Monkees Tour.

The Monkees welcomed Michael Nesmith back to the fold Thursday night, as the made-for-TV band kicked off a 12-date tour in Escondido, California.

The Monkees welcomed Michael Nesmith back to the fold Thursday night, as the made-for-TV band kicked off a 12-date tour in Escondido, California.

But the absence of the late Davy Jones was noticeable -- the crowd saw him in several video tributes, most poignantly one built around his song "I Wanna Be Free." His other signature numbers, such as "Valleri" were left off the setlist, while Micky Dolenz sought out an audience member to perform "Daydream Believer." Clearly, the shortest Monkee left the biggest shoes to fill -- and the guys felt most comfortable not doing it themselves.

Nesmith, Dolenz and Peter Tork crafted a lower-key show than was successfully staged in the summer of 2011 -- incorporating many of Nesmith's Monkees songs, as well as nearly the entire Headquarters album.