MICHAEL NESMITH EMBARKS ON
“MOVIES OF THE MIND” U.S. TOUR
OCTOBER 27-NOVEMBER 24
Career retrospective set will highlight post-Monkees repertoire.
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA — In a reprise of his U.S. tour earlier this year, Michael Nesmith will embark on a 21-date, 19-city tour of the East Coast, Midwest and South from October 27 through November 24. Dubbed the “Movies of the Mind Tour,” the shows will touch on the highlights of Nesmith’s 50-year music career.
Nesmith elaborates on the concept: “This tour amplifies and expands the notion started a few tours ago of the Movies of the Mind. As an introduction the songs are placed in a setting for the audience — just a simple straight-ahead notion of where the song might live — a setting like the setting for a gemstone in a ring or a bracelet or on a necklace. The songs and performances and arrangements remain the centerpiece so it is an evening of music well played. But the Movies of the Mind idea has been so well received that I have refined it and brought a few more songs into the concept.
Nesmith is a musician, songwriter, actor, producer, novelist, businessman and philanthropist, well known for his start as the singing, wool-capped, Gretsch guitar-slinging co-star of the Monkees television series (1966-68). His songs were recorded not only by the Monkees (“Papa Gene’s Blues,” “The Girl I Knew Somewhere,” “Mary, Mary,” and “Listen to the Band” among others) but also by Linda Ronstadt & the Stone Poneys (“Different Drum”), the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band (“Some of Shelley’s Blues”) the Butterfield Blues Band and Run-DMC (“Mary Mary”).
He executive-produced the movies Repo Man (1984), Timerider, and Tapeheads and founded Pacific Arts, a record, film and video production house and book publisher. He was the first and only winner of the Grammy Award for Video of the Year for his 1981 long-form video Elephant Parts. He is also the inventor and founder of Videoranch3D, for which he holds a patent.
With the notable exception of “Listen to the Band,” the tour will focus primarily on Nesmith’s post-Monkees work, both solo and with the First National Band. This body of work has been described by Rolling Stone as “the greatest music never heard.”
“I hope these tours will increase the interest and serve as a way for people to discover this music,” Nesmith adds. “It is a lot of music created over a lifetime and I believe people will enjoy finding it once they do. I am having a lot of fun and loving the performances, so I want them to grow in attendance and frequency and do more. The players are all wonderful and inspired by the show so it is a great evening.
“We are going back to many places we have already played — where the shows were sold out and there was a demand for repeat performances — but for the most part this tour goes to new venues in new areas where we hope to introduce new audiences to this music and presentation.
“I think it makes for a great evening out,” he concludes. “At least for me it does.”
Michael Nesmith’s Movies of the Mind U.S. Tour
Sun., Oct. 27 PHOENIX, AZ MIM Music Theater
Tues., Oct. 29 AUSTIN, TX One World Theatre
Wed., Oct. 30 DALLAS, TX The Kessler Theater
Fri., Nov. 1 BIRMINGHAM, AL The WorkPlay SoundStage
Sat., Nov. 2 ATLANTA, GA Variety Playhouse
Mon., Nov. 4 VIENNA, VA (DC metro) The Barns at Wolf Trap
Tues., Nov. 5 ANNAPOLIS, MD Rams Head On Stage
Thurs., Nov. 7 BAYSHORE, NY YMCA Boulton Center for the Performing Arts
Fri., Nov. 8 PHOENIXVILLE, PA (PHILADELPHIA metro) The Colonial Theatre
Sun., Nov. 10 SHIRLEY, MA The Bull Run Concert Series
Mon., Nov. 11 FALL FIVER, MA Narrow Center for the Arts
Tues., Nov. 12 ENGLEWOOD, NJ Bergen Performing Arts Center
Thurs., Nov. 14 ELYRIA, OH (CLEVELAND metro) Stocker Arts Center
Fri., Nov. 15 CHICAGO, IL City Winery
Sun., Nov. 17 FRANKLIN, TN (NASHVILLE metro) The Franklin Theatre
Mon., Nov. 18 FRANKLIN, TN (NASHVILLE metro) The Franklin Theatre
Tues., Nov. 19 ST. LOUIS, MO Old Rock House
Thurs., Nov. 21 FERNDALE, MI (DETROIT metro) The Magic Bag
Fri., Nov. 22 BLOOMINGTON, IN Buskirk-Chumley Theater
Sat., Nov. 23 CHICAGO, IL City Winery (encore performance)
Sun., Nov. 24 MILWAUKEE, WI Turner Hall Ballroom
