The stage was dark. Images of band members build the audience anticipation waiting for Davy Jones, former member of '60s rock band The Monkees, to take the stage at the Front Street Station in Northumberland on April 19th, 1998.

Suddenly, lights flooded the stage. Screams filled the small banquet room, as fans thought Jones was taking the stage. Nope. Gary Krismann, KISS 102.7 personality, prolonged the anticipation, taking stage to introduce "the greatest tambourine player."

It was the moment fans had been looking forward to all night, as Jones graced the stage welcomed by star-struck screams, cheers, and rounds of applause of a sold out audience of 320 people.

Jones's performance depicted his versatility as an entertainer. He performed to his audience. He sang classic Monkee songs such as "Daydream Believer," (I'm not your) Stepping Stone," and "Valleri," as well as new songs. "He's awesome," said Shari Snyder, Danville, when asked about his versatility.

Jokes filled with humor about Bill Clinton, sexual innuendoes, and police officers filled moments between songs. "He's really a funny guy," said Barb Smith, Mifflinburg.

In between the humor fans got to know Jones, not just as a rock star but as a person, as he shared personal stories. He told the audience about his recent divorce. He informed his fans that one night he called his wife. He was going to buy her a ring, a necklace, or a bracelet. She said she wanted a divorce. "Well, I wasn't planning on spending that much," explained Jones.

 

"She got the house. She got the kids. I'm indentured for the rest of my life, " said Jones.

However, he remained positive, saying "Better days are ahead."

Jones showed pictures taken at a party at his Beavertown house of the Spice Girls and other celebrities. He also told stories about the old days as a Monkee. On the TV show, The Monkees, " I got the girl in mostly every show. Now I can't even manage the Spice Girls," joked Jones. He also told a recent story about a stuffed dog named "Tippy." That came to be after joking with friends.

Before singing "Girl," the song he sang on The Brady Bunch, Jones got the audience involved in singing "The Brady Bunch Theme." By the end of the night the audience got up from their seats and was dancing in the aisles, clapping to the beat, and singing along. The audience's response was "great. They were really into it," said Jay Seidel, Front Street Station owner.

Six-year-old Katherine Snyder, Danville, was one of the youngest fans at the concert. When asked what her favorite thing about the show was, she exclaimed "Davy!"

As for the Monkees, "I really love them," said Jones. "... We have to carry on and do other things."

 

The intimate atmosphere of the small audience gave a more personal feel for the concert. "It is more personal than being in a big stadium," said Seidel. The audience sat at tablecloth-covered tables in front of the stage, as well as in boxcars that were on both sides. Close to 300 of the audience members dined on a buffet-style meal provided as part of the ticket package for an extra $10 before the show.

The concerts performed both on the 18th and 19th sold out to an audience of all ages. Krismann said that it was Jones who attracted the younger audience and kept everything going. "I think that Davy was surprised at the amount of "younger" crowd...who watched the show on Nick at Nite," said Seidel.

The show concluded with a standing ovation, with fans screaming for an encore. The night could not have been possible without the impeccable musical and vocal talent of Jones's five-member band. "It was great," said Julie Brosius, Sunbury.

Back home in Beavertown, Jones awaits tonight's show.

He didn't take the last train to Clarksville Tuesday after the show in Memphis, Tenn.

No. David Jones took a flight home--to Beavertown--instead.

"I have to travel to work," Jones said, "and not too many other people in show business find places like Central Pennsylvania to live."

Jones, known for many years as "Davy--the cute Monkee," said many other celebrities have homes in California, New York City, and other exotic places.

"I go home to Beavertown," he said.

Jones, who will be 52 in December, has spent more than 40 years in the entertainment business, and 1997 marks the 30th anniversary of the Monkees.

The Monkees will perform at the Bloomsburg Fair at 7:30 tonight.

 

The group has been touring since January, and the traveling has taken its toll, Jones said.

"You spend a Sunday night in a hotel room," he said, "you shut the door behind you, and you could be anywhere. It's not like being at home."

"The more you're on the road, the more you're away from home," he said.

Jones calls the Valley his home. It's the place where he can ride his horses. It's the place where he can tend to his lawn and other ordinary household chores.

But most of all, he can be himself when he is home.

"The pretending stops as soon as I pull in my driveway," he said.

"I've lived there for 10 years now, " he said in a telephone interview Monday from Memphis. "I keep horses there, but I don't have a dog.

"I don't get to spend as much time there as I'd like."

After tonight's show, Jones will get to spend a few days at home before resuming the tour.

He likes to put on jeans and flannel shirts and clean the leaves in his yard. He also gets to escape from show business.

"I've got my neighbors there. They know me and we have pleasant conversation," Jones said. "I get to take off my make-up and just catch up on being home."

Jones notes that walks through the Susquehanna Valley Mall in Hummels Wharf and periodic gigs at Front Street Station in Northumberland are part of his home life.

He also enjoys Penns Cave and driving along the rural, country roads.

"Where else but here can you ride or walk under a covered bridge?" he said.

 

The group released a new album, "Justus," with 12 new songs.

There was a Nickelodeon special. VH1 produced a special too. So did ABC-TV.

Interest in the group is at an all-time high, Jones said.

"We've got all ages listening to us these days," he said, "and we're singing the same tunes."

He mentioned that in 1987 as part of the 20th reunion tour, the group played for college-age kids.

"Now, we've got 7-, 8-, 10-year-olds listening to the music," Jones said.

With a new Monkees craze running rampant, Jones said he is looking forward to coming home for a few days of relaxation before resuming his so-called "Monkee business."

 

Another reason to call the Valley his home is that he is "slap-bang" in the middle of two daughters from his first marriage living in California and two daughters from his second marriage living back in his homeland of England.

Jones has divorced twice. He said it is hard to maintain a long-distance relationship while on the road all the time.

He said he's getting older, and once his entertainment career wraps up, he'll be able to pursue other endeavors, such as horse racing.

"I want to get involved with American racing," Jones said, noting that he recently won his first race in England.

"I would love to race in the Maryland Cup, given time and money and a choice," he said.

In the last week, he has traveled from Myrtle Beach to Atlanta to Memphis to Harrisburg.

Jones said when he is home, he can act accordingly. He pays school and land taxes. He hears a school bus along his road at 7:20 a.m. He hears the same bus at 3:20 p.m.

"And then I think, 'My God, have I been outside all this time?" he said.

He has his privacy. He also believes other entertainers such as Madonna and Michael Jackson can have their own privacy too if they try hard enough.

"They should try going into a store on a Wednesday night an hour before closing time." he said, "no one will bother them."

He said living in Snyder County has enabled him to maintain his privacy, but more important, to be himself.

"I can walk through Selinsgrove and nobody's going to notice me -- but if they do, they don't bother me," he said.

"It'll be good to come home again."