By Michael Drexler
Plain Dealer Reporter
Television's pop/rock answer to the Beatles- The Monkees - played nostalgia, fun pranks and (helped by a five-piece band) their instruments to a screaming full house last night at the Palace Theatre.
The quartet, minus Michael Nesmith, put on a show that, for the most part the audience wanted - renditions of the songs that made the band, formed through some Los Angeles auditions in 1965 for a TV series, famous.
During their time, serious rock musicians and listeners laughed at The Monkees, made up of actor/racehorse jockey Davy Jones; Nesmith, a session singer/guitarist; actor/singer Micky Dolenz; and singer guitarist Peter Tork, because they seemed to be an establishment antidote against controversial rock contemporaries such as the Beatles, Jimi Hendrix and Bob Dylan.
Last night, though, the memory of that issue vanished, as the band played songs that reminded the listeners of a time when they were young, without responsibilities and listening to pop music on little transistor radios attached to bicycle handlebars.
The Monkees, like the audience that grew up with them , looked older, but still recognizable. Jones seemed the same boyish-looking showman of yesteryear, Dolenz the comic goof and Tork the rock 'n' roller.
Dan and Diane Dingfelder, of Solon, 46 and 43 respectively, came with friends, relatives and a host of teenage family members to recapture and to introduce the music and flavor of the '60's. "I remember the Monkees TV show, " Diane said. "I came because they are what I grew up with, and I can understand the words to the music."
Rick Koehler, 45, of Mayfield came with his three sons. He liked the band because "they are uplifting. There are no hidden messages or revolt."
The band played popular selections such as "Daydream Believer," "Listen to the Band," "I'm A Believer," "(I'm Not Your) Steppin' Stone," "Heart and Soul" and some newer, lesser interesting material that the reformed group has played in recent years. The crowd cheered all the old stuff.
In a period of '60s retro, The Monkees are capitalizing well, with their old TV show on Nick at Night. The crowd loved them, though Tork's self-promotion as a serious musical artist got on some peoples' nerves. As he sang an original tune, "I Believe You," full of superficial existential angst and no discernible melody, a woman shouted, "You're terrible." Other than that, folks cheered the band.
While the music was generally fine, it seemed kind of a gouge to sell skimpy Monkees programs for 20 bucks each. Not very '60s-like. Oh well, the times they have 'a changed----a lot.
But the band gave a pleasant amusing performance that made a whole lot of people happy. It's hard to put a price on happy, but The Monkees struck a fine deal with the audience.
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