Sunday, June 7, 2026

Flopcast 735: Monkeeing Around in 1986

Sixty years ago, The Monkees debuted as a TV show about a band, quickly grew into a real band, were wildly successful for just a few years, then faded away. Forty years ago, reruns on MTV inspired a new generation of Monkeemania, and so Micky, Davy, and Peter hit the road for the big 1986 Monkees reunion tour. Kevin saw them on that tour, and our guest this week did too! We're joined by Elaine, co-host of the fine podcast Monkeeing Around, which you'll find right here on the ESO Network. And our conversation includes: A breakdown of the whole Monkees set list (including their 80s hit "That Was Then, This Is Now"), the opening bands (a 60s nostalgia lineup of Herman's Hermits, Gary Puckett, and the Grass Roots), attending the show on a broken foot, getting lost in the parking lot, Micky's 80s synth drums, Davy's 80s mullet... and through it all, the nonstop screaming girls. Join us as we take the last train back to 1986, when the silly TV band from the 60s suddenly had the hottest tour of the summer. Alas, Mike Nesmith wasn't there, but we were.

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Show Notes

Listen to Monkeeing Around for more of Elaine! You can also follow her adventures at Elaine and Matt Watch TV.

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Promotional materials from the 1986 tour:

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The compilation album featuring the new hit that sent Davy running from the stage:

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If you want to see a very poor quality video of the concert Kevin attended, YouTube has you covered!