Strange day at Heritage Festival

Ian Astbury, lead singer of D21C, performs Break on Through at Heritage Festival Saturday night.

The waterfront was “set on fire” Saturday night.

The channelling of Jim Morrison’s spirit by vocalist Ian Astbury, guitar playing of Robby Krieger and the keyboard playing of Ray Manzarek ignited a spark among the audience at Heritage Festival that could not be extinguished.

“All the families have run away now,” Astbury told his audience.

“It’s just the wild children now.”

Manzarek explained that “North Bay is terrific” and that the members of D21C have been enjoying their time in the city before their performance.

“The people here have been nice enough to take us out on the lake,” Manzarek said.

He explained they went out to Trout Lake, Lake Nipissing and up to the French River.

“It was just beautiful, the weather was terrific,” Manzarek said.

While in the city, Astbury visited Northgate Square and Krieger played a round of golf at the North Bay Country Club.

“He is a great golfer,” Manzarek said about Krieger.

“He has a six handicap.”

Manzarek said he always knew he would still be touring 40 years after The Doors first got together and still enjoys what he does.

“I don’t have to work for a living,” he said.

“I just play music, it’s the only art form outside of sports that you play.”

Manzarek explained that his favourite song to play is “light my fire,” which they ended their show with.

“The solos in ‘Light My Fire’ are always fun to play,” he explained.

During their performance he showed his audience ho much fun the solo could be by incorporating the chorus of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s ‘Favourite Things,’ which was followed by bashing his foot and stool against the keys of his keyboard.

“Have us come back again next year,” he told his audience.

“I want to do this again.”


Earlier in the night, the Pat Travers Band had festival goers tuning up their air guitars.

The Toronto born Travers explained to the crowd that it had been quite a few years since he had visited North Bay.

“I’m speechless, I used to swim in that lake,” he said while pointing to Lake Nipissing.

Travers played a few new songs from his new album PT=MC2, but his songs “Stevie” and “Snortin’ Whiskey” earned him the most applause.

Vanilla Fudge followed Travers, giving the audience a psychedelic appetizer.

“We’re going to take you back in a time machine… To the sixties,” Organ player Mark Stein told the crowd.

Stein’s dramatic flailing of his arms and over-excited facial expressions, gave audience members an idea of what would be Richard Simmons on acid.

The band kept bass players Tim Bogert’s promise of a good time, with their performance of The Supremes “You Keep Me Hanging On” and by giving an early taste of D21C with a guest appearance by Robby Krieger.

After the lights went out on the main stage, the fire spread.

Mark Stein, Vanilla Fudge’s guitar player Vince Martell, Pat Travers’ bass player Rick Navarro and D21C’s Drummer Tyler Dennis, help christen the grand opening of The Boat restaurant by taking over for the house band to do a half hour set of covers such as “All Along The Watchtower.”