Hey, hey, it’s Peter Tork: Ex-Monkee comes to First Night

In the 1960s, made-for-TV rockers the Monkees were known as the “prefab four,” to differentiate them from the band that inspired them, the Beatles. Guitarist Peter Tork doesn’t mind the name. On his website, Tork himself calls the Monkees a “prefab phenomenon.” He also defends the band’s musicianship, and a repertoire of hits that includes “Last Train to Clarksville,” “Daydream Believer,” “I’m A Believer,” and “(I’m Not Your) Steppin’ Stone.”

The heyday of the Monkees is long past, but the band plays on, both individually (Tork and the band Shoe Suede Blues) and collectively (Tork, Davy Jones and Micky Dolenz still tour as the Monkees, without original member Michael Nesmith).

Tork’s bandmates Richard Mikuls, David Bronson and Arnold Jacks have shared the stage with some of the most influential recording artists of the last 50 years, including Ray Charles, B.B. King, Chaka Kahn and the Righteous Brothers. Tork was once hailed as the “most talented Monkee” by no less than guitar legend Jimi Hendrix.

Tork describes his current music as “heartfelt, soulful and uplifting.”

For more information, call             (609) 391-0060       or visit www.firstnightocnj.com. First Night admission buttons are available online and at Downtown Gillian’s, 838B Asbury Ave. across from City Hall in Ocean City.