Michael Nesmith & The First National Band Redux - 2019-10-06 - Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, CA

Michael Nesmith & The First National Band Redux

2019-10-06
Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, CA
Webcast recording, good quality
Mp3 @ 224kbps

Here's one more look at the career of singer-songwriter-actor-producer-entrepreneur Michael Nesmith, this time in recent years near the end of his life. But first, to catch up on where we last left off: In the 1990's, the video branch of Michael's multimedia company Pacific Arts was a major player in the production and distribution of home video titles, including the entire PBS library of  shows on video. However, disputes between PBS and Pacific Arts regarding royalties and licensing fees soon emerged that escalated into major lawsuits and countersuits in the mid-1990's charging breach of contract, fraud, and misrepresentation. As the legal process took years to resolve, in the meantime, Pacific Arts was forced to cease its video operations. The case was finally decided in a jury trial in 1999, and in the end Nesmith and Pacific Arts won and was awarded a judgement of $48 million dollars, although rather than appealing the decision, PBS later settled with Pacific Arts for an undisclosed amount. When asked about the ordeal and winning his case against PBS, Nesmith responded with his famous line  "It's like finding your grandmother stealing your stereo. You're happy to get your stereo back, but it's sad to find out your grandmother is a thief." Pacific Arts did continue as a company, but never went back into the home video business, but turned to the internet with its subsequent ventures Videoranch and the virtual world Videoranch 3D, which has hosted numerous concerts and live events. In 1998, Nesmith published his first novel, The Long Sandy Hair of Neftoon Zamora and another novel in 2009, The America Gene. Musically, Nesmith continued to produce albums for other artists and released his own album, Rays, in 2006. His last album was The Ocean (2015), the concluding chapter in the the trilogy started with The Prison (1974), consisting of a story with musical accompaniment. Michael was also active with several reunions and tours with The Monkees over the years, including contributing to the Monkees 11th studio album Justus (1996) and various tours and appearances, including some appearances in the 1997 tour and the television special Hey Hey, It's The Monkees (which Nesmith wrote and directed), but then Nesmith left the tour unexpectedly. Michael did not rejoin with the other Monkees until after Davy Jones death, for a reunion tour in 2012. he also joined  The Monkees for a new album, Good Times! in 2016, in celebration of their 50th Anniversary. He also joined Micky Dolenz for a brief tour in 2018, cut short by Michael's health issues resulting in bypass surgery. In 2018, he also re-formed his old First National Band (now featuring his sons Christian and Jonathan) and toured briefly performing songs from those early albums. Those shows continued in 2019, both some with Micky and some with The First National Band. Plans for additional performances in 2020 were scrapped due to Covid, but his 'Mike and Micky' show tour was re-scheduled for fall 2021, and now billed as The Monkees Farewell Tour, marking their final appearances as The Monkees. The last of those shows was November 14, 2021 in Los Angeles, CA. Michael Nesmith died of heart failure on December 10, 2021, less than a month after the final date of the 2021 tour. For this last remembrance, I have a show from October 2019 at the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival in San Francisco, with Michael and his reconstituted First National Band (with his grown sons), but now with Michael at 76 years old. Pete Finney replaced legendary pedal steel player Red Rhodes in the band. Thus the show features songs from those early First National Band albums in a fitting finale to Michael's career. Incidentally, Michael's son Christian Nesmith is a fine musician himself, and most recently, made a fantastic album in the progressive rock vein with his partner, Circe Link, called Cosmologica (2021), which serves as both a tribute to classic progressive rock, as well as a wonderful album of new music itself (worth checking out!). So, the tradition of musical creativity continues. Anyway, here's to Michael Nesmith, a unique and wonderful musical force.   

  
Tracklist:
01. intro/Nevada Fighter 5:46
02. Calico Girlfriend 3:25
03. Nine Times Blue/Little Red Rider 4:34
04. The Crippled Lion 3:27
05. Joanne 4:28
06. Dedicated Friend 2:47
07. Grand Ennui 7:15
08. Papa Gene’s Blues/Different Drum/Some of Shelly’s Blues 8:34
09. Silver Moon/Rio 11:28
10. Thanks for the Ride 4:45
57 mins

MN & First National Band Redux:
Michael Nesmith -- Guitar and vocals
Christian Nesmith -- Guitar
Jonathan Nesmith -- Guitar
Pete Finney -- Pedal Steel Guitar
Jim Cox -- Piano
Christopher Allis -- Drums
Jason Chesney -- Bass
Circe Link -- Backing Vocals
Amy Spear -- Backing Vocals

Michael Nesmith_2019-10-06_HSBF_San FranciscoCA.rar