 (Photo courtesy of Beatland Books) This past February, Monkees fans received the news they had long been anticipating when Monkees historian, producer, and manager Andrew Sandoval officially announced the brand new edition of his groundbreaking book on the group, The Monkees: The Day-By-Day Story. Set to ship in August, Andrew's original work has been rewritten, redesigned, and expanded to an incredible 740 pages! You still have time to order a copy of this limited edition tome via Beatland Books.
The Live Almanac is now happy to share an exclusive interview with Andrew, recorded in late May, where he talks with Paris Stachtiaris. Monkees fans are likely to recall Paris as the co-host of Headquarters ("The only radio show in America dedicated to The Monkees") that originally aired from 1987 to 1990 on WBAU-FM, the former radio station of Adelphi University in Long Island, New York. In 2019 Paris returned to broadcasting, with co-host Ben Brown on the HCS Radio Network. Throughout this two-part interview, Andrew talks to Paris about the various stages of his career in music, including being a Grammy-nominated record producer and the host of the long-running Come to the Sunshine show. Andrew also discusses his role in The Monkees returning to the concert stage in 2011, the circumstances surrounding the abrupt end to that tour, how close all four Monkees came to reuniting in 2012 before Davy Jones passed away, the Good Times! era, future Beatland Books projects, missing links in The Monkees' tape vault, and much more!
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Micky Dolenz speaks with Forbes.com about Frank Zappa, playing drums, missing Davy & Peter, and more8/7/2020  (Photo by Sherri Hansen) On April 3 Rhino Records issued The Monkees Live: The Mike & Micky Show, featuring performances from the duo's concerts recorded throughout March 2019, on compact disc and via streaming services. A 2-LP vinyl edition will be available on July 10. The Live Almanac highly recommends this very worthwhile document of a unique era in Monkees history, and a big thanks to longtime site contributor Ben Belmares for sharing the scans of the CD package seen below!               
UPDATE 2/23/2021:
UPDATE 1/25/2021:
Today, Micky Dolenz's official Twitter account noted that his latest round of concerts with Michael Nesmith has once again been delayed due to COVID-19:
Although no official announcement has been made, this would be the third postponement of a tour originally scheduled for April 2020 that was moved to summer 2020 and then early 2021. Stay tuned to The Monkees Live Almanac for updates as they become available.
ORIGINAL POST FROM 5/26/2020:
In late 2019, it was announced that Michael Nesmith and Micky Dolenz would return to the concert stage for a tour dubbed "An Evening With The Monkees," with dates scheduled to be played throughout April 2020. But when the coronavirus pandemic landed on the shores of North America, the April tour was postponed until summer 2020.
And now, with the pandemic continuing to uproot people's daily lives and much more, "An Evening With The Monkees" has once again been delayed, this time until the spring of 2021. But good news! Additional dates will be added to the tour in the coming weeks. Below you can find the revised tour schedule along with links to purchase tickets. The Monkees Live Almanac hopes everyone stays safe and healthy! ALL DATES BELOW SCHEDULED FOR 2021
March 18: Commodore Ballroom / Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
March 21: Moore Theatre / Seattle, Washington March 23: The Crest Theatre / Sacramento, California March 24: San Jose Civic / San Jose, California March 26: Fox Performing Arts Center / Riverside, California March 27: The Magnolia / El Cajon, California March 28: Celebrity Theatre / Phoenix, Arizona April 1: Tobin Center For The Performing Arts / San Antonio, Texas April 2: Austin City Limits Live at The Moody Theater / Austin, Texas April 3: Majestic Theatre / Dallas, Texas April 12: Schermerhorn Symphony Center / Nashville, Tennessee
Here is the official announcement posted a couple of hours ago on The Monkees Tour Facebook page:
The following venues and cities, which were previously scheduled dates on the tour, are no longer listed as part of the current itinerary:
Verizon Theatre / Grand Prairie, Texas
Iron City / Birmingham, Alabama (The Monkees Tour Facebook page says the following about Birmingham: "It is possible that show will be rescheduled in 2021; we are awaiting word from the venue of our new date.") IP Casino Resort & Spa / Biloxi, Mississippi (The Monkees Tour Facebook page says the following about Biloxi: "It is possible that show will be rescheduled in 2021; we are awaiting word from the venue of our new date.") Golden Nugget Grand Event Center / Lake Charles, Louisiana 
(Courtesy of Andrew Sandoval)
 Adam Schlesinger backstage with Peter Tork & Micky Dolenz at a January 2016 Dolenz solo show in Hartford, Connecticut Adam Schlesinger, who produced The Monkees' 2016 album Good Times! along with the group's first-ever holiday collection Christmas Party (2018), passed away on April 1, 2020 at age 52 from complications of COVID-19. "As many of you are aware, Adam had been hospitalized with COVID-19 and although he had been making some small improvements over the last few days, Adam's condition was critical and he was ultimately unable to recover from COVID-19 complications," read a statement on April 2 provided to CNN. "He was truly a prolific talent and even more so, a loving and devoted father, son and friend." Adam was a member of the bands Fountains of Wayne and Ivy, along with the supergroup Tinted Windows, whose song "This Is The Day" was featured in There's Something About Mary. His notable achievements also included TV and film songwriting, which stretched from That Thing You Do to Music and Lyrics to Crazy Ex-Girlfriend.  Fountains of Wayne (Photo by Violeta Alvarez) Fountains of Wayne was perhaps best known for the early 2000s hit single "Stacy's Mom," which was nominated for a Grammy. Schlesinger was also an Emmy-winning songwriter for the CW musical comedy series Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, a show for which he composed more than 100 songs. He received an Oscar nomination for writing the title song to That Thing You Do, directed by Tom Hanks, as well as two Tony nominations for his work on the musical adaptation of John Waters' film Cry-Baby in 2008. In addition to his songwriting, Schlesinger produced recordings for such musical artists as They Might Be Giants, America, and Robert Plant.  Good Times!, The Monkees' first album of all new material since 1996's Justus, was produced by Schlesinger and included his own composition, "Our Own World," along with a song co-written with Micky Dolenz, a send-up of an oft-used phrase utilized by Dolenz over the years, "I Was There (And I'm Told I Had a Good Time)." The album peaked at #14 on the Billboard 200 in June 2016.
Schlesinger appeared onstage with The Monkees in New York City during the group's 50th Anniversary Tour, performing "I Was There" and "Steppin' Stone."  June 1, 2016 / Town Hall, New York City (Photo by Robb Johnston) Micky Dolenz remembered Adam in an interview with WCBS FM. "He was such a great guy, a gentleman, and funny, and so smart. And obviously an incredible producer, writer, performer. I wrote a song with him on Good Times! I just can't believe it. That's by far the closest person to me that's been affected [by COVID-19] and I think about him all the time. What a loss." Schlesinger was effusive in his praise of Dolenz in a 2016 interview with Fast Company when talking about the recording sessions for Good Times! "Micky was a real workhorse, and I think he did more hours in the studio than all the other guys, in total, because he sang most of the songs. He was a real trooper, and his voice is incredible – in most cases, when you’re working with older singers, you’re having to transpose things lower, and in Micky’s case, we’re actually having to transpose things higher, because he’s got this incredible range." Adam's collaboration with The Monkees on Good Times! was seemingly a high point in his career. "They were all incredibly easy and fun to work with," he told Fast Company. "Everybody has the attitude of 'let us know what we can do to help - here are some ideas, take them or leave them.' They're very collaborative." The Monkees' official website paid tribute to Adam Schlesinger after the announcement of his death, while also highlighting his work on Good Times! "Even the most optimistic Monkees fan couldn’t have guessed just how wonderful an effort Schlesinger would help put together. It wasn't just a comeback album, it was an instant classic that was – without question – the best thing the band had released since the '60s."  Adam Schlesinger in the studio with Michael Nesmith during sessions for "Good Times!" Ben Gibbard, lead vocalist and guitarist of Death Cab For Cutie, whose song "Me & Magdalena" proved to be a highlight from Good Times!, also commemorated Adam. "I never got to meet Adam," Gibbard relayed during an at-home live stream concert after Schlesinger passed. "We had a lot of connective tissue - a lot of friends in common - but we never had a chance to meet. But I owe him a huge debt of gratitude because he was integral in picking 'Me & Magdalena' for The Monkees to record four years ago." "I always thought as one does in life that you have plenty of time to say thank you, or I love you, or to give somebody a compliment or what have you, but that day obviously did not come," said Gibbard. "From the bottom of my heart, I'm so grateful to him for helping me realize a lifelong dream, which was to write a song that would be recorded by The Monkees, a band I grew up listening to." Adam Schlesinger returned to the producer's chair for The Monkees on Christmas Party in 2018. Schlesinger co-wrote one of the standout tracks on the holiday collection, "House of Broken Gingerbread," with novelist Michael Chabon. Adam was survived by his two daughters, Sadie and Claire, his girlfriend Alexis Morley, his parents Barbara and Stephen Schlesinger, and his sister Lauren.
Listen to the latest podcasts from Rhino, NPR's Fresh Air, Zilch, Nesmith, Tork, Goffin & King, and Rolling Stone as they honor the life and accomplishments of Adam Schlesinger. Dolenz called a planned July return to touring for him and Nesmith "optimistic." "I think everybody's waiting for some sort of a drug … or vaccine. I'll be honest, I don't think I'm going to be too crazy about going out unless something of that nature happens."  (Photo by Sherri Hansen and courtesy of Rhino Records)  (Photo courtesy of Rolling Stone)  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:  (Photo by Henry Diltz)  Nez & FNB silkscreened poster (Image courtesy of Jodi Ritzen)
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:
Micky Dolenz and Michael Nesmith concluded the most recent leg of "The Mike & Micky Show" with a sold-out performance in Sydney, Australia at the famed Sydney Opera House. Thanks to photographer Bob King for allowing his photos to be shared on the Live Almanac's blog!  (Photo by Bob King)  (Photo by Bob King)  (Photo courtesy of West End Celebration on Facebook)  (Click the image above for more information about West End Celebration) Photos: "The Mike & Micky Show" live at the Palais Theatre, Melbourne, Australia on June 15, 20196/17/2019  (COPYRIGHT: CARBIE WARBIE — Photo used BY PERMISSION — with Carbie Warbie) "With Micky and me, it was love at first sight," says Nez. "We just clicked and we'd always be making silly jokes. We'd joke that one day we'd do the Mike and Micky Show – and here we are."  (Photo by Sherri Hansen) Review of "The Mike & Micky Show" in Brisbane, Australia + Louie Shelton makes guest appearance6/13/2019
Brisbane, Australia (Photo by Linda Groundwater)
"The Mike & Micky Show" has arrived Down Under! Micky and Nez will commence their tour of Australia and New Zealand this Saturday in Christchurch, New Zealand. The duo appeared on Australian news program The Project earlier today:
The Monkees' official Facebook page shared some photos of today's promotional activities in advance of opening night:
Micky and Michael were also guests on The Conversation Hour, a podcast which can be downloaded through the link below:
 (Photo by Sherri Hansen) On May 4, Micky Dolenz and his band (Coco Dolenz, Wayne Avers, Rich Dart, John Billings, and Dave Alexander) performed at Haugh Performing Arts Center in Glendora, California. Thanks to Jason Cunningham for the set list, and to Lisa Golden for the photo! Mary, Mary That Was Then, This Is Now A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You Sometime in the Morning Words Randy Scouse Git Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band The Girl I Knew Somewhere Last Train to Clarksville Johnny B. Goode (Chuck Berry) Purple Haze (Jimi Hendrix) Me & Magdalena (sung by Micky and Coco) Different Drum (Michael Nesmith - sung by Coco while Micky took a break) Take a Giant Step For Pete’s Sake (Dedicated to Peter Tork) Steppin’ Stone Kicks Goin’ Down White Rabbit (Jefferson Airplane - sung by Coco while Micky took a break) Daydream Believer (Dedicated to Davy Jones) Pleasant Valley Sunday Gimme Some Lovin’ (The Spencer Davis Group) I’m a Believer  Dave Alexander, Micky, and John Billings onstage in Glendora, California (Photo by Lisa Golden)  Los Angeles / September 2016 (Photo by Sherri Hansen) |
Monkees Farewell Tour
Dolenz sings Nesmith
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