On The Road:

Performance History:

Recording History:

Film History:

Publication History:

Radio History:

Other History:

Trials & Arrests

BERKELEY COMMUNITY THEATRE - 02/10/1968

BERKELEY, CA - U.S.A.

Venue Address: 1930 Allston Way - Berkeley, CA
Promotion: KYA
Event: In Concert

Also Performing:
Iron Butterfly
Sweetwater

Setlist:

Early Show (Unknown)	Late Show The Celebration Of The Lizard (Early Rendition) (Incomplete)

Recordings / Film:
Unavailable

Photographers:
Dale Smith (Backstage)

Reviews / Info:
-Promotional artwork by Bob Masse (Handbill; Poster;)
-Sweetwater is added to the bill at a later date.
-Promotional advertisements and handbills for this performance reflect different start times.
-Jim Morrison recites an early version of The Celebration Of The Lizard at the late show.

"I distinctly remember The Doors played at the Berkeley Community Theatre with Iron Butterfly. Iron Butterfly was billed as a hot new band. Always liked them but certainly liked The Doors more. I remember people behind us crabbing about having to see The Doors - they were 'straight' people. We were surprised at that. I don't think they stayed through The Doors. Jim did an elongated piece at the end that had elements of what were later on The Soft Parade. He went on from there to do that in other concerts, I believe it became a poem.

I remember waiting anxiously for every album release... buying the records and 8 tracks. A group of us would gather together to listen to the new album. Each song was a trip, inspiring, Jim's lyrics typically had a mythical quality to them. Back then you would listen to music and not talk through it. We'd hang in the lyrics and think about the meaning. Always enjoyed making connections from song to song.

A good friend had a '54 Plymouth 'hippie wagon' that we called the blue bus. Jim made references to the blue bus. Also references to ride the highway west baby, ride the snake, to the lake the ancient lake, the snake he's long, seven miles. For us that was Canada Road and the lake was Crystal Springs by us. The Plymouth had a tape player and we'd all take a trip out along Canada Road and meander the mountains behind listening to those 8-tracks.

We lived just south of San Francisco so we went to a lot of concerts in SF. Anytime The Doors were in town we would see them. I missed out starting the end of '68. I was going to get drafted so I joined the USAF to avoid the draft. That was October '68. I was listening to The Doors and others in our barracks in Thailand for a year at one point. The opening sequence to Apocalypse Now..."

Gary Coffland
Sonoma, CA
Copyright © 2018 Gary Coffland

A Special Thanks to Gary Coffland for providing his review of the concert to MildEquator.com!

PUBLISHED INTERVIEW

Publication: The Press Democrat
Issue: March 1st - 1968
Interview Date: February 10th - 1968
Publish Date: March 1st - 1968
Interview Location: Berkeley Community Theatre - Berkeley, CA

Info:
Piner High School student Jane James interviews John Densmore backstage following a performance at the Berkeley Community Theatre on February 10th, 1968. Very little interview content is published, and John may have been tired or uninterested in providing detailed answers to questions. The rest of the band members are too busy to talk. The remainder of the article features biographical information on the group.

ARCHIVE/MEMORABILIA:

ARTICLE:

Newspaper: Oakland Tribune
Author: Unknown
Publish Date: February 7th - 1968
Copyright © Oakland Tribune
The Doors - Berkeley 1968 - Article