02