The Payne & Mencias Palladium // Friday, April 25, 8 p.m. ET
Photography // Courtesy of DIS Company
Micky Dolenz is an actor, singer, director, producer, writer and radio DJ, best known as a vocalist and drummer for the 1960s pop sensation the Monkees. The band achieved great success not only as a TV series but also as recording artists, selling more than 65 million records and achieving worldwide fame. Their first four albums topped the charts and spawned No. 1 singles, including “Last Train to Clarksville” and “I’m a Believer,” both with lead vocals by Dolenz. Recent projects have included a four-song EP, “Dolenz Sings R.E.M.,” a 2023 book of photos and stories titled “I’m Told I Had A Good Time” and a new album, “Live at the Troubadour.”
Purchase your tickets at thecenterpresents.org.
March 2025
Janelle Morrison: Before we dive into that and discuss your new album, I understand that your mother’s name was also Janelle.
Micky Dolenz: Yes, it absolutely was!
JM: How about that! Before we talk about your upcoming show in Carmel, I want to touch on the fact that you were involved in the L.A. Canyon Club events for relief efforts in California. I just want to express my appreciation for everything you and others have been doing. And I also want to remind people that this tragedy isn’t over — there’s still so much help needed.
MD: The cleanup isn’t even done yet. You still can’t drive down Pacific Coast Highway. It’s just unbelievable. I can’t even bring myself to look at the pictures or videos — it’s too painful. I spent my life there, born and raised in L.A., and I’ve never seen anything like this.
There have been so many benefit events. I’ve done a number of posts about them on my website and social media. My band members put together a big benefit in Hollywood, and it had some incredible people show up — Nancy Sinatra, Paul Shaffer and Eric Idle from Monty Python. That was a big one. But as you said, this is far from over. The cleanup isn’t even done yet, and rebuilding? That could take 20 years.
JM: Now, shifting gears — let’s talk about your current tour and your latest album. This is your first live album in seven years.
MD: Yes! And actually, that album was recorded for charity. It was for Make-A-Wish.
Janelle: That’s wonderful!
MD: Yeah, someone suggested I do a little show in L.A., and I had already been thinking about it. I chose The Troubadour because it was my go-to spot back in the ’60s and early ’70s. That was our big hangout. I tell the whole story in my show, but you’ll have to come to hear it!
That’s where we did the live recording, and it went really well. We raised a good amount of money for Make-A-Wish. It also served as a dress rehearsal for this tour, which is subtitled “Songs & Stories.”
Over the years, I realized that people really love hearing stories from back in the day. At first, I’d just share little anecdotes here and there, but over time, I started telling longer stories — and no one walked out! So, I took that as a good sign.
The structure of the show is simple: each story connects to a song. For example, I tell a story about Stephen Stills and his connection to Jimi Hendrix, or stories about The Beatles and Elton John. Then, I perform a song related to that story.
Of course, I always do all the big Monkees hits — no medleys or cut-down versions. Over the years, I’ve learned that fans expect to hear those songs in full, and I believe in honoring that unspoken contract with the audience. Once they know they’ll get the hits, I have the freedom to mix in deep album cuts and covers of songs by other artists — but always with a meaningful connection. The show also includes extensive video and multimedia elements!
JM: Performing all of these classic songs today, specifically on this tour, how have they changed since you first performed them?
MD: Honestly, not much. A great song is a great song. I was lucky to have some of the best songwriters ever writing for me: Carole King and Gerry Goffin, Neil Diamond (who wrote “I’m a Believer”), Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart.
These writers created timeless songs, and you really can’t mess them up. Over the years, I’ve made sure to give credit to the songwriters in my show because it all starts with them. The appreciation for these songs hasn’t changed, and neither has the audience’s enthusiasm.
It’s like someone throwing me a birthday party every night! That energy makes it so easy to perform. The only real challenge is making sure I don’t become complacent. But when a song like “I’m a Believer” still gets an incredible response, it keeps everything fresh.
JM: The Monkees’ catalog has been introduced to a new generation. It’s wonderful to see the love of your music continue, and I know your show in Carmel will have a multi-generational audience. When you see multiple generations in your audience, what does that mean to you?
MD: It’s incredible, but I don’t take full credit for it. The Monkees was a massive collaborative effort — songwriters, producers, musicians, TV writers, directors and so many others played a role.
The Monkees wasn’t just a band; it was a multi-faceted project spanning television, radio, live performance and film. You can’t just break it down into parts and say, “Oh, it was just the music,” or, “It was just the TV show.” It was the combination of everything.
One of the original producers was once asked what made The Monkees so successful, and he said, “We just caught lightning in a bottle.” That’s exactly how I see it. I was just lucky enough to be in that bottle.
