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 (Photo courtesy of eBay)  (Photo courtesy of "Listen to the Band" box set booklet) Neko Cholis delivers a sugary treat to The Monkees while onstage in Denver in the summer of 196710/6/2018 Neko Cholis designed the artwork for various Monkees albums and picture sleeves, and traveled with the group while on tour in 1967. During the August 20, 1967 performance in Denver, Colorado at the Denver Coliseum, Neko treated The Monkees to cotton candy. Note that Mike is shown playing a 12-string Fender acoustic guitar after difficulties experienced with his usual Gretsch.  (From the January 1968 issue of Flip)    Thanks a lot to the fantastic Written In Our Hearts Facebook page for allowing the Live Almanac to share this rare photo of Peter, Davy, and Micky rehearsing for their appearance on the 1986 MTV Video Music Awards. If you haven't stopped by Written In Our Hearts, be sure to follow their page!  The trio performed "Daydream Believer" and "I'm a Believer" on the September 5, 1986 telecast while The Monkees were experiencing a newfound success during their 20th Anniversary Reunion Tour:  (Photo courtesy of "Listen to the Band" box set booklet) "The Mike & Micky Show" visited the Sony Center for the Performing Arts in Toronto on June 18:  (Photo by Teresa Kelley)  (Photo courtesy of Music Chick Art on Facebook) Micky, Nez, and the band performed at Centre in the Square in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada on June 19:  (Photo courtesy of Centre in the Square on Twitter)  (Photo courtesy of Centre in the Square on Twitter)  (Photo courtesy of Centre in the Square on Twitter)  (Photo by Catherine McNair)  (Photo courtesy of Music Chick on Twitter) Thanks a lot to Daniel Coston for sharing his great photos from the June 15 "Mike & Micky Show" concert in Huber Heights, Ohio.       (All photos by Steve Landes)   Cleveland, Ohio (Photo by Derek Scott Thomas) Sherri Hansen is the premier photographer of Monkees concerts, and her photos from "The Mike & Micky Show" in Chicago on June 14 appear below. As always, thanks, Sherri! And a note to Live Almanac readers: more of Sherri's photos to come!  Wayne Avers, Micky Dolenz, Michael Nesmith, and Christian Nesmith (Photo by Sherri Hansen) With a more robust band, fresh arrangements, Micky being Micky and a rejuvenated Nez, "The Mike and Micky Show" turned out to be the ultimate Monkees concert many have been waiting on for decades. The set list was perfect! Early/middle/late periods of the Monkees era were covered (and Good Times!, too). All of the Nez songs you wanted to hear were played. Songs that have been aired frequently during recent tours were dropped, while other warhorses were reinvented in ways that made them feel like new releases. The deep cuts were dynamic, rewarding, and ultimately delivered on pre-tour expectations. The band was tight. The addition of Paul Kramer's fiddle and Pete Finney's slide guitar breathed new life into the arrangements. Circe Link and Christian Nesmith added relative youth and energy. The re-worked arrangements of many of the songs on the set list added so much soul to nearly every song. Both Wayne Avers and Christian deserve accolades for their work in this department. The Monkees themselves were at the peak of their craft, which is quite an accomplishment considering their age. Micky and Mike's harmonies were beautiful, as always. Nez looked engaged and happy. His voice sounded as rich today as it did in 1968. That being said, it can never be forgotten that Micky is the consummate entertainer and a wonderful singer. There was so much energy in their performance, and if you closed your eyes, the whole show felt like 1968. Furthermore, the camaraderie between the band appeared authentic. It looked like everyone was having fun and enjoying themselves. Christian and Mike; Mike and Micky; each had special moments. A paragraph could be written about every song that was performed at the concert in Chicago. I will highlight just a few: The performances of "Listen to the Band," "You Told Me," "Sweet Young Thing," and "Sunny Girlfriend" were infinitely superior at these shows. The arrangements, background vocals, and Mike’s ability to hit higher notes made it truly special. I was so happy to see the return of "As We Go Along." This is Micky at his finest and one of the best songs in The Monkees' catalog. It was also gratifying to witness "Accidental Hipster" being played. A fully contemporary sounding song, and a great match for Micky and Mike. The Monkees as a whole have cemented their place as one of the greatest bands of all time. What other group with multiple #1 hits in the 1960s ever produced more pleasing, contemporary music 50 years later and achieved this type of longevity?
We can now all retire as happy and satisfied Monkees fans. A big thanks to Shane for sharing his photos from the June 14 concert in Chicago! Soundcheck in ChicagoLive at the Copernicus Center in ChicagoComing tomorrow to the Live Almanac's blog: photos from Chicago, courtesy of Sherri Hansen and Shane Worden!  Chicago (Photo by Sherri Hansen)  Stockton, California (Photo by Ed Heffelfinger)  (Photos by EL Holland)  Stockton, California (Photo by Julie Lynn) A big thanks to Shawn New for sharing his photos and a video taken during "The Mike & Micky Show" at Humphrey's in San Diego, California on June 3. |
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