M-O-N-KEEEEEEEEESSSSS!!!!!!!!

With the long, horrible, tortuous and torturous election season we have all been suffering through, little glimmers of light have been welcome relief. Things like the vacation Willie and I took, (I'll write about that in another post.) The Cubs in the World Series was a second glimmer. I'm not going to pretend I'm a huge Cubs fan, I'm not even a baseball, or sports fan in general. The Cubs in the series though, that was a great distraction from the 584 days of political commercials and campaign horridness. You read that right, here in Iowa, the commercials started April 4, 2015. FIVE HUNDRED EIGHTY FOUR DAYS!!

Watching Cubs fans post their happy, excited posts made me happy for them. Seeing Bob Newhart posing on Facebook with a W flag after every win, that's what got me the most excited for the Cubs. Not him in particular, but the idea that people his age have been waiting their entire life to see the Cubs as world champions, through thick and thin. This made me happy they won. I figure, I wasn't the only "not really a Cub fan" very happy when they pulled it out in the tenth of game seven. What a great relief from the campaign insanity.

My third great light in the tunnel happened this last weekend. I got in my car Friday, a beautiful sunny warm day. The weather was what you'd expect at the end of September, not on November 4. I left from my son's house and hit the road for a weekend of fun and music with my great friend Dawn. On my way down I stopped in Pella to buy a box of wonderful. A box of the most delicious pastry ever to be created on earth. A box of a dozen Dutch letters. The idea was to bring them down to Dawn. She loves them, too. Most of them did make it, but it is a long drive to St. Charles.

I got there around 9:30 and Dawn and I talked until the wee hours of the morning, as we usually do. I went down stairs to go to bed about 2:30 am, and slept until I think 11:00 am. The guest room at Dawn's is beautiful, but has no windows, so is devoid of natural light. It gets very, very dark. That makes it very easy to sleep and sleep and sleep without realizing how late it is. I hadn't set an alarm, so there was nothing to wake me up. It was wonderful!

Dawn and I waned away the afternoon chatting some more. Until it was time! We were going to the Monkees concert!!! I had missed their last several concert tours. Most sadly, I missed the tour in 2011 while Davy Jones was still alive. It was his last time performing with his Monkee brothers, I wish I had gone. When the Monkees went on their tribute tour for David, with Mike Nesmith, they didn't come to eastern Iowa, and at that time I was very busy taking care of my ailing father to be able to go anywhere very far away. Now, Mike has decided his Monkees days have come to an end as well. I never ever got to see him live with the band, and now I never will.

Me and Magdalena
(please excuse the quality of the photos. All I had was my phone to take pictures. )

The three surviving Monkees, including Mike, made a new album for the 50th anniversary of the beginning of the Monkees. For 50 years these men having been entertaining people, since 1966, can you imagine? The album, entitled Good Times, is wonderful. Each of the guys wrote some songs, they had some songs written by others, and yes, they played their own instruments and yes they had a back up band as well. It also has a song they found in archives with David singing lead, and included that. All of the Monkees were represented.

Other groups, over the years, have replaced missing members, whether they quit or passed, they were replaced. Some groups have done this so often, there may not be an original member in the group anymore. The group may have the same name, but a true fan would not even recognize the group any more. Not the Monkees. In the 1980's the group had a resurgence thanks to MTV airing the reruns of their show, (for you young's, that may not know any better, MTV used to be about music. That's what the M stands for.) Mike had no desire to go on tour as a Monkee. When he didn't join the tour, the others did not try to replace him, nor try to deny his existence. His songs were sung, his face on jumbotrons romping around in clips from the show. When Davy passed suddenly in 2012, again, the guys never even thought of trying to replace him, and thus he was included on the new album. Like brothers, the quartet had their squabbles, but like brothers they had an unbreakable bond.

For Pete's Sake

The new album is fresh, it is fun and it is the best of the Monkees. It is what you expect when you buy a Monkees album. It has a mix of styles, something that has always been true of the group. They have always played a wide range of music. From rock and roll of Randy Scouse Git, to country sounding Papa Gene's Blues, to the vaudevillian Cuddly Toy, this group has always been eclectic. Good Times continues this tradition. The ballad sung by Mike and harmonized by Micky, Me and Magdalena, is as beautiful a ballad as I have ever heard. The title song, Good Times is fun, bouncy, sixties sounding yet contemporary at the same time. Micky pokes fun at himself in I Was There (and I'm Told I Had a Good Time) and Peter brings his own twist to Little Girl and Wasn't Born to Follow. I couldn't wait to hear some of the songs in concert.

Daydream Believer 

Dawn and I decided to go out to dinner before the concert. She told me what restaurants were close to the concert venue, one place had Brazilian food. I'd never had Brazilian food, (or at least that I know of) and thought that sounded like fun. We got to the restaurant, were seated and went up to the huge salad bar. I glance over at the bar, and there sitting alone was a man in a hat. I looked closer, it was Micky Dolenz!! Poked Dawn, "I think that's Micky Dolenz," I gestured toward the bar.

"It is," she said, "If you want an autograph, now's the time." I was the real Monkeemaniac of the two of us.

I'm not really an autograph seeker, and being "Iowa Nice" and having aversions to being rude, I said, "I don't want to bother him while he's eating." I looked back over, and he didn't have food in front of him.

"Don't you think he'd be thrilled someone recognized him?" Dawn asked.

"I don't know, he probably has people bug him all the time," more 'Iowa Nice.'

I saw that the bar tender hand him his bill, and he started to sign it. "I'm just going to go thank him for his music." I said, and with empty salad plate in hand, for some reason I brought it with me, I approached Micky Dolenz. "Excuse me," I uttered.

"Yes," he said as he turned toward me.

"I just want to say thank you for your music," I smiled, and was oddly not nervous at all. Usually, in any situation meeting someone new, I am nervous and shaking like a leaf, I'm rather introverted and uncomfortable in new situations.

He held out his hand to shake mine, "Well, thank you he said."

I shook his hand and thanked him. "Are you going to the show tonight?" he asked.

"Yes, I am," I said proudly.

"Great!" He said and was on his way.

I turned around to Dawn, and it hit me, I just shook hands with MICKY DOLENZ! I don't think I stopped smiling the rest of the night. Yet, when I went over to Dawn, the first thing out of my mouth was, "I thought he'd be taller." I'm pretty tall and he was a bit shorter than me, but not much.  Now, WHY that was the first thing to come out of my mouth I had no idea.  Then I thought, wow, Davy must have been TINY! I just meant one of my favorite singers EVER... and my first words about it was, "I thought he's be taller?" REALLY?!? At least I didn't say it to him.

Micky on drums

We got to the concert and it was everything I had hoped for. These guys were around way before autotune so what you hear is what you get. The voice on the album is the voice at the concert. There is no disappointing, "what the hell is that voice coming out of my favorite singer?" They are just as good in person as on albums.

Peter's voice has changed a bit since his bout with throat cancer, but his ability to carry a tune has not.  His performance is still energetic, bouncy and quirky. he has a bit of a lisp, probably from dentures, but it works perfectly with his style and personality. His voice may be a bit higher, from the cancer, but it was just as awesome! Peter Tork was my first love as a little kid watching Monkees reruns on Saturday morning, and that will never change.

Randy Scouse Git

Micky's voice and performance, now I never got to see them in their younger years, has improved, if that is even possible. The maturity in his voice has made it fuller and even more versatile. He can go from a soft harmony to a full deep voice in a split second. His voice has always been unique, one of the very best in music, and now it is even better. Is it because as he gets older he isn't worried about impressing but just enjoying the music? Oh, how I wish I could have asked him that. (As well as, would he ever want to take on a 53 year old apprentice in his wood shop. He is a master crafter with wood and I would love to learn. I love working with wood, but have no idea what I'm doing.)

About half way though the concert, there was a short intermission. I was a little surprised by that, but not bothered because they kept us entertained with show clips and music. Then it occurred to me, these are men in their seventies, SEVENTIES! Something you completely forget while watching them. They probably needed to pee. As I looked around the venue, I realized, most of the people around me were also in that baby boomer generation. A generation Dawn and I were born at the very end of. Most of the audience probably needed to pee, too. The intermission was a darn good idea! 

Davy was also well represented during the concert. They used TV clips of him singing Shades of Gray, with Peter, still so very relevant today, this election day. And of course, HIS song, Davy's song, Daydream Believer. Micky and Peter both knew that his song had to be a part of any concert, but that neither of them could every get through singing it. So, they gave it to us, the fans. They played the clip of him singing it in the show as they sang along and encourage the audience to join them. Which we did. There is truly no better way to include Davy in the show, and no other way to include Daydream Believer. As you may remember at the end of the song in the TV show, Davy is shown walking away from the camera during the last bit of the song. That, THAT was just so emotional to watch. It just seemed like a way to say one last goodbye and know he was in a better place.

The show ended on the most upbeat of songs. Micky looked around the audience, found a few youngsters and told them something. "This next song, it didn't start with Shrek. We sang it FIRST!!" 

Mike, Davy, Micky and Peter made believers out of us 50 years ago, and Peter and Micky, are keeping us believers today. 

Monkee Brain

So, that over sized medium ice tea that I had for lunch today, seems to still have a hold of my eyeballs and my brain. My eyeballs seem to have no intention of shutting and my brain just keeps buzzing. I thought I'd come down and blog about what keeps buzzing around in my over stimulated brain cells, maybe then I will be able to go to sleep.

What is it, you may ask, that is keeping me up so late this June night? Is it the equation for a new synthetic fuel made from water, that will make us 100% energy independent by Labor Day? Is it the mapping of the nucleotides of a cell that will lead to a cure for cancer? Or maybe it is a profound prophetic inspiration that will lead to world peace? No, no, nothing like that. What is bebopping along in my caffein distorted mind is how the heck I can finagle my way to get to go see The Monkees in Indy Sunday, (which I guess since it is 2:30 am Saturday morning, is tomorrow.) With the car payment and car insurance due, I just can't see a way clear to go. Knowing this, however, has not settled the mind.

I keep thinking back about my history with The Monkees. Don't get me wrong, the closest I have ever gotten to any of them was when I attended concerts. It surely isn't like I know them personally. Sometimes it feels a little like I do, though.

I grew up with The Monkees. There are three shows I remember watching when I was little. Star Trek, The Smothers Brothers, and The Monkees. I remember being very little when all three were on network primetime. I remember really liking Star Trek, a favorite of my mother's. I remember laughing at the Smothers Brothers. Though I don't remember, now, if I was laughing because I really understood what I was laughing at, or if I was just laughing because every one else was. The Monkees, they were my favorite.

 I would come running in from outdoors, my feet filthy dirty from playing with no shoes on. I'd turn the knob to WHO Channel 13, and plop myself on the rug on the floor. My mother would tell me to scoot back. "You are too close, you are going to ruin your eyes!" She would scold. Scooted back sufficiently to quiet my mother, but still closer than she would have liked, I waited.

BbbbbBbbbdmp! Here we come, walkin down the street.... Would sing out from the TV. I was captivated! I adored Peter Tork! I felt a kindred spirit, not even knowing what a kindred spirit was back then, with Peter. You see, Peter was the only blond in the group, and I was the only blond in my family. I knew that he understood my feelings of separateness, of not quite belonging. The sense of being a bit of a misfit. Even then, I knew, in my heart of hearts that he knew exactly how I felt. He was my hero!

As years went by, The Monkees TV show was  cancelled and relegated to Saturday morning and then after school. I still watched. I still adored Peter! Then one day, puberty started to set in. That was when I discovered DAVY! Davy had beautiful brown eyes. To this day, I am a sucker for a pair of deep brown eyes. A girl can get lost in a pair of soulful brown eyes. I went through my preteens in love with Davy, and Donny Osmond, and Scott Baio, and Mr. Chekov from Star Trek. I'm telling you, it's the brown eyes. Davy got me thru junior high. I was so jealous of Marcia Brady!

High school came, The Monkees were no longer on TV. I kind of forgot about them. I didn't have any albums. In 1967 when they were at their peak, I was five, and in no position to obtain LPs. On I went to discover other music. Styx, Chicago, Genesis, and Barry Manilow. Ah, Barry Manilow, still my absolute favorite solo artist. Just ask my kids, they know most of his songs by heart, involuntarily. I met Willie in high school. We went to homecoming for our first date. We were still together at prom, with the theme of "Looks Like We Made It," my suggestion.

Willie and I stayed together while I was at college, and got married in 1984. In 1985 our first daughter, Valerie was born, and MTV started showing The Monkees reruns again. I was hooked, all over again! I found that I still adored Peter just as much as ever. Davy, well he looked about 16, which at 22, looks like a child. The stars in the eyes thing seemed a bit hokey. Suddenly, out of nowhere, I saw Micky. I remembered, as a child, telling my mom how much I adored Peter. (Yes, I know I keep using the word adored, but it is truly the only correct way to put it.) She had said that she really liked Micky better. Back then I couldn't see it. At 22, there it was! I started paying attention to Micky. I realized, that man is fricken hilarious! Of all the Monkees, he was truly the backbone of the show. You could tell he had the showman experience and the others played off of him, which worked wonderfully! He may be a comic genius, but because of the absolute silliness of the show, he wasn't taken seriously at the time. He had it all though, timing, faces, voices, pratfalls. He was laugh out loud FUNNY!

As an adult I started buying the albums, and a few cassette tapes that got eaten by my car. I went to the reunion tour concerts. I found myself in Monkee Mania all over again. Which to this day has never worn off. If someone put a gun to my head, and told me I had to pick a favorite Monkee, I couldn't do it. They each hold a different little space in my heart. I still (one more time) adore Peter. I still love Davy's brown eyes. Micky can still make me bust a gut, and I think his voice is wonderful. Mike, well, he never struck a cord with me the way the others did. Maybe he would have, if I had ever seen him in concert with the others, but I never did. Maybe he would have been my thirties, Monkee, we will never know.

Now that I have this all down, maybe my brain will settle down and let me sleep. I have an idea for a picture and may add it tomorrow. For tonight, I'll just say, thank you Davy, Micky and Peter. You have been a part of my life longer than any of us may care to admit. It has been a fun journey. I hope to see you in concert again someday. It just won't be tomorrow. Maybe you'll extend your tour a little and go to Des Moines, Iowa. I could go home for a weekend, and see the show with some friends. And an added benefit would be I'd get to see my granddaughter Kahlen, too. Win Win!

Listen To The Band!

Yes, those are albums

I saw on Facebook yesterday that my most favorite group EVER is on tour again. Yes, THE MONKEES! I love The Monkees! I really do! I know, I know, naysayers out there will drone on and on about how they didn't play their own instruments and blah blah blah. That may all have been true, but the voices were theirs and certainly the personality they put into their performances were all theirs as well. Plus, it wasn't so much that they couldn't play their own instruments, even way back when, both Mike and Peter were musicians in their own rights, the TV studio just wouldn't allow them to play. So, potato, potAto.

I have loved The Monkees as long as I can remember. I remember watching them when they were on network TV, you know, back when there were only four stations to watch, and you had to get up and twist a knob to change the channel. I watched them after they were canceled and reruns were on on Saturday mornings. I watched them after school. I should know each and every episode by heart. Someday I will own the entire series, I will.

I never saw them in concert when they were in their prime. I was much too young to go to concerts then. The first time I saw them live was in the eighties when they had their first reunion tour. They were only one of the headliners, with Herman's Hermitts and Gary Puckett and the Union Gap. Those two bands were good too, especially Gary Puckett and the Union Gap. The Monkees, though, they were still awesome! The Monkee romp energy was still there. Mike was, of course, missing in action, but you didn't feel the absence. Micky, Davy and Peter made up for him so smoothly it was like he was never in the band. I saw them two other times, on different tours, years later and the same was true for each. From the seats I was in you couldn't even tell they had aged. Even if you were close enough to see the wrinkles and bellies that the years had given them, their energy and showmanship transported you back to their younger years and you'd forgive the ravages of time.

When I saw they were touring again I had to look up the venues and dates. I was excited to see that they were going to be in Indianapolis, and on a Sunday! Sunday June 26th to be exact. I could do that! It is only about a 90 minute drive from here! Now, to find out ticket prices....... Crash and burn! Reality sets in. Sadly, the tickets are out of my price range, and honestly, if I suddenly had that much money I'd use it to go to Des Moines and see my favorite people in the world, Kahlen and my kids, instead of my favorite group. Gas prices and the lack of a proper job have halted this little fantasy. Bummer. I'd say maybe next time...... But these guys are getting a little long in the tooth, how many next times could they have? I read a Rolling Stone review of their concert last night in New York, I think, and they said it was a great show! Yeah, really, Rolling Stone likes The Monkess now, who'd of thunk?

Barring a miracle of the tickets suddenly appearing in my hand, I don't think I will be going to see The Monkees anytime soon. Maybe, if I fold my arms, think real hard and blink......

Yeah, no, it didn't work. Darn that Jeanie, she made it look so easy!