Review: Updated Doors survive specter of Morrison

Spencer Patterson

Monday, Jan. 20, 2003 | 8:18 a.m.

Singer Ian Astbury stammered while making the announcement, as if he -- like so many in the sold-out crowd at Rain in the Desert at the Palms -- could not fully embrace the notion of the Doors playing without Jim Morrison.

While the concept may sound preposterous to many, however, there was no denying the quality of the performance Sunday night.

Put quotation marks around "Doors" if you prefer, but the modern incarnation of the legendary Los Angeles band stood up relatively well to the daunting challenge before it in its third show in 30 years, and first concert of its 2003 comeback.

With original members Ray Manzarek and Robbie Krieger joined by longtime Cult frontman Astbury, former Police drummer Stewart Copeland and bassist Angelo Barbera (formerly of the Robbie Krieger Band) the quintet gave the audience of around 1,600 a taste of what a Doors concert sounded like during the band's heyday from 1965 until Morrison's death in 1971.

From the opening notes of "Roadhouse Blues" through the closing bars of second encore "Soul Kitchen," the ensemble filled the room with raw energy, keeping most of the crowd dancing throughout.

Sounding as if he'd spent the past decade studying Val Kilmer's masterful portrayal of Morrison in Oliver Stone's 1991 film, "The Doors," Astbury sang the evening's 15 selections in a voice eerily similar to Morrison's own.

In fact, until Astbury addressed the crowd between songs with a few spoken words in his natural accent, fans would have been hard-pressed to remember the singer actually hails from England.

Astbury even conjured up the image of the man he replaced, with flowing, curly hair, sunglasses and a black leather jacket all serving as reminders of Morrison's enduring presence.

The night was filled with other familiar icons from the Doors' past: a classic photo of Morrison towering behind the stage, American Indian dancers onstage for "Ghost Song" and the words "No/One/Here/Gets/Out/Alive" flashing onscreen during "Five to One."

Morrison and original drummer John Densmore aside, the only key component to the Doors' fabled live set missing Sunday night was a spirit of adventure that often bordered on a sense of danger. With the unpredictable Morrison at the helm, anything could happen at a Doors show. But Sunday's appearance essentially followed the script.

Coming from the lips of the 40-year-old Astbury, the lyric "Show Me the Way to the Next Little Girl" from "Alabama Song" should have sounded even more menacing than it did when sung by Morrison, who died at age 27. But Astbury, who regularly thanked the crowd for its support, came across as more polite than threatening.

Heavy on hits, the set list alternated between tight rockers such as "Love Me Two Times" and "Wild Child" and looser numbers such as "When the Music's Over" that gave the musicians ample opportunity to stretch out.

There were also a few less-successful songs, signs that the five men require more time onstage together. "Break on Through" and "Alabama Song" both stalled at points.

The band took just one stab at "new" material, actually a reworking of an old tune, "Strange Days." The new rendition, which Manzarek said will likely appear on a new Doors album due by the end of the year, hardly sounded like a dramatic departure from the original.

Manzarek, whose dynamic keyboard work gave the Doors' music a unique quality during a period dominated by guitars, sizzled all night, even adding a few new twists to his two most recognizable solos in "Light my Fire" and "Riders on the Storm."

Looking professorial in spectacles and a suit jacket, the silver-haired 63-year-old beamed like a proud papa as he watched his bandmates fulfill his lifelong vision of a Doors reunion.

Krieger, third fiddle to Morrison and Manzarek in the old days, showed that he may be worthy of his own page in rock's history book. The 56-year-old demonstrated impressive range, from hard-driving rock and blues to psychedelia and even a surprising turn at reggae as Astbury segued into Bob Marley's "Get Up, Stand Up" midway through "Light My Fire."

Copeland, whose broken arm forced the postponement of the Las Vegas gig in December, seemed a bit unsure of himself, a far cry from his last Las Vegas appearance -- a powerful guesting stint with Les Claypool's Frog Brigade last June.

Clocking in at one hour, 45 minutes (including dead time between two encores), the concert could have been a bit longer. And a few of Manzarek's keyboard blasts were far too loud in the sound mix, perhaps explaining Densmore's severe hearing damage suffered during 2001's Doors appearance on VH1's "Storytellers."

But the band proved itself capable of carrying on the Doors' tradition, with much to build on as it carries on with a reunion few thought they would ever witness.