September 28, 2005

Big band music on Dolenz song list

Dolenz

Plenty of people remember the music from the 1960s TV show "The Monkees."

And when one of guys in the band, Micky Dolenz, performs at Culver Academies Thursday night, those songs will be heard, for sure.

But Dolenz has a few other things in mind for the audience.

His sister, Coco Dolenz, will join him on vocals to revisit songs from their childhood -- songs from the big band era.

Their mother was a singer in that era, which influenced his decision to sing these tunes in his show as well.

"It will be a well-rounded show," Dolenz said Monday in a telephone interview from Los Angeles, "so they won't be disappointed even if not a Monkees fan."

Concertgoers at Eppley Auditorium can still look forward to hearing Monkees tunes, many of which were big hits then and are still well known today.

"Of course, anybody who is a fan of the Monkees then and now won't be disappointed," Dolenz said. "We will do the popular Monkees songs just as they have been recorded."

The show is planned to kick off Parents' Weekend at Culver Academies. The public can also purchase tickets for the show.

Marsha Coven, technical director of Eppley Auditorium, said that they wanted someone students and parents could relate to. She said she was pleasantly surprised when she played Dolenz's demo tape for students.

"Students recognized (the lyrics) 'Hey, hey, we're the Monkees' and sang along," she said.

Dolenz says the music has maintained its popularity because "the music was good, some of it written by Neil Diamond and Carole King ... and because of our performances ... and the reruns. ... The show wasn't topical. It stands up over the years, because it was just about these four guys trying to make a living."

But Dolenz didn't stop with the Monkees.

He has taken on many projects as actor, director, radio personality, and now writer.

Dolenz has a children's book coming out in May from Penguin called "Gakky Two-Feet."