Hey, Hey, I'm A Monkees Fan!

Washington, DC, and Virginia concert reviews and photos

2001 Tour, The 9:30 Club, WolfTrap

• How I Became A Monkees Addict
• How I Got Davy's Autograph
• Hey, Hey, It's Really The Monkees
• Hanging Out Before The Concert
• Not Quite Front Row, But VERY Close!
• With Special Guest: Natural
• The Monkees

I have been a Monkees fan since elementary school (mid-70s), and maybe even before. When I was growing up, the only music I was allowed to listen to was 'the oldies.' Well, I'm sure I heard the Monkees a lot during that time but didn't realize it. It wasn't until their TV show was re-run after school that I became a HUGE fan! I was an elementary school, second-generation fan! I had it all: albums, posters, a huge crush on each and every Monkee!

The Monkees TV show was re-running in syndication after school, which is how I formally became addicted. It started early in the afternoon, so I'd have to run home from school to see the show. If I walked home, I'd miss it completely. Let me tell you, I ran home as fast as my little legs could carry me! It was soooo worth the effort!

I was already familiar with their music and loved it, so adding the visual element was just a blast. There was nothing else in my universe quite like it.

How I Got Davy's Autograph

Soon after I became aware of the Monkees, my Mom found out that Davy and Micky were performing at a Big Daddy's, a bar in my hometown of Tallahassee, Florida. Of course, I was too young to see the show, but Mom, the COOLEST MOM IN THE WORLD!, took me there to wait for my heroes to arrive and get their autographs. Well, we waited, and waited, and waited. It was hot as heck as Florida in the summer tends to get. The Manager took pity on us and brought us cups of water occasionally. Finally, when the Manager found the band was running late and wouldn't arrive for hours, he bravely broke the news to us. I was crushed when we had to leave!

Luckily, one of my Mom's co-workers went to the show, knew I was a huge fan, and got Davy's autograph for me! Davy signed his name and drew a flower above the signature. When Mom gave me the autograph, I just went nuts!!! I was hopping up and down and screaming like a total idiot. Hey, give me a break, I was 7 years old!?! I guess it was a good thing that I didn't actually meet Davy and Micky that day, because I probably would have freaked out in front of them and embarrassed myself to death!

To the kind soul who got the autograph for me: I don't remember your name, but I do know there is a special place in heaven for women like you! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!

Hey, Hey, It's Really The Monkees

God Bless Pollstar.com! If it wasn't for that, I'd never have known about The Monkees concert! Pollstar sent me a notice that one of the guys was touring solo that prompted me to see if the whole group (with or without Mike) was touring. As it turns out, they were!

What was so great about The Monkees touring again is that you never know when they are going to hang up their instruments and say goodbye to public life. Every time you see them in concert just may be the last time, so I promised myself to see them as much as I could while the possibility existed. Can you imagine a world without The Monkees? Me neither....

The first thing I did was buy a ticket through TicketBastards. The next thing I did was email my friend Amy, another HUGE Monkees fan. She was very, very excited to know about the concert and bought her ticket that day as well! So, tickets gotten, I decided then and there that I was going to do whatever it took to get FRONT ROW, BABY!!! If you have read any of my Weird Al concert reviews, you know that I have adopted a FRONT ROW OR BUST attitude. The 9:30 Club is always general admission, so I knew we'd have to get there early in order to get up close and personal.

The 9:30 Club is a great venue in a BAD neighborhood! You are safe as long as you are with the concert crowd, but don't get separated from the group -- there's no telling what could happen to you!

I took the day of the concert off. The three weeks prior to the concert were so full of stress. Between not getting along with my roommate, and the demands of school and work, I was soooo ready to dance my head off! I was so desperate for some fun. The Monkees concert was my light at the end of the tunnel, my carrot tied to the stick, my reason for living, you get the idea.... I kept saying to myself, "Get through this crap and your reward is seeing The Monkees in concert!" Ultimately, there’s no way to get through it but to do it. So I did!

I wanted to sleep in on my day off, but it wasn't to be. I had an 8:45 AM doctor's appointment, but I did go back to sleep after I got home. I planned to meet Amy at the New Carrolton Metro station so we could drive in together. We originally thought about taking the Metro but we planned to try to get autographs and we didn't want to miss the last train. Let me just say that the driving directions from the 9:30 Club's web site are very confusing! I can't tell you how many times we had to turn around or otherwise retrace our steps. But, with a lot of luck, a little help from a couple of firemen, and a pinch of screaming and cursing, we finally got there at about 5:00.

Hanging Out Before The Concert

On our way from the parking lot to the line in front of the 9:30 club, Amy and I walked past Natural's tour bus. In the front seat was not a human bus driver but a great dog. This tickled Amy and I no end. We thought this was the cutest thing. We asked and found out that the dog's name is Georgia. Amy took a photo from outside the front of the bus so it should look like Georgia is driving the bus. When Amy took the photo, Georgia started barking as if to say, "My fans are driving me crazy!" Just wait until Natural really hits it big, Georgia, you don't even know what crazy fans are yet. I'll post this photo when I get it, if it even came out.

There was a small line of fans already lined up. But not bad at all. We'd be really close to the stage, if not right up against the stage! Way cool! So we got in line. The tickets said that the concert started at 7:30. This turned out not to be true. The doors opened at 7:30, the opening act started at 8:15, and the Monkees didn't perform until 9:30 (hence the name of the club, I bet)! Well, Amy and I have waited longer and in much colder weather for great seats, so we settled in line quite nicely. We were right behind a woman named Susan who we became friends with and hung out with the whole night. She and I agree that Peter is our favorite Monkee. So, we planned to get up as close to the front as we could but be on Peter's side of the stage.

While we were waiting in line, we saw The Monkees backing band wander back and forth. We also saw Natural wandering around quite anonomously. We didn't know who they were at the time, but we were soon to find out.

OK, so we got bored with waiting pretty darn quick, let me tell you. So, I decided to walk around and take some pictures that I knew would appear on this very page. While I was following Weird Al around the country, I got into the habit of taking photos of the maruee. So, I wandered around trying to find the 9:30 Club's marquee. There wasn't one. The best I could find was a small note taped on the inside of the box office window. Well, it wasn't great but it would have to do.

When we were let into the club, we ran to the stage and stayed to the left, Peter's side of the stage. We weren't as close as I thought we would be, but Amy, Susan, and I wiggled our way up front until only Susan was between us and the stage. Plus, we were center stage! We could see everything! Once again, we were up close and personal! Woo Woo!

With Special Guest: Natural

I had NO idea what to expect of the Monkees opening act, Natural. Never heard of them. The Monkees 20th Anniversary Tour had opening acts I had heard of: Gary Puckett and The Union Gap, The Grassroots, and Herman's Hermits. The last time I went to the 9:30 Club, I walked in late and caught the opening act doing a really, really bad cover of A-ha's Take On Me. I did not want a repeat of that awful experience!

Let me tell you, Natural was GREAT! They are Lou Perlman's latest creation. Boy, are they cute! Boy, are they young! I think only one of the five was old enough to drink. No matter though, they could rock! The first song they played, This Is Where The Party's At was really good and got all of us into a really good mood!

The lead singer, Mark, thanked The Monkees for letting them open for them. But, it wasn't all peaches and cream. Sometime during the 5 or 6 song set, Mark made a joke that Natural played their own instruments. OUCH! But funny!

These boys can sing, dance, and play. And, they had this freshness, which I thought was a little nervousness showing through, that I really, really liked. The band also had a good rapport with the audience.

Of course, I continued my tradition of dancing my head off at concerts! I had to not only give Mad Props to the bands, but also work off the last three weeks of stress and tension. I know that I made a lot of eye contact with the Natural's bass player. Perhaps it was because I was 6 inches taller than anyone around me, maybe it was because I had my arms in the air and never stopped dancing and singing (as best I could) the whole time. I really made a spectacle out of myself and LOVED every minute of it! I think he enjoyed it. He gave me a smile whenever we made eye contact.

Sometime during the set, Peter showed up on the VIP balcony just to the left of the stage. A lot of us saw him and started screaming. He went backstage pretty quickly. But, that's when I noticed Lou Perlman was in attendance. I recognized him, but couldn't come up with a name right away. Soon after, Mark introduced the band saying that they were protégés of Lou Perlman, and then I knew who he was! Too cool! I followed the show Making The Band and loved it!

I looked at the balcony occasionally to see Lou taking pics of the band and the audience. Pretty cool if you ask me!

I think the highlight of the set was when the band abandoned their instruments and sang and danced their heads off! There was a backup band (members of the Monkees back-up band, I think) playing some music, while Natural danced and sang. The choreography was pretty complex and lively. To me, that was my favorite part of their performance.

I really think Natural has a bright, bright future ahead of them. GOOD LUCK! I know I'll buy your debut CD when it comes out!

Hey, maybe I could be one of their first groupies? We'll see....

The Monkees

Well, The Monkees appeared onstage in a timely manner, so we weren't able to start chanting, "We Want The Monkees!" Bummer! However, I was in no way disappointed with any other part of the concert!

The backup band came out and started playing the overture, a medley of the first few bars of many famous Monkees tunes. Once we in the crowd recognized the song, we screamed and cheered! It was just a little taste of what was to come. My first couple of impressions were that the lead guitarist looked like Elvis Costello and that the bass player was extremely handsome! Oh my my! I guess I have a thing for bass players. Hubba hubba!

But I digress.... The Monkees (Davy, Peter, and Micky) appeared on stage! My immediate impression was that they looked great and sounded even better!

My mom was skeptical about how the The Monkees look and sound. Here's the conversation: Mom: The Monkees are my age, you know. I'm pushing 60. Me: I know. Mom: Do you want to see me hopping around on stage for 2 hours? Me: No comparison, Mom! Let me tell you, that shut her up! LOL!

Once again, I digress.... Peter was wearing a funky red coat and pants, Davy was in a sparkly gray suit, and Micky looked sharp in a black suit and a white shirt!

The opening song was Last Train To Clarkesville. At first, I thought that Micky's voice was a little weak, but then I realized it was all the mics. They could have been turned up a little. It didn't interfere with my enjoyment of the show one tiny little bit!

Next came Davy singing A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You. He sounded great too! Talk about a man who was born to perform! He just lit up when he was in the spotlight!

Then it was Peter's turn. He sang his song Long Title: Do I Have To Do This All Over Again? Despite all the jokes about how can't sing and how he wasn't allowed to sing lead on too many songs, he really held his own. I was truly surprised to hear this song. I really, really like this song but never expected to hear it in concert.

The one thing that impressed me about this concert was that The Monkees didn't rely solely on their ultra-famous standards and played some of their lesser famous, but just as great, songs: Can You Dig It, Circle Sky, and Porpoise Song. Amy, Susan, and I agree that most of our absolute favorite Monkees songs aren't the most famous ones. We were all very pleased that some of our faves got concert time.

The next song was Davy singing Look Out (Here Comes Tomorrow). He was really funny during the song. He purposefully messed up the lyrics by saying "Mary, I love you. Sondra, I love Mary!" That was too funny! Up to this point, the concert had been pretty straight forward, but now the Monkee humor started coming out.

The Monkees didn't sing their Theme song, but they did perform Randy Scouse Git, the song that closed many of their TV show episodes.

Peter sang Auntie Grizelda as well. He made a joke that he was going to sing a song he wrote that was composed by the Beatles. That got a laugh from the crowd. He made this joke several times about different songs during the concert. I never realized how many of my fave songs he wrote! Very cool!

I just love Mary, Mary but never expected to hear that in concert, but Micky belted it out. I turned my dancing up a notch at this point! When I say 'dancing', let me clarify by saying that I was hemmed in by a crush of people, so I was only dancing from the waist up. I had absolutely no room to move my legs and spent most of the evening with the guy next to me standing on my right foot. Oh well, sometimes you have to sacrifice your body for the cause! I made up for it by shaking my head and waving my arms like a crazy woman. I left the club sore, sweaty, and smiling -- the ultimate sign of a ROCKIN' concert!

I know every single word to many, many Monkees songs, and practically every word to all the other songs. As I do at every concert I go to, I sang every stinkin' word I knew. However, that night, I couldn't sing Goin' Down to save my life. I can sing that song flawlessly at home, but that night, I completely messed it up. How embarrassing is that?!? No offense meant, Micky! I was more than a little tongue-tied!

The next part of the concert was even more of a surprise. Each of the guys sang a non-Monkees song of their own choosing. I thought this was a great idea! Non-fans might think that the Monkees can only sing light pop, but they are way more talented and musically diverse than that. And, they proved it that night.

Peter sang Lucille by Little Richard. He did a great job! I knew a lot of the words to this song as well, so I mostly sang right along with Peter. The next song was a re-arranged version of (Your Love Has Lifted Me) Higher and Higher. I had no idea why Peter chose this song until I was poking around CDNow and found out he recorded this song on his Stranger Things Have Happened CD. Pretty cool, if you ask me. I have to buy that CD!

Next, it was Micky's turn to sing one of his fave songs. He asked us if we knew that Jimmy Hendrix opened for the Monkees in the 60s? When we all yelled YES!, Micky said, "You weren't even born yet!" Then he said, "Your mother wasn't born then!" Which in a lot of cases was probably true. The crowd was very diverse that night. There were a lot of 40+ there but a large majority of the crowd seemed to be very, very young. I was born in 1968 and I felt old in that crowd.

Micky began singing Purple Haze. Let me tell you, he sounded great. He really took it up a notch for that song and the next one, Is You Is Or Is You Ain't My Baby?" I'm not a huge blues fan, but I like that song.

Then it was Davy's turn to surprise us. He sang the song he sang when he was on The Brady Bunch. I knew he was on the show, but I never actually saw it. In the show, he took Marsha to the prom. After that, he got angry letters from fans asking why he didn't take them to the prom. He made a joke that he does that all the time now! LOL!

Peter and Micky returned to the stage so they could perform Shades Of Gray. Micky said it was a protest song, or as much of a protest song as they were allowed to record. I love this song, and as I've gotten older, it has started to mean more and more to me. I was really glad to hear it.

The next song was Valleri. I like this song, but it is a song with a really catchy chorus and practically no lyrics. Not that that's a bad thing!

The next song was one that The Monkees are morally and ethically obligated to sing in concert: I'm A Believer. If they didn't sing it, I bet there would be a riot. Of course, this is a beloved song and it brought the crowd's intensity level up a couple of notches. The really fun part of this song was that Natural came out on stage and sang this song with The Monkees! I loved it. Talk about not even being born yet! These guys were only 5 or 6 when the 20th Anniversary Reunion Tour was going on. Again, I made a lot of eye contact with the band, but my favorite part happened with the bass player. I was singing and dancing my head off when I caught his eye. When he saw me, he held out the mic toward me! I laughed so hard I lost track of what I was singing. THANK YOU! That was really sweet of you! I appreciate it!

The next part of the show was my absolute favorite part. It was an acoustic set with Micky, Davy, and Peter and two guitars. Davy said that this was for an old friend, meaning Mike, and performed What Am I Doing Hangin' Round and a few other songs that Mike sings. I thought this was really, really, classy. When I saw the shows in 1986, I thought that Mike's contributions had all been all but ignored. Tonight, Mike was finally given the Mad Props he truly deserves. Thank you to The Monkees for this!

The next song was That Was Then, This Is Now. I have to admit this is a great song. Again, I was surprised to hear it in concert.

Another surprise was when Micky started singing Girl I Knew Somewhere -- another one of my faves! Wow, it felt just like The Monkees had tailored their set list just for me, and I loved every minute of it.

Davy performed She Hangs Out. Again, another song I didn't expect to hear in concert. When Davy sang the names of various dances, he performed the steps. For the first time in my life, I knew that his signature dance move is called The Shilling. I always called it "The Davy Dance." I had no idea it had a real name. You could have knocked me over with a feather. Let's just say this got a real big scream out of the audience. What a thrill.

The next song was Can You Dig It. Another great, great song by Peter and another song I never thought I'd heat in concert. The whole audience really got into the end where there's just the drum and the occasional "HEY!" The audience didn't miss a beat. Classic!

In another nod to our beloved Missing Link, Mike, The Monkees performed two of my three all-time favorite Monkees songs of all: Circle Sky and Listen To The Band. In between they played all-time favorite song number three: Porpoise Song. Micky really did justice to Mike's songs, and the Porpoise Song was a mellow psychadelic freak out for me. I can't get enough of that song. I have no idea what they are trying to say, but I love it anyway.

I have to digress again and give a shout out to the crazy horn section! When they weren't playing their hearts out, they were entertaining the audience by performing a different dance for each song. I wish there was a way to put into words how funny they were or what they did, but let's just say that they caught Peter's attention while he was performing and he lost it on stage. He was laughing his head off. Mad Props to the horn section.