Recollections of the 89 LA Show
Hi all!
A brand-new newbie here...thanks to all of you and also to the mods for the warm welcome on the "Hello" board! I mentioned in my intro over there that I attended the 1989 show at the Universal Ampitheater in LA when Nez joined Micky, Davy, and Peter onstage, and some of you requested sharing my recollections. So, at the risk of posting the same thing in two different topics, here's my memories (apologies for their tattered quality 20 years later!).
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The main thing I clearly remember is the sheer anticipation of the show all around LA, mainly because it was known ahead of time that Nez was going to appear. Our local classic-rock FM station had the guys on that morning or the day before to whet everyone's appetite, and the syndicated reruns were running full blast. I told my boss at the time I was going and she thought that was pretty cool. I even told her that "I always wanted to be Mike Nesmith since I was a kid".
Another thing I clearly remember about the show was that there were so many little kids there with their moms and dads. To me, that's where the Monkees are on even footing with the Beatles - as George Harrison once said, 'we're there as a nice alternative for people ages 7 to 77'. My own nephews and nieces used to watch all the reruns with me at the time, but it was just me and my current wife at the show.
There was a Bill Engvall-funny stand-up comic who opened for about 30 minutes, then the guys took the stage. There is no doubt that Micky, Davy, and Peter are the kings of banter and by-play. Lots of funny asides and tongue-in-cheek intros. Micky literally strutted his stuff through "Pleasant Valley Sunday", and Davy performed "Valleri" in spandex and a Van Halen wig. Peter handled guitar, bass, and keyboards effortlessly, and he also turned in a great rendition of "Long Title: Do I Have To Do This All Over Again" towards the beginning of the show.
About 2/3 of the way into the concert, Mr. Michael Nesmith took the stage and it brought down the house. I can't recall any song specifically the 4 of them did together, although there was a great moment when Mike began playing his solo hit "Joanne". He introduced the song and then said to the other three with all sincerity, "I wish you guys could've been around for this one". Just the other day I recalled this with my wife and asked "How did I NOT cry when he said that?".
I wish all of YOU guys could've been around with me and my wife at the show. We and the hundreds of others at the Universal Ampitheater that night had an absolute blast.
A brand-new newbie here...thanks to all of you and also to the mods for the warm welcome on the "Hello" board! I mentioned in my intro over there that I attended the 1989 show at the Universal Ampitheater in LA when Nez joined Micky, Davy, and Peter onstage, and some of you requested sharing my recollections. So, at the risk of posting the same thing in two different topics, here's my memories (apologies for their tattered quality 20 years later!).
----------------------------------------
The main thing I clearly remember is the sheer anticipation of the show all around LA, mainly because it was known ahead of time that Nez was going to appear. Our local classic-rock FM station had the guys on that morning or the day before to whet everyone's appetite, and the syndicated reruns were running full blast. I told my boss at the time I was going and she thought that was pretty cool. I even told her that "I always wanted to be Mike Nesmith since I was a kid".
Another thing I clearly remember about the show was that there were so many little kids there with their moms and dads. To me, that's where the Monkees are on even footing with the Beatles - as George Harrison once said, 'we're there as a nice alternative for people ages 7 to 77'. My own nephews and nieces used to watch all the reruns with me at the time, but it was just me and my current wife at the show.
There was a Bill Engvall-funny stand-up comic who opened for about 30 minutes, then the guys took the stage. There is no doubt that Micky, Davy, and Peter are the kings of banter and by-play. Lots of funny asides and tongue-in-cheek intros. Micky literally strutted his stuff through "Pleasant Valley Sunday", and Davy performed "Valleri" in spandex and a Van Halen wig. Peter handled guitar, bass, and keyboards effortlessly, and he also turned in a great rendition of "Long Title: Do I Have To Do This All Over Again" towards the beginning of the show.
About 2/3 of the way into the concert, Mr. Michael Nesmith took the stage and it brought down the house. I can't recall any song specifically the 4 of them did together, although there was a great moment when Mike began playing his solo hit "Joanne". He introduced the song and then said to the other three with all sincerity, "I wish you guys could've been around for this one". Just the other day I recalled this with my wife and asked "How did I NOT cry when he said that?".
I wish all of YOU guys could've been around with me and my wife at the show. We and the hundreds of others at the Universal Ampitheater that night had an absolute blast.
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