Sunday night’s show by The Doors (or D21C, legally speaking) featured a goth/punk micro-riot, Grateful Dead-style twirlers and grandmothers throwing up the heavy metal horns sign.

Strange days, indeed.

The reconstituted Doors includes original members Ray Manzarek on keyboards and Robby Krieger playing guitar, plus Ian Astbury, former singer of English metal band The Cult (“She Sells Sanctuary,’’ “Fire Woman’’) on vocals. The band played for a crowd of about 2,800 at nTelos Pavilion at Harbor Center in Portsmouth.

Original drummer John Densmore has sued his former bandmates for using the name The Doors, hence the cumbersome Doors of the 21st Century moniker, now shortened to D21C.

Astbury may have been referring to the legal problems when he shouted “Mr. JD, you never listen. This is your music’’ before the band broke into “When The Music’s Over.’’

Astbury, wearing a black leather jacket, black T-shirt, ripped jeans and cowboy boots, did a decent job filling for Jim Morrison. Obviously Manzarek and Krieger chose him for certain physical and vocal similarities – the chiseled face, shoulder-length brown hair, powerful voice.

The singer didn’t dodge the issue, making reference to Morrison several times, nor did he try to do an imitation. For their part Manzarek, wearing a red peace symbol T-shirt, and Krieger seemed to be having a blast. Far from trudging through their old songs, the pair playfully traded off solos and extended jams. Manzarek even channeled Jerry Lee Lewis, playing with his feet and elbows.

The hour-and-a-half set was heavy on hits, including “Break On Through,’’ “Alabama Song (Whisky Bar),’’ “Love Me Two Times,’’ “Roadhouse Blues,’’ “LA Woman’’ and the encore, “Light My Fire.’’ But the band also broke out deeper cuts, such as “Moonlight Drive’’ and “Wild Child.’’

The songs drove all the fans wild, from the teens wearing Marilyn Manson shirts who decided to start throwing chairs to the folks who had to peer through their bifocals to call friends on their cell phones to the guy running joyful, jumping laps around the pavilion.

“Where is it written you can’t dance,’’ Astbury said approvingly. “I didn’t see that on the ticket.’’

© 2005 HamptonRoads.com/PilotOnline.com