Micky Dolenz Makes Believers Out of Summer Concert Audience

Monkee member shines in an evening of music and memories

Photo by Laura Lind of Micky Dolenz and his sister Coco

One of my big musical regrets in recent years was not seeing Micky Dolenz and Mike Nesmith in concert in 2021. I’d seen The Monkees every time they’d played in my city, and even traveled to another state to see them in 1988. They’re my favorite band, so I’ve always been delighted when they’ve come. But for the 2021 concert, the timing wasn’t right.

I had some valid reasons for not going. It was on a Monday night and located nearly an hour away. It was also when the pandemic was in its earlier stages, and I wasn’t going to public events. I was so disappointed to miss it. From listening to the live concert album, The Mike and Micky Show, it sounded like a fantastic concert. I hoped to catch them again sometime.

Sadly, that was never to be. Mike died just over a month after that concert appearance.

More frequently, I’m realizing that there isn’t always another chance to see these musical greats. So when I heard that Micky Dolenz was giving a free concert at a park just outside the city, I vowed to go.

It was a perfect early August evening. There had been a threat of thunderstorms, but they thankfully stayed away, and the sun shone on the hillside facing the stage.

My boyfriend and I arrived an hour and a half before the local opening act took the stage. We were able to score seats close to the stage. As it got closer to show time, the hill behind us was packed with thousands of people eager to see Micky.

I saw numerous Monkees t-shirts from various eras, and signs that made me know I was among true fans. I particularly liked the sign, scrawled on a piece of cardboard, that read “You’re where it is 4 me” — a line from one of my all-time favorite Monkees songs, “Sometime in the Morning.”

I was perusing the merch table when I heard people calling to Micky. He arrived in a golf cart, waving at the crowd as he was driven backstage.

After the opening act, Micky hit the stage to raucous applause, getting the show off to an energetic start with “(I’m Not Your) Steppin’ Stone.” He then jumped to the 1980s hit, “That Was Then, This is Now,” and back to the 1960s for “A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You,” a song Davy Jones originally sang. He also sang Peter Tork’s song, “For Pete’s Sake,” the closing theme for The Monkees’ TV show.

Although Micky said he needed to sit down for a moment because he’s “getting old,” his vocals and energy belied his 79 years. No longer positioned behind the drums as he was in earlier days, he was front-and-center at the mic, playing tambourine and maracas.

Micky’s sister Coco often tours with him, and she was singing next to him all evening. She took the lead on Mike Nesmith’s song, “Different Drum,” Linda Ronstadt’s hit that Micky said the Monkees’ producers had rejected.

That bit of trivia was one of several that Micky shared during the concert. He relayed stories of hanging out with The Beatles when they wrote some of their biggest hits. Micky and the band covered their songs “Good Morning” and “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.”

He talked about how Stephen Stills auditioned for The Monkees. When Stills didn’t make the cut, he recommended his roommate, Peter Tork. Micky was friends with Stills, and was lounging poolside when Stills played his new song, “For What It’s Worth.”

Micky’s stories were entertaining, from revealing that the bridge of “Last Train to Clarksville” originally had lyrics, to the ill-fated time Jimi Hendrix opened for The Monkees.

There were a fair number of cover songs–of Chuck Berry’s classic rock song “Johnny B. Goode” and The Spencer Davis Group’s “Gimme Some Lovin’,” to name a few. As a huge Monkees fan, I wished he’d stuck more to their songs, but the vibe was fun, and the performance was great, so it was a minor quibble.

Unlike most concert experiences, I could walk right up to the front of the stage to take photos. People both younger and older than I were smiling and dancing as Micky and the band deftly breezed through some of The Monkees’ energetic pop songs like “Valleri,” “Pleasant Valley Sunday,” and the fast-paced, jazzy “Goin’ Down.”

When Micky sang the classic “Daydream Believer,” he asked if the audience knew the words. When they cheered, he quipped, “Don’t sing along–it puts me off.” Eventually, though, the crowd was able to join in, their lighted phones dotting the hillside, swaying to the beat.

In a nod to the way music is repurposed for younger generations, he introduced “I’m A Believer” by telling a young girl in the audience that he sang it before Shrek.

We had a great time. My boyfriend is not a particularly big fan of the Monkees; he kind of likes them, but he only went because he knows how much I love them. He was impressed with the concert, particularly Micky’s showmanship, stories, and the talented band.

Although sadly, Micky is the sole living Monkee, this lively, fun-filled concert proved that there’s a significant fan base for Micky and for the phantasmagoric splendor that was The Monkees. On that gorgeous summer evening, it was a far-out, groovy time. I was grateful I didn’t miss it.