50 years is a long time in the history of music. In five decades we’ve seen an evolution in the world of music and entertainment, from the gramophone to the headphones, from vinyl to streaming, from concert halls to thousands of people crammed onto muddy fields, and thousands more streaming said muddy fields from all corners of the globe.
For most bands, especially today, it’s hard to remain relevant for more than a couple of years, let alone 50. Then again, rock ‘n roll existed before streaming and social media and hip-hop and reality TV programs and the internet. And in some ways, this has allowed bands like The Doors to remain legendary and immortalised in a way that no rock band would be able to establish here in 2017.
The LA rock legends fronted by the late, great Jim Morrison can be added to the list of groups who stood the test of time, with the surviving members of the band reuniting and celebrating their 50th anniversary on Wednesday.
Known for their enigmatic performances, Morrison’s incredible stage presence and poetic lyrics, and their groundbreaking keys-laden take on psychedelic and blues rock, the group celebrated their half-century in style with a huge ceremony at their spiritual home of Venice in L.A.
After local council member Mike Borin declared January 4th “Day of the Doors”, remaining members of the band Robbie Krieger and John Densmore took to the stage to perform a loose version of their timeless classic L.A Woman to an adoring crowd. Watch the full video below.
Speaking with Rolling Stone, Densmore noted how “the ocean is right out there, and that’s how Jim got the idea to write the song Moonlight Drive… our roots are here.”
Speaking about what Jim Morrison would have thought of the reunion, Kreiger noted that “I have no idea what Jim would have done or said because it would have been something different.
“I bet you he would have been here and he would have dug it. I think he would have been proud.”
Jim Morrison passed away in 1971 at the tragic age of 27 in Paris, whilst final founding member Ray Manzarek passed away in 2013 after a battle with cancer.
A look back at the band’s remarkable history, and it’s not hard to understand why they were such a culturally significant force. It begs the question of what our grandchildren will think of Kanye in 2066.
Image: PopMatters