Being a child of the 80's, I wasn't introduced to The Monkees until they appeared in 1986 on Disney World's 15th Anniversary tv special (I had tuned in to watch Emmanuel Lewis tap-dancing in front of Cinderella's Castle).
The bits with Micky, Davy, and Peter grabbed my imagination. I taped it on our VCR and wore out that poor VHS tape watching it over and over again. At recess during school, all my buddies would pretend to be The Monkees (I was always Micky).
The Monkees popped back onto my radar in 1987 via Nickelodeon's must-see, not-quite-MTV-but-safe-for-elementary-eyes, Nick Rocks (right after Danger Mouse and before You Can't Do That on Television). I was hooked, Heart and Soul.
In 1996, I took Amber on a romantic date to see The Monkees on tour (click my above left pic to see Davy Jones' mad tambourine skills). It was a blast. Well, for me it was a blast. I think Amber was just tolerating my harmless little musical obsession.
In 1999, I took my Mom on a date to see Davy Jones do a solo gig on the riverboats in Davenport, Iowa (click my pic on the right). Again, blast was had by all.
We followed that up with a 2001 Monkees concert in Cleveland, Ohio and a 2006 summer festival solo concert from Micky Dolenz in Akron, Ohio:
So, to say I'm a Monkees fan is an understatement.
In a sense, they changed my life.
Sorta.
You see, they influenced me in 3 key ways:
- With the exception of Martin & Lewis in 1950, The Monkees were the first to create television music and comedy through improvisation. Yes, they had a script, but 1960's NBC was sharp and edgy enough to air the improvised bits created on the fly by the boys. The Monkees were trained in improv-comedy by Second City vets, which led me to study there also during my college years.
- The theme of the tv series was that they were Perpetual Underdogs. They never got their big break on the tv show, just shlepping from one gig to another (along with the occasional haunted mansion). Perseverance while keeping your sense of humor were the keys to the on-screen band. And guess what - it's true for real-world creatives also.
- The Monkees always had second chances. Their 1987 reunion was the highest-grossing concert tour in the world, their 1996 reunion album received great reviews, and their 2011 reunion tour featured rave reviews from Rolling Stone Magazine. Even though they were always getting written-off by critics, The Monkees would manage to reinvent themselves over the years and keep the magic rolling.
Davy Jones' passing is a bummer, but also an opportunity to reflect back. It's a reminder of childhood innocence, bubblegum pop, and how little influences add up in one's life.
So cheer up, Sleepy Jean. The Monkees sure did leave a mark on many a Daydream Believer.
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