In a recent issue of TRiBE, our own super-sleuth, Cece, shared with us her enthusiastic review of a concert by Doors tribute band "Break On Through".     I contacted vocalist Ed Coloracci (by email) for an interview, after reading his post in the Doors fan email discussion group "Neon Groves" *(see footnote), in which he described one of his biggest thrills: Meeting Robby Krieger and singing in a live performance of Robby's band.

"Break On Through" consists of a tightly-knit, energy charged nucleus of talented musicians, who bring down the house wherever they appear. I hope to catch a live show myself someday soon. Do visit the band's website for backround info, updates, and tour schedules. 

I followed up my chat with Ed by preparing a list of specific questions, to which he replied by email. In his own words, he lends his impressions about his life and eventual evolution of the band... 

#1 In our phone conversation, you barely got a chance to touch on your transformation from Wall Street to "Love Street", so to speak. Did I hear you correctly to say you'd been a stockbroker, unaware of your ability to sing until shortly before the band was formed? Please tell us how and when Break On Through came to be.. 

Ed: 
I worked on Wall St. in 1989-1990, right after graduating from college.I ran a training program for a brokerage house. You can safely assume that it was not for me. I did meet some interesting people though, who I still keep in contact with. The section of new York that I grew up in essentially had, for the most part, 3 career choices. Either you were a NYC cop, or NYC fireman, or you went into finance. Since I was enrolled in college when most of the people I knew were beginning their careers, I chose intially the latter. 

Anyway, after a few years, my Wall St. experience, and a car accident (that changed my life in a lot of ways), I began to look for something creative. I thought I might be able to sing the Doors, for some reason. I was a "HUGE" fan since my teens and I knew all the words. I decided to put an ad in a local entertainment mag. "Looking for musicians to start a Doors tribute band". The idea certainly was not new. There had been several doors bands out there for years. I had seen several, and there always seemed to be something missing. The element of theatre and chance was just not there. 

So the ad went in, and I recieved one call. The call came from (at the time)a 16 year old drummer named Chris. Since he was 16, I did not give him much thought, but he kept on calling (persistent, you had to love the kid.) He basically had a keyboardist who was in a Bob Marley tribute band and had never played a Doors song, and a guitarist whose passion lay in top 40. All this, plus a singer who had never sung a note. Not exactly a formula for success. When we finally met, it was obvious that we had a "universal mind" intially as to what we wanted to be. We would focus on the live/bootleg material and studio cuts that the Doors rarely did (i.e. "Who Scared You?", "We Could Be So Good Together", etc.) We also wanted to be as theatrical as possible. Our show should be like "American Prayer" or a movie for the ears.It clicked early on. 

#2 You also mentioned the band employs improvisation in the re-creation of a Doors concert experience. I find this aspect very appealing, as no two Doors concerts were identical. Please elaborate.. 

Ed: 
Improvisation is 100% what Break On Through is about. Not just improvisation in the musical sense, but audience as well. Since this is a tribute band, the audience has to make the songs come alive. They have to buy into it. We always, in the genesis of the band, were playing "The End". We never rehearsed it, other than the chord changes in the beginning, but that was the magic of it for us. I would put the Holy Sha, awake, away in India, etc in it if thats what I felt the crowd wanted (or really if the band was in the mood). The band would always go into a "latin bullshit #2" type of thing. We did this for awhile until we felt it became part of the "act". These are the moments on stage I really enjoy. When Nobody's quite sure how the song is going to go. The trick with playing a song that everybody knows is not where you go with it, but how do we get back.. ("Something wrong,something not quite right.") 

#3 You said you're a writer, as well. Speakin' my lingo, there! I'm interested in the direction of your literary pursuits. What are your favorite "reads".. and "writes"? 

Ed: 
I love reading historical biographies. Winston Churchill, Stephen Biko bios were some of my recent favorites. Poetry, I just finished Ferlinghetti's "Coney Island". Unfortunately, I do not read as much as I used to-- free time. I do enjoy reading the New York Times everyday though. As far as writing goes, I do not write any "songs" per se. It's poetry that I have been writing for years, along with observations of people and America, in journal I wrote in while on tour. I write more comedy for a few scripts that I keep, more than anything else. That's what I am currently writing. 

#4 Any details you want to share on when you first met Robby Krieger and your continuing association are extremely welcome. Must have been a stellar high to sing with his band.*S* 

Ed: 
I actually spoke to Waylon Kreiger first. I book bands as well, and I was trying to help his band (the OK band) to book on tour. We hooked up in NY when he was backing up his father, and he introduced us. Robby is a great guy and extremely talented musician. He was everything you thought he would be. Shy, yet not necessarily afraid to speak his mind. It was great performing with him then, and then again last year, during the following  tour of new York. I think he's coming back, I'm not sure. I speak to Dale Alexander, the drummer/keyboardist occasionally, and he was not sure when Robby was coming out again. 
 

#5 Most difficult question of all: How do you personally perceive the phenomenon of The Doors and the 60s era, in general, from your standpoint in time? Those of us who lived it are fascinated by the varied opinions of successive generations. 

Ed: 
I think what seperates the Doors from a lot of bands is the universal themes in their music. Psychology, the human condition, love, death, religion, etc. These are topics that are timeless. Obviously, Morrison had alot to do with it. Some people say it was his looks. Some say it was his lifestyle. Its probably a combination of both. I think he had tremendous understanding of the psychology of pop culture. Lyrically you can really see it. He was a quote machine. From a performer standpoint, when he was on, he was amazing. Sex, crooning, screaming, poetry, psychosis-drama in its full effect. Personally I was drawn to this. Someone who puts forth the full range of emotions in a full two hour performance. 

I always used to say that the doors were the worlds most human band. As far as the doors as musicians, they were collectively a very strong unit. I was always drawn to Ray's keyboard playing. The Vox continental organ is the greatest sound. The greatest pure organ sound you can get. Robby's tones were so pure. When I was a teenager, I used to say that the doors were the only band in which you could hear each individual note on each song. I still believe that today. The Group dynamics of the doors were an attribute that set them apart. Neil Young said recently that the Doors as "instrumentalists were amazing. They could go anywhere in the song." 

*NOTE: You may subscribe to Neon Groves, run by avid Doors fan and memorobilia collector, Bill Tikellis, by visiting the home page.