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Trials & Arrests

HONOLULU INTERNATIONAL CENTER - 07/20/1968

HONOLULU, HI - U.S.A.

Venue Address: 777 Ward Ave. - Honolulu, HI
Promotion: Dick Clark Enterprises/KKUA/Pepsi
Event: Summer Shower Of Stars

Also Performing:
Silver Bicycle
Golden Days in Grandpa's Garden

Setlist:
Introduction (Mike Hamlin)
Five To One
Hello, I Love You
When The Music's Over
(Audience Firecrackers)
Light My Fire
(Incomplete)

Recordings / Film:
16mm Professional Film - 'Feast of Friends'

Photographers:
Mike Perry (Amateur)
Unidentified (Amateur)

Reviews / Info:
-The Doors give their first performance 'overseas'.
-The Doors and crew stay at the Tahiti Longhouse Hotel while in Honolulu.
-The Doors remain in Hawaii following this performance for a vacation.
-This performance and holiday simultaneously serve as a honeymoon for sound engineer Bruce Botnick.
-8:00pm scheduled start time.
-Lights by Piccadilly Inc.
-Pepsi and KKUA promote a mini-bike sweepstakes using this performance.
-Backstage footage is shot for Feast Of Friends before and after the show.
-Approx. 8,000 in attendance.
-An audience member sets off firecrackers during the show.
-The light show includes an Elmer Fudd cartoon.
-Newspaper reviews indicate that long breaks took place between songs at this show.
-Performances scheduled for the 1969 Summer Shower Of Stars are cancelled due to Miami.
-The Doors return to the HIC on April 18th, 1970.

KKUA'S NEIL ROSS BACKSTAGE AT THE HIC!

> SEE THE COMPLETE FEATURE IN OUR SHOWCASE SECTION!

"I was working as a disc Jockey at KKUA 690 AM, Honolulu. The station was sort of a hybrid in those days. With album rock exploding and FM radio still in its infancy in Hawaii, we played the best of the top forty (minus the bubblegum) along with the best of the available album tracks.

KKUA had been working with Dick Clark Enterprises for their annual "Summer Shower of Stars" event and had been involved in presenting a number of successful rock concerts in Honolulu during the previous year. Some of the acts we brought over included Eric Burdon and the New Animals, Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels, Vanilla Fudge, The Strawberry Alarm Clock and Creedence Clearwater Revival. We DJs decided that the Doors were just about the hottest act at the time and that we should bring them over next. There was some resistance on the part of Dick Clark's on-scene representative. She'd heard some bad things about the band and warned us that there could be problems. We insisted and she finally acquiesced and made the deal but insisted that we DJs be backstage in case of trouble. There was a heavy feeling of paranoia leading up to the show. In addition to the promoter's misgivings, the chap in charge of the arena at the Honolulu International Center (known colloquially then as the HIC, now the Neal S. Blaisdell Center) called the station and informed us that if there was any backstage drug or alcohol use or any onstage profanity, the show would be immediately halted. We were also told that the Doors had insisted that no photography was to take place backstage. I have no idea if they really did or not but as a result, our regular photo guy was barred. I didn't think too much of it at the time but I've since come to bitterly regret that I don't have any pictures of the event.

The night of the show four or five of us DJs waited nervously in the dressing room for The Doors..."

For the complete review, see our Showcase feature KKUA's Neils Ross Backstage at the HIC

Neil Ross,
Manhattan Beach, CA
Thanks to Scott Thomas, KKUA Co-Program Director, for his help with the details in this review.
Copyright © 2009 Neil Ross

FEAST OF FRIENDS:

Info:

Color footage shot backstage following The Doors performance at the Honolulu International Center on July 20th, 1968. Click HERE to read first-hand, in-depth commentaries on this footage from KKUA radio personality and concert attendee, Neil Ross!

During the week following their performance at the Honolulu International Center, The Doors remain in Hawaii for a holiday where Paul Ferrara films the band and crew at Lahaina Pier in Maui. This unique footage features Jim Morrison in shorts, riding a bicycle, and laughing with friends. These segments also include the band and friends aboard a yacht, and Jim is filmed resting in a sail.

AIRPLANE POETRY READING:

Earth, Air, Fire, Water
Mother, Father, Sons and Daughters
It has been said
That on birth
We are trying to find
A proper womb
For the growth of our Buddha nature
And on dying
We find a womb in the tomb of the Earth

ARCHIVE/MEMORABILIA:

REVIEW #1:

Newspaper: Honolulu Star Bulletin
Author: Dave Donnelly
Publish Date: July 22nd - 1968
Copyright © Honolulu Star Bulletin
Honolulu 1968 - Review

Contributed By: RFritts

REVIEW #2:

Newspaper: The Honolulu Advertiser
Author: Wayne Harada
Publish Date: July 22nd - 1968
Copyright © Honolulu Advertiser
Honolulu 1968 - Review

Contributed By: jim4371

ARTICLE #1:

Newspaper: The Honolulu Advertiser
Author: Unknown
Publish Date: July 7th - 1968
Copyright © Honolulu Advertiser
Honolulu 1968 - Article

Contributed By: jim4371

ARTICLE #2:

Newspaper: The Honolulu Advertiser
Author: Unknown
Publish Date: July 8th - 1968
Copyright © Honolulu Advertiser
Honolulu 1968 - Article

Contributed By: jim4371

ARTICLE #3:

Newspaper: The Honolulu Advertiser
Author: Wayne Harada
Publish Date: July 13th - 1968
Copyright © Honolulu Advertiser
Honolulu 1968 - Article