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Michael Nesmith on Red Rhodes, Pete Finney, and this January's tour

12/30/2018

Recently on Facebook, Michael Nesmith talked about his upcoming tour with pedal steel guitarist Pete Finney that will highlight his 1972 album, And The Hits Just Keep On Comin', and more:

(Photo courtesy of Videoranch)

Here is a message from the stream. The show you are about to see is a show Red Rhodes and I put together in 1974 based loosely on the “Hits” album (And the Hits Just Keep On Comin’, 1972) we had just made. The record was different from the live show by a difference so subtle I hadn’t noticed, until night after night of playing, on one of those nights, we got airborne.

For me this music is the most fun to play especially when Red would hit the secret switch. Magic. Untethered to space and time. Riding the space unconfined.

Then, sadly Red was gone, and with him, his little secret switch. So it appeared that after the few shows we did in England, and a few in the States, the career of the First National Band would end. To say I wandered a few years is an embarrassing understatement -- but I did, always waiting for the little switch.

I found it after playing a short tour with Pete Finney. I found out he had the switch, too. Turns out, all steel-players do --- some use it, some don’t. The switch comes bound to the steel-player and then includes whatever instrument they are playing so the sound is unique to their musical swirl.

Come ride those swirls with Pete Finney and me and let him slide us away to this land and time where we all play.

Best,
Nez

Don't miss Nez and Pete this January! And in the event you haven't heard, Ben Gibbard & Scott McCaughey will be the duo's special guests on opening night in Seattle! Ben is the lead vocalist and guitarist of Death Cab For Cutie who also wrote "Me & Magdalena" for The Monkees' 2016 album, Good Times! Scott is a respected singer/singwriter whose band The Minus 5 released Of Monkees and Men in 2016, described as "an imaginative tribute to the Monkees’ legacy in music and popular culture." Scott also co-wrote the title track with Peter Buck (R.E.M.) from The Monkees' new holiday album, Christmas Party, and was closely aligned with R.E.M. as an auxiliary musician in the studio and on stage with the group from 1994 until their their breakup in 2011.

Here's a complete list of tour dates and ticket links for Michael Nesmith and Pete Finney in January 2019:

January 17: Neptune Theatre / Seattle, Washington
January 19: The Rogue Theater / Grants Pass, Oregon
January 20: Sofia Center For The Arts / Sacramento, California
January 22: Troubadour / West Hollywood, California
January 24: The Coach House / San Juan Capistrano, California
January 26: Sweetwater Music Hall / Mill Valley, California

Michael Nesmith And the Hits Just Keep On Comin' tour

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NPR looks back at The Monkees' movie "Head"

12/29/2018

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As part of the current NPR series, "1968: How We Got Here," author Petra Mayer examines The Monkees' one and only feature film as it celebrates its 50th anniversary:

The Monkees Tried To Cut Their Strings With 'Head'

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Henry Diltz photographs The Monkees live at Lagoon's Patio Gardens in May 1968

12/28/2018

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On May 17, 1968, The Monkees finished their first and only motion picture, Head, with the filming of the "Circle Sky" concert scene in front of four thousand fans at the Valley Music Hall in Salt Lake City, Utah. They performed "Circle Sky" several times for the cameras and also did a handful of other special requests.

Patio Gardens, a venue housed inside the Farmington, Utah amusement resort Lagoon, was the original location for the filming of "Circle Sky." The venue was changed at the last minute to the Valley Music Hall in Salt Lake City for logistical reasons, despite fans already waiting in line at Patio Gardens. To make amends, The Monkees delivered a 30-minute set later that evening in front of a crowd of five thousand at Patio Gardens. This particular show was not filmed or recorded, and a setlist has yet to surface. The two Utah-based concerts in May 1968 would constitute the last live performances by all four Monkees in the United States until 1986.

This past November, the 50th anniversary of Head was commemorated at the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood and featured special guests Micky Dolenz and Michael Nesmith. Monkees archivist and producer Andrew Sandoval hosted a Q&A session with Micky and Michael after the sold-out screening, which also included a slideshow created by Andrew that showcased photographs taken by legendary rock photographer Henry Diltz. The final part of the slideshow revealed many never before seen photos from The Monkees' performance at Lagoon's Patio Gardens, screenshots which can be seen below. (The slideshow can be viewed in its entirety at Michael Nesmith's Videoranch Facebook page.)

A special thanks goes to the Live Almanac's friends at Written In Our Hearts for inspiring this post based on screenshots they had previously shared from the Diltz slideshow!

Jack Nicholson, center, co-wrote and co-produced The Monkees' feature film "Head" and was in attendance at Lagoon (All photos by Henry Diltz)

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A very Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from The Monkees Live Almanac!

12/23/2018

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(Banner designed by Al Bigley)

I would like to wish everyone Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, and say thank you for your continued support of The Monkees Live Almanac! The banner seen above, created by Al Bigley of The Texas Prairie Chicken Home Companion podcast, features a photo of The Monkees that appeared in a late 1967 issue of Ladies Home Journal.

This particular photo was utilized on a 5" x 7" fold-open Christmas card in 1967. Inside the card was the inscription "Let there be Peace on Earth and let it begin with me." According to Marty Eck's book, The Monkees Collectibles Price Guide, this card is believed not to have been mailed en masse and was only sent to a small group of people.

Have a great holiday, everyone!