Monkees Tour Arkansas – Monkees most popular BHM show!

Here is a special link direct to collectable Monkees items on eBay.com –
the largest trading network in the world. Find items you never thought
you’d be able to purchase, including out of print and rare collectables and=

photos. Click this link now!

NOW AVAILABLE: Monkees 2002 Concert CD’s, Monkees 2002 Concert Posters,
Monkees Mouse Pads and Official Monkees Photo Pillowcases for your bed!

https://monkees.net/ebay/

Thanks for your support!

++++++++++++

From: “frodisqueen66”

Just found out Davy and Micky will be playing the Benson Auditorium
at Harding University in Searcy Arkansas on Sept 14…tickets are on
sale now for those of you in the area! Show is at 8:00PM Sat

ginger

+++++++++++++++

From: Ronald L Cohen

Hi,
In the event you had not noticed, and I would surprised if you
didn’t, the Monkees DVD of their summer concert is to be released on
November 12, 2002, per the amazon.com website.

Ron Cohen

+++++++++++++++

From: regionalgirl1

Brad, someone may have already beaten me to this but I’ll mention it
anyway. This morning, 9/3/01 in the Datebook Section of the “San Francisco=

Chronicle” the following appeared:
“Former Monkees Davy Jones and Mike Nesmith performed at a convention of
Government Service Agency employees- Uncle Sam’s elves at the Hilton Hotel=

last week. Beset by fans when he arrived at SFO (airport), a Tic spy
reports, Jones couldn’t have been more generous in posing for snapshots.”

One has to wonder what got Michael down to there to appear with Davy in the=

first place?! I thought Michael was not so much into performing and
considering Davy’s comments about him, well I guess stranger things can
happen?!

(ed: probably micky!)

— Linda Seitas

++++++++++++++++

From: Videoranch Foreman

Greetings from Videoranch!

And a big welcome to all of our new subscribers!

We have gotten a lot of great feedback about the new look of Videoranch. We=

also heard from some dial-up folks that it was difficult to get around at
slow speeds. So, we’ve created an all html version of Videoranch. What does=

that mean? It means no Flash, no whistles and bells — just the basics. You=

get to either the html or the Flash version by going to www.videoranch.com.=

Click on the Low Bandwidth button and it will take you to the html site.
We’re updating the site constantly, so be sure and stop by. The next big
changes are updates to The Formosa Diner and the layout of the store.

The audio book version of “The Long Sandy Hair of Neftoon Zamora” read by
Nez is due out at the end of September. We’ll be taking pre-orders for it=

in a couple of weeks when we know the price for it. We’ve heard it and
really enjoyed it. There’s a new understanding of the intent of some of the=

parts of the book after hearing Nez read it. It’s funny and has some cool
sound FX sprinkled throughout. It’s unabridged on 6 CDs.

We’re shipping via FedEx throughout the US now, so you’ll be able to track=

your Videoranch shipment easily.

Thanks for your interest!

Sincerely yours,
Navajo Slim
Videoranch
http://www.videoranch.com
1-866-727-2639

++++++++++++++

From: “Sally Carpenter”

On Sept. 1, beginning at 10 am, ASIFA-Hollywood will hold its fund-raising=

Animation Celebration auction (live in Anaheim CA and on eBay). Most items=

are original animation cels and drawings from Walt Disney, Chuck Jones
(Looney Tunes), Bob Clampett (Woody Woodpecker), and other classic
animation studios. Other sale items include autographed celebrity photos
and rock albums, including the Monkees first album with the cover signed by=

all four guys. Starting bid is $135. In comparison, starting bid on a
1940’s drawing of Mickey Mouse is $1300.

++++++++++++++++

From: Aaron Handy III

Honest!

VH-1 is scheduled to run the Behind The Music: The Monkees episode again,
on Friday, Sept. 20 @ 3:00 PM EDT/2:00 PM CDT.

It may not be The Monkees TV series, but it’s close!

Aaron Handy III
The Aaron Handy III TV Web Shrine
http://tvwebshrine.topcities.com/

+++++++++++++++++++

From: Brad

I heard on the Radio a bit about the Ami Dolenz wedding. Coco (Micky’s
Sister) performed the ceremony, and Micky sang “Only You”.

+++++++++++++++++++++

From: mickyfan95

Hey guys just found this article on the Ventura County Star Web Site. Micky=

mentions Donna in it and the wedding date is officially confirmed. Hope you=

like!
Sorry its all clumped together.

Ventura County Star

http://www.insidevc.com/cr/cda/article_print/1,1250,VCS_156_1339578,00.html

Here they comeSpend a pleasant Ventura Sunday with Monkees Micky Dolenz and=

Davy Jones

By Mark Wyckoff, mwyckoff@insidevc.com

August 22, 2002

And then there were two. Again. Micky Dolenz has been in this spot before
as a member of The Monkees, the ’60s made-for-TV rock group that will play=

The Majestic Ventura Theatre on Sunday. It’s not that he likes touring the=

world in a truncated version of the band, it’s just that he’s grown used to=

the wildly divergent personalities that rarely align long enough for the
original group to come together and rock.

The last time that happened was in 1996, when Dolenz, Davy Jones, Mike
Nesmith and Peter Tork recorded “Justus” for Rhino Records and then toured=

England. At first, they had a barrelful of fun, singing ’60s hits like
“Pleasant Valley Sunday,” “Daydream Believer” and “I’m a Believer.” Then
things slowly started to fall apart.

Nesmith, who never liked touring anyway, abruptly quit. Dolenz, Jones and
Tork soldiered on, touring regularly as a trio until last September, when
Tork abruptly quit to devote more time to his Shoe Suede Blues Band.

So now, for the past year, Dolenz and Jones have carried the Monkees torch=

as a duo, much like they did in 1970 when they were the only ones left to
record the final original Monkees album, “Changes.” The 57-year-old Dolenz,=

who moved to Ventura County earlier this year, likes to put a positive spin=

on the group’s volatile dynamics. “We’re sort of like CSN&Y, except
sometimes we don’t have the S and sometimes we don’t have the Y,” he said.=

“While Mike and Peter add a lot to the show musically when they decide to
join us, they didn’t sing a lot of the hits. Davy and I did. And that’s
very important to consider. Even if it’s just Davy and me in the lineup, it=

still sounds like The Monkees.”

Dolenz says the current show is a mix of well-known hits like “Last Train
to Clarksville” and “(I’m Not Your) Steppin’ Stone” and more obscure album=

cuts, such as the mesmerizing Carole King-penned “Porpoise Song” (included=

on the “Vanilla Sky” soundtrack) and the breakneck rocker “Goin’ Down.”

There’s also time in the set for some solo moments. Dolenz likes to reveal=

that he once suffered from PMS — Pre-Monkee Singing — before launching
into the old blues tune “Since I Fell For You,” which he remembers his mom=

singing.

Jones, 56, taps into his Broadway roots, often singing a medley from
“Oliver” (he played the Artful Dodger in New York and on London’s West End=

before he became a Monkee). Sometimes he’ll throw in a self-penned song
like “I’ll Love You Forever” and he almost always does “Girl,” the song he=

sang to a lovestruck Maureen McCormick in an episode of “The Brady Bunch.”

“It’s our job to bring the audience along on our trip through time,” Dolenz=

said. “We’re sort of like the Grateful Dead of pop music. We’ve got this
hardcore group of fans who follow us around to shows. Wherever we play,
it’s like a party. We’re blessed in that.”

Dolenz, who was born in Tarzana, sold his Sherman Oaks house earlier this
year and moved to a gated community on the eastern tip of Ventura County.
The reason? He needed bigger digs because he’s getting married Sept. 20 to=

Donna Qu

+++++++++++++++

‘Behind the Music’ Turns Five
Fri Aug 23, 1:54 PM ET
By NEKESA MUMBI MOODY, AP Music Writer

NEW YORK (AP) – After spending five years chronicling the rise, fall, and
redemption of rock’s biggest and wackiest stars, “Behind the Music”
narrator Jim Forbes admits there are some phrases he gets sick of
repeating. No, it’s not the now famous line about hitting “rock bottom.”

…

Next week, the channel celebrates “Behind the Music’s” five-year
anniversary with a marathon including some of its most popular and
notorious episodes, hosted by the comedian Cedric the Entertainer.

…

Still, among the most popular “Behind the Music” episodes are those
featuring C-list stars, such as David Cassidy, the Monkees and MC Hammer.

+++++++++++++++

From: SMCtopia

FYI, according to Amazon, the animated versions of “Oliver Twist” and
“Treasure Island” that Davy did voices in will be released on DVD September
3. He did the voice of Dodger (of course) in “Twist” and Jim Hawkins in
“Treasure Island”. He also sings in both of them. Thought some of you may
be interested.

Beautymoon*
Visit Walt Dated World!
http://members.tripod.com/mouseketeer_alison/
Headquarters Sesssions/Summer1967 CD page is now here! Access through Walt
Dated World address above!

++++++++++++++++++++

From: SMCtopia

I was just over on Amazon and a DVD called “Live Summer Tour” is available
for pre-order with a release date of November 12. I’m guessing this is the
King Biscuit DVD. There’s not much info about this release, except that it
is 75 minutes long. Just thought you’d all like to know…

Beautymoon*

+++++++++++++++++++

From: Nez4Ever1230

A commercial is currently running for a new CD entitled TV Land Favorite
Theme Songs on which the Theme from The Monkees is included. A portion of
the song is heard as the three actors who are featured throughout the
commercial do the Monkee walk. A couple of clips from the Goin’ Down video=

from the Wild Monkees episode are shown as well. In my opinion, The Monkees=

are # 1 always!
Thank you,
Nez4Ever1230

++++++++++++++++++++

From: “bay-harvey”

Peter Tork, with Shoe Suede Blues Band In Greenfield, New Hampshire,
September 9th,2002, at Oak Park. Rain or Shine $15.
See www.petertork.com for directions
Peter up Close and personal!!

+++++++++++++++++++++++

From: Jessica DeMarco

The Monkees, Peter Tork!

Attention all you Monkees / Peter Tork fans, you will be excited to know
that your favorite and mine, yes, Mr. Peter Tork has granted “Rock N Souls”=

Radio and exclusive 1 h-o-u-r long interview like you’ve never
heard! During our time with him, Peter spoke truthfully about his career
with The Monkees, his family, his feelings and his spiritual life!

If that were not enough, we also feature 5 fantastic songs by Peter and The=

Monkees to make this more than just an interview but an experience that you=

won t want to miss!

Visit www.rocknsouls.com right now to check out Peter’s page and be sure to=

click Peter’s picture to find more pictures, quotes and a sound clip of
Peter on “Rock ‘N’ Souls!”

Also, sign up for the “Rock N Souls” newsletter so that we can personally
let you know when and where you will be able to be apart of the “Rock ‘N’
Souls” interview with The Monkees own Peter Tork, not to mention our Peter=

Tork contest and give away!

Sign Up!
&
Stayed Tuned!

Yours truly,

Terry Paul

Producer “Rock N Souls” Radio

++++++++++++++++++

From: JAZZ4JEFF

Most of the online retailers are now taking orders for the King Biscuit DVD=

release of the guys (Micky, Davy, & Peter) live concert last September at
the Sun theatre in Anaheim.

Here is the discription from DVD Planet:

Synopsis: More than 3 decades have passed since the world caught their
first glimpse of The Monkees. Since that time, they have sold millions of
records and sold out venues around the world. Their TV show continues to
air in over 40 countries making them interneational superstars. They have
maintained a spirit and energy that has not dissipated through the passage=

of time. Songs: Last Train to Clarksville, Look Out (Here Comes Tomorrow),=

For Pete’s Sake, The Girl I Knew Somewhere, Valleri, Randy Scouse Git, Mary=

Mary, Goin’ Down, Can You Dig It?, Girl, Higher & Higher, A Little Bit Me A=

Little Bit You, She Hangs Out, That Was Then This Is Now, Daydream
Believer, I’m a Believer, (I’m Not Your) Steppin’ Stone, Pleasant Valley
Sunday.

Since I was at the concert that was filmed, they left out about 30 minutes=

of the show. The songs I remember they did not include were “Lucille”,
“SInce I don’t have you”, “Nice to be with you”, “You and I”, “Porpoise
song/Listen to the band”.

I understand they are also releasing a CD of this concert. Maybe that will=

include the extra songs.

Jeff Gehringer
Listen to Monkees music free at Live 365!
http://www.live365.com/stations/291619

++++++++++++++++++++

From: Holly Barlow

Hi! I just thought I would tell everyone that in
September issue of Biography Magazine there is an
article on Kevin Bacon who wanted to be a rock star
when he was young and is in a band with his brothers
now. He states, “I was most heavily influenced in my
life by the Stones, the Beatles, the Monkees, the
Jackson Five and James Taylor.” I thought that was
really cool!!!

Holly Barlow

=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D
“They say you need love to love, you gotta have love to love. They all say=

it works that way, but if it’s true, why do I love you?”–Monkees

++++++++++++++

From: “Sally Carpenter”

Every Friday the LA Daily News lists upcoming events in the U Entertainment=

section. On the “Concerts” page today (Aug 23) was a photo of Micky & Davy=

with the caption, “The Monkees–with original members Davy Jones and Micky=

Dolenz–perform today at Disney’s California Adventure in
Anaheim.” However, I laughed because the photo is from 1986-87!

September 24 is the scheduled date for the VHS/DVD release of The Beatles’=

“A Hard Day’s Night”, the movie that inspired the creation of The
Monkees. Suncoast Video stores will let you reserve a copy for a $5
deposit so you will have it on the first day.

+++++++++++++

From: “maggie mcmanus”

Micky Dolenz’s fiancee, Donna Quinter, has very kindly provided us with
photos from Ami’s recent wedding. Go over to www.monkeebusinessfanzine.com
and have a look at Micky, Donna, Ami and Jerry, Samantha, Trina, Charlotte,
Emily, Georgia, and Coco in their wedding finery on this happy happy day.

maggie
monkeebiz@prodigy.net

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Reviews
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

From: JAZZ4JEFF

Monkees at California Adventure

Last night, I attended the Monkees second night at Disney=E2=80=99s Califor=
nia
Adventure theme park.

With a little concern about seeing a short show at Disney, I was just
amazed at how good it was. First, the park was packed. Fans were already
lining up for the 5:45pn concert when I arrived at 10:30am. Park security
said they were totally unprepared for the crowds the night before, and had=

extra people assigned to handle the crowds.

The stage is constructed overlooking Paradise harbor, so there is no
backstage. The guys had to take a boat to the stage, which caused fans all=

over the park yelling at the guys.

Both Davy & Micky looked great. Davy seems to have lost a few pounds since=

the concert I saw in May. Both of them were very enthusiastic and were
having a great time. When you see dozens of shows like I do, you look for
how much fun they were having. Last night, it really showed. They did the
standard hits set list, with three exceptions. Davy stated that the band
got together last night and threw together a version of Davy=E2=80=99s 80=
=E2=80=99s
solo record =E2=80=9CHey rah rah rah, Happy Birthday Mickey Mouse=E2=80=9D.=
The record
was released in England to celebrate Mickey=E2=80=99s 50th birthday. The en=
tire
band wore Mickey Mouse ears and it sounded great. Micky had never heard it=

before, and was laughing during the entire song.

With Coco Dolenz in town for Ami=E2=80=99s wedding, she came out and joined=
Micky
on the two songs they performed at the wedding. It was =E2=80=9CBye Bye
Blackbird=E2=80=9D and =E2=80=9CBoogie Woogie Bugle boy=E2=80=9D. It was a =
great treat for
the fans, but a little confusing for the casual fans who came to hear the
hits. Davy performed =E2=80=9CGirl=E2=80=9D in the audience (It was great t=
o see the
elderly Disney security handle that one!). They closed with both
=E2=80=9CBelievers=E2=80=9D and the audience went nuts. David Fisoff was st=
age left the
entire night. Davy said his daughters and grandson were there as well.

Sorry for the long post, but I thought you=E2=80=99d like to know that the =
guys
are still kicking and last night, they rocked Disney. The last time they
performed in Anaheim was in 1976 at Disneyland as part of DJBH.

Jeff Gehringer

++++++++++++++++++++

From: “Sally Carpenter”

Twokees rock the Mouse House! I had a blast at the first show
(5.45 pm) of the guy’s three day stint at Disney’s California Adventure in=

Anaheim. I didn’t know how early fans would start lining up, so I arrived=

before the park opened at 10 am. I wore my 2002 Monkees Summer Tour
tee-shirt, my 30th Anniversary Commemorative Monkees watch, and my red
Rhino Monkees baseball cap covered with Monkees buttons (pathetic, isn’t
it?). During the day, a number of Cast Members (employees) made nice
comments about my shirt. At the World of Animation pavilion, as I was
seated for a show, a cast member greeted the audience then looked at me and=

said loud enough for all to hear, “is that a Monkees
tee-shirt?” Throughout the park were tasteful signs advertising the concer=
t.

Noone was waiting at the stage when the park opened, so I spent
the morning seeing the park attractions (MuppetVision 3D is not to be
missed!). Perfect day–slightly overcast and not too hot. In the
afternoon the sun came out and the temperature warmed up, but not
excessive. At one pm I saw a family waiting at the stage, so I got in
line. The outdoor stage was very small and built over a pond at Paradise
Pier. There were several rows of white wooden folding chairs for the
“reserved” guests (band members family & friends) and “preferred seating”
people who had made a prior reservation to eat in a park restaurant (my
reservation was for the ABC Soap Opera Bistro, where the waiters interact
with the guests as soap opera characters. I’m good at improvising, too,
and had fun with these kids). People without preferred seating had to
stand in another line all day for the back row chairs and standing
room. There was additional standing room way in the back for passer-bys.

While I waited I had a great time chatting with other fans who
noticed my tee-shirt (I had never met these people before!). One lady told=

me she saw the Monkees show years ago at the Hollywood Bowl when Micky
jumped in the pond! We kept hoping he’d do it again today, but he
didn’t. Another lady said she has seen Elvis in concert at Las Vegas! I,=

for one, am deeply jealous. A frequent question I was asked was, “Where’s=

Peter and Mike?” At one point a man said to me, “Micky’s brother is here!”=

and I said, “Micky doesn’t have a brother, he has three sisters.” He said=

he saw a man who looked just like Micky (distant cousin, perhaps?). About 3=

pm or so the band began setting up and playing big band tunes to warm
up. Then we heard a familiar voice singing over the speakers. Micky was
rehearsing “The Girl I Knew Somewhere”! I didn’t see Davy on stage. After=

the song Micky walked around the stage talking with the band and other
people, then left. In front of the drums were two tan acoustic guitars on=

stands for Micky, and a white guitar for Davy, which was smaller than
Micky’s guitars (I’m resist the overwhelming urge to make a joke here). I=

saw a kettledrum to one side, so I assumed Micky would do “Randy Scouse
Git,” but when the show began the kettledrum was gone (maybe the song was
cut at the last minute?).

Shortly after 5 pm the Cast Members let in the Preferred Seating
people. I sat in front row, little off center to the right. The preferred=

seating was sold out, and the SRO/overflow areas were full. People who
couldn’t get in lined up along the bridge where they could still hear. A
news reporter and cameraman walked by, apparently looking for people to
interview. The man sitting by me called out, “Number one fan here!” and
pointed at me. The reporter did a brief interview with me for TV! Way
cool! She asked what I liked about the music, where I got the buttons on
my hat, which guy was my fave, what one question I would ask the guys if I=

could. I replied, “it probably won’t happen, but most fans would like all=

four guys to get back together one more time!” She asked if I would like=

to see the Rockin’ the Bay series continue, and I said, “Sure, as long as
they bring the Monkees back!” For doing the interview the reporter
rewarded me with a 8X10 black & white glossy publicity photo of Micky &
Davy! I think the taping was an in-house Disney promotional piece.

A warm-up guy came out, asked if we were excited to be here, and
gave away some park tee-shirts by asking Monkee trivia questions (which
Monkee is a jockey! duh!). The beautiful blue sky was the perfect
backdrop as the guys came on stage to screaming and cheering. Micky & Davy=

held out their hands as if they were going to shake hands with each other,=

then drew their hands back. Micky picked up a guitar, Davy had a white
tambourine, and they sang (what else?) “Clarksville.” At the end Micky
said, “And the hits just keep on coming!” as Davy began “Little Bit
Me.” Micky asked, “Are there any Monkee fans here?” and the fans went
wild! Micky had a headset mike, although he used a handheld mike for
“Goin’ Down,” while Davy used a wireless mike on a stand. Both guys wore
black fabric pants (not leather). Davy wore a long sleeved yellow shirt
and Micky had on a long sleeved red satin shirt. Has anyone noticed that
during the shows the last two years, Micky’s shirts hang over his
belt? Hey, Dolenz, tuck in your shirt tail! The colored lights over the
stage turned on, but could not be seen in the sunlight. Occasionally the
guys waved to the overflow crowd on the bridge.

Because of the limited time, the guys sang one song after another=

with no jokes or banter in-between. I missed the humor and the
interaction. Matter of fact, I didn’t see much connection between
them. When one sang, the other stood to the back or the side and played an=

instrument. I expected that with just the two men and a small stage, they=

would play off each other more, but I didn’t see it (or else I missed it
while taking photos). Davy spoke to the audience a little before
two songs, but Micky didn’t talk to the audience much. And on a personal=

note I missed not hearing “Auntie Grizelda”!

They performed the usual hits and none of their solo show
material. After the old joke about “our songwriters, Sears & Roebuck,”
Micky said they would do a song by one of their favorite songwriters. Some=

of the fans chimed in, “Mike Nesmith!” Micky and Davy faced each other on=

one microphone and played guitars on “The Girl I Knew Somewhere.” Micky
then went to the drum set and posed “for a statue over Rio de Janeiro”, and=

the fans screamed. He played rockin’ drums on “Mary,
Mary.” Unfortunately, Davy stood right in front of the drums to play
maracas, so I couldn’t see Micky at all. Hey, Jones, down in front! Davy=

said he and Micky had four daughters, and his own daughters were in the
front row as well as his grandson; “it’s his first Monkees concert.” He
then dedicated “It’s Nice To Be With You” to his grandson. After one of
the songs, Aviva stepped out and goosed Davy, which got a big cheer from
the fans.

Davy said he had a “surprise” for Micky, and he brought out
Coco. Micky acted “surprised” (yeah, right). She and Micky sang “Bye Bye=

Blackbird” a cappella (“the first song our mother ever taught us”), then
the band joined in for “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy.” The songs were fine,
although afterwards the man sitting by me said he felt Coco’s presence took=

away from the guys. During “Goin’ Down” I was disappointed that Micky
didn’t dance around as he usually does, but he hammed it up at the song’s
end with the usual switching the mike between his hands and ended by
striking a pose, pointing at the audience. Davy sang “Valleri”, and during=

one song he did his “Axel Rhodes” dance, to the fans’ delight.

During one of Davy’s songs Micky went offstage to change into a
long sleeved half red and half blue shirt covered with white stars (no
doubt a patriotic statement). Before singing “Girl”, Davy changed into a=

short sleeved black glitter shirt (ooh la lah!). He recited the usual
story of kissing the TV set and how during his entire life he’s been
followed by three little words. Some of the fans yelled, “Marcia, Marcia,=

Marcia!” Davy left the stage to walk through the audience to sing “Girl”,=

which sent the security guards into a panic and they scrambled to catch up=

with him. Lots of women held out their hands for him to shake, and a
couple of women threw themselves at him for a hug.

They sang “Pleasant Valley Sunday” and I was surprised that during=

“Steppin’ Stone” Micky banged a tambourine. He and Davy marched around the=

stage on “Stone”, the most choreography I saw they do the whole
show. Micky picked up a guitar for “Daydream Believer.” During the
singalong part, he and Davy waved their arms to direct the audience. Then=

they acted as if the show was over. The fans screamed for “I’m a Believer”=

and finally Micky said, “Oh, did we forget a song?” After “Believer” the
fans rushed to the stage, many holding pens and items to
autograph. Unfortunately, the guys did a brief bow and left the stage
without signing anything or even touching the fans’ hands as they did in
last year’s show. The security guards then scooted us away as fast as
possible, apparently scared that the fans might get too rowdy! As we left,=

the man sitting by me offered to send me the digital photos he took!

Postscript: the next day when I took my film in for developing,
one of the store clerks told me that when he was a kid his mother took him=

to a Monkees show at the Cincinnati Gardens, shortly after the second
Monkees album came out. The only thing he remembers hearing during the
show was a little of “Mary Mary” and screaming girls.

+++++++++++++++++

From: Anon

Shoe Suede Blues: Double Door Inn
Charlotte, NC 8-29-02

We flew down to Charlotte on August 29. Before the show started, we called=

a cab and for the first time, it was late. A half hour late, to be exact. I=

wanted to leave at 7:30 but the cab didn’t arrive until 8:00. The man
behind the wheel said in a strong Indian accent, “So sorry! So sorry! Cou=
ld
not find room 1-5-0! Drove around all the buildings, but did not see room
1-5-0! So sorry!”

We saw Peter messing around onstage as soon as we got there. He was all in=

black, which surprised me, because I was expecting to see one of his crazy=

shirts. Instead, it was a plain long-sleeved black cotton shirt and black
jeans, I think. Very casual. It was really normal to see Peter walking back=

and forth, getting set up. I felt totally comfortable around him.

There were about six rows of chairs lined up close to the stage. The front=

row was two feet away from the stage, and the stage itself was only about a=

foot high. The only “dance floor” was in the back, behind the chairs, o=
r
possibly to the side by the bar, but there wasn’t much room. The Double
Door was an old house that had been transformed into a blues club. There
were two seats left at the end of the front row on the right, but since
there were only six or seven chairs in the front row to begin with, these
were *ideal* seats! I couldn’t have asked for any better. Peter was on th=
e
left, and because of this, he *faced* us the most when singing.

The band was milling around, which surprised me a little. As soon as we got=

there, they did sound check by playing “Young Blood”, so we got to hear=
an
entire song at around 8:00, an hour and a half before the concert was
supposed to start!

I got up to go talk to the Blues Kitties, and I ran into Peter, who was in=

the front entryway area. He looked at me, so I felt I should say something.=

“I’m sorry if we’re really tired by the end; it’s not the band, it=
‘s that=85”
I was going to say it was that we got up at 3:30 in the morning to fly out=

from WI, but Peter didn’t let me finish. “No excuses!” he said loudly=
. “I
don’t want to hear any excuses!” He got so loud that I felt everyone wa=
s
looking at us. “We got up at 3:30 in the morning for you!” I yelled bac=
k,
and though I doubt he heard me, he shouted “No excuses!” and laughed.
“Never mind; I’m gonna go talk to the Blues Kitties,” I shook my head=
, and
ducked around him. I couldn’t believe we were arguing already! It felt
pretty normal.

We did get to talk to Carlie and Carol after that, and they were just like=

I thought they’d be. They looked exactly like the picture I’d seen, for=
one
thing, and they fit the personas I’d learned on the Shoopies-list. We ask=
ed
to take their picture with their little blue kitty ears on. Later we saw
that they’d made up an entire dance to “Dress Sexy For Me”, which was=

hilarious! They had it down to a T.

When Jules left to go to the bathroom, I introduced myself to the fan next=

to us, whose name was Kim, and apparently she lurks on Shoopies! She knew=

who I was from my earlier post, which was nice. : ) She’d traveled alone=

and had come from Maryland, but she used to live in the North Carolina area=

so she wanted to come back.

The fan sitting next to Kim had also come alone. Her name was Cindy, and
she was a Monkees fan whose favorite was Mike like Juliana. It was so nice=

to meet fans who weren’t snobby or obsessed with showing off in front of=

the band. It was great to meet them both.

There were only about 40 people there all together, and not everyone was
there to see the band. Some just wanted to hang out at the bar.

Peter actually played *six* Monkee songs, which amazed me. He normally only=

plays one or two, and he doesn’t have to if he doesn’t want to. But he=

played Last Train to Clarksville, I’m a Believer, Steppin’ Stone, Littl=
e
Bit Me Little Bit You, Auntie Grizelda (!), and Daydream Believer. The
drunks at the bar kept to themselves mostly, unlike some of the outdoors
concerts I’ve been to, except for one obnoxious one who yelled out “Las=
t
Train to Clarksville!” when he’d already played it!

Peter made fun of her. “Obviously you were talking when we first played
that number! We play what’s on the setlist, no exceptions=97what did you=

think this was, a Monkees show?!”

“F*** you!” the woman screamed out.

Peter looked at the audience with a bewildered expression on his face.
“Such an original insult, and it came right off the top of your head!”

We saw Ginger’s red and black beaded guitar strap that she’d given Pete=
r to
use with his red guitar. She’d mentioned it on Shoopies-list, and it was=

very groovy.

Juliana told me later that after I whoo-hooed during “Young Blood”, Pet=
er
said, “She has to do that; she’s my cousin!” and pointed at me.

“Where was I?!” I said to Jules. I didn’t remember it happening at al=
l! It
was a little hazier than the Monkees show; it wasn’t in as sharp of focus=
.

During one song early on, Peter smiled with dimples at me. That classic
Peter smile. I felt a warm, family feeling that can only come from that
sincere grin.

Hearing SSB live was so powerful. The harmonies were fantastic. They would=

start a cappella and Peter would show them what he wanted them to do with
his hands. Then the band would kick in, and ooh! It gave me chills. John
did harmonica instead of Tadg, and he was really good! He was doing it
while drumming, which was especially impressive. Peter mainly played guitar=

but did take over keyboards on a few songs. Mostly the keyboards were left=

out since Tadg got let go. But they sounded so tight, so together, that it=

seemed to work.

I got what I hope are really wonderful pictures with my new camera, but I
didn’t want to take too many because I was afraid the flash would bug the=

band. We were so close that it was tons of fun to take pictures.
Juliana and I were dancing in our seats for the first half. I couldn’t he=
lp
it; it was a natural inclination.

Richard broke a string after only three songs! “That never happened
before!” he exclaimed dubiously. While he ran offstage and tried to fix i=
t
quickly, Peter played “waiting” music and I finally got a picture of
Michael, who was normally hidden completely by the immensely tall Richard!=

One time when Richard came back, Michael peered out from behind his bass
and smiled real big at me, which makes his whole face light up. I couldn’=
t
see John very well behind his cymbal, but he saw us, as we found out later.

I recognized most of the songs from the first two albums, plus the Monkees=

songs Peter added in. Peter did so many Monkee tunes he didn’t sing on, a=
nd
he did them *better*. “Steppin’ Stone” just *rocked*! He said “This=
is a
song the Sex Pistols did, and also the London Philharmonic Orchestra. The
Sex Pistols did it nasty, and we’re gonna do it nasty too!” And they di=
d.
Peter did the whole “I’m not your stone!” part at the end, and it was=
fabulous.

When Peter set his guitar down and walked over the keyboards to do a song,=

the instrument tipped over. The audience knew what was gonna happen a few
seconds before he did, because a few people yelled out “Peter!” But he=

didn’t catch it in time, and it crashed onto the floor of the stage. He
spent two minutes trying to ham it up, to cover up his embarrassment=97whic=
h
is SO Peter! He petted it, then backed away and held out his hands
cautiously as if he were ready to catch it. Then he jumped like it was
going to fall again. It was very cute. *g*

Before they launched into another Monkees songs, John called out, “Play i=
t
like you did on the record, Richard! Not the Whitesnake record, the other o=
ne!”

Peter tried to tell the Michael Sunday-Steven Monday story. “Michael Sund=
ay
has a friend named Steven Monday, and Steven Monday has a brother, and
three of them were all driving along one day when they got pulled over by a=

cop. And the cop stuck his head in the window and said =91What’s your nam=
e?’
And he said =91Michael Sunday’. And then the cop looked at the next guy a=
nd
said, =91What’s *your* name?’ And the guy said =91Steven Monday’. And=
then he
looked at the third guy in the back and said, =91Well then, what’s *your*=

name?’ And he said, “George Washington!’ And the cop said, =91Alright=
, out of
the car!’ True story!” And Michael confirmed it. The funniest part was =
that
Peter couldn’t get it right. He kept saying “Steven Monday” when he m=
eant
“Michael Sunday”, and we all knew what he was *trying* to say, but he
insisted, “I *will* get this right, folks!”

The band did decide to do some of Tadg’s songs anyway. When they introduc=
ed
“Cab Driver”, Peter said, “This was written by an ex-band member=85 w=
e kicked
him out so we could make more money!” They still played “Black Drawers=
” and
“Dress Sexy For Me” as well, songs Tadg had co-written.

Peter suddenly realized that they’d played a couple songs out of order.
They were going to play something like “Black Drawers” and “Dress Sex=
y For
Me” right in a row. “We can’t have that or everyone will start having=
sex!”
Peter blurted. Which led him directly into a joke: “Why don’t Baptists =
let
people have sex standing up? It might lead to dancing!” ~groan~

They had a thirty minute intermission in which they took a break and I was=

able to go to the bathroom and figure out how to get the film out of my new=

camera. I couldn’t find the right button in the dark. During intermission=

they played Beatles music.

During “A Little Bit Me, Little Bit You” in the second set, I suggested=
to
Jules that we get up and dance. One woman was dancing in the aisle by the
bar already, so we knew we wouldn’t block anyone. She cheered when the tw=
o
of us got up and we all danced together. Everyone was *so* nice, in the
Double Door and in Charlotte in general.

I don’t know how to dance, but it was impossible not to move to the music=
.
They were soooooo good live! I’d never been in a club setting before, but=
I
felt comfortable and safe at the DDI.

I would face away from Peter and dance with Jules sometimes. Whenever I
wasn’t looking towards the stage and would then turn back, I would catch=

Peter looking at us. When we *were* looking, he’d make eye contact a coup=
le
times, but he was *always* watching us dance when he didn’t think we knew=

it. Very coy. *g*

During “Auntie Grizelda”, instead of making funny noises in the middle,=
he
said little things like “Where’s the hat? Weren’t you a Monkee? Ooh-h=
oo,
pretty bird!” A bit of a barely-concealed statement, I should think.

When I looked at the clock, it was quarter to one! They’d started at 9:30=
,
which meant they’d played three and a half hours! I was thrilled!!!
Definitely different than the average concert!

Out of the songs that I knew from the first two albums (not counting
Monkees songs), they played: Hitchhike, She Belongs to Me (the song Kim was=

hoping to hear!), Cross Cut Saw, Black Drawers, Young Blood, Madison
Blues/Blue Suede Shoes, Mojo, Saved By the Blues, Cab Driver, Help Me,
Route 66, Dress Sexy For Me, Treat Her Right, Big Boss Man, Slender Tender=

& Tall, and Wine-Texas BBQ.

When he played “Daydream Believer”, I realized it was the first time I=

could really enjoy it live=97and I did. I have heard three out of the four =
of
them sing it live now. Micky at his solo show, Davy at the Monkees and
Twokees shows, and Peter that night. Normally people wave their arms back
and forth, which makes it hard for me to just feel the emotions connected
with that song. But here we could sway and watch Peter and truly *enjoy*
it. I really felt tremendous love and warmth from him… a feeling of
rightness, of belonging…

They didn’t do any encores=97most bands do. But they’d already been pla=
ying
for so long; I don’t blame them! Everyone lined up to get autographs per=

Carol, who was organizing it. I was expecting everyone to mill around
afterwards and have the band members wander up to all the different groups=

of people. But there wasn’t enough room to do that, and Callie told me
later that the line was the way it was usually done.

While we were waiting around, I spotted Michael. I said hi to him and asked=

if it would be ok if we got a picture with him. He beamed and looked really=

flattered. “Sure=97as soon as I go to the bathroom!” he told us, and we=
laughed.

By the time we got up to Peter, we noticed that the band members were in a=

line behind a table. Juliana was before me in line. She said “Great show!=
”
and Peter said, “I liked your dancing!” and she responded with “I lik=
ed
*your* dancing!” Peter had been shaking his hips and dancing spastically =
as
usual.

I told him “Fantastic show!” and gave him the cover of the first album =
to
sign. I pulled out the “LOVE bag” we’d brought for him (It said “LO=
VE” in a
square-shaped hippie pattern on it) and told him about the songs we’d
written for him.

Richard was next in line, and I explained that I pre-ordered the new CD and=

it was already signed, so I had to bring the old one, even though he wasn=
‘t
on it. He wondered where I got it from because most of them go to his
house. I didn’t want to mention Tadg for some reason, or
teenyweenystore.com. But that *was* where I got it from.

After that we spoke to Michael, who’d taken his place in line. He already=

knew us and smiled broadly. I told him that seeing SSB was worth
everything=97getting up at 3:30 in the morning, flying from Wisconsin, etc.

“You flew from *Wisconsin* to see *us*?!” Michael gasped. Richard heard=
him
and leaned over to talk to us again. “*Where* are they from?!” he inter=
jected.

“Well, we knew you guys never played the Midwest, so we thought *we’d* =
come
to *you*!” I tried to explain. They were both really impressed and
flattered, and it was so nice.

I think we said something about wanting to get a picture later, and Michael=

said, “You came all the way from Wisconsin; we’ll give you whatever you=
want!”

We talked to John, who *wasn’t* behind the table. He was really friendly=

and considerate. He thought we’d left, because he couldn’t see us when =
we
were dancing. “You guys had so much energy, and when I thought you’d le=
ft,
I was really disappointed!” There was some sort of wooden structure that=

held the house up and blocked us from Richard, Michael, and John when we
were dancing. Peter was the only one who could really see us from that
vantage point. John drew himself in on the album cover, since he’d actual=
ly
played on the first album but for some reason hadn’t been in the photo.

We got back in line for pictures, which they did separately. Peter put his=

arm around Jules and they were so cute. Her camera didn’t work properly a=
nd
she may have gotten three pictures out of it! Carol was the one taking the=

photos and she was very nice about it.

I said, “Hi Peter” again when it was my turn, and he put his arm around=
my
waist and I put mine around his back, and then he wrapped both his arms
around me! It wasn’t a squeezing Peter hug like in Michigan last year; it=

was more of a “picture hug”, which I’d never gotten before. It was a=

cuddling type thing. I was really flattered, since last time I’d been und=
er
the impression he’d liked Jules best and I’m never the type to be notic=
ed
like that. He made me so happy!!! It was just so easy and comfortable and
right.

What Jules told me later was that Peter didn’t let go. I started talking =
to
him, and he kept his arms around my waist, and apparently I didn’t
disentangle myself from him either. I totally don’t remember this! If it=

happened, I wasn’t conscious of it. I was really concentrating on what I=

was saying so I didn’t sound stupid. Juliana said that to people watching=
,
it probably looked like I knew him. She said it looked really natural, and=

it must have *felt* natural because I didn’t notice!

I got to talk to Peter for longer than I expected. He was amazingly sweet
and seemed to really open up and trust me once we started talking. It was a=

fantastic experience.

There were more people in line, so we headed down the stairs where John
was. I asked him if Michael was still around because I told him we were
going to get a pic with him. John offered to take the picture and said
Michael might be out smoking. I also wanted to ask for John’s picture, bu=
t
because of the order I’d said it in, I felt that if I asked him now, it
would sound like we were trying to use him as a substitute, which wasn’t=

true! Also, it was an awkward place to take the picture since we were on
the stairs. And no one was available to take it. Richard was still behind
the table, I think. So unfortunately we didn’t get pictures with the two =
of
them.

We went outside to look for Michael, but he wasn’t out there. We couldn=
‘t
go back inside without disrupting the fans waiting for Peter, so we called=

a cab.

Then Michael came out, and I said, “There you are!” There was this gray=
car
parked outside that had the doors open and was *blasting* “Porpoise Song=
”
and all these other Monkees songs. Michael yelled “Turn that down!” jok=
ingly.

A guy named Scott was out there as well; he was the one who’d found
Juliana’s pin that had fallen off her bag. He took the picture of us and=

Michael together. We posed on either side of Michael, and he said “Preten=
d
we like each other!”

We talked to Michael a little longer than Peter. He asked us why were
didn’t fly somewhere closer and we said that school was starting. He aske=
d
us where we went to school, and we said UW-Oshkosh. I told him I only got
one picture of him because Richard was so tall!

The taxi came too fast. The one time it actually came fast was when we were=

talking to Michael. Darn!

“Have a safe trip!” Michael said. He seemed really worried about us get=
ting
back by ourselves.

We all waved, and that was the end of it.

It was so much fun. I really feel lucky that we’re finally, finally old
enough to do this. It was worth every penny, every moment of planning,
every worry. In two days, September 3, I’ll have loved the Monkees for fo=
ur
years. It feels like longer than that. But if you had told me back then
what we would be doing nowadays, I never would have believed it. At that
time, even the idea of seeing them in concert was inconceivable. How far
we’ve come=85 : )

**Pictures coming as soon as they’re developed! *g*

Peace Love & Harmony,
Anon

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