Doors 1969

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Legend: (DU) = Date Unknown, Date/Playlist, EVENT, Review, Timeline, Link, Quote, Poetry/Lyrics

"The inner turmoil driving Jim Morrison began to peak in early 1969. The tremendous frustration he was feeling toward his art became more and more dominating until it dictated many of his actions. The release he had always felt before being onstage was becoming one of increasing anger toward the audience. In concert now he would often shout obscenities at the girls in the audience. Backstage, he sometimes demanded oral sex from groupies no matter who else was present. The fans had given him the platform from which he thought he would be able to do so much and now he believed they were making a mockery of it. As the cumulative effects of years of drinking began to take hold, Morrison couldn't see that it was he who had made himself a clown. It was his drinking and his refusal to take responsibility for what The Doors had become that prevented things from turning around. It was he who had embraced the sex symbol role and now it was he who was rebelling against it."
Break On Through pp. 285-6

J a n u a r y - M a r c h

January 1969

Fri. Jan. 24th: Madison Square Garden - New York, NY
    The Doors play one performance at 8:30 p.m. to a sell-out crowd of over 20,000! For the occasion, Jim and friend Alan Ronay leave for NYC a few days early to take in the town and do some interviews and The Doors take the stage tonight with an additional bass player, Harvey Brooks and a small orchestra. The Garden is not adjusted well or rigged for musical bands around this time and the sound quality is deficient due to the large size of the arena. Despite the shortcomings of the arena's acoustics, The Doors put on a marvelous show with the help of technician Vince Treanor who has created an incredibly powerful system for tonight's performance.
    Jim begins the show without many theatrics but with every little pose he gets into - the crowd erupts. He is in complete control and heaves his leather coat into the audience early on as a show of submission and connection, yet not. New York loves The Doors! One of the most memorable moments tonight is where Jim announces to one side of the arena, "You are life!", and to the other, "You are death!", pauses for a moment, "I straddle the fence - and my balls hurt!".
    Jim is larger than life tonight extending himself in the huge arena while putting out his grand persona amidst constant lighting changes that sets the arena on fire and gives the concert a strobe-like effect. He and the band are up to the challenge of the large venue and The Doors succeed to pull off one of their greatest accomplishments as a band, one that has just rocked the most significant indoor arena of it's time!
    Jac Holzman is in attendance tonight with his young son Adam and an entourage of Elektra personnel seated right in front of Patricia Kennealy on assignment for Jazz and Pop magazine. Tonights gate takes in over $125,000 and The Doors retain over $50,000 making them one of the highest paid acts in the business.

J I M M E E T S P A T R I C I A

Sat. Jan. 25th: Jim Meets Patricia Kennealy - Plaza Hotel , New York City, NY
Patricia Kennealy, 22, interveiws Jim for Jazz and Pop magazine in his suite on a cold and clear day while the other members of the band go off to do a photo shoot. (Jim will do his alone later) Just 18 hours before, she was watching Jim perform to over 20,000 at Madison Square Garden and now she is adorned with the only scheduled interview this afternoon and meets Jim for the first time. Upon greeting, he offers her a choice between cognac and bourbon and as she accepts the cognac the interview begins. Doors publicist, Diane Gardner, pops in and out of the suite living room periodically as Patricia and Jim turn the interview into a discussion of literature, mythology, shamanism, the death of rock 'n' roll, and small talk. It lasts well over two hours. Jim asks Patricia towards the end of the interview, extremely curious, "Who are you?" Patricia tells him she is a witch and Jim has found a new intrigue!

"He is bigger than I had thought, taller too, dressed in last night's concert clothes of unbleached white linen peasant shirt, black jeans and black leather boots. His brown hair is a little lighter than it looks onstage or in photographs, a deep rich brown with no red in it, shoulder-length and shaggy. The eyes are blue, and there is a depth in them, none of that shallow empty washed look blue eyes can so often have. The voice is soft, the smile frquent and charming, the grin devastating." - Patricia Kennealy
Source: Strange Days, Patricia Kennealy, p. 15

February 1969 " W I S H F U L S I N F U L " S I N G L E R E L E A S E D

Feb. 1st: "Wishful Sinful" Single Released

J I M G E T S A R R E S T E D

Feb. 7th: Jim is Arrested for Drunk Driving - Los Angeles, CA
Also driving without a liscense

You have just entered into . . . The Mayhem in Miami
The following four factors are essential in understanding Jim's state of mind as he is about to give one of the most important rock performances of all time! Sadly enough, it is the beginning of the end - making this upcoming concert the most crucial and devastating event in the history of The Doors!

Prelude to the mayhem in Miami - Factor #1

Tue. Feb. 25th: In The Studio - Sunset Sound, Hollywood, CA
While recording for The Soft Parade, during the tail end of the sessions, the band falls into a bluesy jam about the history and eventual death of rock 'n roll. The jam session begins after a dinner break at a local Mexican restaurant up the street, The Blue Boar, in which plenty of drinking took place! During this whimsical blues jam the reel to reel tape is in need of changing and a portion is lost. However, most of the session is recorded, a total of 21 minutes while losing around 5 (which is said to have been the best part - of course!), displaying Jim's further disenchantment with the rock 'n roll scene. Note: A large portion of this evening's session is part of the box set - Disc One - Without A Safety Net - Track 12 - Length 16'39. Also around this time, but not during this evening's session, The Doors record "Adagio in G Minor" with a full orchestra in the studio.

As long as I got breath,
The death of rock is the death of me,
And rock is dead!

Prelude to the mayhem in Miami - Factor #2 (and definitely the most important)

Mon. Feb. 24th - Fri. 28th: The Living Theater Performances - Bovard Auditorium, USC The week prior to the Miami incident Jim attends these performances religously with a group of friends and sits right in the front row for every one of them. These shows/displays without doubt have a major influence on Jim's upcoming legendary performance. The living theater challenged all boundaries of moral decency and portrayed scantilly dressed actors artistically confronting societies rules and regulations according to the norms of love, decency, morality, and freedom of expression, both on and off stage throughout the aisles. Jim was absolutely enthralled by these performances and tried to figure out a way to incorporate some of the energy and expression into his performances. He will do this his next performance as the star of his own show run by his own rules driven by his frustrations, disillusionment, dissappointment, and alcoholic excesses all fueled by these powerful performances - BOOM!

Enter The Living Theater Performances

"He had a madder than usual look in his eyes, though I knew he was sober. At one point Jim turned to me and said, 'Let's start a fire in the balcony or something. Get a riot going.'" - Tom Baker

March 1969 Prelude to the mayhem in Miami - Factor #3

Sat. Mar. 1st: On the way to Miami - Los Angeles Airport, New Orleans
The show in Miami is to be the kick-off of The Doors biggest tour ever, set to begin eight days following this show. Jim and Pam have made reservations to take a short vacation in Jamaica following the show before the long tour begins. They have a house prepared for them and have already purchased airplane tickets. Jim and Pam, while getting ready for the airport, have a huge fight. They resolve matters enough to arrive together, but while at the airport they have another fight and Jim ultimately sends her home not wanting to take her along.
Through all the comotion, Jim misses his flight to Miami and drinks quickly and heavily in the airport bar awaiting the next flight. He drinks right onto the next flight and talks the stewardesses into giving him as many drinks as he can before a stop over in New Orleans where he gets off to slam a few more and ends up losing track of his flight again! He calls The Doors to tell them he is in New Orleans, he has arranged for yet another flight, and he will be a little late, and a lot drunk!

Prelude to the mayhem in Miami - Factor #4

Sat. Mar. 1st: Dinner Key Auditorium - Coconut Grove, Miami, FL
The Dinner Key is a converted seaplane hanger with rafters and a rickety old stage. The University of Miami originally wanted to hold the event at the Convention Hall but Ken and Jim Collier of Three Image Productions offer the band more money to play the hangar. This show is for the students who when polled by the school newspaper, The Hurricane, overwhelmingly chose The Doors as the band they would most like to see.
The hall is designed to hold 7,000 and the official count for the show was over 12,000, almost double the capacity! (not counting the hundreds who crawled in second floor windows after scaling the walls) The promoters took out the chairs in the hall in an attempt to cram more people in and make more money for themselves and this upset the manager of The Doors, Bill Siddons, who was guaranteed $25,000 based on the hall having a $42,000 maximum but was not given a percentage deal as the promoters took in over $75,000. They had upped the scale without upping The Doors fee. Arguments go on for over an hour while all await Jim's arrival. Ultimately, Siddons considers taking the equipment off the stage and not playing at all!

"We had one guy stationed at every door and we had thirteen thousand people in that building and that didn't include the people who got in when my guys were thrown off the door. You ever seen sardines in a can? They have a lot of room compared to what that place was like that night." - Bill Siddons, Doors Manager

"When Siddons reminded the promoters that this wasn't in the contract the promoters said, 'What are you gonna do about it?' Bill threatened to take the equipment and leave and the promoter said, 'You think you're gonna get this equipment outta here? You're gonna play this show.' Here's the band's brand-new equipment and a hall full of shouting people and the promoter is holding a gun to our heads." - Vince Treanor, Doors Technician/ Road Manager

There are also over 2,000 fans outside pounding the walls and trying to get into the hall which is already bursting at the seams on what turned out to be the hottest night of the summer with no air conditioning and little circulation. The place is sweltering and full of angry faces broiling in the suffocating summer heat waiting for a rock concert they so dearly want but by now the mood has turned from excitement and intrigue to exhaustion and disgust - then Morrison shows up, drunk for even his standards!
Bearded and wearing a leather hat adorned with a skull and crossbones, Jim finally arives, obvious to everyone at first glance, drunk off his ass! Jim then gets ushered to the stage but decides to take his own sweet time while sizing up the crowd. He teases the already angry crowd by waiting through intro after intro of "Break On Through" and drinking on the side of the stage. People are beginning to move around becoming more restless and raising the already unbearable heat. The crowd tries to make the best of the situation but it's all too much. By this time, the rafters below the roof are full of guys who have climbed up to get some fresh air and a better look as the whole place is packed with people smeared wall to wall, top to bottom, and then Jim Morrison takes the stage!

"There's a point beyond which we cannot return. That is the point that must be reached,"
- Franz Kafka

You now know the factors that played such an important role in bringing about this legendary performance that is at hand.

Wed. Mar. 5th: Dade County Sheriff's Office - Dade County, FL
Legal proceedings begin against James Douglas Morrison, with 22 year old Robert Jennings as legal complaintant. The accusations are as follows:

1) lewd and lascivious behavior (felony)
2) indecent exposure (misdemeanor)
3) open profanity (misdemeanor)
4) drunkenness (misdemeanor)

Click on the tour book and see what's inside!

Sun. Mar. 9th: Veterans Memorial Sports Coliseum - Jacksonville, FL (CANCELLED)
    Mayor Hans Tansler cancels the show and states that the mayors of five of Florida's largest cities also agree with his stand against allowing questionable rock performers from ever appearing in Florida.

Sun. Mar. 16th: Poetry Published - Los Angeles Image
    The Los Angeles Image magazine includes an excerpt from "Dry Water"

Mon. Mar. 17th: The Electric Theater - Pittsburgh, PA (CANCELLED)
    New proprietor Pat DiCesare is bombarded by objections from those close to him and upon request The Doors release him from the contract on March 12. Uneventful, DiCesare has already invested a large amount of money in advertising.

Tue. Mar. 18th: Philadelphia Spectrum - Philadelphia, PA (CANCELLED)
    Music Fair Enterprises and promoter John Wannamaker unsuccesfully attempt to reschedule the March 19th show on this date. Also scheduled to perform: Pacific Gas & Electric

Wed. Mar. 19th: Convention Center Auditorium - Philadelphia, PA (CANCELLED)

Wed. Mar. 19th(2): Philadelphia Spectrum - Philadelphia, PA (CANCELLED)
    Promoter John Wannamaker attempts to schedule the band for this night but attempts fail as well.

Thu. Mar. 20th: Rhode Island Auditorium - Providence, RI (CANCELLED)

Fri. Mar. 21st: Maple Leaf Gardens - Toronto, Ontario, Canada (CANCELLED)

Sat. Mar. 22nd: Pittsburgh Arena - Pittsburgh, PA (CANCELLED)

Sun. Mar. 23rd: Kent State University - Kent, OH (CANCELLED)

Sun. Mar. 23rd(2): Rally For Decency - Miami, FL

Wed. Mar. 26th: Rally For Decency - Baltimore, MD

Fri. Mar. 28th: Olympia Stadium - Detroit, MI (CANCELLED)

Sat. Mar. 29th: Cleveland Public Auditorium - Cleveland, OH (CANCELLED)

Sun. Mar. 30th: Cincinatti Music Hall - Cincinatti, OH (CANCELLED)

Late March: Poetry Recording - Elektra Sound, Hollywood, CA (DU)

F E A S T O F F R I E N D S C O M P L E T E D

Late March: Feast Of Friends Completed (DU)

A p r i l - J u n e

April 1969 J I M T U R N S H I M S E L F I N T O T H E F B I O N M I A M I C H A R G E S

Thu. Apr. 3rd: Jim Turns Himself Into the FBI - Los Angeles, CA

Fri. April 4th: Released On $5,000 Bail - Los Angeles, CA

Fri. Apr. 4th(2): Dallas Memorial Auditorium - Dallas, TX (CANCELLED)

Sat. Apr. 5th: Sam Houston Coliseum - Houston, TX (CANCELLED)

Fri. Apr. 25th: Boston Garden - Boston, MA (CANCELLED)

Sat. Apr. 26th: Buffalo Memorial Auditorium - Buffalo, NY (CANCELLED)

Sun. Apr. 27th: Onondaga Memorial Auditorium - Syracuse, NY (CANCELLED)

C R I T I Q U E R E C O R D I N G S A N D I N T E R V I E W - P B S S T U D I O S

Mon. Apr. 28th - Tue. 29th: PBS Studios "Critique" Recording Sessions - New York, NY

May 1969

Thu. May 1st: Sacramento State College Gallery - Sacramento, CA

Sat. May 3rd: Whisky A Go Go - West Hollywood, CA (DU)

Mon. May 19th - Thu. 22nd: Whisky A Go Go - West Hollywood, CA (CANCELLED)
The Doors planned on recording part of a live album during this time but the shows have to be cancelled because The Doors accept an invitation to play The Aquarius Theatre in July as part of the elektra studios showcase concert. The doors will record live at The Aquarius July 21-22 for "Absolutely Live"

Fri. May 30th - Sat. 31st: Cinematheque Theatre 16 - Hollywood, CA (Poetry Reading)
This two day benefit consists of poetry readings and short films in an effort to raise money for Norman Mailer's New York campaign for mayor. Feast of Friends is shown as well as Andy Warhol's I, A Man. On both nights, Jim nervously reads his "An American Prayer" poem and is later accompanied by Robby Krieger on guitar and together they due a few blues songs including Elvis's "I Will Never Be Untrue", in which the second evening's performance is recorded and included on the 1978 album release of "An American Prayer" Also reading poetry: Michael McClure, Tom Baker, Seymour Cassel, Michael C. Ford, Mary Waronov, Jamie Sanchez, Jack Hirschmann (subbing for McClure on sunday), and Utra Violet

"He said Mailer wanted to turn New York into another country . . . Jim loved that kind of buffoonery. He asked me to read and I agreed. I remember we all sat on barstools. It was Jim, Tom Baker, Seymour Cassel, Mary Waronov, Ultra Violet, Jamie Sanchez, Jack Hirschmann (who subbed for Michael McClure), and myself. And Robby Krieger was there noodling notes while we read. Jim did a lot of things like that which nobody knows about. He contributed money to American Indian funds. He helped out his friends. I think he really wanted to help people, but he was so beleaguered by pressures it was difficult for him to do much on a large scale. A lot of whether it was something humanitarian or creative. He couldn't move without bumping into a wall of subterfuge and misinterpretation. Jim couldn't deal with obstacles with patience. He either dealt with them heroically or he gave up and it was around the time of the poetry reading that I sensed he was giving up a lot more." - Michael C. Ford

June 1969 F E A S T O F F R I E N D S W O R L D P R E M I E R E

Fri. June 6 - Sun. 8: World Premiere Feast of Friends - Cinematheque 16, Hollywood, CA

Sun. June 8 (2): Queen Elizabeth Theater - Vancouver, Canada
Feast of Friends is shown at 9:30 p.m. along with another film for the Eleventh Vancouver International Film Festival.

Fri. June 13: Kiel Auditorium - St. Louis, MO (CANCELLED)

F I R S T S H O W S I N C E M I A M I C A N C E L L A T I O N S (over 3 months)

Sat. June 14: Chicago Auditorium Theater - Chicago, IL (First show after Miami cancellations) (Venue)

Sun. June 15: Minneapolis Convention Center - Minneapolis, MN

Thur. June 19: P.N.E. Garden Auditorium - Vancouver, Canada

Fri. June 20: Memorial Arts Center - Atlanta, GA (The Second Atlanta International Film Festival - June 16th-21st)

Sat. June 21: Regency Hyatt House Hotel - Awards Ceremony - Atlanta, GA

Tue. June 24: The Roach - New Orleans, LA (DU)

Wed. June 25: PBS Studios, WNET/Channel 13 - New York, NY

T H E D O O R S P L A Y M E X I C O C I T Y

<>Fri. June 27 - Mon. June 30: The Forum - Mexico City, Mexico

<>Sat. June 28: Doors visit The Indian Pyramids - Mexico

Mon. June 30: Doors visit The Anthropological Museum - Mexico

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J u l y - S e p t e m b e r

July 1969

Thur. July 3 - Fri. July 4: H. I. C. Arena - Honolulu, HI (CANCELLED)

Fri. July 4: Willingdon Juvenile Detention Home For Girls - Vancouver, Canada

Sat. July 5: Sicks Stadium - Seattle, WA (CANCELLED)

S O F T P A R A D E I S R E L E A S E D

Fri. July 18: The Soft Parade Album is Released

Sat. July 19: KCET Los Angeles Broadcasts Critique

T H E D O O R S R E C O R D L I V E F O R " A B S O L U T E L Y L I V E "

Mon. July 21 - Tue. July 22: Aquarius Theater - Hollywood, CA - Elektra Records Showcase Concert Series

Fri. July 25: Cow Palace - Daly City (San Francisco) CA

Sat. July 26: Eugene Pop Festival - Hayward Field University of Oregon - Eugene, OR

Sun. July 27: Seattle Pop Festival - Gold Creek Park - Woodinville, Seattle, WA

August 1969

Fri. Aug. 8: Electric Circus - New York, NY (Performance never occurred)
    Although many flyers and posters were all over the place this event never took place. "The Jam Factory" performed here Aug. 5 - 10

Mon. Aug. 18: Solomon Little Theatre - US Int'l Univ. San Diego
    A "Creative Arts Festival" is held here from Aug. 18 - 29 and to kick things off as part of "The Film Maker" series Jim makes a rare personal appearance representing "Feast of Friends". Michael McClure appears the following night, author of The Beard.

Sun. Aug. 24: KQED - San Francisco broadcasts Critique

Sun. Aug. 31: Edinburgh Film Festival - Edinburgh, Scotland
    Feast of Friends, Easy Rider, and The Rolling Stones' One Plus One are presented. This festival runs Aug. 24 - Sept. 6

September 1969

Sat. Sept. 6: Varsity Arena - Toronto, Canada

Sat. Sept. 13: Varsity Stadium - Toronto, Onario, Canada

Sun. Sept. 14: Montreal Forum - Montreal, Canada

Fri. Sept. 19: United Kingdom Tour - Royal Albert Hall, London (CANCELLED)

Fri. Sept. 19: Philadelphia Arena - Philadelphia, PA

Sat. Sept. 20: Pittsburgh Civic Arena - Pittsburgh, PA

Sun. Sept. 21: University of Toledo Fieldhouse - Toledo, OH (CANCELLED)

Tue. Sept. 23: Philadelphia Civic Center - Philadelphia, PA (CANCELLED)

Mon. Sept. 29: Lincoln Center's 7th New York Film Festival - New York, NY

October 1969

Fri. Oct. 17: UC Santa Cruz Film Festival - Santa Cruz, CA (DU)

Sun. Oct. 26: Balboa Stadium - San Diego, CA (CANCELLED)

Fri. Oct. 31: Masonic Hall - San Francisco, CA

November 1969

Sat. Nov. 1: Las Vegas Ice Palace - Las Vegas, NV

J I M T U R N S H I M S E L F I N F O R M I A M I C O N C E R T

Sun. Nov. 9: Out on Bail - Dade Count Public Safety Dept. - Miami, FLA

J I M I S A R R E S T E D F O R I N T E R F E R E N C E W I T H A F L I G H T C R E W

Tue. Nov. 11: Drunk and Disorderly - Sky Harbor Int'l Airport - Phoenix, AZ

Wed. Nov. 12: Assaul and Intimidation - Phoenix, AZ

Sat. Nov. 15: The Unauthorized Doors

T H E D O O R S B E G I N R E C O R D I N G M O R R I S O N H O T E L

November 1969: Elektra Sound Recorders - Hollywood, CA

Fri. Nov. 21 - Sat. Nov. 22: Felt Forum Madison Square Garden - New York, NY

Mon. Nov. 24: Federal Court - Phoenix, AZ