Trafalgar Releasing/Doors Property L.L.C.The Doors: Break On Thru — A Celebration of Ray Manzarek, the concert film and documentary focusing on a star-studded 2016 tribute to the late Doors keyboardist, will be shown in select theaters around the world today, which would’ve been Manzarek’s 81st birthday.
The movie features footage from a February 12, 2016, concert held at the Fonda Theatre in Los Angeles that was organized by surviving Doors guitarist Robby Krieger and drummer John Densmore and featured the old band mates playing together with a variety of guest musicians.
“We wanted to do something on [Ray’s] birthday, so we asked a whole bunch of…musician friends to come and play with us, Krieger noted about the tribute during an interview at the recent NAMM music-equipment trade show. “And it came out really good.”
Among the stars who joined Krieger and Densmore to perform Doors songs at the concert were Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins, Stone Temple Pilots bassist Robert DeLeo, Paul McCartney touring guitarist Brian Ray, Jane’s Addiction drummer Stephen Perkins, former Allman Brothers Band singer/guitarist Warren Haynes and X‘s Exene Cervenka and John Doe.
The movie also features interviews with the performers and behind-the-scenes footage from the event.
Reflecting on what he described as Manzarek’s sometimes misunderstood personality, Krieger told the media at NAMM, “The main thing about Ray is he had this weird sense of humor where…he liked to kid around. And a lot of people don’t understand his humor, so they would take it the wrong way and think he’s kind of a pompous ass…But he really wasn’t.”
Of course, Krieger played with Manzarek for many years after The Doors split, right up until Ray’s death from cancer in 2013.
Tickets for the Break On Thru screenings are available now at TheDoorsFilm.com.
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