Santa Barbara & Oxnard CA 1966/1967

[TheWallsScreamedPoetry]

These concerts chronicle one mans efforts to bring Rock to a California backwater between Los Angeles and San Francisco.

The Starlight Ballroom Oxnard CA May 15th 1966
Promoter Jim Salzar is introduced to The Doors through his friend Ronnie Haran who had recently gotten them a booking at The Whisky in Los Angeles..
It is The Doors first performance for Salzar who would go on to promote a good number of Doors shows in that part of California..


Earl Warren Showgrounds Santa Barbara CA July 28th 1966
Mid-Summer Spectacular Show Of Shows

The Starlight Ballroom Oxnard CA July 28th 1966
The 3 bands from The Earl Warren show appear that same day at the Ballroom but when is not known.


26-7-1966
Santa Barbara News Press CA

The Doors team up with Them again hot on the heels of The Whisky a month back. It is not known if both Morrisons did a duet
But Ray would be correct if he said 'the first time we played Santa Barbara we played with Them'.


The Starlight Ballroom Oxnard CA August 5th 1966


Jim at the Starlight 1966

Oxnard record store owner and promoter of live music, Jim Salzar was trying to bring bands to the area and promoted at Earl Warren Showgrounds and in Oxnard at The Starlight Ballroom.
Meanwhile Oxnard city council were trying to prevent live bands appearing in their town using an archaic ordinance that banned dancing.
His Arcade Record Store became a focal point in the fight to prevent them winning.
The Doors were appearing on the 5th opening for The Seeds but visited the store before the gig to show support and sign autographs.



Jim Salzer a local entrepreneur, who looks about 14 at best, brought The Doors to Santa Barbara and is credited with exposing the band to a large concert audience for the first time.
He went on to promote concerts by Hendrix, Blind Faith & The Dead as well as bringing The Doors back.



Earl Warren Showgrounds Santa Barbara CA August 6th 1966
The band play the Flower Show Building and open for The Seeds




26-7-1966
Santa Barbara News Press CA

[TheWallsScreamedPoetry]

Earl Warren Showgrounds Santa Barbara CA April 29th 1967
The Doors open for The Grateful Dead on this their 3rd outing at the Showgrounds. The band UFO that are also on the bill have nothing to do with the UK version from the 70s.





Earl Warren Showgrounds Santa Barbara CA May 27th 1967

Country Joe & The Fish are top of the bill with The Doors opening for them as LMF has not changed their fortunes as yet.
Again Jim Salzar promotes.

Salzar became friends with many of the musicians he promoted. The Dead, Clapton & Hendrix and he had many an anecdote to regale friends with.
Then there was Jim Morrison and The Doors. Salzer was a friend of Ronnie Haran, a booking agent for the Whisky à Go Go who is credited with discovering the iconic band, and she asked him for some help. So Salzer booked some shows and even managed them for a time.
Later, he would consult on the 1991 movie The Doors.
“Jim was hard to handle,” Salzer admits. “We’d go for walks to discuss a job, and we’d walk for two or three hours and get nothing done. I had to keep people from handing him drugs; he’d just gobble up anything.” He had to physically muscle Morrison onto the stage on more than one occasion. Salzer was a huge admirer of The Doors, but Morrison’s self-destructive path troubled him. “I was really angry when he died,” Salzer says.
“ ‘Break on Through’ was all about dying young.” And yet, Salzer remains in awe of Morrison’s talent.
“He did use a lot of drugs, but he was something of a genius. He was a really special entertainer.”





Earl Warren Showgrounds Santa Barbara CA August 5th 1967

This is the bands last appearance at the Showgrounds and this occasion they are top of the bill as strange days have indeed found them as they bask in the glow of a #1 hit single.
Jim Salzer promotes his 5th Doors show at the Earl Warren Showgrounds.