DURYEA, Pa. -- There's a dead ringer for Davy Jones right in the heart of Duryea. John Roginski sings Davy's words while band mates Ryan Fenton, Paul Venturi and Michael Kropp play. Together they make up Monkees cover band, The Monkeephiles.
Three of the four members of the band reflected Friday on when they met their idols, including late Monkees bassist Peter Tork, at a convention for the band a few years ago.
"We had this hysterical moment, it was really kind of brief and quick but I`ll never forget it. You know, they`ve been an important part of all of us growing up and learning our instruments," Fenton said.
You'd be hard pressed to find bigger fans of The Monkees. Roginski owns a Peter Tork signed guitar and keyboard.
"We`re rehearsing, we`re getting ready for our summer tour coming up, our summer shows, and it kind of changes the dynamic a little bit. We`re celebrating The Monkees catalog, but also in remembrance of Peter, you know? So, it changes the vibe a little bit. A little bittersweet," Fenton added.
The Monkeephiles found each other by happenstance because of a collective love of The Monkees lesser known music.
"I feel real connected with their music. If something is going wrong in my life, I can always turn to their music for comfort. It's like, I'm saying, people know the hits and the songs played on the show, but they have so much more music if you really dive into it," Venturi said.
Peter Tork's death this week means half The Monkees are now gone. But, if you ask The Monkeephiles, their era is far from over.
"From this point forward, I think it`s a heavy-duty responsibility for us to keep the music alive for those who knew the old music and want to see it continue," Roginski said.