It's not exactly comforting, but the bond between all humans is death. And just like the rest of us, Jim Morrison ended up a fat, flatulent corpse in a Paris bathtub. Unlike most people, however, the Lizard King was a rock star, so he was only 27 when it came time to nod off into non-existence.
Morrison died on July 3, 1971. So did the Doors.
Yeah, the band continued drifting through the L.A. scene for a few years afterwards, contemplating new lead singers and alternate musical directions and even releasing a couple albums before officially breaking up in 1973. Yeah, original members Ray Manzarek, Robby Krieger, and John Densmore reunited in 1978 to soundtrack a bunch of Morrison's recorded poetic ramblings on An American Prayer. Yeah, Manzarek and Krieger got back together again in 2002 under the lame tribute tour name the Doors of the 21st Century.
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
But from 1965 to '71, the Doors brought primordial hippie darkness to the masses. And it wasn't just boring fucking classic rock. Disagree? Go listen to "The End" again after setting a fire in your kitchen sink and snacking on some peyote buttons. Or, go see the new Doors documentary When You're Strange, written-directed by Tom DiCillo and narrated by Hollywood's favorite '60s fetishist, Johnny Depp.
Hell, do both.
A screening of When You're Strange as part of Stone Groove. Tuesday, April 20. The Vagabond, 30 NE 14th St., Miami. Doors open at 8:30 p.m. and there's a $5 cover. thevagabondmiami.com.
