Opening The Doors

08/01/2025

Happy Birthday to Robby Krieger of The Doors!

Ray said of Robby that "Not only was he the snake man on bottleneck guitar but he was also a tunesmith with a touch of the poet himself," and I can't say that I disagree!

15/12/2024

On the anniversary of The Doors playing the LA Forum, join Michael Pappaceno, Travis Williamson, and myself as we discuss one of the biggest performances of The Doors career. We also hear the newly converted Robert Haimer tape of the show as it’s never been heard before. We also talk about the LA Forum and the birth of arena rock, what equipment was used at the show, and where The Doors were at this point in 1968. Stay tuned for part two next week!

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/opening-the-doors/id1658853049?i=1000680395451

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/7waIDZUShmLKVCIniulbDe?si=MVNFZZXFRe6QtqTptu-ZHQ

01/11/2024

Join me for a Halloween Special celebrating The Doors 1968 performance at the Freedom Hall in Louisville! Members of Tom Dooley and the Lovelights join me to discuss what they remember from the performance. They talk about meeting the band before the show, being brought into the dilemma with the missing piano bass, and overhearing the argument about Jim’s choice of attire.

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/opening-the-doors/id1658853049?i=1000675272950

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/7u71eVMdP35nhbONJ2G6Vr?si=x2RR7O0mRK2Vn4CcGcEEFQ

22/09/2024

In this episode, we discuss every aspect of The Living Theatre performances that Jim attended. We break down the authenticity of the recently released photos of Jim as well as the story of the March 8th Living Theatre performance.

Steve also gives a day by day breakdown of each performance Jim attended, how they contributed to the now infamous “Rock is Dead” studio jam, how Jim was able to save the Living Theatre, and much more.

There are even some clarifying statements at the end about Jim’s trial as Steve clears up some decades long misconceptions about the jury selection, how much prison time Jim was actually facing, and why Jim’s trial dates were so spread out. This is definitely an episode you don’t want to miss!

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/opening-the-doors/id1658853049?i=1000670264169

Spotify: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/opening-the-doors/id1658853049?i=1000670264169

11/07/2024

In case you missed our 4th of July episode this past week, join Michael Pappaceno, Travis Williamson, and myself for part one and two of our discussion of The Doors performance at the Hollywood Bowl. Michael obtained the late Robert Hamer’s tape and had it digitally transferred for the first time ever!

We discuss what ‘Absolutely Live’ vocals were used to replace the missing vocals from the official release, and we compare the bootleg tape to the 2012 release as well as the 1987 release.

We also discuss the equipment used, the background of the band and venue, and we wade into each band member’s book to get a clearer picture.

Was footage from a different concert used for the 2012 release? Does the story we’ve been told for years on how the vocal track was lost on some songs still hold water? We will answer all this in more in this jam packed two parter!

Special Thanks to Reed Barrickman of The Dirty Doors: A Tribute to The Doors for additional research included in the opening of part two that includes some corrections and additional information.

Part One

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/opening-the-doors/id1658853049?i=1000661274936

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2fdf4lKdKtEE6LTYP4kn8i?si=plGy1_MtTLe6dm7lnTXTAg

Part Two

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/opening-the-doors/id1658853049?i=1000661712324

Spotify: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/opening-the-doors/id1658853049?i=1000661712324

05/07/2024

Join us as we discuss performance at the Hollywood Bowl using the Robert Haimer tape that has been digitized for the first time ever! We discuss what ‘Absolutely Live’ vocals were used to replace the missing vocals from the official release, and we compare the bootleg tape to the 2012 release as well as the 1987 release.

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/opening-the-doors/id1658853049?i=1000661274936

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2fdf4lKdKtEE6LTYP4kn8i?si=plGy1_MtTLe6dm7lnTXTAg

04/07/2024

Jim Morrison died 53 years ago today. I could go on about how important he is and what type of legacy he left behind, but I think that would be a bit of a disservice to who he was. Who was Jim Morrison the person?

He was someone who loved film— ANY film. He watched the classics like “Meet Me in St. Louis” and “Singin’ in the Rain,” but he also loved the “artsier” films, especially the Novelle Vogue films. He loved art, be it the poetry which he consumed from every period, paintings, photography. He loved speaking with Linda Eastman about her process.

Jim was a special person who had many interests. He was always learning. He was always trying to have new experiences. I think we could all be a bit more like Jim.

Here is one of, if not the, first picture of his grave.

We miss you, Jim Morrison!

11/06/2024

Join me as I interview author Dion Baia on his book, “Blood in the Streets.” We go in depth on his book and how Jim Morrison plays a big role throughout it. We also talk about growing up in New Haven, his Doors’ experience, as well as many things related and tangentially related to our favorite band from Venice. This is probably the most I’ve laughed during any episode.

You can find this episode wherever you get podcasts!

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/opening-the-doors/id1658853049?i=1000658670724

Spotify: https://spotify.link/gc9ScGLFlKb

You can find his book, “Blood in the Streets” here:

https://a.co/d/3BeqqAo

You can also find his podcast, Saturday Night Movie Sleepovers wherever you get podcasts.

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/saturday-night-movie-sleepovers/id939298015

Spotify: https://spotify.link/Awb7C73FlKb

22/05/2024

Join me as I interview world renowned artist, T.E. Breitenbach. Thom worked with Jim Morrison on a painting for his upcoming poetry album that was a Triptych reminiscent of the style of one of Jim’s favorite painters, Hieronymous Bosch. Unfortunately, Jim passed away before the album was completed, and the album was finished years after his death without the knowledge of Thom’s involvement. Thom tells his side of the story including his early love of The Doors, starting a Doors’ cover band, and we even read through his letters as he details what happened. You can also reach out to me or Thom directly if you are interested in purchasing his copy of An American Prayer or his Jim Morrison Triptych.

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/opening-the-doors/id1658853049?i=1000656432204

Spotify: https://spotify.link/wdP1wLizOJb

T. E. Breitenbach (born July 29, 1951) is a self-taught American artist best known internationally for his painting "Proverbidioms", a raucous and comical depiction of over 300 common proverbs and clichés which he publishes as a poster. He left college after becoming the youngest person to receive a Rome Prize Fellowship in visual arts and, inspired by the castles and museums of Europe, returned home and started building by hand his own castle and studio, to house his art and eventually become a museum. Thom also write's musicals and books.

Founding a museum is his current project, and he is looking for patrons to put up a museum building. You can visit CastleBreitenbach.org to learn more. He is currently looking for producers to create shows and movies from his books and musicals.

You can visit his main site, tebreitenbach.com for poster purchases, castle tours, his Jim Morrison story with letters, and much more. Visit OurMusical.com for links to watch the artist's musical on PBS "Hieronymus, a Musical Fantasy" the story of an artist with a too-large imagination, plus trailers, a documentary and more.

You can watch the documentary on Thom called “Proverbidioms” here: https://youtu.be/-dFwFTEXVIc?si=pqFj29na9ZEDzrJr

11/05/2024

The Doors 1969 / The Godfather 1971

This was pointed out to me today by someone at the Mild Equator (an amazing resource). Notice the exact same banner in both? This is a cool coincidence and probably what was widely available, I’m assuming, even though Coppola and Morrison were friends. The Morrison Hotel shots were taken by Henry Diltz on December 17, 1969 and the above shot of Francis Ford Coppola on set was taken when the scene was shot some time between March 29th and August 6th of 1971.

02/05/2024

On the anniversary of The Doors playing Pittsburgh in 1970, Join Michael Pappaceno and I as we talk in depth about this show. What makes this concert a one of a kind show? Where does this show rank among the other 1970 shows?

Special thanks to Michael for joining me and providing the color photos used for the podcast cover art. The copyright to these photos belongs exclusively to Michael Pappaceno.

You can listen to this show wherever you get podcasts!

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/opening-the-doors/id1658853049?i=1000654360479

Spotify: https://spotify.link/GfSP4AqwhJb

27/04/2024

Join me as I interview Robby Krieger’s guitar tech and Strange Day’s Tribute Band guitarist, Forrest Penner. He talks about how he got into The Doors, what it was like touring with one of the biggest Doors’ tribute bands, Wild Child, and what a typical show with Robby is like. We break down Robby’s gear in depth from his strings to his amps, and we also talk about Robby’s version of the National Anthem and what issues they faced.

If you’ve ever had any questions about Robby’s gear like what pedals, strings, slides, guitars, and amps he used, you don’t want to miss this episode!

You can listen to the interview wherever you get podcasts.

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/opening-the-doors/id1658853049?i=1000653774797

Spotify: https://spotify.link/Ud9aMuQi9Ib

You can find upcoming shows for his band Strange Days here:
https://www.strangedaystribute.com/shows

You can find Robby’s upcoming shows here:
https://robbykrieger.com/

You can donate to Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation by going here:
https://mhopus.org/

Special thanks to Chris Quick for helping with research for this episode! You can find his Lynyrd Skynyrd tribute band SkynFolks by going here:
https://www.skynfolks.com/

26/04/2024

If you are in or close to the Mohegan Sun in Connecticut, be sure to go and check out Robby Krieger tomorrow for FREE! Thats right, you get to see one of the most legendary guitarists and songwriters to ever play for no cost!

📍CONNECTICUT

🎸I’m playing a FREE show 4/27 at Mohegan Sun in the Wolf Den!

Who’s ready to jam?

20/04/2024

Celebrate The Doors Stockholm Record Store Day release with a podcast breaking down the shows including excerpts from the newly mixed release! We compare one of the bootleg sources to this mix, and we follow the tapes lineage as well as the various bootleg versions. We also give background on The Doors at this time, talk about the European tour, the venue itself, and we also break down each song and moment that makes this one of the best recorded Doors’ shows ever.

How does the new release handle the missing vocals in “When the Music’s Over”? Are there any cuts in this show? What makes Robby’s solos here different? Is Jim’s distorted vocal track fixed? All these and more are answered!

Whether you traded tapes through Kerry Humphrys’ Doors Collector Magazine and read Greg Shaw’s The Doors: On The Road or you got bootlegged CDs with Fred Baggen artwork and went to the Mild Equator for concert info, there is something here for everybody!

You can download this episode wherever you get podcasts!

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/opening-the-doors/id1658853049?i=1000653054136

Spotify: https://spotify.link/uLFX0Nn2WIb

Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/a5f6683e-6358-4570-bd61-764536b5ba79/opening-the-doors?ref=dm_sh_iyRwRCn0atV4z4Sdo9pmGeDgI

23/03/2024

Join me as I interview Angie Bucchi Silvers and Steve Wheeler as we talk about her experience in Miami and with Jim. This is probably the most thorough account of what it was like to be at the show ever told. Angie shares stories about being contacted by Max Fink, testifying at the trial, and spending time with Jim.

Steve also deconstructs more myths about Miami and gives information that has never been made public before. What do the photos taken from the show tell us about the timeline of events? Why do we not have photos from the end of the show? Are there color photos out there that have never been released? All these questions and more are answered in this podcast!

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/opening-the-doors/id1658853049?i=1000650197785

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/30IuNaGuW2wCUFK5jLKNey?si=Il1VPUNCRCC-Kh4m_p7YNw

Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/a5f6683e-6358-4570-bd61-764536b5ba79/episodes/0f227f1c-8a39-49c8-8060-6ce7d2584772/opening-the-doors-angie-and-jim-from-miami-to-l-a-with-angela-bucchi-silvers-and-steve-wheeler?ref=dm_sh_8iL3UR6PzmzTALPqBj9Jsd5PJ

20/03/2024

I want to talk about the “What If’s” of The Doors. One of the biggest points of discussion has always been who could replace Jim after his passing.

Many names have been confirmed by the band, but none as interesting as Sir Paul McCartney. Here is what Ray said in an interview:

“Yes. Paul [McCartney] was going to play bass. That would have worked out great. Who knows what direction we would have gone off into had that actually happened.”

Robby wrote in his book, “We thought Paul McCartney would be an unorthodox choice since he was so obviously different from Jim, and he played bass, which would’ve been a plus. But again: nothing more than idle talk.”

So that begs the question, what does a Paul McCartney/ Doors albums sound like? If we look at what McCartney was doing after ‘71, he releases two big albums— Band On the Run and Red Rose Speedway. Band on the Run has some tracks that I think Ray, Robby, and John could’ve added to like “Let Me Roll It,” “Picasso’s Last Words,” and “1985.” “Mrs. Vanderbilt” is probably the most likely candidate as it sonically reminds me a lot of “In the Eye of the Sun.”

Realistically though, I think Red Rose Speedway was more along the lines of what the other members of The Doors were shooting for. “Big Barn Bed,” “One More Kiss,” and the closing medley being the staple Doors’ long song. The Doors at this time also sounded a lot closer to Paul and Wings’ sound as well with sounds like “Wandering Musician” and “Ships with Sails” that with some rearranging could’ve fit on either of the aforementioned albums.

Paul’s bass playing would’ve also raised the bar even higher as the more melodic style fits right in line with what Ray was doing with his left hand. There’s also a big unknown element on how their collaborative writing styles could’ve changed all of their trajectories. Maybe they converge on a music style we haven’t thought of.

All this being said, what do you guys think? Would you like to hear a podcast episode on this? Let me know below! ⬇️

15/03/2024

This is my interview with manager of Thee Image and the black belt who “karate kicked” Morrison off the stage in Miami to end the show, Larry Pizzi. This was such a fun conversion, and Larry is a high energy guy who is very open and honest (including possibly perjuring himself 😂). He tells his story with no frills and sets the record straight on the end of the Miami show.

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/opening-the-doors/id1658853049?i=1000649201851

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4DaiiNdfX6jzWoacfHCLQ5?si=dxsL5IYZRFao3FCJIvtBSg

Amazon Music:
https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/a5f6683e-6358-4570-bd61-764536b5ba79/episodes/4380fde6-6533-46a3-b1d8-3a01ad22674c/opening-the-doors-interview-with-thee-image-manager-larry-pizzi?ref=dm_sh_p5Nco23PMVRvGFmJTiAQRpQWE

‎Show Opening The Doors, Ep Interview with Thee Image Manager Larry Pizzi - Mar 13, 2024

13/03/2024

On this day in 1967, The Doors play a three week engagement at the Ondine in New York. This is the third time they’ve played the venue, but the first time since their debut album was released. This venue has a nautical theme and claims to be New York's oldest discotheque. The Doors rent stage equipment from Carroll Musical Instrument Rentals on March 13th. Admission for these shows is $4.00 at the door and a minimum of $6.00 spent at the table by each attendee. Positive reviews of these performances are printed throughout the month. One of the photographers was Linda Eastman, Paul McCartney’s future wife.

You can read more about this performance here in a blog done by “Roadhouse Blues” author, Bob Batchelor.

https://www.bobbatchelor.com/blog/2023/3/14/the-doors-explode-into-new-york-city-march-1967

Special thanks to the Mild Equator and Dave Dutkowski for the info used in this post!