Assembled in Los Angeles in 1966 by television producers aiming to create a Beatles-esque pop band for a sitcom, The Monkees ended up making an indelible mark on the '60s thanks to the input of top-notch songwriters and the engaging personalities of band members Micky Dolenz, Michael Nesmith, Peter Tork and Davy Jones. The show made its debut in 1966 and became a huge hit as it highlighted the band's Hard Day's Night style hijinks and quick-cut, proto-MTV clips featuring smash songs like "I'm a Believer," "(I'm Not Your) Steppin' Stone," "Daydream Believer," "Last Train to Clarksville," and "Pleasant Valley Sunday."

Though the songs were written by a stable of contributing writers including Neil Diamond and future Brill Building icons Gerry Goffin and Carole King, the actors gradually took a more active role in the music, eventually asserting themselves as producers and songwriters as well as taking the popular show on the road for several live tours. While the band managed some artistic success on with later albums like Headquarters and Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd. once the television show was canceled in 1968 things started falling apart. After the more avant-garde cinematic effort 'Head' (co-written by then unknown Jack Nicholson), Tork and Nesmith would depart.

However the legacy of The Monkees lived on in AM radio airplay and healthy syndication of the original episodes throughout the '70s. A true revival hit the following decade when MTV began playing episodes to solid ratings, enticing the band members to reunite (though Nesmith would only occasionally share the stage for major events) for a new hit song "That Was Then, This Is Now" and a lucrative tour. Jones, Dolenz and Tork have intermittently taken to the road in the years since despite periods of public animosity between the members.

The passing of Jones earlier this year led to a resurgence in sales and interest in The Monkees. With Nesmith returning to the fold for the first time since a brief trip through the U.K. 15 years ago, the surviving members of the band have embarked on this current tour to pay tribute to Jones with a focus on the material from Headquarters.

The Monkees
Sunday, Nov. 11, 7:30 p.m. $49.50-$99.50
Flint Center for the Performing Arts