The Detroit Doors

By Jenn Goeddeke

The Detroit Doors

Still Lighting The Fire

I met up with the Detroit Doors at their high-tech waterfront studio in Waterford, and I could immediately feel the high energy and camaraderie.

The current line-up is Ferndale resident Mike "Chizzy" Chisholm on lead vocals; Norm Fender (guitar); Tug Orr (harmonica); Scott Williams (drums); Bob Tansek (bass guitar) and Karl Goebel (keys). The band is popular and is booked into August of 2025. While most of their shows are within Michigan, they have also toured out of state, and in Canada. With two recent plays on WRIF-FM (May 12th and June 9th), this tribute band truly is on fire!

Chizzy started up our conversation, "Through divine intervention, we've been given the best of the best – these guys are all committed. We are like brothers, and even better than some families. Turmoil in a band is death. Drama can override a band and kill it. Lead singers can be the most pompous, arrogant, narcissistic people." But the bandmates were quick to jump in and say, "Our lead singer is the nicest guy in the band!"

THEY SPOKE OF THEIR TWO-NIGHT PERFORMANCE IN FORT MYERS, FLORIDA LAST YEAR, "We sold out the first night, and the second night was at half capacity. We played about 64 songs over those two nights, and everyone came together to make it happen! This year we will make it even bigger." Scott has bought a condo down in the area which will allow the band to stay together, and is also a place to gather equipment. This way, the band can simply fly and play.

The band plays all over and has some good gigs lined up. The venues have included bars, biker clubs, theaters and festivals. They perform all kinds of charity gigs too, for veterans; cancer research; animal adoptions, and Rock for Tots. Chizzy added, "It's in our nature as a band to give back!" Instead of calling around to book shows, they receive calls, and have regular spots. For example in Stevensville on Labor Day, there is a gathering of hundreds. It's a small town by a beach and very family-friendly.

Tug added, "They want us back every year. Last time we were there, we saw two girls, 3rd or 4th grade, from two different families. They were familiar with our songs, so we started cleaning up the lyrics! At the end, they wanted us to sign their notebooks."

At a different show, the band recalls a three-year-old being transfixed with Chizzy. The parents had to keep chasing her around, and she was watching him closely. The song played at the time was, "You're lost, little girl!"

Another of the band's favorite places to play is the Rec Bowl (at 40 Crocker Blvd. in Mt.Clemens, hosted by Fred and Patty Fox). The capacity there is around 450 people and sometimes they have a sold-out show. Chizzy recalls one night when he was singing a song called "Indian Summer" – a song he had sung every night to his dying girlfriend – he broke down in tears. The next thing he knew, about 20 people from the audience were giving him a group hug!

AS CHIZZY MENTIONED, THEY HAVE PLAYED HUNDREDS OF SHOWS, and they want to keep doing different things. The band described their most recent gig at the Crofoot Ballroom (1 S. Saginaw St. in Pontiac), where they believe they are the only tribute band to play that particular place. They also mentioned playing at Sweetwater (at Williams Lake & Dixie Hwy in Waterford). Technically, they are the house band, and they play there every few weeks. Three years ago, they were the venue's first show, and a fight broke out and someone took a swing at the owner. Chizzy laughed and said, "It was a real Doors concert- Doors all the fricking way!"

He explained, "We are pretty tight, but we still have areas we need to work on. We're not perfect! But we do take it seriously. I am the focus and I feel we give our audience the essence of the Doors. We always have a bass player to keep the sound clean and powerful, plus we have the look and the studio sound." Chizzy added with a laugh, "Honestly, we play so well that it doesn't even matter if we don't look great!"

Keep up with the Detroit Doors Tribute Band schedule on their Facebook page: www.facebook.com/thedetroitdoorstributeband. Check out their press release: https://hiatusmusicentertainment.com/the-detroit-doors-epk.