 In what surely will be a bittersweet moment for many fans, The Monkees Tour Facebook page has just posted the news that Michael Nesmith and Micky Dolenz will conduct a "Monkees Farewell Tour" beginning in September 2021, capping a storied career while also marking five and a half decades of Monkeemania. Opening night of Michael and Micky's final curtain call will occur in Spokane on September 10, two days shy of the 55th anniversary of the debut of The Monkees television show on NBC. The tour is currently slated to visit 37 cities and will conclude in Los Angeles at the Greek Theatre on November 14, site of several triumphant Monkees concerts since the 1980s. Nesmith and Dolenz last toured in 2019 and were scheduled to return to the road in 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in multiple postponements. The list of "Farewell" dates include some of the shows originally planned for that tour. The official press release and a confirmed list of concert dates appear below. Tickets and VIP packages for select stops on "The Monkees Farewell Tour" are currently available, while most others go on sale on Friday, May 7. This is a breaking news story. Stay tuned to The Monkees Live Almanac for further updates! Press Release for "Monkees Farewell Tour" Michael Nesmith and Micky Dolenz of The Monkees will embark on their farewell tour in September 2021. Commemorating 55 years of Monkeemania, the tour will embrace major markets in North America through the fall, launching on September 10 in Spokane and ending back where it all began in Los Angeles at The Greek Theatre on November 14. Their critically acclaimed concerts feature the voice of Dolenz (who sang The Monkees' biggest hits: "I'm A Believer," "Last Train To Clarksville," "Pleasant Valley Sunday" and "Steppin' Stone") and the group’s primary songwriter, Nesmith (who wrote such classics as "Mary, Mary," "Papa Gene's Blues," "You Just May Be The One" and "Listen To The Band," to name but a few). Tickets and VIP packages for some dates of "The Monkees Farewell Tour" are on sale now, with more going on sale later this week. Most shows will NOT have VIP Soundchecks, and the presale code is FRODIS. (Update: VIP Soundchecks will be occurring only at the postponed 2020 dates.) "The Monkees Farewell Tour" will feature songs that span the band's entire career – from their 1966 self-titled debut album to 2016's Good Times! Their most recent release, The Monkees – The Mike & Micky Show Live, was issued in April 2020 and became their 17th Billboard charting album release. In addition to their hits, their farewell shows will spotlight songs featured on their Emmy-winning TV series ("The Girl I Knew Somewhere," "You Told Me," "Randy Scouse Git," "Goin' Down" and "For Pete's Sake") as well as music from their feature film Head ("Circle Sky" and "As We Go Along"). Plus some rarely performed deep cuts (such as "Auntie's Municipal Court") and tracks from their most-recent studio album, 2016’s Good Times! ("Me & Magdalena" and "Birth Of An Accidental Hipster"). This farewell tour will mark the end of a unique project that began in 1965 when four young men were cast in a television show about a struggling rock band that was inspired by The Beatles' A Hard Day’s Night. Few could have predicted the impact The Monkees would have on music and pop culture at large, one that still reverberates more than 50 years later. "Monkees Farewell Tour" Concert Dates NEW! 9/10: Spokane, WA @ First Interstate Center for the Arts 9/11: Seattle, WA @ Moore Theater 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 9/24: Dallas, TX @ The Majestic Theatre 9/25: San Antonio, TX @ Tobin Center For The Performing Arts 9/28: The Woodlands, TX @ Dosey Doe 9/29: The Woodlands, TX @ Dosey Doe 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 10/15: Biloxi, MS @ IP Casino Resort and Spa 10/16: Jacksonville, FL @ Florida 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 NEW! 11/3: Northfield, OH @ MGM Northfield Park - Center Stage NEW! 11/5: Rosemont, IL @ Rosemont Theatre 11/6: Milwaukee, WI @ Riverside Theater NEW! 11/7: Minneapolis, MN @ State Theatre 11/9: St. Charles, MO @ Family Arena 11/10: Kansas City, MO @ Uptown Theater 11/14: Los Angeles, CA @ The Greek Theatre Tour Press Coverage Monkees.com: The Monkees Announce Farewell Tour Dates Rolling Stone: The Monkees Announce Farewell Tour San Diego Tribune: The Monkees’ 2020 tour, postponed a year by COVID pandemic, has now become the group’s 2021 farewell tour Ultimate Classic Rock: Monkees Announce Fall 2021 Farewell Tour Best Classic Bands: The Monkees’ Dolenz and Nesmith Set Farewell Tour Brooklyn Vegan: The Monkees announce Farewell Tour Rock Cellar: Michael Nesmith & Micky Dolenz Announce The Monkees Farewell Tour Dates Rhino Insider: The Monkees Announce Farewell Tour Dates People: The Monkees Announce 2-Month Long Farewell Tour with Stops Across North America Fox: The Monkees announce farewell tour dates with surviving members Stereoboard: The Monkees Announce Farewell US Tour For Fall Yahoo: The Monkees Announce 2-Month Long Farewell Tour with Stops Across North America 
24 Comments
Dolenz sings Nesmith, a brand new album by Micky Dolenz comprised of songs written by Michael Nesmith throughout his career, will be released by 7a Records worldwide on May 21. Listen to a recent interview with Micky conducted by Steven Rainey of BBC Radio Ulster where he talks about the album, working with Christian Nesmith, and more:   Last month The Monkees Pad video podcast debuted and was a resounding success, welcoming its first-ever guest, Monkees historian and author Andrew Sandoval. Now host Joe Russo has returned in Episode 2, featuring none other than Chip Douglas! Long revered by Monkees fans, Douglas acted as producer of two of the group's most acclaimed albums, Headquarters and Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd., along with some of their best single sides, including "Daydream Believer," "Goin' Down," "Pleasant Valley Sunday," "Words," and "The Girl I Knew Somewhere." Joe's brand new interview is all the more special since Chip has granted relatively few interviews in recent years. Highlights include an inside look at the recording sessions for Headquarters, original video, plus an exclusive airing of an unreleased vintage Davy Jones recording, "Bright Sunny Day." Listeners can look forward to a "Part 2" of the interview where Chip discusses his work on the Pisces album and much more. For now, enjoy Joe's conversation with Chip Douglas below, and don't forget to follow The Monkees Pad podcast on Facebook. You can also read more about Chip in the archives of The Monkees Live Almanac.  (Ad from the November 11, 1967 issue of Billboard / Courtesy of Monkee45s.net) 'Bound Down in a Whirl' - Celebrating the classic Monkees track "The Girl I Knew Somewhere"4/3/2021  "The Girl I Knew Somewhere" has long been considered one of the most significant songs in The Monkees' canon. It was first attempted at RCA Hollywood on January 16, 1967, a significant day in Monkees history as it marked their first true "group" recording session and helped fuel an already bourgeoning internal power struggle between The Monkees and Don Kirshner. Written by Michael Nesmith, and featuring Peter Tork's whimsical harpsichord performance, the song went through different iterations in the recording studio, including lead vocals from both Nesmith and Micky Dolenz. On its own merits, it reached the Billboard Top 40 as the flipside of "A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You" and was featured prominently on The Monkees' television show. Check out this recent piece by Stephen Lewis where he examines what is probably the Live Almanac's favorite Monkees song, and enjoy a few different versions of "The Girl I Knew Somewhere" in the videos below!
(Master backing track)
Neko Chohlis first met Micky Dolenz when the two attended college together in Los Angeles in the early 1960s. From that friendship with Micky, Neko became involved in the Monkees project, traveling with the group throughout 1967, and later providing artwork for Monkees albums and picture sleeves (seen below). Today, Neko is known for his work as an abstract artist. Recently Neko was a guest on Plastic EP Live TV where he gave a fascinating interview that included his recollections of meeting Paul McCartney, John Lennon, and Jimi Hendrix while on tour with The Monkees, his dealings with Colgems Records, how Davy Jones befriended Jan Berry (of Jan and Dean fame) after Berry's auto accident, his previously unknown contributions to The Monkees' 1968 single, "D.W. Washburn," and much more!  Join host Joe Russo as he launches a brand new video podcast, The Monkees Pad, with his first guest, Monkees historian, author, and producer Andrew Sandoval. Listen to the duo discuss a variety of "deep dive" Monkees topics and Andrew's forthcoming book about the group, The Monkees: The Day-By-Day Story, accompanied by exclusive video footage! Stay tuned for more from The Monkees Pad by following the podcast on Facebook. In an intriguing conversation with Andy Greene from Rolling Stone published today on the magazine's website, Andrew Sandoval discusses his upcoming book, The Monkees: The Day-By-Day Story, how is understanding of the group, particularly their struggles with Don Kirshner, changed after extensive new research, the likelihood that Micky Dolenz and Michael Nesmith's fall tour could act as a "farewell," and more:  7a Records has re-released Peter Tork's 1994 solo album, Stranger Things Have Happened, on compact disc and vinyl, along with bonus tracks! Below is the latest review of the set, courtesy of The Beat, that was posted on 7a's Facebook page.  (Click image to enlarge) Sandoval previews brand new book: "Information-wise, I feel it rewrites The Monkees' history"3/11/2021 Monkees fans: don't be left hangin' 'round! Andrew Sandoval is currently accepting reservations through March 15, 2021 (UPDATE: now through March 22) for the brand new edition of his classic book, The Monkees: The Day-By-Day Story, exclusively via his website Beatland Books. At 732 pages and fully illustrated in color, this will be the definitive tome on The Monkees. Meanwhile, check out an interview with Andrew published today by The Second Disc, linked below. And take a peek at the artwork that will be the slipcover on the Deluxe Edition of Andrew's book, as well as the cover of the 32-page extra book of rare photos exclusive to the Super Deluxe Edition! 
Last month Monkees fans received the news they had long been anticipating: Andrew Sandoval officially announced the brand new edition of his groundbreaking book on the group, The Monkees: The Day-By-Day Story. Set for publication in June 2021, Andrew's original work has been thoroughly rewritten, redesigned, and expanded!
Don't miss Andrew's latest interview, an illuminating conversation with Craig Smith on The Pods & Sods Network podcast about Day-By-Day and much, much more. Listen via the link below, and be sure to reserve your preferred version of Andrew's book by March 15! (UPDATE: Reservations are now being accepted through March 22, 2021.) An Interview With Andrew Sandoval
UPDATE 3/7/2021:
Here's another great interview with Andrew on the BC the Beatles podcast:
Monkees author Andrew Sandoval will be Jodi Ritzen's guest this evening live on Facebook as Andrew discusses his upcoming book, The Monkees: The Day-By-Day Story. Jodi has also announced that none other than Micky Dolenz will be stopping by for this special event.
The Live Almanac will be providing a live feed below once everything gets underway, so stay tuned!
UPDATE:
Watch Andrew's interview with Jodi below, which includes a guest appearance by Micky Dolenz, as well as the official reveal of the extra collectible item (not sold separately) that will come with your purchase of the Super Deluxe Edition of Andrew's Day-By-Day book:
And, don't forget to listen to Andrew on the Zilch podcast with host Ken Mills by clicking the image below:
In December, 7a Records presented its first-ever Peter Tork-related project when the label re-released Peter's 1994 solo album, Stranger Things Have Happened, on compact disc and vinyl. The CD version includes a whopping 9 bonus tracks and a 32-page color booklet with sleeve notes. The vinyl, limited to just 600 copies, features 6 bonus tracks and is pressed on 180 gram Neon Magenta Splatter vinyl. In the latest issue of Record Collector, the album received three stars (out of four) in a review by Daryl Easlea, seen below courtesy of 7a's Facebook page.   Fans in the United Kingdom can order Stranger Things Have Happened via Amazon while those in the United States can order the compact disc or vinyl from Deep Discount, and from Amazon.
 Micky, Coco, Chip Douglas, and Henry Diltz gather to celebrate Davy Jones Christmas album12/18/2020 
Here's a real treat: Parade magazine conducted an interview yesterday with Micky Dolenz, Coco Dolenz, legendary photographer Henry Diltz, and Monkees producer Chip Douglas on their Facebook page in promotion of It's Christmas Time Once More, a collection of holiday classics recorded by Davy Jones.
The album, originally issued in 1991 as It's Christmas Time Again, was re-released in November 2020 after being given a contemporary treatment featuring Davy's original vocals along with brand new guest appearances by Micky, Coco, Henry, and Davy's singer/songwriter daughter Annabel Jones, all overseen by The Monkees' celebrated producer Chip Douglas (Headquarters, "Daydream Believer," and more). It's Christmas Time Once More is now available to download on iTunes and stream on Apple Music, Amazon, and Spotify. You can also purchase a compact disc edition from the official Davy Jones Shop. Enjoy the interview below or watch it here.
Micky Dolenz recently stopped by The Dead Life podcast to chat with host Allison Dubois:
And, Michael Nesmith talks all about Timerider, the 1982 action film starring Fred Ward that was co-written, scored, and co-produced by Michael Nesmith (and released on VHS by Michael's former company Pacific Arts), on the Paradox Parkway podcast:
In 1987, The Monkees released their first album of all new material since 1970. Pool It! arrived in August of that year from Rhino Records, preceded by the LP's first single and music video, "Heart and Soul," which made its mark on select channels and Nickelodeon (but famously not MTV). The article below, "The Monkees: All New Tracks to Satisfy the Faithful," was originally published in Pulse!, a magazine that was available at Tower Records locations in the '80s. It includes comments from the album's producer, Roger Bechirian. Thanks to Keith Combs who shared the article on Facebook a while back, and I thought it would be nice to archive it in the Live Almanac's Pool It! category. Thanks, Keith!   This ad for Pool It! and "Heart and Soul" was included in the same issue of Pulse!:  While we're on the subject, here's a rare behind the scenes photo of Peter, Micky, and Davy during filming of the "Heart and Soul" video in Los Angeles in July 1987:  (Photo courtesy of R. Barham) Finally, earlier this fall Henry Diltz shared this outtake from the Pool It! album cover photo session on his Facebook page:  (Photo by Henry Diltz) |
Monkees Farewell Tour
Coming Soon
Available Now
Blog Spotlight
Featured Page
Categories
All
Archives
May 2021
|
RSS Feed