The Monkees’ Micky Dolenz (left) and Peter Tork
For so many, the thought of the Monkees conjures memories of the eccentric ’60s TV show, lunchboxes adorned with the band’s faces, Davy Jones fan clubs and, of course, great pop songs.
Who would’ve thought that, decades later, the Monkees would still be playing to adoring audiences—although, sadly, without Jones, who died of a heart attack in 2012. Despite the odds, the “Good Times: 50th Anniversary Tour” is headed to the Keswick Theatre on Saturday, May 28. It promises a nostalgia-filled set of 31 songs, sprinkled with a few new ones.
On Good Times, their first new album in 20 years, the Monkees come full circle with songs originally written for them in the 1960s by such great writers as Harry Nilsson, Neil Diamond and Carole King. Other tracks on the album draw from more contemporary writers, including Noel Gallagher of Oasis and Rivers Cuomo of Weezer. The absence of Jones is certainly felt, as is Michael Nesmith, who will be sporadically touring with the band, though Micky Dolenz and Peter Tork pick up the slack in his absence, with vocals on the new material.
And the old songs are still amazing. The Monkees did, after all, amass plenty of hits in their heyday, from “Last Train to Clarksville” to “Daydream Believer” to “Valleri.” Prepare to laugh a little, cry a little and maybe even scream a little.
Keswick Theatre
291 N. Keswick Ave., Glenside
Saturday, May 28
Tickets start at $49.50
