A perfect night: Ray, my dad and me
| Wednesday, Mar 03 2010 02:30 PM
Last Updated Thursday, Mar 04 2010 10:21 AM
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Hillary Haenes poses with Roy Rogers, left, and Ray Manzarek.
Last Friday, I attended the Ray Manzarek concert with my parents and significant other. Never in a million years did I imagine I would ever see, much less meet, a member of The Doors, my favorite band. After a week of letting it sink in, I still can’t help but think: I shook hands and talked to Ray Manzarek, keyboardist and partner in crime to the legendary Jim Morrison.
On various car rides, I remember curiously watching my dad rock out to “Break on Through” and “L.A. Woman” with the speakers blaring. I also recall my dad telling me when I was a 12-year-old know-it-all, “Some day you will appreciate The Doors.” I didn’t believe him then, but times have changed.
Around age 13, I was forced to attend a concert by a Doors cover band at the Orange County Fair. I probably wasn’t impressed at the time, preferring, I’m sure, to be gossiping about boys and listening to Britney Spears. But after years of hearing my parents blasting Doors’ songs and following the career of Wild Child, the cover act I saw that night with such an eerie resemblance to the band, I began to appreciate the music. By 16, I was hooked.
So it meant a lot to me to share the experience of Friday’s concert with my dad, the man who introduced me to The Doors.
Pat Evans, owner of World Records and founder of the No Stinkin' Service Charge Blues Series, brought an incredible and intimate show to Bakersfield. Accompanying Manzarek was renowned slide guitarist Roy Rogers, who has been playing the blues for more than 30 years.
Manzarek and Rogers played music from their CD, “Ballads Before the Rain,” which includes a couple of Doors’ hits.
Their talents complemented one another beautifully, especially when they played a combination of “Crawling King Snake” and “Back Door Man.”
Before Manzarek and Rogers went on, the room was filled with chatter as baby boomers congregated at the bar.
When a middle-aged man wearing a black polo that read “Doors Security” walked up to the mic, the crowd found their seats. Come to find out, he’s Manzarek’s brother and personal security guard, and lives in Lake Isabella.
Two figures emerged from a hallway and walked on stage, bringing fans to their feet. The night was filled with great music and Manzarek’s candid recollections.
Manzerek’s memories of Jim Morrison
An audience member asked about Manzarek’s best and worst memory of being in The Doors.
Mazarek said the worst was Morrison’s death and the best was walking on Venice Beach with Morrison, trying to answer the basic questions, “Where do we come from?” and “What is the point of our existence?”
He also recalled how well-read Morrison was, saying the singer’s apartment resembled a small library with books from floor to ceiling. Morrison played a game where he would turn his back and someone would grab any book, open it and read a sentence or paragraph. Nine times out of 10, Morrison could name the author and title of the book.
When Manzarek and Rogers signed CD’s after the show, my dad wanted me to ask Manzarek if he ever felt Morrison’s presence in a spiritual way when he performed. Manzarek’s reply? “Yes.”
On not playing Woodstock
Someone in the crowd asked Manzarek why The Doors didn’t play Woodstock and his answer was quite comical.
Manzarek received the invitation for The Doors to play the famous 1969 outdoor concert and turned it down.
He might have accepted had the concert been in New York’s Central Park, but it was in the country on a dairy farm.
He said The Doors didn’t do farms or country music. Manzarek said they were a big-city blues and jazz band out of Venice Beach.
To justify his decision, Manzarek said that guitarist Robby Krieger could have been electrocuted because their band probably would have been on stage when it was raining.
Being both the keyboardist and bassist
Manzarek said he is disturbed when people say, “You didn’t have a bass player.” His left hand was the magic sound of the bass on stage, but in the recording studio, The Doors always brought in a bassist.
He provided the audience with an explanation that The Doors were like four wheels to a car: “We always thought of ourselves as a Ferrari or Maserati,” and that a fifth wheel would never work.
“When You’re Strange: A Film About The Doors” will hit theaters April 9. The documentary is narrated by Johnny Depp, a big Doors fan. Manzareck said Depp listened to the controversial song “The End” to get into character. The film will provide insight into unseen footage and the impact The Doors left on society.
