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"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. A look inside "Out of Nowhere" by Micky Dolenz & The American Metropole Orchestra on compact disc6/9/2018 Micky Dolenz & The Metropole Orchestra: Out of Nowhere is now available on both compact disc and as a limited edition 180 gram vinyl picture disc. On April 15, 2017, Micky performed with the American Metropole Orchestra at Rice Auditorium in Salem, Oregon, as part of the Smith Fine Arts Series. The orchestra was led by conductor Keller Coker, and he was assisted by Wayne Avers (Monkees/Dolenz musical director and guitarist). The show was recorded by 7a in order to preserve this unique performance and commemorate it with a special live album release. And now, thanks (as always) to Ben Belmares, you can take a look at the CD version of Out of Nowhere below, including 7a co-founder Iain Lee's liner notes. Thanks, Ben!               (Click to enlarge)   
Last night, Micky, Nez, and the band performed at The Grove in Anaheim, California. The set list from the first several shows was slightly rearrranged in Anaheim, most notably by moving "Steppin' Stone" from the second set to the first, while dropping both "Steam Engine" and "Grand Ennui."
Good Clean Fun
Last Train to Clarksville Sunny Girlfriend Mary, Mary You Told Me For Pete's Sake The Door Into Summer Steppin' Stone You Just May Be the One Some of Shelly's Blues The Girl I Knew Somewhere Birth of an Accidental Hipster St. Matthew Porpoise Song Circle Sky As We Go Along Me & Magdelena Acoustic Set: Papa Gene's Blues Randy Scouse Git Nine Times Blue I'll Spend My Life With You Different Drum Take a Giant Step Auntie's Municipal Court Sweet Young Thing Goin' Down Daydream Believer What Am I Doing Hangin' 'Round? Pleasant Valley Sunday Encore: Listen to the Band I'm a Believer
Thanks a lot to Kevin Barry for submitting some nice photos from the show:
(Photo by Kevin Barry)
(Photo by Kevin Barry)
(Photo by Kevin Barry)
(Photo by Kevin Barry)
(Photo by Kevin Barry)
And thanks as well to Jeff Gehringer for sharing two photos from soundcheck:
(Photo by Eddie Beasley)
Last night, Micky, Nez, and the band performed at The Orpheum in Los Angeles, California. The set list was the same as opening night. Below you'll find some footage from the show courtesy of various Facebook and YouTube sources.
On a side note, the Live Almanac is looking for high quality photos and videos from the first two stops on the tour. If you would like to share, please contact me!
"Joanne" was one of the songs performed during soundcheck in Los Angeles:
Los Angeles soundcheck (Photo by Aubrey Winter)
(Photo by Thomas Schnauz)
(Photo by Thomas Schnauz)
(Photo by Tracey Fuller)
(Photo by Tracey Fuller)
Wayne Avers, Micky, Nez, and Christian Nesmith (Photo by Elliott Marx)
(Photo by Elliott Marx)
(Photo by Elliott Marx)
Rich Dart, Nez, Pete Finney, and Circe Link (Photo courtesy of Videoranch)
Nez can be seen below playing a Gretsch sunburst guitar that Andrew Sandoval gave to him in 2013 to have as an alternate to Michael's blonde Gretsch. He'll be playing both on the upcoming tour! Photos of today's rehearsals are courtesy of Videoranch and The Monkees Tour Facebook page.
Micky, Paul Kramer, Alex Jules, John Billings, and Nez
Nez, Rich Dart, Pete Finney, Coco Dolenz (behind Finney), Circe Link, and Christian Nesmith
Micky (and Wayne Avers in the background)
Paul Kramer, Nez, John Billings, Rich Dart, Pete Finney, Coco Dolenz, Christian Nesmith, and Circe Link
Paul Kramer, Alex Jules, Micky, and Rich Dart
John Billings, Nez, Rich Dart, and Pete Finney
Over the years, longtime Monkees fan Jennifer Winkle has attended numerous Monkees concerts, and she has recently shared her rich catalog of photos with the Live Almanac. Here's a collection from a show I also attended on August 3, 1996 at a sold-out Valley Forge Music Fair outside of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. This was a great (theatre in the round) venue, and I've always remembered how enthusiastic the crowd was that evening. Thanks, Jennifer! This was the set list from the show at Valley Forge:
Here's a bootleg from the concert in two parts, and I believe this is the first time this has been made available online. I'm going to try and post this on the Live Almanac's YouTube channel at some point as well! |
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