Celebrating 50 Years of The Doors

Today in Los Angeles is "Day of the Doors," a 50th Anniversary tribute to the legendary rock band, The Doors! The official proclamation will be made by Los Angeles City Council member Mike Bonin during a public event at the intersection of  Pacific and Windward Avenues, the location of the iconic “Venice” sign in Venice. 

The Doors's First Album

The day was chosen because the band's debut album was released on January 4, 1967 on Elektra Records. As the official press release notes, The Doors are quite possibly the most legendary Los Angeles band of all time and certainly one of the top California rock music groups of the 1960s. 

After the release of its first album, The Doors became quite popular in around Los Angeles music clubs. However, it wasn't until a breakout performance five months later at the KFRC Fantasy Fair and Magic Mountain Music Festival in Marin County that the Doors began to be known throughout the State of California. The "Fantasy Fair" was actually the first outdoor rock festival in American history, predating the well-known Monterey Pop International Festival by one week. The Doors did not play Monterey, however, so it was the Fantasy Fair that helped introduce the band to the skyrocketing number of rock music fans in the Bay Area celebrating the Summer of Love.

The Doors at the KFRC "Fantasy Fair"

The California Historical Society will feature images from the Fantasy Fair in its upcoming exhibition, "On the Road to the Summer of Love," part of a statewide celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Summer of Love. Additionally, the Marin County Fair will be exploring the history of the Fantasy Fair (and the Doors performance at it) in an exhibition at the 2017 Marin County Fair. 

Additional Links

http://laist.com/2017/01/03/day_of_the_doors.php
http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/doors-plot-50th-anniversary-celebration-in-los-angeles-w458258
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/music/la-et-ms-doors-day-los-angeles-50th-anniversary-20170104-story.html