Micky Dolenz and Michael Nesmith are returning to the concert stage in 2020 for a three-week tour dubbed "An Evening With the Monkees." Andy Greene of Rolling Stone confirmed the news earlier today in a post on the magazine's website. The duo's latest round of dates, which follows previous worldwide runs in 2018 and 2019, will commence April 3 in Vancouver and close April 26 in Nashville. Tickets go on sale this Friday, November 15. The complete tour schedule can be found below.

Along with the announcement of more concert dates, Rolling Stone also confirmed the release of a brand new live album, The Mike & Micky Show Live, which will arrive on April 3, 2020 on compact disc, as a digital download, and via streaming services. Produced by Monkees archivist Andrew Sandoval and mixed by Christian Nesmith, the album includes 24 tracks culled from performances throughout March 2019 of the "Mike & Micky Show" tour. Fans who purchase concert tickets will automatically receive the album either as a digital download or a physical CD.

​Here is the official track listing and CD cover:

LOS ANGELES – Michael Nesmith and Micky Dolenz of The Monkees will launch a new tour and release their first-ever live album as a duo on April 3. Billed as “An Evening With The Monkees,” the tour will feature songs that span the band’s entire 50+ year career – from their 1966 self-titled debut to 2016’s Good Times.

THE MONKEES – THE MIKE & MICKY SHOW LIVE will be available on CD for $16.98. The 24-track collection will also be available digitally and via streaming services.

Tickets and VIP packages for “An Evening With The Monkees” tour dates go on sale this Friday, November 15. Every ticket purchased for “An Evening With The Monkees” includes your choice of a CD or digital copy of THE MONKEES – THE MIKE & MICKY SHOW LIVE. You’ll receive instructions via email on how to redeem your album after ticket purchase. In select markets only.

Produced by The Monkees’ archivist Andrew Sandoval & mixed by Christian Nesmith, THE MONKEES – THE MIKE & MICKY SHOW LIVE was recorded live in March 2019. The collection includes performances of all three of the band’s #1 hits: “Last Train To Clarksville,” “I’m A Believer” and “Daydream Believer.”

In addition to those hits, the live album also spotlights many of Nesmith’s finest compositions, including several songs that were never performed live during the Monkees’ heyday, like “St. Matthew” and “Auntie’s Municipal Court.” Other Nesmith-penned tunes on the collection include live versions of “The Girl I Knew Somewhere,” “Listen To The Band,” “Papa Gene’s Blues,” “You Just May Be The One” and “You Told Me.”

Dolenz takes the spotlight singing hits like “Pleasant Valley Sunday,” “Randy Scouse Git,” “Mary, Mary,” “Goin’ Down,” “For Pete’s Sake,” and “Porpoise Song.” The collection also features live versions of “Me & Magdelena” and “Birth Of An Accidental Hipster” from The Monkees’ most-recent studio album, Good Times (2016).

“An Evening With The Monkees” is the latest chapter in Monkee-mania, a saga 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.

Formed in Los Angeles for the eponymous television series, the quartet of Dolenz, Nesmith, the late Peter Tork and the late Davy Jones brought a singular mix of pop, rock, psychedelia, Broadway and country to their music. The Monkees’ first single, “Last Train To Clarksville,” was released in 1966 and quickly headed for the top spot of the Billboard charts as a part of the band's self-titled debut album, where it would ultimately sit for 13 of the 78 weeks it remained in the Top 200. (Two decades later, in the midst of a new burst of Monkee-mania, The Monkees popped back onto the charts, bringing the total number of weeks to 102.)

By the time the series aired its final new episode on March 25, 1968, the Monkees had seen three further albums top the charts — More of the Monkees, Headquarters, and Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones, Ltd. All were released in 1967, staggeringly enough, racking up several more hit singles, with “I’m A Believer,” “(I’m Not Your) Steppin’ Stone,” “A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You,” “The Girl I Knew Somewhere,” “Pleasant Valley Sunday,” “Words,” “Daydream Believer,” “Valleri,” and “Tapioca Tundra” all finding their way into the Billboard Top 40. The final tally: 16 million albums and 7.5 million singles sold in a mere 2 1/2 years.

After the series’ two-season run, the group went on to star in the cult feature film Head (co-written by Jack Nicholson) and a TV special (33 1/3 Revolutions per Monkee) while also continuing to record new material. But as the ’60s gave way to the ’70s, the members of the Monkees eventually gave in to their individual musical interests and went their separate ways . . . for awhile.

In February 1986, after MTV broadcast a marathon of The Monkees, Dolenz, Jones, and Tork reunited for a 20th anniversary tour, with Nesmith joining them onstage for the Los Angeles date of the tour. In 1996, all four members of the group reunited for a new album (Justus) and TV special (Hey, Hey, It’s the Monkees).

In the wake of Jones’s death on February 12, 2012, the surviving members of the Monkees reunited and performed a series of concerts. The shows were received so triumphantly that Dolenz, Nesmith, and Tork returned the following summer for a tour dubbed, “A Midsummer’s Night With the Monkees.”

To celebrate the Monkees’ 50th anniversary in 2016, the surviving members of the band recorded the critically acclaimed album Good Times. Much like the Monkees’ early albums, it featured tracks written for the band by a group of gifted songwriters, including Ben Gibbard (Death Cab for Cutie), Rivers Cuomo (Weezer), Andy Partridge (XTC) and more. To support the album, Dolenz and Tork launched a successful tour that featured Nesmith beaming in remotely via Skype for a few songs during some of the shows.

In February this year, Tork died just eight days after his birthday.

Stay tuned to The Monkees Live Almanac for ticket links  and more updates as they become available!

"She Makes Me Laugh" was the lead single from The Monkees' album Good Times! and was premiered on Rolling Stone magazine's website on April 28, 2016.

Accompanied by a lyric video that featured scenes from Monkees comic books produced by Dell in the 1960s, the video recently passed 1 million views on YouTube.

​At the time of the song's release, Rivers Cuomo, lead vocalist, guitarist, keyboardist, and songwriter of the rock band Weezer, who composed "She Makes Me Laugh," talked about The Monkees' influence on his career:

Good Times! is available to purchase on compact disc, vinyl, and is also streaming on Spotify. 

Last year, The Monkees released Christmas Party, the group's first collection of holiday songs. This past September, the album made its debut on vinyl. And now, an official trailer for the LP was just uploaded on The Monkees' YouTube channel!

​Michael Nesmith and Micky Dolenz will bring their celebrated concert show back to the stage on April 26, 2020 at Schermerhorn Symphony Center in Nashville, Tennessee! Dubbed "An Evening With The Monkees Featuring Mike Nesmith & Micky Dolenz," tickets go on sale on Friday, November 15 at 10 a.m. A pre-sale is currently underway. 

Special VIP packages will be offered for the Nashville show, consisting of one premium reserved ticket, access to soundcheck with Nez and Micky, a signed hardcover copy of the tour book, a commemorative VIP laminate, priority entry into the venue, and first access to the merchandise tables.

The symphony's website also includes the following teaser:

​Murmurs of a live album documenting the recent "Mike & Micky Show" tours throughout 2018 and 2019 have long been prevalent, but please note that to date there has been no official confirmation of a release from The Monkees or Rhino Records. 

Stay tuned to The Monkees Live Almanac for MORE information coming soon!!

Micky and Nez are two of many celebrities scheduled to meet and greet fans at the MEGACON Fanboy Expo in Orlando, Florida in August 2020. Tickets are on sale now, but special packages will be announced shortly. Keep an eye on this link:

On November 12, legendary musicians will gather at Nashville's Schermerhorn Symphony Center for "James Burton and Friends," a concert event benefiting the James Burton Foundation. Mr. Burton, who was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2001, is a famed guitarist who has played on numerous recordings, and he also acted as a session musician for The Monkees in the 1960s. The Burton Foundation supports music education for those in need through guitar donations and music instruction to schools, hospitals, and community service organizations.

Micky Dolenz is scheduled to be a part of the benefit concert and will take the stage with Mr. Burton, Sammy Hagar, Brian May (Queen), Joe Walsh (The Eagles), Jason Scheff (Chicago), Paul Shaffer (The Late Show with David Letterman), and many more. Tickets are still available!

Each version of the LP is tucked into a gatefold sleeve designed by comics legend Michael Allred. The Monkees’ stunning version of "Riu Chiu (TV Version)" as performed live a capella on the second season episode, "The Christmas Show," is tacked on as a bonus track.

Christmas Party is also available on compact disc and for streaming on Spotify. 

Thanks very much to longtime Live Almanac contributor Ben Belmares for providing his scans of each version of Christmas Party on vinyl!

To mark the one year anniversary of the passing of Peter Tork (and his birthday month), Liverpool Tours and Charles Rosenay announced today that "The Peter Tork Memorial Convention" will take place in New Haven, Connecticut on Saturday, February 8, 2020 from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m.

The convention will include memorabilia vendors and dealers, a rare video show, memorial tributes, and special guests are slated to be announced in the future. Live music will be provided by John Sheridan,  Loose Salute, Zilch, and The Blue Meanies.

The site of the convention, Best Western Plus, is currently offering special room rates of $99 with the code "MONKEES" until January 1, 2020. 

For more information, you may call (203) 795-4737 or email MonkeesFanConvention@gmail.com. The convention organizers have also launched an official website and accompanying Facebook page. Please note that this event is being organized for fans by fans and is not officially endorsed by The Monkees or their families, or Rhino Records.

​Thanks to Charles Rosenay for passing along all of the details about "The Peter Tork Memorial Convention" to The Monkees Live Almanac!

The official charity of the convention, the Institute for the Musical Arts, was a favorite of Peter's. Click the image below for more information.

Actor and comedian Rip Taylor, known for his flamboyant personality and showering himself and others with confetti, who made countless appearances on television, film, and in nightclubs, passed away on October 6. Monkees fans will remember Taylor as a multiple episode guest star on The Monkees, appearing prominently in second season highlights "Monkees on the Wheel" (as the distressed casino manager) and "The Frodis Caper" (as the diabolical Wizard Glick).

Taylor was also spotted in The Monkees' 1969 NBC television special, 33 1/3 Revolutions Per Monkee, during the "Listen to the Band" segment. 

The New York Times and The Hollywood Reporter eulogized Taylor, while also noting his appearances with The Monkees. 

"​In 1967, Taylor showed up as a sobbing casino manager on an episode of The Monkees. 'Oh, officer, thank goodness you're here,' he says to a police detective called to investigate a rigged roulette wheel. 'I just found this wire attached to the wheel. And whenever I'd shift my stick, the house would lose a bet. Could you die?'"
-The Hollywood Reporter

​On March 25, 1968 the last original episode of The Monkees aired on NBC. "The Frodis Caper" was written by Micky Dolenz and Dave Evans, and in his debut behind the camera, directed by Micky. Taylor portrayed Wizard Glick, who was out to control people's minds through a hypnotic eye broadcasted on television sets. "This is my attempt to address the manipulation of the American mind by the media," Dolenz relayed in a 2003 DVD commentary for the episode. "Hooray, The Monkees save the world from the evil machinations of the media . . . I guess it didn’t work, though, did it?"

Rip Taylor was 88.

The latest episode of Zilch spotlights one of the Live Almanac's favorite albums, Instant Replay! Settle back and listen to  David "Ghosty" Wills, Melinda Gildart, Jeff Gehringer, and host Jeff Hulit navigate Side 1 of the 1969 LP, the first to be issued after Peter Tork had left The Monkees. And to top it all off, this episode is sponsored by Wine Down Nashville and its proud proprietors, Amy and John Billings. Enjoy, and don't forget to check out all things Instant Replay in the archives of The Monkees Live Almanac!

Record Store Day was founded in 2007 and has become an annual tradition that takes place every April and on Black Friday in November. With a stated purpose of celebrating the culture of the independently owned record store, bands and labels will press unique items that are distributed exclusively to shops participating in the event. Thanks to Rhino Records, The Monkees made their Record Store Day debut with multiple releases in 2016, which are collected in the archives of The Monkees Live Almanac.

Upon its arrival late last year, Christmas Party became The Monkees' first-ever holiday album, featuring classics like "The Christmas Song," "Silver Bells," and "Wonderful Christmastime" alongside brand new material. And now, the good times continue as Rhino will issue Christmas Party Plus!, a package that highlights Monkees holiday songs past and present, on November 29 for Record Store Day 2019. This special release will include two 7" singles on color vinyl (one red/one green), all housed in a gatefold sleeve and limited to 5,000 copies.

The first record features two versions of the lead single from Christmas Party, "Unwrap You At Christmas." It will be heard here in its radio mix, and is accompanied by a previously unissued demo version by XTC's Andy Partridge, a longtime Monkees devotee who also penned this chestnut for the group. 

The second record will include the classic performance of "Riu Chiu" (originally seen on "The Monkees' Christmas Show" episode in 1967), and is partnered with "Christmas Is My Time Of Year," which appears in its original 1976 mix for the first time in decades. 

Be sure to check out Record Store Day's website to locate participating stores near you! And all things Christmas Party, including music videos, reviews, photos from the recording sessions, and more, can be found in the archives of the Live Almanac.

RECORD 1:
“Unwrap You At Christmas (Radio Mix)"/ "Unwrap You At Christmas" –Andy Partridge (featured vocal by Holly Partridge)

RECORD 2:
​"Riu Chiu (Original TV Version)"/ "Christmas Is My Time Of Year (1976 Mix)"

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:

​"It Was Fifty Years Ago Today," a tribute to The Beatles' White Album, co-starring Micky Dolenz, Christopher Cross, and Todd Rundgren, is currently on the road, stopping this evening in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, with plenty of more shows to come! Micky and company recently discussed the tour, their love of The Beatles, and more with The Maine Edge.

UPDATE 10/5/2019: Media Mikes reviewed the show and noted the set list from the Kansas City, Missouri performance, and Forgotten Hits provided a recap of the tour's stop in St. Charles, Illinois.

UPDATE 10/9/2019: The Glorious Corner reviewed the performance at Connecticut's Ridgefield Playhouse, noting Micky's performances of "Rocky Racoon," "I'm So Tired," and "Why Don't We Do It In The Road."

UPDATE 10/25/2019: Parklife DC recapped the final show of the first leg of the tour at the Warner Theatre in Washington, D.C., and also included a full rundown of the set list. The tour resumes on November 30 in Greensburg, Pennsylvania. 

7a 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.

​"It Was Fifty Years Ago Today," a tribute to The Beatles' White Album, co-starring Micky Dolenz, Christopher Cross, and Todd Rundgren, is currently in rehearsals and will debut this Saturday in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

The articles linked below take a closer look inside the presentation of the upcoming tour, songs you can expect Micky to sing, along with notable quotes about potential future projects and releases. And if you are attending one of these special shows, be on the look out for longtime Monkees touring guitarist and musical director, Wayne Avers, who will be playing in the band!