Why Would A Monkee Attend the Conference? Why not?

I hate to send you to a link without a story, so here's a link to Mike's announcement (why does it sound like a slight apology?), what he posted on FB, as posted by the good people at Naked Persimmon:

http://nakedpersimmon.tumblr.com/post/72894541589/the-official-word-from-the-man-himself

And if you are following them, you'll also get their reaction, the best of which is also on their Tumblr, and I quote:

"Nez’s first-ever Monkees Convention, the reality is that there is the potential for things to either go really, really, well…or really, really badly. Which way the pendulum swings will be contingent on a number of factors, of course, but should things end up going south, we do not think it will be because of Nez. "

He seems to be acknowledging the "collector community", which personally, he gets.  He feels slightly awkward about being asked for an autograph and feels bad saying no.  I will point out something here that I think NP was SHYING away from *GASP*.

He hasn't publicly discussed how he will approach the "female fan vibe", which I felt permeated the 2013 Convention. That aspect goes beyond the "autograph seeking" and "personal moment" and even the "fan fervor" that accompanied Monkeemania, circa late 1960's.

Which for me begs the question, how much entertainment can a person get being one of the featured acts at a Fan Convention?

How many people want to wait in line for hours for you, for their 5 minutes, photo and autograph-and how do you somehow make a personal connection with them-and help make "whatever their fantasy is" come true?

Difficult job.

Sometimes the applause and money and adulation from random strangers is just not worth it.

==
****UPDATE 1/12/14****

From "The Real Peter Tork" on Facebook.  The responses to this post are full of fans' support, encouraging him to "take care of himself" and acknowledging his support for his fans in the past.  If anyone has ever been to a Shoe Suede Blues event, he always makes himself available for autographs (more so than any of the others in my experience).

"Regarding the 2014 Monkees Convention and whether or not Peter will attend, Peter currently has a personal scheduling conflict and is not scheduled to participate. If there are any updates to this information, we will post it the moment we hear anything. In the meantime, we ask that you please respect Peter, his friends, family, and your fellow fans. Many thanks for your understanding ~ptfb team"

Naked Persimmon Validity of Fans' Experiences

I Love that Naked Persimmon just posted this to their FB Page.  A long, thoughtful discussion about "Long-Running" Fans vs "Newer" Fans.  Brilliant.

Naked Persimmon

Happy Sunday, folks! We here at NP would like to take just a moment of your time to address an issue that has been coming up quite a bit recently, and share our thoughts on it.

It's come to our attention, via a few messages we've received from our fans, that some newer Monkees fans have found themselves the target of ire of some of the older (meaning longer-running) Monkees fans. One such fan even said to us that they felt they didn't deserve to be a Monkees fan or to feel like the Monkees' music and TV show had helped save their life because the Monkees had bee saving other people for much longer.

As many of us know, one of the things Monkees that sets the Monkees apart from many other groups is the wide age range of their fans. From “first generation” folks—people who watched the TV show when it first aired in the ’60s; to “second generation” people who watched it when MTV re-aired the show in the ’80s; to “third generation” fans who saw it on Nick-at-Nite in the ’90s; and now “fourth generation” digital-era fans who are finding the Monkees through all sorts of ways.

In a perfect world, these different generations of fans would harmoniously coexist and be supportive and encouraging of each other’s love for the Monkees. Of course, we are dealing with human beings here, and sadly there are people who feel a sense of “ownership” or “entitlement” toward the Monkees, and who are also threatened by the younger/newer fans.

For whatever reason, these fans seem to believe that they are superior to others for being a fan longer, and from what we've seen, they tend to come down hard on others who don't fit their personal specific "criteria" for being a fan. But what they’ve so obviously forgotten is that we were *all* new fans once, and none of us would ever have wanted to be treated like that.

Being a Monkees fan is not a contest. It is *not* a competition. No one wins an award for being a fan longer, the Monkees won’t marry someone or anoint them “Big King/Queen Kahuna Monkees Fan” and hand them a crown and scepter, and no one will be worshiped for being.a longtime fan, especially if they act like a raging douchecanoe about it.

The Monkees have never and will never “belong” to anyone, and therefore there should be no way that anyone could ever "take them from someone." Everyone has the right to their personal experience, and anyone who would try to make someone feel bad or less deserving of it has well and truly lost sight of what it means to be a fan. If someone feels that the Monkees have saved them, in no way whatsoever means that they have saved other people *any less.*

In the end, it doesn’t matter if someone has been a fan of the Monkees for 40 years or 4 years. Time does not equal credibility. What *does* matter is what is in someone’s heart. And if the Monkees have made a person happy—if their music or TV show has made them smile, laugh, or otherwise touched their life—then they are a Monkees fan, and nothing can ever change that.

Selected Comments:

Jeane Simpson as a side bar to this..there are also the folks who have 'met' all or various Monkees dude who seem to think they are superior to those who haven't met all..or ANY of them. i've been attacked by these types quite often. I don't envy them...i just don't understand their need to throw it in people's faces that they are better than anyone else cuz they've seen so and so 58 times and went to every meet and greet/convo whatever in the last year and a half.....nobody needs to feel like they're anything less because they've not been into anyone(Any musician, actor or artist)its just that we all discover things at different times. Hell, there are probably people in their 40s and 50s who weren't into the dudes when they were young but have discovered them now. (and honestly, i find it kinda fun and interesting to meet teens who are into the monkees as either young dudes or old dudes...i kinda feel like Yoda;)....well without the green skin or wrinkles!)

Nez and the upcoming Meet & Greets on the Fall 2013 Tour

Last time, tickets were released in the middle of the night (12am on the West Coast) by email and many fans got upset.  Except the restless sleepers.  25 opportunities for up to 2 people (2 Nez objects and one Monkee for autographing) Tickets will be released September 21, at 9am (probably West Coast Time), check Videoranch here for more info.

 Naked Persimmon on FB posted this policy when it was announced and then did a follow up post about all the Haters who resented being charged.

"We here at NP would just like to take a moment to say that the “fans” commenting on Nez’s FB post about the Conversation Receptios seem to be some of the most ungrateful, entitled, awful excuses for “fans” that we’ve ever seen. *It does not matter* if the other Monkees don’t charge for meet n’ greets. *It does not matter* what other musicians do or do not charge for their meet n’ greets. It’s *Nez’s show,* he doesn’t owe anybody a damn thing, and the money is going to paying the venue, staff, and equipment that is needed for the meet n’ greet, though people clearly do not seem to realize this and instead have decided that Nez is nothing more than a greedy, money-grubbing, Monkees-hating bastard.

Frankly, if we were in Nez’s position, we would consider these people a terrible representation of Nez fans and would go ahead and cancel the Conversation Receptions altogether just to avoid dealing with them. Of course it’s unfair to the good, awesome, lovely fans (like you guys on here), but looking at those comments, it truly does not seem worth the hassle. Ugh…"


This time he's making them available on the Videoranch Website on Saturday.  (Like a normal performer)

Here's his post:

'm glad the Conversations came together. I enjoyed them last time. We cut the number of guests per show down this tour so I can have a little more time with each of you. I enjoy hearing what you are doing and learning about your interests.

These gatherings are better than standing around behind a venue or in a parking lot next to a bus. The environment is nicer -- warmer:) -- and its much more comfortable for all of us.

I am happy to sign any nez solo stuff that you may have, and happy to take pictures with you and yours if you would like that. There will be plenty of staff to help with that kind of thing.

These shows themselves are shaping up very well -- they are different from the Spring tour -- but I am keeping the best of the Spring tour and just adding a little more from some later work.

I am also trying to put together a live recording of this tour. That is an even bigger logistic problem than the Conversations -- but at this point it all looks very promising. The plan right now is to just make a few signed and numbered copies of this live show -- taking the best from each of the 19 dates -- then making a custom CD in a nice presentation case -- like the First Edition Rays -- with special art and an edition of a small and limited number.

It is very odd these days putting together a self-sustaining music effort -- as most of you know. The whole distribution chain has changed dramatically in the last few years and I expect it to change even more. I read with some sorrow and empathy Jonathan Taplin's tribute to Levon Helm after Levon died -- and must say I agree with his analysis of the state of the music "business" -- even thought I don't share his anger.

I think it is actually a good thing that the live performances have become such an important part of a music career -- sitting on a couch collecting royalties was never my idea of a good time. Live performance is such a wonderful experience and I am happy to be back and out among the stars. It is the most fulfilling aspect of a music career to me -- even though it is far and away the most difficult. Touring is almost like running a full marathon four times a week.

Thanks for the support. A few shows have already sold out and I am very happily anticipating seeing you.

It seems he genuinely likes meeting the fans and doing the live performances.  But no mention of attending next August's Monkees Convention.  There are already over 250 people who like "Bring Mike Nesmith to the Monkees Convention" on FB.

Naked Persimmon Waxes Poetic

Their FB post about the 2013 Tour ending last week.

Cause It Looks Like We've Made It Once Again...

//Yes, it looks like we’ve made it to…the end?//

It’s been exactly one week since The Monkees played the last show of their A Midsummer’s Night with the Monkees 2013 tour. The tour provided a sense of magic for so many of us—Monkee Magic, if you will—and reminded us of exactly why we love these boys so much. An event that one year ago seemed so unlikely has now become the highlight of the year for many a Monkees fan.

It was (and arguably still is) believed by some that the death of Davy Jones also meant the death of the Monkees, as any sort of collective touring or performing entity. Much like a phoenix, however, the three remaining Monkees rose from the ashes of Davy’s untimely demise and went out on the road, holding the Monkees banner high and continuing on the legacy that Davy had infused with his unforgettable spirit.

//It cannot be a part of me, for now it’s part of you...//

And when we, the fans, sat in the seats or danced in the aisles at those shows, there was not a single doubt in our minds that Davy Jones was very much on that stage, spiritually if not bodily. We watched Micky, Peter, and Michael play, sing, and laugh together, their camaraderie fully eclipsing any previous Monkee drama and stripping away the pretense to one very simple core principle:

No matter what happens, the Monkees will always be the Monkees.

They will always comfort us in our darkest times, bring smiles to our faces when we need it the most, delight and surprise us when we rediscover them again and again. Because the Monkees are part of our lives, we have been changed for the better, and nothing can undo that.

Seeing the Monkees on stage this summer brought us back to that safe place inside—that childlike state of being where life makes sense and isn’t as hard when you have your friends there with you. And it gave us a glimpse—however brief—into what it would have been like to be in that audience forty-five years ago, heart pounding and pulse racing as four young men with seemingly boundless energy gave us the show of our lives.

Just as they did this summer.

//If this is to be our end, then I would have them make such an end, as to be worthy of remembrance...//

This would be the place where it would be entirely too easy to become maudlin. To ponder, moderately-sized lump in throat, whether or not this was the last Monkees tour. We could speculate, hypothesize, deliberate over the numerous possibilities…but it almost seems a disservice, both to the Monkees and the fans.

There are not enough words for how grateful we are to have been given the gift of this tour. So many things stood to go awry—as we know from Monkees tours past—but whether through design or fate, this tour started and concluded without a hitch. Egos stayed under control, and what was most important was made and stayed important: The music, and the happiness of the fans

If there is one thing we have learned, it is that, when it comes to the Monkees, never say never. Ultimately, the decision to tour again rests solely with three particular men…but it is our feeling that Davy’s passing has made Micky, Peter, and Nez see that life is still there to be lived, and that as long as the spirit is willing and the body is able, there are still places to go and songs to sing. 

And as long as they are singing, we’ll be listening.

Psycho Jello and the Original Six Degrees Game

For those who may not be familiar, Psycho Jello is a GREAT site/Twitter handle/online presence which fills the niche of those who want way too much info about the boys, including a HUGE photo gallery.  They re-claim the marketing pseudo-babble that has been used to derogatorily describe the 60's in general, and the Monkees in particular.

They are not to be confused with Naked Persimmon, a Fanfic/NSFW/earthy sexual fantasies about a certain favorite group.  They are also extremely intelligent, clever and proud of their approach (as well they should be).  i.e. If you can't handle it, leave!  Because it is all done with tremendous amounts of LOVE.

One teensy sidebar of the Psycho Jello site, which I will admit to having JUST NOW discovered is their take on the Traditional Kevin Bacon Six Degrees Game:

http://www.psycho-jello.com/monkees/6degrees.html

A full listing of celebrities and how many degrees apart they are from the Monkees.  Including Steven Spielberg and Bob Marley.

Excellently done.

I may point out that the original goal here was to do the same, but to limit the outer edges to other musicians/actors of the 60's.  Starting at various points, seeing where it leads, with lots of fun along the way.  (And on that point, we've succeeded).

My personal experience has been less of a parlor game than the idea that one band's work was wide enough to accommodate a wide range of other people and ideas. (Imagine a circle)  These people and ideas are in sympathy with others (a larger circle around the first).  I like tangents, and history, and learning and discovery. And sharing what I've learned.

Perhaps this blog is closer to the theory of mapping out someone's mind and trying to trace all their influences, limited to music, tv, vaudeville and the general history of entertainment up to the present moment.

I may retitle this blog in future, but in the spirit of wanderlust, will keep getting lost on tangents while hitting as many nodes as possible on the cosmic wheel of life.