The very popular and beloved Davy Jones of the Monkees passed away in 2012. If you know anything about the culture of the 1960’s and 70’s, you have heard of the musical group The Monkees. They had their own TV show as well, and their brand is as iconic in American culture as screaming teenagers of the 1960’s at rock concerts. The remaining three members of the group, Peter Tork, Micky Dolenz, and Mike Nesmith have amazingly kept busy working on a number of projects since the band pursued independent projects. The group took the opportunity to return to touring after their appearances on MTV in the 1980’s found a new fan base, but Nesmith opted not to be a part of that renewal. Now he has had a change of heart and returns to touring.
Dolenz and Nesmith have decided to go on tour sans Peter Tork, who says that he is immersed in other projects and simply has neither the time nor energy to engage in another tour. Simply named “The Monkees Present: The Mike and Micky Show” the duo will not be presenting any of their own original material but follow in the tradition of The Monkees and be performing a number of longer and rarely heard songs.
This tour has generated a certain amount of buzz because there are several unanswered questions about the absence of Tork, the willingness of Nesmith to return, and the future of tours by The Monkees. Nesmith has said that part of Tork’s decision not to tour was “a very private one” he was not willing to discuss. As for Nesmith himself, he recently performed with his former band now resurrected this year, the First National Band, calling it “a farewell to ‘Monkee Mike’.” Interestingly, many of the sings that will be performed are those written by Nesmith back in his early days with the group but never saw the light of day on stage. Dolenz admits that he is anxious to perform Nesmith’s works, even if it is without the presence of Jones and Tork. He recalls,
“When we (the group) used to get together around the campfire to sing in the early days, we were always doing his songs.”
Nesmith wants to make it clear to fans of The Monkees that while you will be paying to see two of the four original members of the group, the show will be about him and Dolenz performing. It seems he is putting this out front so as not to potentially disappoint fans who are expecting something different. In an interview with Rolling Stone magazine, Nesmith expanded on this thought. He said that there is no pretense about what him and Dolenz are doing with the tour. It will definitely be “Monkee Music” but at the same time the pair are not The Monkees or have any intention of advertising themselves to be. He calls them “the remnants,” preparing fans for the eventual end of the group. This is a sad but realistic perception of what fans who follow the group can expect from any future tours.
The current tour schedule has the pair traveling in the month of June at a select number of venues, including Los Angeles, San Diego, and Anaheim in California; Stateline, Nevada; Chicago, Denver, Cleveland, Philadelphia, New York City, and Toronto, Canada.
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