By: Ashton Newton
Entertainment Editor

There was a lot of energy in the audience as Micky Dolenz, lead singer of The Monkees, took to the stage at Rice Auditorium alongside the American Metropole Orchestra as part of the Smith Fine Arts Series. The April-15-concert packed the auditorium for a night full of laughs and music.

The night began with a tune from the orchestra and an introduction from music director Keller Coker, before Dolenz took the stage.

Dolenz is not only the lead singer of The Monkees; he’s a beloved actor, director and producer, whose music and personality has helped to shape television and rock and roll.

Throughout his career, Dolenz had many different people write songs for him. During the concert he made a point to dedicate each song to the individual who wrote it. He performed songs written by individuals like Carol King and Neil Diamond.

Two songs from the Monkees movie “Head” were also performed. The tunes were met with much applause from the audience.

Between songs, Dolenz entertained the audience with stories of his career, his family and meeting The Beatles. Each song performed had a story alongside it, most of which were met with laughter.

“This is the song that got me the gig!” yelled Dolenz as he played Chuck Berry’s “Johnnie B. Goode,” which he sang at his Monkees audition.

The concert ended with the fan favorite “Daydream Believer,” in which the audience’s singing almost overpowered Dolenz’s booming voice.

Some members of the crowd were up and dancing as Dolenz finished out the night with “I’m a Believer.”

“Don’t forget, I was singing this song long before ‘Shrek,’” joked Dolenz.

The Smith Fine Arts series will finish out the season with Danilo Perez and The Western Hemisphere Orchestra on June 10. More information can be found at wou.edu/smith/current-season/.

Contact the author at journalentertainment@wou.edu