He's So Dreamy

Like many of my generation, my first exposure to the Monkees was through Nick at Nite reruns of their television show, certainly the best program about a surprisingly talented Beatles rip-off band ever to hit the airwaves. Everyone has their favorite Monkee, and personally, mine have always been Michael Nesmith and Micky Dolenz. After all, Nesmith went on to pioneer country-rock in his solo career (his mother also invented Liquid Paper), while Dolenz looked the most like an actual monkey playing the drums, which I always found endearing as a child.

Understandably, I always wondered why Marcia Brady picked Davy Jones to obsess over—even Tork was cooler than he was—but now that I'm older and wiser, I totally get it. Think about it…tight bellbottoms? Check. Cute and authentic British accent? Si, señor. Lead vocal privileges on an absolutely perfect Neil Diamond tune ("Daydream Believer")? We have a winner. When you're dealt a hand of cards like that, you just can't lose.

Before he went into acting, though, Jones trained to be a horse jockey, something he went back to later in life (he won his first race in 1996 at the age of 50). It was his days as a pop icon, however, that allowed Jones to tap more teenage bootay than anyone in the storied history of jockeydom. This Saturday night at 8 p.m., the dreamy one takes the stage in Addison as part of Artfest, a four-day extravaganza of art, food and music in Addison. If you've ever wanted to see a crowd of middle-aged women scream like little girls and throw their panties onstage, this is probably the show for you. Artfest runs 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday at Addison Circle Park, 4970 Addison Circle Drive. Tickets are $5 in advance and $6 at the gate (Parking is $5 per car). Children under 6 get in free. Visit artfest.com.
Fri., May 26, 6-10 p.m.; Sat., May 27, 10 a.m.-10 p.m.; Sun., May 28, 10 a.m.-10 p.m.; Mon., May 29, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.