One of my favorite places to vacation is Los Angeles. Sure, I love the sun, the beaches, the atmosphere; but for the most part, I go on my Jim Morrison pilgrimage. I start in Venice, hit the UCLA film school, then the Sunset strip, go to the Mexican restaurant that used to be the Doors business office and studio, The Whisky, The Viper Room (which was The London Fog back in the day), then I head up to Laurel Canyon and visit his old homestead he shared with Pamela Courson, have a bite to eat at the bar next door and buy a beer at “The store where the creatures meet…”.

I’m much too young to have experienced the Doors live on stage that is until I went to a show performed by “Wild Child”. Fronted by the talented Dave Brock, they’re not just a tribute band; they capture the essence of an actual Doors concert. The only thing missing during a performance is a joint being passed around.

Wild Child started when Dave Brock first moved to the Los Angeles area from San Francisco. He auditioned for “The Jim Morrison Rock Opera” back in the early 80’s and was immediately cast as Jimbo. Brock put together a band and Wild Child performed their first live show at the Whisky-a-go-go in 1986 and since then, they’ve been packing the house worldwide.

Their show is meticulously put together to make sure you are enjoying an authentic show. They even use the same exact instruments the Doors used to give it that authentic sound. Even Robbie Krieger and Ray Manzarek were so impressed with Brocks likeness and voice style of Jim Morrison they took him with to tour with them on a few concerts.

I can’t say enough about the band and their performance. Only thank them for giving me a taste of what it was like back in the day. They’ve recorded a live two-disc CD “Wild Child-Live in Concert” with 22 Doors hits, including material that the Doors were not able to perform live due to Morrison’s untimely death.

You can catch the magic and relive the moments with Wild Child on Friday November 25^th at 8pm at The Belly Up in Solana Beach or on Saturday November 26^th at “The BriXton” on Redondo Beach. But reserve now, as their shows usually sell out.