 Pete Finney and Michael Nesmith at Lobero Theatre, Santa Barbara, California (Photo by Paul Wellman) And here's some footage from the recent run of concerts by Nez and the First National Band Redux at the Fremont Theater in San Luis Obispo, California, thanks to Lisa Duclo:
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 (Photo courtesy of Beatland Tours)  (Courtesy of Monkee45s.net - click image above to visit)  (Photo by Henry Diltz)  Nez & FNB silkscreened poster (Image courtesy of Jodi Ritzen)  Since 2015, 7a Records and its proprietors Glenn Gretlund and Iain Lee have been producing Monkees-related projects, most recently issuing vintage and brand new live recordings by Micky Dolenz, Davy Jones, and Michael Nesmith. Earlier this week, 7a announced their latest release, Cosmic Partners: The McCabe's Tapes, a previously unreleased concert recorded on August 18, 1973 at McCabe's in Santa Monica, California. Featuring Michael Nesmith and a group of supporting musicians, including his longtime friend and musical partner, legendary pedal steel player Red Rhodes, the recording has been remastered by Christian Nesmith. This long lost performance originates from a mini-concert tour that was in support of what was to be Nesmith's final album for RCA, Pretty Much Your Standard Ranch Stash. Nez is accompanied during this one-of-a-kind show by a rhythm section featuring Danny Lane on drums and Colin Cameron on bass, along with Rhodes on pedal steel, and they deliver performances of an array of Nesmith classics including "Joanne," "Silver Moon," "Some of Shelly's Blues," and "Grand Ennui." Cosmic Partners is being issued this November on compact disc with a 24-page booklet featuring previously unseen photographs and liner notes by Michael Nesmith. It will also be available as a limited edition 12" vinyl picture disc (1,000 copies).  And now, thanks to 7a Records, you can listen to the very first audio sample from Cosmic Partners! A big thank you to both Glenn and Iain for providing this exclusive preview to The Monkees Live Almanac. US customers can pre-order the compact disc from Amazon and Deep Discount, while UK customers can pre-order the CD from Amazon or Keymailrecords. The picture disc vinyl LP is also available to pre-order in the US from Amazon and Deep Discount, and in the UK from Keymailrecords. Now, enjoy the sounds of Nez, Red, and company from Cosmic Partners: The McCabe's Tapes, from 7a Records! OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE BY 7A RECORDS FOR "COSMIC PARTNERS: THE McCABE'S TAPES"7a Records unearths rarely heard Michael Nesmith & Red Rhodes concert for release on CD & vinyl9/23/2019  THE PRESS RELEASE7a Records is delighted to announce the release of their third Michael Nesmith album. Recorded at McCabe's in Santa Monica, CA, on August 18th, 1973, "Cosmic Partners: The McCabe's Tapes" is a rare and previously unreleased concert recording featuring Nesmith and a small coterie of fellow musicians, including long time recording partner and pedal steel player Red Rhodes. Released as a lavishly packaged CD set with a 24 page booklet with previously unseen pictures and liner notes by Michael Nesmith. This recording is from a mini concert tour that was in support of what was to be Nesmith's final record on the RCA label, Pretty Much Your Standard Ranch Stash. Consisting of a rhythm section featuring Danny Lane on drums and Colin Cameron on bass, and the legendary O.J. "Red" Rhodes on pedal steel, this would be the last performance of its kind and the beginning of an almost Homeric journey for Nesmith. On the heels of an inordinately successful Monkees TV show, the hangover from overnight celebrity, and the disappointments that so often follow such ascents, this forgotten and almost lost board mix in all its unvarnished glory (remastered here by Christian Nesmith, Michael's oldest son) stands as a ready witness to the spirit of a man full of heartache, a performer bruised by the claws of the star-maker machine, and an artist whose songs have become touchstones for our lives. What you hear is exactly as it happened with no overdubs or audio mumbo jumbo. The perfection you hear is totally for real.
 (Photo courtesy of eBay)
Singer, songwriter, and pioneer, Michael Nesmith, will visit the GRAMMY Museum for an intimate discussion on his celebrated career and recent work, moderated by Scott Goldman. Following the discussion, Nesmith will perform live. Starting in the Texas folk scene in 1963, Nesmith quickly blossomed into a brilliant tunesmith during his time on the Emmy award-winning The Monkees. His melodic, country-tinged songs were regularly featured on the band’s multi-million selling albums and singles, but he heard a greater creative calling to find his own voice as a record maker. During 1968, Nesmith ventured to Nashville and formed the band the First National Band (pedal steel virtuoso Red Rhodes, bassist John London, and drummer John Ware). After being signed to RCA by A&R man Felton Jarvis, the band released a few critically acclaimed albums, including Magnetic South (1970), followed by Loose Salute (1970) and Nevada Fighter (1971), which spun off the chart hits “Joanne,” “Silver Moon,” “Nevada Fighter” and “I’ve Just Begun To Care (Propinquity).” In January 2018, Michael Nesmith sold out The Troubadour in West Hollywood, performing his First National music for the first time in four decades. Songs like “Different Drum” (a Top 20 hit for Linda Ronstadt & The Stone Poneys), “Some of Shelly’s Blues” (covered by the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band), and The Monkees’ classic, “Papa Gene’s Blues” filled the room with warmth and splendor. Nesmith will once again perform this music and share stories from his recent autobiography, Infinite Tuesday, while on tour in October 2019.
UPDATE 10/2/2019: Here is video of the performance portion from Michael's appearance last night at the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles. The set list included "Different Drum," "Joanne," "Some of Shelly's Blues," "Silver Moon," and "Papa Gene's Blues." Nez was backed by the First National Band Redux.
And earlier today, the Grammy Museum tweeted about Michael's appearance:
This is a free event - no tickets are required  UPDATE 10/9/2019: Michael and the First National Band's show is now archived and ready to view on the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass website, and pictures from their stop at the festival are now online, too.
 (Photo courtesy of Roger Roland Di Lernia)
October 2: Lobero Theatre / Santa Barbara, California
October 3: Largo at the Coronet / Los Angeles, California October 5: Fremont Theater / San Luis Obispo, California
A pre-sale for the Santa Barbara concert will take place Thursday, July 25. The code for the Lobero Theatre presale is "LEO." The pre-sale begins Thursday, July 25 at 10am PT, and ends at 10pm PT that evening.
(Artwork by Dawn Aquarius & John Sellards / Courtesy of Videoranch)
Andrew Sandoval spoke about the upcoming shows on Instagram:
 (Photo by Gene Trindl and courtesy of eBay)  (Photo courtesy of Roger Roland Di Lernia)  (From the October 1966 issue of Photo Screen)           (Images courtesy of Videoranch3d Facebook page) As a special Fourth of July announcement, Michael Nesmith's Videoranch3D Facebook page unveiled a new line of products celebrating the iconography of Nez's famous green wool hat: "Over 50 years ago, a young Michael Nesmith walked into an audition wearing a staple of his personal wardrobe. He used his green wool hat to keep his hair out of his eyes while riding his motorcycle. For the past five decades, that green hat has been synonymous with Mike.
"But it was always Nez's hat and remains his -- even if he was known as Mike back then. "And so we introduce to you the Mike Hat Collection. It features a new iconic logo designed by artists Jonathan Nesmith and Susan Holloway." Micky Dolenz and Michael Nesmith concluded the most recent leg of "The Mike & Micky Show" tour with a sold-out performance in Sydney, Australia at the legendary Sydney Opera House. Thanks to Ashley Kate and Roger D on YouTube for providing these wonderful videos! As an added bonus, here's Nez and the band performing a rendition of Michael's "Silver Moon" during soundcheck in Sydney: |
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