POP MUSIC REVIEW : VINTAGE LAUGHS WITH MIDDLE-AGE MONKEES

Most of the near-capacity crowd spent most of the evening standing, screeching and singing along with the Monkees’ more-than-90-minute performance at the Greek Theatre on Monday.

As befits the Great Multimedia Crossover Success of the ‘60s, this first of two scheduled shows featured lots of old footage from the group’s TV series, a few new videos, a set decorated like the Monkees’ psychedelic clubhouse, and much in the way of props, pratfalls, costume changes, dance routines, slapshtick, face-pulling and leaping about from the three original, now-middle-age members. (The fourth, Mike Nesmith, produces films these days, so he doesn’t feel compelled to take part in these Monkeeshines.)

In between all this, the trio, backed impeccably by a nine-piece band, sang its many big hits and several vintage showcase numbers as well as a handful of new tunes from its latest album. Like the Monkees’ old songs, the new ones alternate between well-crafted pop-rock--trimmed with whatever’s happening now--and eyeball-rolling tomfoolery. To the little kids, the people who were square enough to be Monkees’ fans 21 years ago, and the people who watch way too much Emp-TV, it all went down like the creme de la cream -ed corn it always was.

Fortunately, Mickey Dolenz, Davy Jones and Peter Tork don’t take it all that seriously. Little touches such as Tork’s sarcastic, ultimate Monkees-fan-cliche-strewn monologue during the break in “Auntie Grezelda,” Dolenz’s choice of a marching drum-accompanied anti-war song as his solo spot, and Jones’ decking himself out in ludicrous heavy-metal costumery for one of his big numbers kept the evening from sinking entirely down the fabled rabbit hole.

Weird Al Yankovic opened. Twenty years ago it was Jimi Hendrix. How times have changed.