Caravan for a Cause

It’s the first weekend of April, and if one or all of the following--Lorenzo Lamas, wind blowing in your hair, leather, Harleys, celebrities, helping kids, barbecue or the Doors--turns your crank, Calamigos Ranch in Malibu is the place you’ll want to be Sunday.

An estimated 5,000 motorcyclists, including the aforementioned Lamas, honorary grand marshal Peter Fonda and a bunch of other celebrities, will participate in the Fourth Annual Lorenzo Lamas Ride for Life.

This caravan of bikes and cars will leave Glendale at 10 a.m. and make the run to Malibu, where guitarist Robby Krieger of the Doors will perform in concert. The annual event raises money for the World Children’s Transplant Fund.

The story of the Doors is well told. The group, which was inducted into the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame in 1993, played its last gig with lead singer Jim Morrison way back in 1970. Since the demise of that band, Krieger has been involved in many musical projects.

Recently he’s been recording with a new band that includes his son. On Sunday, they’ll be doing some jazzy instrumental stuff, some blues and of course, some Doors’ tunes.

“It’s obviously what people want to hear,” Krieger said. “When I was trying to start various bands before, I would try to play original stuff, but they want to hear Doors. The Doors’ stuff is so damn big, why should just the cover bands have all the fun.”

Indeed!

If Krieger feels artistically hampered by audiences’ expectations, he’s keeping it to himself. He still enjoys the material and has no problem keeping his performance fresh.

“On a lot of the Doors’ songs, you’re able to stretch out,” Krieger said. “The songs call out for change.”

* Registration for the Fourth Annual Lorenzo Lamas Ride for Life begins at 8 a.m. Sun. at Harley-Davidson of Glendale, 3717 San Fernando Road. The caravan leaves at 10 a.m. for Calamigos Ranch, 327 S. Latigo Canyon Road, Malibu. $35 per person includes admission, barbecue and concert. Call (818) 905-9283 or (818) 246-5618.

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A Personal Approach: If leather, Lamas and gasoline-tinged air are not your cup of tea, you just might want to stay in Glendale and catch Lori Carson at Borders Books.

Carson is a New York singer-songwriter whose third album, “Everything I Touch Runs Wild,” has been released on Restless Records.

On her album cover, Carson is dressed in a formal, strapless, wine-colored evening gown--looking like a prom queen on the morning after--with her hands outstretched in front of her, looking directly into the camera. With her music, Carson achieves an intimacy that’s rare in recordings. Her voice and songs give off the aura of a conversation taking place in a darkened room, late at night.

“I don’t think I consciously strive for that sense of intimacy, I don’t see it as a goal,” Carson said. “It’s more a byproduct of trying to make something beautiful to me.

“The lyrics--even when they’re not autobiographical, they’re very personal--I don’t hide anything metaphorically.”

Originally from Long Island (“I couldn’t wait to escape from there,” she says) Carson has been living in the city since she was a teenager. Her early influences included Neil Young, Joni Mitchell and Leonard Cohen.

Carson is also known for her work with the Golden Palominos, a New York-based rock collective headed by Anton Fier. Over the years, Fier enlisted various artists to make guest stints for his Golden Palomino recordings, including Michael Stipe, Jack Bruce, Richard Thompson and Bootsy Collins. Carson was a featured vocalist on 1993’s “This Is How It Feels” and 1994’s “Pure.”

“Everything I Touch Runs Wild” was produced by Carson with help from Fier.

“I’ve been collaborating with Anton since 1992,” she said. “This one I wanted to try on my own, so I did 75% of the work by myself, and then I went to him to finish it.”

The basic tracks were recorded in Carson’s New York apartment and the album was later finished in a professional studio.

“Anton’s a perfectionist,” Carson said. “The Golden Palomino records are kind of seamless, they’re so perfect.

“But if you listen to my record, it’s not polished or perfect.”

* Lori Carson performs at 8 p.m. Sunday at Borders Books, 100 S. Brand Blvd., Glendale. Free. (818) 241-8099.