Doors co-founder to play Paramount
Published 10:34 am Thursday, April 21, 2011
Austin residents have a chance to see the founder of a legendary rock band perform Saturday.
Tickets are available for a concert featuring Ray Manzarek, co-founder of The Doors, and slide-guitarist Roy Rogers at the Paramount Theatre at 7:30 p.m. Saturday.
Scott Anderson, general manager of the Paramount, described the show as unique for Austin.
“He and Jim started one of the most influential bands in rock history,” Anderson said.
“He’s coming right to Austin — that’s a once-in-a-lifetime thing,” he added.
The audience also will have a chance to ask Manzarek and Rogers questions about their experiences in rock ‘n’ roll.
“We’ll be playing the blues and some Doors songs,” Manzarek said in a phone interview.
The discussion can touch on a wide range of topics, from The Doors and Jim Morrison, about life’s meaning and what happens in your mind when you take LSD.
“They’ll be up close and personal with Ray Manzarek and Roy Rogers,” Manzarek said. “We’ll talk about rock ‘n’ roll and Jim Morrison, and there will also be some discussion on why we’re on planet Earth.”
The concert won’t be just be about the past. Manzarek and Rogers are touring to promote their new album, “Translucent Blues,” which is set to be released May 24.
Though the two have been playing together for more than five years, Rogers’ and Manzarek’s partnership started as a fluke when the two were paired in a performance by a mutual booking agent.
“Things kind of clicked,” Rogers said. “From that point on, we just started performing together.”