Photos by Andy Argyrakis

They may have been part of the same band and pop culture in general for more than 50 years, but it wasn’t until this summer’s billing of The Monkees Present: “The Mike & Micky Show” that original members Michael Nesmith and Micky Dolenz have ever appeared together as simply a duo. Throughout a little more than two hours filled with over 30 tunes at the gorgeously restored Copernicus Center, the TV stars turned serious musicians gave longtime listeners and viewers a night to fawn over, not only revisiting many major hits, but frequently exploring the most distant corners of the vault.

There were many other welcome surprises too, though the greatest impact came from golden oldies such as “Daydream Believer” and “Pleasant Valley Sunday” that couldn’t help but force even the oldest fans to their feet as they remembered exactly why The Monkees will always matter.

Backed by a sharp seven-piece band (including Nesmith’s son Christian on guitar) and two background singers, The Monkees men broke out some “Good Clean Fun” took the “Last Train To Clarksville,” introduced their “Sunny Girlfriend” and officially opened “The Door To Summer.” Beyond those cheerful, harmony-drenched tracks, Dolenz dived back to the more experimental “Head” soundtrack for “Porpoise Song,” “Circle Sky” and “As We Go Along,” plus Nesmith demonstrated his prolific songwriting nature outside the group with “Some Of Shelly’s Blues,” “Nine Times Blue,” “Different Drum” and “Grand Ennui.”

Collectively, the still sturdy performers made sure nostalgia wasn’t all that appeared on the agenda thanks to a couple of cuts from 2016’s thoroughly enjoyable “Good Times!” “Birth Of An Accidental Hipster” came cheekily from the pens of Oasis’ Noel Gallagher and The Jam’s Paul Weller, while “Me & Magdalena” was reverently crafted by Death Cab For Cutie’s Ben Gibbard and enhanced The Monkees’ potential for cross generational appeal.

Post-intermission settled in with a rootsy, stripped down segment that uncovered “Papa Gene’s Blues,” “Randy Scouse Git,” “I’ll Spend My Life With You” and a few of the above mentioned Nesmith nuggets. There were many other welcome surprises too, though the greatest impact came from golden oldies such as “Daydream Believer” and “Pleasant Valley Sunday” that couldn’t help but force even the oldest fans to their feet as they remembered exactly why The Monkees will always matter.

For additional information on The Monkees, visit Monkees.com.

For a list of upcoming NiteLite Promotions shows, visit NiteLite.com.

Upcoming concert highlights at the Copernicus Center include Gordon Lightfoot (Sept. 16) and Dennis Tufano, original voice of The Buckinghams (Sept. 23). For additional details, visit CopernicusCenter.org.

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