The Monkees and Jimi Hendrix in Charlotte The death of Monkees singer Davy Jones on Wednesday reminded me again of one of the bizarre and wonderful moments in Charlotte history. On July 11, 1967, the Monkees played at the Charlotte Coliseum on Independence Boulevard (now Bojangles Coliseum). The Jimi Hendrix Experience was the opening act. Forty-five years later this sounds crazy for at least two reasons: one, that Hendrix was opening for the Monkees instead of the other way around, and two, that they ended up on the same bill in the first place. The first reason wasnt quite as crazy back then. The Monkees were at their popular peak -- Last Train to Clarksville, Im a Believer and Pleasant Valley Sunday were all huge hits by the summer of 67. Hendrix, meanwhile, had scored hits in England but wasnt well-known over here. The background on how the two acts got together isnt totally clear, but by all accounts everybody got along on stage and backstage. The problem was the crowds. The teenage girls (and some boys) who showed up to scream for the Monkees had no idea what to do with the wild-haired black guy playing the guitar with his teeth. Im trying to imagine a double bill today that would be that different. Maybe Mastodon opening for Taylor Swift. (Actually, hell, Id go to that show.) Charlotte was the third show on the Monkees/Hendrix double bill. Hendrix lasted just four more shows after that. He got tired of the boos and the girls screaming for Davy and Micky. At a show in Forest Hills, N.Y., he flipped off the crowd, and that was that.
Posted on: Mon, 31 Mar 2014 23:00:00 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015