Hey, Hey We're the Monkeess
Yes, you know I am a fan.
So when the Monkees announced a 50th anniversary tour, I was right there. Drew and I bought tickets for a concert in NYC.
I didn't know, at the time, that they'd also be promoting a new album, Good Times. Or that they'd actually have a single, "She Makes Me Laugh", on the charts.
So Wednesday night we headed over to Town Hall -- a small venue on West 43rd, it seats about 1,500 -- for the anniversary concert.
This time around, it was just Mickey Dolenz and Peter Tork. Though Mike Nesmith literally phoned in a performance. And the presence of the late Davy Jones was felt.
Mickey and Peter performed in front of a large video screen, footage of the Monkees in their heyday was displayed on the screen:
They sang two cuts from the new album, but for the most part stayed with the big hits of the 60's. They made good use of modern technology, though, singing along with vocal tracks recorded by Davy back in the day.
And when I say Mike literally phoned in a performance, I mean it:
Yes, Skype. Very tinny, but that wasn't a problem for the audience.
I always expect to get a bit emotional when Mickey and Peter lead the audience in "daydream Believer", a song so thoroughly identified with Davy. Davy Jones was my first celebrity crush.
But what "got" me this time? They sang "that Was Then, This Is Now", the song that charted in the 1980's. That was back when the Monkees were experiencing a revival thanks to MTV.
I'm used to seeing the footage from the 60's, when they were young men in their 20's. But the footage from the 80's, when they were all mature men, when I was no longer a child but a young woman....that kind of set me off balance.
Overall a great concert and a nice evening. Glad we went. Drew thinks this may be the last tour, that after 50 years they're going to call it a career and move on.
But the music lives on.
So when the Monkees announced a 50th anniversary tour, I was right there. Drew and I bought tickets for a concert in NYC.
I didn't know, at the time, that they'd also be promoting a new album, Good Times. Or that they'd actually have a single, "She Makes Me Laugh", on the charts.
So Wednesday night we headed over to Town Hall -- a small venue on West 43rd, it seats about 1,500 -- for the anniversary concert.
This time around, it was just Mickey Dolenz and Peter Tork. Though Mike Nesmith literally phoned in a performance. And the presence of the late Davy Jones was felt.
Mickey and Peter performed in front of a large video screen, footage of the Monkees in their heyday was displayed on the screen:
They sang two cuts from the new album, but for the most part stayed with the big hits of the 60's. They made good use of modern technology, though, singing along with vocal tracks recorded by Davy back in the day.
And when I say Mike literally phoned in a performance, I mean it:
Yes, Skype. Very tinny, but that wasn't a problem for the audience.
I always expect to get a bit emotional when Mickey and Peter lead the audience in "daydream Believer", a song so thoroughly identified with Davy. Davy Jones was my first celebrity crush.
But what "got" me this time? They sang "that Was Then, This Is Now", the song that charted in the 1980's. That was back when the Monkees were experiencing a revival thanks to MTV.
I'm used to seeing the footage from the 60's, when they were young men in their 20's. But the footage from the 80's, when they were all mature men, when I was no longer a child but a young woman....that kind of set me off balance.
Overall a great concert and a nice evening. Glad we went. Drew thinks this may be the last tour, that after 50 years they're going to call it a career and move on.
But the music lives on.
I loved them, too. Would have loved to have seen this concert. Alana ramblinwitham.blogspot.com
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