They're not exactly a complete set; how could they be without legendary Lizard King Jim Morrison at the helm?

But the Doors have reincarnated as the Doors of the 21st Century, playing their first Orange County concert in decades Friday night at the Pacific Amphitheatre in Costa Mesa.

Though Morrison was missing (due to his premature death in 1971, of course), original Doors members Ray Manzarek and Robby Krieger were present, alive and kicking. To hear Manzarek's winding, sometimes carnival-like keyboards and Krieger's animated, trippy guitar was a blast from the past that enthused the old-timers in the audience, of which there were thousands.

Newcomers Ty Dennis and Angelo Barbera played drums and plunked the bass, respectively. A bearded fellow nicknamed "Low Jack" contributed some zesty harmonica.

Ian Astbury, former lead singer of the Cult, capably filled Morrison's estimable shoes, launching into a rowdy "Roadhouse Blues" and leaving little time for the audience to analyze differences.

Astbury summoned Morrison's Dionysian spirit during "Break on Through," kneeling and mumbling some indecipherable chant. He then urged the audience, "Everybody's got to get high. Let's get high." Many in the crowd gratefully complied, even with security guards on the lookout for what apparently is an ejectionable offense.

Astbury delivered a lively rendition of "When the Music's Over," the hypnotic closing track of "Strange Days." Swirling, pulsing video, along with Krieger's buzzy guitar, conjured the acid-inspired aesthetic of the 1960s.

Indeed, video complemented this show nicely without distracting from the music. Black and white, archival movie cuts of couples kissing accompanied "Love Me Two Times;" shots of American Indians, shields and powwow dances flashed behind "Wild Child;" and images of Robert Johnson and other bluesmen were projected during "Back Door Man."

About halfway, Manzarek offered a reflective piano interlude, during which the audience couldn't seem to refrain from talking. "Moonlight Drive" followed, with Astbury and Manzarek wittily interjecting verses from the standard "Louie, Louie."

"Not to Touch the Earth" exhumed the original Doors' wildness and abandon, and Astbury sounded appropriately drunk on "Alabama Song (Whiskey Bar)."

Bass and drum players left the stage during an acoustic set, which featured "The Crystal Ship," "People are Strange" and "Spanish Caravan." While mostly solid, there were a couple of bad notes during Manzarek and Krieger's solos. Krieger's flamenco guitar was too electrified - it didn't quite sound flamenco enough.

The full band returned for "Maggie M'Gill" and a crowd-pleasing version of "L.A. Woman," even though the latter did come off as a tad disorganized.

For the first encore, the Doors of the 21st Century performed "Light My Fire," full of playful diversions and simulated video fire.

For the second encore, Robby brought out Kevin Krieger, presumably his son, and the band played a fitting finisher, "Soul Kitchen." Astbury even threw in a Cult-like wail as a chaser.

In an era when tasteless, radio-driven drivel rules the day, or everyone is trying to out-cool one another, the Doors of the 21st Century have brought an essential ingredient back to the concert stage: fun.

Jim would be proud.