Post by TheWallsScreamedPoetry on Jul 5, 2023 9:30:51 GMT
KRNT Theatre, Des Moines IA. September 27th 1967
In “The Book of Rock Lists,” The Doors’ organist Ray Manzarek described this Des Moines show as one of his top ten most memorable.
But, the reason why was because the crowd was so sparse.
July of 1967 was when the song “Light My Fire” first hit the airwaves. It was the band’s first No. 1 Billboard hit.
Two months later, in Des Moines, The Doors played to 566 people in the magnificent setting of its 4,200-seat KRNT Theatre.
To help make the crowd seem larger they let the ushers sit down and watch the concert.
Poor promotion was seen as why the crowd was so low. Posters were not printed and all that remains is a newspaper advert and some unused tickets.
Whilst it is true the band came to Iowa to fill in a late date in their calendar but the fact 90% of the seats were empty does not reflect well on Iowa.
It's hard to imagine word of mouth did not fill the place and surely points to an apathy towards The Doors who were by then Americas top act.
Jim even pointed a spotlight into the hall to try and find the audience.
Weird!
They never returned.
A poster advertising the gig. Was this a contemporary poster that was not deployed in time to affect the crowd or was it something produced afterwards.
When the theatre was closed some unused tickets and a record of the concert from that day were discovered.
Sadly no photographers there that evening.
An original envelope from that period
CITY VIEW Central Iowa's Independent Newsmagazine
In “The Book of Rock Lists,” The Doors’ organist Ray Manzarek described this Des Moines show as one of his top ten most memorable.
But, the reason why was because the crowd was so sparse.
July of 1967 was when the song “Light My Fire” first hit the airwaves. It was the band’s first No. 1 Billboard hit.
Two months later, in Des Moines, The Doors played to 566 people in the magnificent setting of its 4,200-seat KRNT Theatre.
To help make the crowd seem larger they let the ushers sit down and watch the concert.
Poor promotion was seen as why the crowd was so low. Posters were not printed and all that remains is a newspaper advert and some unused tickets.
Whilst it is true the band came to Iowa to fill in a late date in their calendar but the fact 90% of the seats were empty does not reflect well on Iowa.
It's hard to imagine word of mouth did not fill the place and surely points to an apathy towards The Doors who were by then Americas top act.
Jim even pointed a spotlight into the hall to try and find the audience.
Weird!
They never returned.
A poster advertising the gig. Was this a contemporary poster that was not deployed in time to affect the crowd or was it something produced afterwards.
When the theatre was closed some unused tickets and a record of the concert from that day were discovered.
Sadly no photographers there that evening.
An original envelope from that period
CITY VIEW Central Iowa's Independent Newsmagazine