Before this month, there were only two full shows somewhat like this, along with a three minute one-off. It was announced earlier this year that two of the three living members of The Monkees, wool cap Michael Nesmith, and singing drummer Micky Dolenz would hit the road together. Just the two of them, (with the backing band, of course) for the first time ever. The other living member, bassist Peter Tork is not involved with this tour at all, as he’s focusing on his own band, Shoe Suede Blues, and is likely planning a tour with them to promote their recently released Relax Your Mind.
When the lights were dimmed at the Paramount Theatre in Denver Tuesday night, Mike, wearing a white overcoat, sparkling dress shoes, and a purple t-shirt, and Micky, wearing a long black coat, his typical black cowboy hat, and sunglasses with red lenses, kicked off with Good Clean Fun, followed by the smash hit Last Train To Clarksville. “Welcome to the Mike and Micky show!” Micky exclaimed after the latter song. A ecstatic roar from the crowd of baby boomer and gen-X Monkeemaniacs was given, and later from some of the die-hard fans in the theater.
This tour was advertised to be very different from a normal Monkee show. And different, it was. Unlike their 50th anniversary tour two years ago, and many tours before, there were no big screens. Not every hit was played either, and while there were some humorous exchanges between the two, this is not a tour that celebrates equal amounts of the TV show and the music. This tour is mainly about the music. Instead of a big screen showing photos and clips from the last 52 years, there was a huge white curtain draped over the backstage area that served as the background. The curtain had the logo of the tour, and some of the lights shone on it, so it wasn’t boring at all.
When Nez is onstage, yes, you will hear Nez songs. After all, this is his first full-fledged outing as a part of The Monkees since 2014. Deep cuts galore were played. Some of which included the opening track off of Headquarters, You Told Me, the First National Band (Nez’s post-Monkees group, which by the way, has done and will do some reunion shows this year) classic Nine Times Blue, and the never-before-this-tour-played “missing link” St. Matthew. “What album was that on, do you guys know?” Nez asked, and got a response from an audience member. “Fifty winks two?”
There were also tunes off of the newest album, Good Times!, which features all four Monkees participating in some way. The jammin’ Birth Of An Accidental Hipster descended into St. Matthew, and the impeccable harmonies of Mike and Micky on Me & Magdalena wrapped up the first set. Twenty minutes later, the two, and Nez’ son Christian walked back on.
“We’re gonna spend some time in acoustic land!” Mike announced, as him and Micky sat on stools. A new-ish arrangement of Papa Gene’s Blues was up first, followed by a head-bopping acoustic Randy Scouse Git, and that was when the backing band made their way back to the stage, almost one by one. The highlight of the night, to me anyway, was when Nez walked offstage for a moment (“I love this song, I’m gonna leave [Micky] with it onstage. Okay, bye!” so Micky could strum and sing (and flub just a little bit on) I’ll Spend My Life With You, the second track off of Headquarters. Not many people knew that one, but on a personal note, that’s my favorite Monkees song, so finally hearing that one live really added to the thrill that while Nez may not have been onstage at that moment, he was still on the tour, and would come back out any minute.
Following another recent live debut, Auntie’s Municipal Court, and Micky’s paced scat-and-all trademark Goin’ Down, came a tear-jerking rendition of Daydream Believer, the only song played on this tour that was originally sung by the late Davy Jones. This is also the first full-fledged Monkees tour since 2014 where the surviving Monkees are singing. In 2012 and 2013, Micky would call a member of the audience up onstage to “help” him sing it. Him and Mike sang it in 2014, but on the tour before this one, the band played, but Davy’s isolated vocals sang.
Yes, there was an encore. Listen To The Band was first. It started with Nez and his Gretsch, followed by Micky, and slowly yet suddenly the backing band. The show closed the way it always has, with I’m A Believer, and I think it’s safe to say that everybody went home happy.
Right now, the tour runs until the end of the month, and there are a whole load of places in the United States that will not get to experience it. We can only hope that Nez and Micky are enjoying themselves on this tour, and that they’ll do it again next year. This is the first one like this, so why not?
Josh Bradley Live 
One reply on “CONCERT REVIEW: Nesmith and Dolenz Monkee around without screens in Denver”
[…] was lucky enough to have caught this incredibly special affair on an early stop in Denver, and of the three Monkee shows I’ve seen, (Davy Jones in 2008, Peter Tork and Micky Dolenz in […]
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