Mojo Risin: A Tribute to The Doors

Mojo Risin as The Doors

Founded in April, 1995, in Cleveland, Ohio, Mojo Risin features Jay Zirkle on vocals, Mark Jamieson on keys, Justin Johnson on guitar, and Steve Zavesky on drums. Unlike other Doors tribute bands across the country, Mojo Risin are Doors purists and use only vintage equipment on stage to capture that unique Doors sound. Gibson Kalamazoo organ, Fender Rhodes bass piano, vintage Acoustic 260 amps, mod orange Ludwig drum kit, 1967 Gibson SG and Les Paul for bottleneck guitar—they only use authentic gear and employ no digital processing, synthesizers, or samples to achieve this end. And unlike other Doors tribute bands, they appear in full costume and their show makes full use of lighting and theatrics to complete the illusion. However, what really sets them apart from the other bands is that they re-create a Doors concert as it looked and sounded live in 1969, rather than just imitate The Doors as they sounded in the studio. Of course, they started by learning the songs as they appear on the original six studio albums; but from there, they tempered their sound by injecting the "live" element that was evident on the official live releases and the countless bootlegs that are now available. In this way, they present the music of the Doors at its most raw, with all the fire and energy it deserves. No restraints or limits. You never know what might happen next. It could be beautiful, or even grotesque—and this keeps the show intriguing, just as a real Doors concert was.

Vintage Gear

Before the band even takes the stage, you will be amazed at the authentic re-creation of The Doors' stage setup, which is faithfully presented down to the smallest detail. Nearly everything on stage is circa 1968, even the mic stands! While you may see other tributes tour with the Vox Continental organ, which is relatively abundant, we use the elusive Gibson Kalamazoo. There were fewer than a thousand ever made, and we have four of 'em!

"Robby the realist said, 'Vox stuff's not that good, Ray.'"
—from Light My Fire by Ray Manzarek

Robby Krieger knew it and Ray soon learned it too. Vox gear looked great and sounded good but was cheaply made and didn't hold up on tour. The Doors were given this gear as part of their first recording contract, but as soon as they started making money, the Vox stuff gave way to quality Gibson, Fender, and Acoustic products. We present the music of The Doors live on the very same equipment that they did. Mark uses the rare gold sparkle Fender Rhodes bass piano, the exact model Ray used. No bass guitar players, here. That was The Doors in the studio. On stage Ray held down the bass lines with his mighty left hand while his white-booted foot tapped along with Densmore's driving rhythm. That was The Doors live and that's how Mojo Risin does it, right down to the white boot.

Justin plays either a 1967 cherry-red Gibson SG with his fingernails instead of a pick, just like Robby did. And for the bottleneck tunes, it's the black Les Paul churning out Robby's mysterious swirling licks. Steve keeps things moving on a 1968 mod orange Ludwig drum kit, the exact model John Densmore used, accenting singer Jay Zirkle as he croons, screams, and wails, just as Densmore did for Morrison; he'll even punctuate with an 'Angry Densmore' bash if Jay gets out of line. Can it get any better than this? Yes! Read on....

Vintage Wall of Sound

Most importantly of course, is the music. The Doors left a lasting legacy in the collective rock consciousness. You won't see any lead singer in Rock today that doesn't cop a few of Morrison's moves—he defined the role of Lead Singer and serves as its archetype. The Doors turned back the British Invasion and proved that Americans could rock on their own terms. They pioneered the L.A. sound and took it all over the America, and then the world. A band like that deserves respect. You can't perform their music in any way except reverently. And that's just the way Doors fans want to hear it. Mojo Risin is a band formed by Doors fans for Doors fans. We play the music the way The Doors played it, the way they intended it to be played, without injecting our own individual styles into it. The Doors were very much a "live" band. The studio could never capture the energy and ferocity with which they played as a group. We've listened to hundreds of hours of The Doors' live recordings, and it is evident in every performance. That's why we chose to emulate them live, when they were at their best.

Vintage Threads

Close your eyes, and you'll hear The Doors. Open your eyes, and you'll see The Doors. To a tribute band, visuals are just as important as getting the songs and the sound right. To that end we've made an extensive effort to not only use authentic gear but to wear authentic vintage clothing on stage as well. These aren't cheesy 21st century repro's or bargain-bin thrift store throwaways. We make every effort to purchase quality clothing from the period true to what each member of The Doors actually wore—Jim's leather pants, concho belt and poet shirts; Ray's pinstripe suit; Robby's beads and bellbottoms and John's ruffled shirt and denim jacket. We acquire costuming almost exclusively from The Cleveland Shop, a vintage clothing shop that bears a striking resemblance to Pamela's Courson's Themis boutique.

Vintage Vibe

Mojo Risin presents The Doors in concert as they looked and sounded in 1968-69. It is very much a "show" in every respect. We treat our concerts as if we are performing musical theater in the tradition of method acting. Each band member has dutifully studied not only the musical parts, but the personality of their respective Doors counterparts. And like a real Doors concert, there is no set list. Anything can happen. Call out a song, we'll play it. We surf the vibe of the crowd. Trip out on our psychedelic light show and lose yourself in the moment. It's 1969 again!

Contact • mojo@doorstribute.com