The American Night, led by Redmond resident Nate Christian, brings its tribute to The Doors to the Forecasters Pub at Redhook Brewery, 14300 NE 145th St. in Woodinville, from 9-11:30 p.m. Friday, June 5 and Saturday, June 6. There is no cover charge. You must be 21 or older to attend.
Christian started The American Night in January 2005 and was the band’s keyboard player. In other words, he was filling the role of The Doors’ Ray Manzarek, whose introduction to “Light My Fire” is one of classic rock’s most recognizable sound bites.
Christian now is The American Night’s singer, embodying the persona of Jim Morrison.
“Originally, I was the keyboard player and we had a rotating cast of Jim Morrison singers join us on stage,” he explained. “They were all good and brought their own take on Jim Morrison to The American Night. But what we really wanted was a steady lineup.”
“I never thought I would get the opportunity to play the role of Jim Morrison because it’s difficult to find a keyboard player who can do all the organ parts and the bass lines like Ray Manzarek. … But as luck would have it, we met Brian Hukill when he moved out here from Ohio, where he had performed in a Doors tribute band called Morrison Hotel for well over a decade. Meeting Brian gave me the opportunity to hone my ‘inner Jim.'”
To practice, Christian sang karaoke at Redmond haunts such as Daman’s and Palmer’s.
“Having done one of the other roles in the band gives me a humbling and unique perspective on the show,” he said. “The Doors were not all about Jim Morrison. That’s where most Doors tribute bands take a wrong turn, in my opinion. Each of the four Doors brought a unique sound and energy to the show which allowed Jim Morrison to explore his poetic ideas and entertain the crowd.”
In the American Night, the parts of Doors guitarist Robby Krieger and Doors drummer John Densmore are played by Milo Anderson and Brett Rudy, respectively.
“The band has evolved over time, always with the goal of putting on a realistic Doors tribute show with players who are not only skilled musicians, but huge Doors fans, as well. You have to be a true Doors fan to do the tribute to this level of insanity and realism,” Christian stated.
And you can expect to see fans from ages 21 to 61 at an American Night performance, he noted. They play Oddfellow’s Grill in downtown Redmond every few months.
“The hardcore Doors fans are my favorite people to chat with at the shows because we have so much in common. Our shows also draw lots of musicians from other local bands that enjoy seeing The Doors’ (music) performed live on the original instruments from the 1960s.”
Which songs bring the house down?
At a recent show in Burien, The American Night played an obscure Doors song, “The Universal Mind,” for the first time and “people really went nuts over it,” Christian said. “It’s hard to predict. Of course, ‘When The Music’s Over,’ “Light My Fire’,’ ‘Break On Through,’ ‘Back Door Man,’ ‘5 to 1’ and other hits are guaranteed to please.”
When not on stage, Christian is employed by Verizon Business.
“We are all fortunate to have jobs with flexible hours so we can work the band around our regular jobs. The American Night lets us break out of our regular day-to-day monotony. It feels more like going to a masquerade party,” he said.
Otherwise, “I’m typically at home raising my family,” he added.
We asked his opinion of Oliver Stone’s movie “The Doors,” which according to Manzarek, featured more fable than fact.
“People ask this often,” Christian replied. “I think the movie ‘The Doors’ is actually very similar to a Doors tribute show in a way. Is everything we do on stage something The Doors actually did? Much of it is, but some of it is just along the same vibe. The Doors were so spontaneous, so a Doors tribute band should be as well, to recreate that sense of the unknown and unexpected.”
