There are scads of music and entertainment acts to see this year at the Alaska State Fair. So, why should you care about someone as obscure and seemingly past-his-prime as Micky Dolenz?

Because everyone, even if they won't admit it, knows the song from his hit TV show: "Hey, hey, we're the Monkees/ And people say we monkey around/ But we're too busy singing/ to put anybody down."

And you know not only the song but the awesomely clumsy legs-side-by-side walk performed on the show's introduction. You know it, your parents know it and you annoy your kids with it -- or you will, soon enough.

In case that doesn't ring a bell or convince you to take your mind off the fair's cream puff stand or fried mushrooms, here are some fun facts about Dolenz and the Monkees to get you interested:

• The Monkees were created for the TV show of the same name in 1965; Dolenz, Peter Tork, Davy Jones and Mike Nesmith beat out as many as 400 hopefuls. (Dolenz sang "Johnny B. Goode" at his audition.)

• Even though Dolenz was cast as the drummer for the Monkees, he didn't actually know how to play the drums when the show started and had to take lessons to fake it.

• Dolenz sang lead vocals on most of the Monkees' songs, including hits such as "Daydream Believer" and "I'm a Believer," later covered by Smash Mouth and Eddie Murphy for the "Shrek" soundtrack in 2001.

• The Monkees were the first band to use a Moog synthesizer in a top-10 album ("Star Collector").

• In the early 1980s, Dolenz, who became a director and actor after the TV show was over, directed a stage play with a cast that included then-unknown 14-year-old Catherine Zeta-Jones.

• His television directing credits include episodes of the hit series "Boy Meets World."

• In a September 2006 radio interview, Dolenz declared that he is the current voice of Snuggle the Fabric Bear.

See? Not only is Dolenz a living pop legend, he's an established director, actor and all-around entertainer.

See him live (with his sister Coco, to boot) at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at the Borealis Theatre. Tickets, $19.50-$29.50, (alaskastatefair.org) include fair admission if purchased at least a day before the performance. For more Dolenz, visit www.mickydolenz.com or www.myspace.com/theofficialmickydolenzpage.

? Got a Nightlife tip or inside info on the local music scene? Send an e-mail to play@adn.com.

Flashbacks at the fair

If you're not into Micky Dolenz, there are a few other blasts from the past to tickle your kitsch bone performing at the Woodlot:

Beatlemania plays a tribute to the fab foursome at 9 p.m. tonight and Saturday, then Petty Theft: A Tribute to Tom Petty performs at 8 and 9:30 p.m. Aug. 29. Travelin' Band: Tribute to Creedence Clearwater Revival rocks out at 8 p.m. Aug. 30 and 9:30 p.m. Aug. 31, and Fast Lane: A Tribute to the Eagles finishes the set at 9:30 p.m. Aug. 30 and 8 p.m. Aug. 31.