There are only a few acts in the history of rock music that command the undying affection of music fans, from the casual listener to the devoted archivist. The Beatles, the Stones, Dylan, Hendrix and Joplin are among the elite. Also prominent in that list is the American rock-poetry band known as The Doors.
One thing these acts have in common is they are no longer available to be seen in concert by their fans; either the bands have broken up and members have moved on to new projects, or, as in the cases of the three great "J" super-talents of the 1960's: Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin and Jim Morrison, key members have passed on.
That has not dulled the public's appetite for live performances, however, and has given rise to a number of "tribute" bands, who present the music of a particular artist, striving for as accurate a presentation (both sonically and visually) as they possibly can.
Alive She Cried (the modern/vintage Doors experience) is a tribute to The Doors, presenting the songs and poetry extremely faithfully, with a nod to techniques and technologies that were simply not available in the late 1960's. With the use of more modern technology, Alive She Cried sounds more like the studio recordings that fans are so familiar with than like the "live" Doors, who were limited to the sound systems and instrument effects that were available at the time. Accordingly, you'll see instruments and processing devices on stage with Alive She Cried that were used only in recording studios in the '60's but are readily obtainable today.
The result is a show that is visually a reenactment of a classic Doors performance, and sonically more of a live recreation of the Doors studio cuts. The performance is lovingly and painstakingly executed by the four members of Alive She Cried:
Chris Mongeau (Moose) — lead vocals
Moose, a former professional football player with a love for soulful music, has been performing in the New England area since the mid 1990's. He fronted bands such as Hard To Handle and The Soul Kings before joining forces with Michael Stutz in 2002 to start Uptown Rockers, performing a mix of classic rock and soul/Motown material. Uptown Rockers morphed into Moose and the Hightops, who enjoyed regional success with classic rock material, including winning the Valley Advocate's readers' poll in 2007 in the category of "Best Party Band". His larger-than-life stage presence, combined with an uncanny vocal resemblance to the late Jim Morrison, allows him to present the material of the Doors faithfully and convincingly.
Michael Stutz — guitars/vocals
A lead singer and guitarist for over twenty years, Michael passed the vocal torch to Moose when they united in 2002, concentrating his efforts on musical and vocal arranging. As a veteran of the New England music scene, he has played all kinds of music, from original hard rock (Mama's Little Jewel) and commercial top-40 rock (Jumpstreet, Syren) to traditional swing/bebop (The O-Tones), country and western (Country Comfort, Flipside), Motown (Uptown Rockers) and classic rock in the 3-piece power-pop format (Moose and the Hightops). Employing elements of all guitar styles, including blues, jazz, finger-style acoustic, bottleneck-slide and R&B, he is able to recreate the guitar work of Robbie Krieger, while also injecting the essence of himself into the mix.
Joey Sullivan — drums/percussion
Hailing from Newport, RI, Joey's extensive resume includes gigs in the Boston blues scene with artists such as James Montgomery, Jim Belushi, and Duke Robillard, as well as the Rick Russell Band and the Chris Fitz band. He is also active in the traditional Irish music scene; he even recorded a set of Beatles songs reworked as Irish Jigs and Reels (CD "Anytime At All", Brian Hebert), favorably reviewed in many music publications, including the Liverpool Echo. He joined Alive She Cried in 2010, and his fluid, lyrical drum style greatly enhances the presentation of the Doors' classic material.
Peter Brown — keyboards/piano bass
Peter started his musical career as a woodwind player. He played in the clarinet section of the Western Massachusetts Young People's Symphony orchestra from 1977-1979, and won the Louis Armstrong Jazz Award as a senior at Cathedral High School in Springfield, MA. Soon after, he became interested in keyboards and synthesizers, playing both keyboards and winds in a series of wedding, rock and Top-40 bands in the early 1980's. Although he took a hiatus from performing to complete his education, Peter continued playing, recording and composing in his spare time. He returned to live performance in the early 2000's.
Richard Mongeau — manager/chef/driver/go-getter
Dick is the rock upon which the production of Alive She Cried depends. Under his steadfast watch, the band is able to function artistically, without being bogged down with the details of the day-to-day running of the business. An entrepreneur by nature, Dick uses his experience and intuitiveness to help guide the path of Alive She Cried. He has owned and managed several food service companies and has extensive expertise in planning and running large events.
After serving our country in the early 1960's in Vietnam as a member of the US Navy, Dick was stationed near San Francisco. It was there that he witnessed the major changes in American rock music that took it from the innocence of Bobby Vinton, Chubby Checker and the Four Seasons to the edgy, political and socially experimental music of the Doors, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, the Jefferson Airplane and more. Although he enjoys all types of music, he admits that the Doors were always his favorite. Managing Alive She Cried allows him to combine his business expertise with his love for the music.
© 2011 Alive She Cried