In The Loop Magazine The Historic Stage At The Genesee Theatre Transformed Into A Time Machine Last Night Reviving The Late 1960's Doors Legacy

The Historic Stage At The Genesee Theatre Transformed Into A Time Machine Last Night Reviving The Late 1960’s Doors Legacy

Feb 23, 2026 admin_bitlc Features, Music News, Reviews 0

By James Currie

The Ultimate Doors, a tribute to The Doors, delivered more than a nostalgic setlist, they delivered a full-bodied resurrection of one of rock’s most enigmatic bands. In a world saturated with tribute acts, The Ultimate Doors stand apart as the closest representation of the original group since The Doors themselves. This isn’t cosplay. It’s commitment, obsession, and reverence executed at the highest level.

From the moment the band took the stage, it was clear this wasn’t going to be a loose interpretation. The look was dialed in to the late 1968 era: tailored jackets, leather, mop-top haircuts (no cheap wigs here), vintage keys and amps, every detail visually echoing the band in its prime. But it’s the sound that truly sets them apart.

The reason they sound so uncannily authentic comes down to guitarist Todd Huffman’s painstaking dedication. Huffman doesn’t settle for modern replicas or digital shortcuts. He tracks down the exact models of guitars, amplifiers, keyboards, microphones, and audio connections that The Doors used in the 1960s. He buys them, rebuilds them, maintains them and, in true professional fashion, keeps backups of everything. That obsessive attention to detail is audible. The tones are warm, slightly gritty, alive. Nothing is over-polished. Nothing is overly compressed. It breathes.

The Genesee Theatre boasts a million-dollar sound system, yet somehow the band managed to tame the high-tech clarity and bend it back toward a raw, analog experience. Through vintage microphones and old-school signal chains, the sound in the room felt like stepping into a late ’60s ballroom with rich lows, shimmering organ, sharp but not piercing guitar and vocals that carried both danger and poetry. It wasn’t just heard. It was felt. I call it, “The small of sound”.

And then there’s Darrian Kenney.

Portraying Jim Morrison is no small task. Many have tried. Most overdo it. Kenney, however, fits the bill to a T. He doesn’t parody Morrison, he inhabits him. The resemblance is striking: the hair, the stare, the lean frame. But it’s the subtleties that sell it, the pauses between lines, the half-smirks, the unpredictable bursts of energy. Kenney channels Morrison’s swagger and mystique without tipping into caricature.

At one point, he flailed across the stage in a feverish moment of abandon before collapsing to the floor and disappearing under the drum riser, only to re-emerge moments later like a man possessed. Later in the show, he leapt off the stage and sprinted through the crowd. Fans erupted. They rushed toward him, high-fiving as he ran by, some attempting selfies while jogging alongside him. That’s when the room’s energy hit 11. The audience stood, danced, and sang along word for word, shouting requests between songs. One particularly enthusiastic fan yelled his favorites throughout the night, refusing to be outdone in passion.

If Morrison is the fire, then the keyboard is the bloodstream of The Doors’ sound and Branden Eifrid delivered a masterclass in embodiment. Channeling the southside Chicago native’s soul Ray Manzarek, Eifrid didn’t just play the part, he inhabited it.

Eifrid had Manzarek’s signature posture down perfectly, hunched over the keyboard like Lurch, shoulders forward, fingers dancing with a controlled intensity. He even performed in Birkenstock sandals, incense burning on top his vintage Gibson G-101, adding a literal scent of psychedelia to the stage. The visual alone transported you.

But it was the playing that sealed the illusion. Eifrid captured the psychedelic swirl, melodic sophistication and rhythmic pulse that defined Manzarek’s approach. He navigated those hypnotic organ runs with fluid precision while simultaneously locking in the bass foundation that distinctive left-hand keyboard bass that gave The Doors their unique groove. It’s a difficult dual role and he made it look effortless. When backing vocals were required, he stepped in seamlessly, adding depth and harmony exactly where it belonged.

Behind it all sat drummer Jordyn Huffman, stepping into the role of John Densmore with both the look and the finesse to do it justice. Huffman understood that Densmore’s genius wasn’t about bombast, it was about touch, restraint, and jazz-influenced nuance. Seated behind a simple 1960s Ludwig Downbeat kit in the iconic Mod Orange wrap, Huffman mirrored Densmore’s minimalist setup and style.

His ride cymbal work was particularly striking; crisp, articulate, and constantly in motion, driving the groove without overpowering it. Like Densmore, he left space where space was needed, allowing the songs to breathe while still maintaining that hypnotic pulse that defines The Doors’ rhythm section. The fills were tasteful and era-correct, never flashy for the sake of attention, always serving the song. Visually, too, he fit the mold, the posture, the focused intensity, the quiet command behind the kit.

The lighting design mirrored the emotional arc of the set: moody blues and purples for the darker numbers, fiery reds and stark whites when the band leaned into the chaos. It wasn’t overproduced; it was intentional. Just like everything else.

What makes The Ultimate Doors so compelling is that they understand The Doors were more than a collection of hit songs. They were atmosphere. They were tension. They were unpredictability wrapped in poetry and blues. And for two hours in Waukegan, that spirit was alive again.

If you missed this show, it was a shame. But redemption is on the horizon. The Ultimate Doors will return to the Chicago area this April, performing at Garcia’s Chicago in downtown Chicago. If last night proved anything, it’s that this isn’t just another tribute act rolling through town. It’s a chance to experience what it might have felt like to see The Doors in their prime. Hell, they even had a line of fans waiting at the merch booth ready to pose for photos and gobbling up everything they had for sale. I even missed getting a shirt as they ran out of my size. You snooze you loose I guess, but hopefully I’ll make right when they return in April, and so should you.

It is after all, not something you want to miss twice.

For more on The Ultimate Doors, click here

For photos from the show at the Genesee Theatre, click here

For video from the show, click here