One of the most tragic things in the years leading up to the death of Doors keyboardist Ray Manzarek in May 2013 was that original drummer John Densmore didn’t join forces with Manzarek and guitarist Robby Krieger in their Doors of the 21st Century or Riders on the Storm projects.
However, Densmore and Krieger performed together for the first time in more than 15 years for the Celebration For Ray Manzarek at the Fonda Theatre on Friday, which would have been Manzarek’s 77th birthday. Along with several established and up-and-coming musical pals, the concert honored Manzarek while also raising money for Stand Up to Cancer.
The three-hour concert played out in two sections, separated by a short intermission, with musicians rotating on and off the stage with almost every song.
Krieger performed on just about every offering, and Densmore (who suffers from a hearing disorder) performed on a handful of the Doors’ best-known selections but left most of the drumming to Stephen Perkins (of Jane’s Addiction) and others. Krieger and Densmore offered reflections on Manzarek and their time with the Doors throughout the show.
The first song of the night was “When the Music’s Over,” with Gov’t Mule singer-guitarist Warren Haynes’ big baritone a good fit to deliver late Doors singer Jim Morrison’s ruminative lines.
Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins, who grew up in Laguna Beach, sang lead vocals for the next two songs, a mostly straightforward take on “Alabama Song (Whisky Bar),” highlighted by Krieger’s inspired bluesy guitar solo, and a rocking “Love Me Two Times,” with Rami Jaffee conjuring up the spirit of Manzarek for his convincing keyboard solo.
Another memorable performance that played out early featured Dead Sara vocalist Emily Armstrong firing up the troupe for the blues-rock burner “Back Door Man.”
One of the most acclaimed keyboardists of the rock era, Manzarek also earned praise beginning in the early 1980s for his production of the first four albums by the Los Angeles-based band X. So it was fitting that several members of X were on hand to celebrate their work together. Singer Exene Cervenka and bassist-singer John Doe re-created their reworked take on the Doors’ “Soul Kitchen” (a highlight on X’s 1980 debut album, “Los Angeles”) and then introduced the X original “Nausea” by explaining that Manzarek had played keyboards on that song.
Guitarist Brian Ray (a longtime member of Paul McCartney’s band) played some powerful lead guitar on the tune, which featured the distinctive, off-kilter duel vocals from Doe and Cervenka.
The songs featuring members of X kicked off a long run of strong performances; the best-sounding was the one-two punch of “Five to One” and “Break On Through (To The Other Side),” with Krieger’s son Waylon Krieger sounding remarkably like Morrison on both of those tracks and proving to be an effective frontman.
Singer Andrew Wyatt of the Swedish indie band Miike Snow delivered one of the knockouts of the night with “L.A. Woman.” Despite his vocals distorting early, his jumping into the crowd and powerful solos from Robby Krieger and Jaffee made it obvious this was among the sold-out crowd’s favorites of the night.
Several of the Doors’ most beloved gems were saved for the end of the night: a reflective “Riders On the Storm” (featuring Doe on vocals), an explosive “Roadhouse Blues” and the night-ending “Light My Fire.” The latter was enhanced by Jaffee’s extended keyboards and the night’s full cast crowding onto the stage to sing and rightfully celebrate Manzarek – and ultimately the Doors’ enduring legacy – in song.
