Perched on the second story outdoor balcony of Athens’ legendary Wuxtry Records Friday, mayor Kelly Girtz presented the last surviving Monkee Micky Dolenz with a key to the city before hundreds of fans to celebrate his new E.P. covering several R.E.M. tunes.
To top it, three of the four members of R.E.M. were in attendance: Bill Berry, Peter Buck and Michael Stipe. (Mike Mills was out of town and unable to make the event.)
“We know that Athens is a special place, and Athens is a magnetic creative community,” Girtz said. “So I want us to remember that when the cosmic scientists describe stars, they recognize that the small ones burn the brightest and that’s what we’re seeing here because Micky could be doing this record launch in Los Angeles. He could be doing it in London. But he’s doing it right here in lil ol’ Athens.”
Dolenz, when given the key, joked: “Wow! Does it work at the bank? What an honor. What a beautiful town. What great people, what great history.”
Dolenz, 78, has outlasted his peers Davy Jones, who died in 2012 at age 66; Peter Tork in 2019 at age 77 and Michael Nesmith in 2021 at age 78.
Though Dolenz did not perform, a cover band of Athens musicians that was created specifically for the occasion called the Funkees played several Monkees tunes. Buck sang vocals for one tune “(I’m Not Your) Steppin’ Stone.”
Deborah Wall, who performed with the Funkees and whose brother owns Wuxtry, said they decided to create the cover band a week earlier and had a single rehearsal Saturday. They covered some big hits like “I’m a Believer” and the show theme song as well as deeper cuts like “Porpoise Song” and “For Pete’s Sake.” Hundreds of people joyously sang along to “Daydream Believer.”
On the E.P., Dolenz covers R.E.M.’s “Shiny Happy People,” “Radio Free Europe,” “Man on The Moon” and “Leaving New York” with help from producer Christian Nesmith, son of late Monkee Nesmith.
“It just goes to show that if you have great songs, even someone like me can’t make it go wrong,” Dolenz told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution last month.
On Friday, he added, “I’m so thankful to be able do my little interpretation, as it were, of these wonderful, wonderful songs that came, initially out of that record store right underneath us. Thank you so much.”
After the concert, Dolenz was given a bar stool to sit on in front of the entrance of Wuxtry and he took photos with adoring fans for more than two hours just before a University of Georgia homecoming event was set to begin.
Credit: RODNEY HO/rho@ajc.com
Credit: RODNEY HO/rho@ajc.com
Credit: RODNEY HO
Credit: RODNEY HO
Lynly Erhlich, a freelance photographer, candlemaker and “American Idol” casting producer who moved to Suwanee last year, attended the final Monkees concert in late 2021 in Los Angeles less than a month before Nesmith died and showed the AJC a video of her crying during the concert.
Though she wasn’t alive when NBC aired “The Monkees” show from 1965 to 1968, her mom played her heavy doses of the music when she was a child, and of course, she laughed at the hijinks in syndication. Driving to Athens Friday was a no brainer.
“It was worth the two-hour wait,” said Erhlich, clutching her autographed vinyl copy of “Micky Dolenz Sings R.E.M.,” moments after meeting Dolenz. “He was so nice. He seems grateful.”
Credit: RODNEY HO/rho
Credit: RODNEY HO/rho
Trish Silva, 62 of Athens, was thrilled to see so many people fete Dolenz and R.E.M.: “Monkees music is still alive and kicking and people love it,” she said. “It’s music that lasts forever.”
She recalled watching “The Monkees” while her father was in Japan in the service and saw the band in concert a few years back in Albany. “They were so great,” she said. “It broke my heart when Davy Jones died. You really start getting a sense of your own mortality when rock stars your age start dying.”
Credit: RODNEY HO/rho@a
Credit: RODNEY HO/rho@a
Keith Taylor, who drove in with his wife Dixie, said he had already heard the E.P. and was impressed with Dolenz’s musicality. “Micky did a good job with the cover songs,” he said. “He slowed ‘Shiny Happy People’ down and it worked.” Dixie was equally happy to have gotten a selfie with Berry and Stipe.
Credit: RODNEY HO/rh
Credit: RODNEY HO/rh
Dolenz also got to spend quality time with the members of R.E.M. Thursday night and Berry, Buck and Stipe happily took selfies with fans at Wuxtry Friday afternoon.
Credit: RODNEY HO/rho@aj
Credit: RODNEY HO/rho@aj
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