Every night on the Monkees Farewell Tour, Micky Dolenz and Michael Nesmith are supported onstage by a host of superb musicians and singers. Let's take a moment to shine the spotlight on each member of the touring band, including Micky's sister Coco, Michael's son Christian, and Wayne Avers, who first played with Davy Jones in the early 1990s. Coco Dolenz (Vocals / Percussion)Micky's sister, Coco, has a long history with The Monkees. She provided harmony and background vocals on such Monkees tracks as "Shortly Blackwell," "Little Girl," "Midnight Train," and "Mommy and Daddy." Coco wrote for teen magazines in the 1960s at the height of her brother's fame, and in the late 1970s, she toured with Micky and Davy after the dissolution of Dolenz, Jones, Boyce & Hart. In 1987, Coco released her own album, One Voice. She has been touring with The Monkees since 2012. You can also hear Coco at Micky's solo shows, where she often duets with her brother on "Bye Bye Blackbird" and "Crying in the Rain" while taking over on lead vocals for Michael Nesmith's own "Different Drum." Follow Coco on Facebook, Twitter and visit her Etsy store! Wayne Avers (Guitar / Vocals)Wayne Avers is no stranger to Monkees fans. He has been a part of The Monkees' family since the group's 30th Anniversary Tour in 1996, acting as musical director through the years and handling lead guitar duties. Wayne has performed onstage with all four Monkees in London at Wembley in 1997, appeared twice on The Tonight Show with the group (1996 and 2001), and took part in The Monkees' massive 50th Anniversary celebrations in 2016. Residing in Nashville, Wayne is an ardent collector of guitars. "I play the guitar because I saw The Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1964," he told the Live Almanac in an interview several years ago. Absent during initial dates on the current Monkees Farewell Tour, Wayne joined the band once again in Austin, Texas on September 23. Christian Nesmith (Guitar / Vocals)Christian Nesmith is Michael's eldest son and first appeared in The Monkees' touring band upon his father's return to the group in 2012. Christian's songs have been heard in both film and TV (Blades of Glory, The Hills Have Eyes, Lionheart) and he has composed commercials for companies ranging from AOL to ESPN to Starbucks. His theater credits include being the musical director for the first ever production of Hair in Moscow, Russia. Christian was also musical director for Hair in Los Angeles in 2007 (which also featured Circe Link), and that production was awarded Best Musical of the Year by LA Weekly. In 2016, Christian contributed greatly to the arrangement of "Birth of an Accidental Hipster," a highlight from The Monkees' album Good Times! and a set list staple ever since. Christian joined his father in a revival of the First National Band in 2018 and produced a live album for 7a Records of the group's triumphant appearance at the Troubadour in Hollywood. Most recently, Christian stewarded Micky Dolenz's latest solo album, Dolenz sings Nesmith, featuring Micky singing the songs of Michael Nesmith. Christian and his wife, Circe Link, continue to produce and perform music. Visit Christian on the web, download music on Bandcamp, and stop by his YouTube channel. UPDATE: Christian Nesmith announced his departure from the tour on Facebook on October 12, 2021. Rich Dart (Drums)Rich Dart met Micky Dolenz in 2006 when Micky was starring in a stage production of Pippin and Rich was the house drummer. Four years later, Rich started playing drums for Micky during his solo performances. He joined The Monkees' backing band in 2012 when Micky, Michael, and Peter Tork delivered a series of concerts after the passing of Davy Jones. Rich has had an eclectic career as a free-lance percussionist. He has played with various symphonies, jazz groups, theater troupes, rock and country bands, and percussion ensembles. Rich also played drums for Avenue Q on Broadway and for its first national tour. Follow Rich on Instagram and on Facebook as he posts about his travels on the "Monkees Farewell Tour." John Billings (Bass Guitar)John Billings was brought into the Monkees family by Wayne Avers and first performed with the group in 2012. He resides in Nashville, Tennessee where he owns a recording studio. When performing with The Monkees live in concert, John received some good advice from Avers on how to approach the songs. "Wayne gave us a fundamental direction," John said. "Go back to the records." John has also played with Donna Summer and Wynonna Judd. In the summer of 2019 John and his wife, Amy, opened Wine Down Nashville, a boutique wine bar in Nashville. Follow John on Instagram as he documents the "Monkees Farewell Tour" and more. Pete Finney (Pedal Steel / Guitar)Pedal steel extraordinaire Pete Finney became a member of Michael Nesmith's First National Band Redux in 2018 and later accompanied Nez for a series of shows that celebrated Nesmith's classic 1972 album, And The Hits Just Keep On Comin'. "I first met Nez in the spring of 2014, when I filled in for Chris Scruggs on pedal-steel and guitar for the last few weeks of the Movies of the Mind tour. The '70s albums Nez made with Red Rhodes and the First National Band had been long-time favorites of mine, so of course I really enjoyed the experience musically, and also really enjoyed the hang and the conversations that ensued during our travels." Michael brought Pete into the band for the inaugural "Mike & Micky Show" concerts. He has also performed and toured with the Dixie Chicks, Vince Gill, Patty Loveless, and many others throughout his career. Alex Jules (Keyboards / Vocals)Alex Jules is a New York born and raised singer/songwriter who, along with Pete Finney, debuted in the band on the "Mike & Micky Show" tour in 2018. He now serves as vocal director on the current "Monkees Farewell Tour." Residing in Los Angeles, Alex has also performed with Michael Nesmith's First National Band Redux. Sample some of Alex's work on SoundCloud and follow him on Instagram, where he often shares photos from the road. Circe Link (Vocals / Percussion)Circe Link joined The Monkees' band in 2014, performing backing vocals with Coco Dolenz. She has also appeared in concert with Michael Nesmith's First National Band Redux. A singer, songwriter, and musician in her own right, Circe has previously described her music as ranging from "Cowboy Jazz to Alternative to Americana." She has recorded several albums, including a live CD from a successful tour of Japan. Circe writes, records, and performs with her husband, Christian Nesmith. You can download Circe's music on Bandcamp, and don't forget to check out her YouTube channel, too! UPDATE: On October 12, 2021, Christian Nesmith announced that he and Circe Link had both departed the tour. Emeen Zarookian (Guitar / Vocals)Emeen is the newest member of The Monkees' touring band. He is a composer, multi-instrumentalist, and sound designer specializing in audio for television, games, and multimedia. Emeen has recorded with several bands, including Spirit Kid and Bebopalula, the latter which also features Alex Jules.
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Last evening, Micky Dolenz, Michael Nesmith, and their band appeared at Texas Trust CU Theatre in Grand Prairie, Texas. Below are a few clips from the show, including a very impressive rendition of "While I Cry," a fan favorite deep cut from The Monkees' 1969 album Instant Replay that is making its live concert debut on The Monkees Farewell Tour. Tonight, Micky and Nez are in San Antonio, Texas ahead of a short break in the tour until it resumes October 1 in Memphis and Chattanooga, Tennessee.
In a message sent earlier today to subscribers of his Beatland Books email list, Andrew Sandoval, author of The Monkees: The Day-By-Day Story and the group's manager/tour producer, provided the latest shipping status updates regarding his new book. He also took time to report on the early days of The Monkees Farewell Tour, which stops in Austin, Texas this Thursday!
Read Andrew's message below, along with a timely postscript: Dear Beatland Reader: The Monkees On Tour
Hours after sending the message above, Andrew posted the following on Facebook :
UPDATE 9/24/2021: Now shipping!
In a brand new interview with The Phoenix Times, Andrew Sandoval talked about his forthcoming book, The Monkees: The Day-By-Day Story. Speaking with Robrt L. Pela, Andrew revealed that a lot of attention was devoted to the albums produced towards the end of The Monkees' original incarnation. "Those records are a major focal point of my revised book," he said.
Read more of the interview with Andrew via the link below: Micky Dolenz and Michael Nesmith are currently on the road bringing "The Monkees Farewell Tour" to over 40 cities in the United States. They may be coming to your town! UPDATED 11/18/2021 Catch up with The Monkees Farewell Tour as it stopped in Portland, Sacramento, and San Jose this week, a week that also marks the 55th anniversary of the debut of The Monkees television series on NBC. Micky Dolenz, Michael Nesmith, and their band return to the stage tomorrow night in Riverside, California! Portland, Oregon (9/12/21)Sacramento, California (9/14/21)San Jose, California (9/15/21)
Andrew Sandoval is the producer of "The Monkees Farewell Tour" and author of The Monkees: The Day-By-Day Story. Today on Facebook, Andrew gracefully discussed a variety of topics that have surrounded the opening of Micky Dolenz and Michael Nesmith's current tour. You can read the full message below:
Hey Hey: Last evening, The Monkees Farewell Tour made its second stop in Seattle, Washington at the Moore Theater. Andrew Sandoval confirmed with the Live Almanac that the set list was the same as opening night. Here's some footage from last night's show, including a stunning new arrangement of "Porpoise Song": The first show of The Monkees' Farewell Tour is now complete. Micky, Michael, and the band performed this evening in Spokane, Washington and presented an eclectic set list that featured The Monkees' greatest hits, deep cuts, selections from their 2016 album, Good Times!, and more. A big thanks to Monkees author and historian Andrew Sandoval, who is producing the tour, for sending this picture of the set list to the Live Almanac. In many ways, the set resembles the 2018-2019 "Mike & Micky" shows, but a couple of songs made their much anticipated live concert debut this evening in Spokane.
"Love Is Only Sleeping," a perennial favorite from The Monkees' fourth album, Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd., is being performed for the first time, as is "While I Cry," a Michael Nesmith original from 1969's Instant Replay and another song fans have long held in high regard. "Through the Looking Glass," the opening track from Instant Replay, returns to the set for the first time since 1989. "Different Drum," performed throughout the "Mike & Micky" shows and another Nesmith original, was the lead single from Micky's latest solo album, Dolenz Sings Nesmith. The Monkees' official Facebook page posted photos of the items being sold at the merchandise booth on The Monkees' Farewell Tour, which opened tonight in Spokane, Washington:
Here they come, one more time! With rehearsals now completed, Micky Dolenz and Michael Nesmith are ready to commence "The Monkees Farewell Tour" this Friday evening at First Interstate Center for the Arts in Spokane, Washington. The tour will open two days shy of the 55th anniversary of the debut of The Monkees television show on NBC. Micky, Nez, and their band are slated to visit 42 cities through November 14, with a final curtain call in Los Angeles at the Greek Theatre, site of several triumphant Monkees concerts since the 1980s. Dolenz and Nesmith's last joint performance was on June 19, 2019 in Sydney, Australia at the historic Sydney Opera House. At that time, the duo closed a successful multi-leg tour entitled "The Monkees Present: The Mike & Micky Show" that had opened in 2018. They were scheduled to return to the road in 2020, but the Covid-19 pandemic resulted in multiple postponements. As the concert industry continues to reopen during the Covid era, various venues hosting The Monkees' tour have recently announced special requirements for admittance into the shows. Please be sure to check the website of the venue you are attending, or call their ticket office for details regarding Covid safety guidelines. Monkees historian and author Andrew Sandoval, who is producing the tour, addressed measures being instituted to keep everyone healthy. "All of us are taking every precaution possible to stay safe," Andrew wrote in a message sent out today to Beatland Books email subscribers. "Everyone on and offstage is fully vaccinated and wore masks for the entire rehearsal period and that is how it will remain for all those not onstage. Even the musicians in the band wore masks for rehearsal if they were not singing. "Nevertheless, the spirits are high, especially when we have a lot of great music to share and with strong ticket sales, The Monkees have had to do less work in promotion and can just focus on what is important: resting and singing." Monkees fans, surely feeling bittersweet at the prospect of their favorite group calling it a day, might be wondering if this is truly the end of the road. In an interview published today, Micky Dolenz puts it plainly when asked if it was hard to accept the prospect of a "final tour." "Well, not really," Micky answered. "It was inevitable." All these years later, Micky Dolenz and Michael Nesmith are still "too busy singing to put anybody down." Join Micky, Michael, their band, crew, and fellow fans for The Monkees Farewell Tour. A complete list of tour dates appears below. Enjoy the show! "Monkees Farewell Tour" Concert Dates 9/10: Spokane, WA @ First Interstate Center for the Arts
9/11: Seattle, WA @ Moore Theater 9/12: Portland, OR @ Revolution Hall 9/14: Sacramento, CA @ Crest Theatre 9/15: San Jose, CA @ San Jose Civic 9/17: Riverside, CA @ Fox Performing Arts Center 9/18: El Cajon, CA @ The Magnolia 9/19: Phoenix, Arizona @ Celebrity Theatre 9/23: Austin, TX @ Stubb's Waller Creek Amphitheater 9/24: Grand Prairie, TX @ Texas Trust CU Theatre 9/25: San Antonio, TX @ Tobin Center For The Performing Arts 9/27: Midland, TX @ Wagner Noël Performing Arts Center (CANCELLED) 10/1: Memphis, TN @ The Soundstage at Graceland 10/2: Chattanooga, TN @ Tivoli Theatre 10/6: Birmingham, AL @ Iron City 10/7: Knoxville, TN @ Tennessee Theatre 10/8: Atlanta, GA @ Atlanta Symphony Hall 10/10: Orlando, FL @ Hard Rock Live 10/12: Fort Lauderdale, FL @ Parker Playhouse 10/13: Clearwater, FL @ Ruth Eckerd Hall 10/16: Jacksonville, FL @ Florida Theatre 10/18: Washington, DC @ Warner Theatre 10/19: Red Bank, NJ @ Count Basie Center 10/20: Tarrytown, NY @ Tarrytown Music Hall 10/22: Bethlehem, PA @ The Wind Creek Event Center 10/23: Atlantic City, NJ @ Ocean Casino Resort - Ovation Hall 10/24: New York, New York @ Town Hall 10/26: Burlington, VT @ Flynn Center for the Performing Arts 10/28: Huntington, NY @ The Paramount 10/29: Uncasville, CT @ Mohegan Sun Arena 10/30: Medford, MA @ Chevalier Theatre 11/1: Greensburg, PA @ The Palace Theatre 11/2: Detroit, MI @ Masonic Cathedral Theatre 11/3: Northfield, OH @ MGM Northfield Park - Center Stage 11/5: Rosemont, IL @ Rosemont Theatre 11/6: Milwaukee, WI @ Riverside Theater 11/7: Minneapolis, MN @ State Theatre 11/9: St. Charles, MO @ Family Arena 11/10: Kansas City, MO @ Uptown Theater 11/11: Salina, KS @ Stiefel Theatre 11/14: Los Angeles, CA @ The Greek Theatre 4/1/22: Savannah, GA @ Johnny Mercer Theatre (RESCHEDULED) ![]() 7a Records, the label that specializes in Monkees solo-related projects and more, recently announced that a couple of their titles are now available to stream and download on over 70 different platforms. And on top of that, vinyl lovers rejoice! Peter Tork's 1994 solo album, Stranger Things Have Happened, is coming soon on limited edition green vinyl. Here's a rundown of 7a's latest activities: In late 1980 Peter Tork formed a band called The New Monks, and shortly thereafter the group recorded a single, "(I'm Not Your) Stepping Stone"/"Higher and Higher." Last year, both songs were featured as bonus tracks on 7a's CD and vinyl editions of Peter's Stranger Things Have Happened album. And now, for the first time, the single is officially available to stream or download: Back in 2019, 7a revived Davy Jones' long out-of-print early 1980s live albums that were recorded and issued in Japan. Stream or download Davy Jones Live in Japan now: Don't forget that this collection can still be purchased on compact disc and as a triple vinyl LP, and both of these versions contain exclusive bonus tracks. In 1994, James Lee Stanley's Beachwood Records released Peter Tork's first ever solo album, Stranger Things Have Happened, featuring several notable guest musicians and friends including Stanley, Micky Dolenz, Michael Nesmith, Laurence Juber (Paul McCartney & Wings), Mackenzie Phillips, and Timothy B. Schmit (The Eagles). Last year, 7a celebrated Stranger Things with an expansive compact disc reissue while also pressing a limited edition splatter vinyl. Fans can now pre-order 7a's latest incarnation of the album, this time on transparent green vinyl, which is set for release on September 10: For more information about other 7a Records releases featuring the works of Micky Dolenz, Davy Jones, Michael Nesmith, and Peter Tork, visit the website and follow 7a on Facebook and Twitter.
The official Monkees Facebook page has recently relayed information about the upcoming Monkees Farewell Tour featuring Micky Dolenz and Michael Nesmith, slated to begin in Spokane, Washington on September 10.
It was announced yesterday that Micky and Michael's October 3 appearance in Nashville has been canceled. Monkees manager Andrew Sandoval confirmed on Facebook that the venue, the Tennessee Performing Arts Center, was responsible for the cancellation. Refunds are available at point of purchase. Furthermore, the duo's shows in The Woodlands, Texas on September 28 and 29 have been postponed due to safety concerns surrounding Covid-19. It has been suggested that if you have tickets for these particular shows to contact the venue about refunds. Stay tuned to The Monkees Live Almanac for future updates, and please be sure to follow the site on Twitter and Facebook! |
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