The Doors of the 21st Century
San Diego Street Scene, San Diego, California
September 5, 2003
All photos linked below are from http://robbykrieger.com/doors/gallery47.htm
The Doors of the 21st Century headlined opening night of the 20th annual San Diego Street Scene, a 3-day musical event held in the Gaslamp district in downtown San Diego. There were numerous stages set up in a multiple-block area. In each section, there was a major stage flanked by two large screens, and a slightly smaller stage just catty-corner for alternating performances while the other stage was changed over for the next band. It was another hot night.
Beverly, Marcy and I arrived as X was already on stage, performing their kick-ass "Soul Kitchen" as we approached the alternate stage to get in position for Arthur Lee & Love. We wondered if Ray Manzarek would take the stage with his friends in X, but he didn't.
The bands scheduled to play this first night, in the area we planned to stay in, were X, Love with Arthur Lee, Goo Goo Dolls, Concrete Blonde, and then finally, the piece de resistance, The Doors of the 21st Century headlining and scheduled to take the stage from 10:15 until midnight.
Thankfully, this well-run event kept right on time and at 10:15 the band took to the stage as Carmina Burana played. There was a tremendous crowd in front of this stage to hear my favorite band!! There was no backdrop screen behind Ty's drums, so the show began without the usual image of the young lion Jim projected which is always used for the videos through the shows.
Angelo was in a long sleeved grey shirt and blue jeans; Ty was in a black jersey with #8 on the front, and blue jeans. Ray wore a dark print shirt over a green shirt and dark pants. Robby was wearing his Lizard Kings jersey with #69 on the back, over a black tee-shirt and desert camouflage pants. Ian wore blue jeans, black tee-shirt under his Bathing Ape leather jacket, and sunglasses.
The show began with Roadhouse Blues. A white-haired and white-bearded man played harmonica, who we recognized from the July 25th Pacific Amphitheater show in Costa Mesa in late July. Ray later introduced him as Jack Green. Jack stayed onstage to play harmonica on Break On Through. Jack left the stage and Robby removed his #69 Lizard Kings jersey to reveal the black tee-shirt with Jim's face created from their song titles in white. Ian took a mighty leap off the drum riser as they began When The Music's Over, and cautioned the audience: "Don't take the brown acid."
Ian removed his sunglasses as Ray introduced him, and then Ty "The Monster" Dennis on drums, Angelo Barbera on bass, and Robby Krieger, "the guy on guitar." Robby then stepped to the mike to introduce Raymond Daniel Manzarek, who stood and waved to the crowd in acknowledgement of the cheering.
Love Me Two Times was next. During the instrumental break, Ian picked up a bra which had been tossed onstage. Ian introduced Robby as the most bad-ass guitar player!
Alabama Song led right into Back Door Man. Robby and Ray both did some goose-stepping back and forth across the stage as they played the opening chords to Five To One and billows of smoke filled the stage. Ian was particularly frenzied during this song, and midway through he stomped on the mike stand and bent it in half with his foot. The mangled mike stand was quickly removed and replaced. At the end of that performance, Ian removed his Bathing Ape leather jacket and went into the Indian-like dance.
It was now 11:00, and a pair of stools were brought out and placed in front of Ray's Alesis keyboards as Ty and Angelo left the stage. Robby switched guitars to his custom Rick Turner, and he and Ian sat on the stools and began Crystal Ship. Ian really did a terrific job on the vocals, and rose to his feet to sing the song out. People Are Strange followed.
The stools were removed, and Ray announced that Robby would play flamenco guitar before also leaving the stage. The spotlight shone on Robby, alone on stage as he performed the usual exquisite flamenco solo. After a few minutes, his guitar work segued into the familiar strains of the beautiful Spanish Caravan as Ray, Ty, Angelo, and Ian returned to their places on stage, with Ian accenting the song with tambourine and flamenco yelps.
When that song ended, Ray announced that they were going to do some songs from the L. A. Woman album which began with Changeling. Ian really wails on this one.
Ray summoned Jack Green back onstage, to play harmonica as they next played Cars Hiss By My Window, which was dedicated to Arthur Lee. Robby rocked his amp a few times to accentuate the "with a sonic boom" lines from the song.
I noticed that Jack Green was gone from the stage. Been Down So Long was the next song performed.
At 11:30 we got one of the absolute highlights of the evening, as we heard the opening chords of Not To Touch The Earth. During the interplay of the song, Robby was indicating the song changes with hand motions, as he did when the Robby Krieger Band used to perform that song. Ian finished the song with: "Jim Morrison was the Lizard King ... he did everything".
Robby tossed some Mardi Gras beads into the audience, and the band began playing L. A. Woman. The song ended and the band left the stage at 11:45. In response to the crowd chant of "We want more", D21C Manager Tom Vitorino came onstage and playfully asked: "What exactly are you people trying to tell these guys? Make some noise."
The band returned to the stage quickly, and Ray announced that they have time for one more as they began Light My Fire. As he got into his keyboard solo, Ray crouched down with his face very close to the keys and seemed to be playing with his chin. He even slid off the piano bench and was crouched down alongside the keyboards and playing with his left hand. Robby injected My Favorite Things into his solo, and at the end he wandered over in front of Ty Dennis to give him some drumming spotlight time, and then did the same for bassist Angelo Barbera. Ian took another one of his mighty leaps off the drums with the 'fuck fuck fuck' section.
The song ended, it was midnight, and there would be no more encores. What another terrific show it was.
by Ida 9/6/03
to compare all set lists, go to: set lists or: set list grid
see concert photos: http://robbykrieger.com/doors/gallery47.htm
read media previews:
San Diego Edge Magazine by Steve Yablonicky: "And the band played on; Life after Jim! -- July 23, 2003
North County Times by Robert K. Elder: "New Tour Opens Up Doors To Criticism" -- September 3, 2003
LA Woman Confidential home page
for more Doors news and reviews
