50th Anniversary Tour Dates (as they roll out) (*UPDATED, Feb 15th*)

[Andrew G. Doe]

Nothing they're playing is much bigger than venues either Brian or the Mike-Bruce band have played on their own. I honestly don't know if they expected such demand.

Beg to differ, but Brian has very, very rarely played to a 10,000+ non-festival crowd in some 430 shows: the vast majority of his venues have been 2000-3000, and they've not invariably been full.

[Autotune]

Opening act for the 6/13 Cleveland show is Foster The People. It's a one off, apparently.]

Good for them.  During that after-performance interview at the Grammys I recall Al looking up at Mike saying that wouldn't be a bad idea if they opened for them.  It will be interesting to see the full roster of acts opening for them.  I wish they had gotten Blondie and Ricky to open...that'd be nice.  But alas...

Had they gotten Blondie and Ricky as openers, they would have been lynched in this very message board.

[LetHimRun]

Opening act for the 6/13 Cleveland show is Foster The People. It's a one off, apparently.]

Good for them.  During that after-performance interview at the Grammys I recall Al looking up at Mike saying that wouldn't be a bad idea if they opened for them.  It will be interesting to see the full roster of acts opening for them.  I wish they had gotten Blondie and Ricky to open...that'd be nice.  But alas...

Had they gotten Blondie and Ricky as openers, they would have been lynched in this very message board.

Exactly. Blondie and Ricky should be IN the reunion band, not opening for them. FTP is a great opener. Wish I could be going to that show.

[Justin]

In a perfect world, they would've opened for them and then later joined them onstage for the rest of the show. 

[alanjames]

I'm from Brazil and I'll go to Chicago to see the Boys!
I don't thnk they'll play here, even in South America.
Brian played here in 2004 (in a small venue), BBB played here in 2009 (I don't think one thousand people attended), so I don't believe they'll come.
But it's OK, this is an unique chance of my life do see the original Boys playing and singing together, so I'll see it finally!
It's a dream come true.

[Aegir]

I don't get this whole "Ricky and Blondie should open" thing. They're not in a band together right now either. That would be a reunion in and of itself.

[Aegir]

just saw this on facebook:

"Due To Overwhelming Demand The Beach Boys 50th Anniversary Tour
Announces Shows at Two NYC Area Amphitheaters

The Beach Boys Will Play Nikon at Jones Beach Theater in Wantagh, NY and PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel, NJ - Beacon Theatre Performances Sell Out in Record Time.

June 24 – Nikon at Jones Beach Theater – Wantagh, NY
Onsale February 27

June 27 – PNC Bank Arts Center – Holmdel, NJ
Onsale February 27"

[HeyJude]

I could rant forever so I’ll keep my gripe relatively short: These “VIP” packages they are selling for this tour (and numerous other artists’ tours) are already obscene enough for numerous reasons, but I didn’t think it could actually be even more obscene until I started checking the price variations from show to show. It’s not surprising I suppose that the larger “markets”, the more “metropolitan” or whatever areas, would have higher demand. I just can’t believe how much more the large market cities cost. The totally low-grade pathetic package where all you get is a decent seat and some tour merchandise costs nearly as much in the big cities as the high-end “The Beach Boys will meet you, play a personal show for you, and wash your car for you” packages in other areas.

I was actually looking at the prices, and while it’s all obscene, I probably wouldn’t mind trying to scrape together $375 to sit in the freaking front row, meet the band, and get all the swag. But I don’t live near Bangor, Maine.

[Ram4]

I could rant forever so I’ll keep my gripe relatively short: These “VIP” packages they are selling for this tour (and numerous other artists’ tours) are already obscene enough for numerous reasons, but I didn’t think it could actually be even more obscene until I started checking the price variations from show to show. It’s not surprising I suppose that the larger “markets”, the more “metropolitan” or whatever areas, would have higher demand. I just can’t believe how much more the large market cities cost. The totally low-grade pathetic package where all you get is a decent seat and some tour merchandise costs nearly as much in the big cities as the high-end “The Beach Boys will meet you, play a personal show for you, and wash your car for you” packages in other areas.

I was actually looking at the prices, and while it’s all obscene, I probably wouldn’t mind trying to scrape together $375 to sit in the freaking front row, meet the band, and get all the swag. But I don’t live near Bangor, Maine.

I hear you on that.  Living in the Chicago area is very expensive, and I try to see concerts in the surrounding areas for a lot less.  Milwaukee is my #1 desitination for most concerts now because of this and I couldn't be happier pricewise.  It's barely an hour from my house, cheap parking, light traffic, etc.  The only downside is the concerts themselves are a notch better in Chicago - there is an energy in the city that is special and most artists feed off it by giving a little more in their performance.  It sucks that the economy has me down for the count these days because I used to fly/drive long distances to concerts and I miss doing that. 

[alanjames]

Comparing these VIP tickets with Paul McCartney's Hot Sound Package
When he played here in Brazil in 2010 and 2011, he offered this package for $1450.
Hot Sound offered a chance to see the soundcheck, a vegan dinner recommended by Paul, 2 or 3 tour gifts, early acess in concert venue...but NO meet & grate, No pictures with Sir Paul, NO access his backstage...
And I know some fans who paid this absurd high price to see him, and they paid to see him all dates he played here in Brazil, and even in Argentina.

[Aegir]

I saw Paul McCartney when he played at CitiField in 2009. my friend's father owns a restaurant in CitiField so we got into the whole thing for free. we saw the soundcheck, there were about 12 other people there. one of them was Oprah, one of the richest people ever. the soundcheck was great, he covered Midnight Special! the place where we were standing (right in front of the stage) was pretty awesome, too in terms of celebrities. Alec Baldwin was a few feet to one side and the Olsen twins were a few feet to the other side.

[Emdeeh]

For those of us living on a fixed income, VIP packages are utterly out of the question.

[drbeachboy]

Coming from the era of $3.00 tickets, all concert ticket prices are ridiculus. The cheapest seat for the Atlantic City show is $95.  Just to get a back middle section seat wil cost me $135 or $155 x 2. $310 for one show is taking a big bite out of my expendable income. I love the Beach Boys, but these prices are pushing my love to the max.

[HeyJude]

For those of us living on a fixed income, VIP packages are utterly out of the question.

Very true. I realize the whole concert/ticket industry has been unfair for years, and I’m not sure how fair it ever was. I’ve been reading griping and debating about ticket pricing/distribution/allocation for years. It’s all corrupt. This VIP thing is just doubly weird, because it’s penalizing all the fans that can’t afford it, and then adding extra penalties for fans who happen to live in areas with presumably higher median income or larger population, or whatever it is that makes Chicago, New York, etc. exponentially more expensive for these VIP packages.

I’m more interested in a good seat for the show than I am in meeting the band.

I just think it’s extra ridiculous that I would have to pay nearly as much for standard tickets as someone in another part of the country would pay for as much as a front row ticket, meeting the band, seeing the soundcheck, etc.

[HeyJude]

Coming from the era of $3.00 tickets, all concert ticket prices are ridiculus. The cheapest seat for the Atlantic City show is $95.  Just to get a back middle section seat wil cost me $135 or $155 x 2. $310 for one show is taking a big bite out of my expendable income. I love the Beach Boys, but these prices are pushing my love to the max.

I could trot out a bunch of the same old arguments. But they are all valid. Rich, casual fans fill a lot of the seats at these shows. I know, there’s no way to measure what a “real fan” is or how much is a “fair” price. But bands charge these prices, and people buy the tickets, so it won’t change unless the artist is really committed to offering a fair price for a ticket and not charging as much as they can get away with. It eventually just devolves into a “free market” debate, which is really boring. Some bands don’t talk about ticket prices, a few do and actually charge below what they could, and some like, I believe, McCartney have tried to explain it away by blaming it on other bands, saying he just sets the price based on what other similar bands charge.

Some bands, even the ones that revel in the tour proceeds, may not know the extent of the price gouging. When someone says they are doing a reunion tour “for the fans”, I would hope maybe they’re not totally aware of $1,200 single-person VIP packages being sold. That’s not even scalper stuff, that’s the “official” sources charging that.

[Mikie]

Jude, you probably remember the Oakland 'Days On The Green' concerts in the 70's, including the Beachago tour. 10 bucks and you could see 5 or 6 bands, including the Beach Boys!  How times have changed......

[HeyJude]

Jude, you probably remember the Oakland 'Days On The Green' concerts in the 70's, including the Beachago tour. 10 bucks and you could see 5 or 6 bands, including the Beach Boys!  How times have changed......

Yeah, I actually a few years ago framed my concert tickets that spanned from about 1997 to 2008. It starts with 1997 Ringo for 32.50 and goes all the way up to 2005 McCartney for 250.00 (and 2008 Ringo was something like $125 too).

I haven’t caught any McCartney/Ringo/Brian shows in the Bay Area since 2008, and while I wish I could have seen those shows, I certainly don’t miss the high prices and runaround you get trying to get tickets.

Even in 2001 I was still able to go to a Rite Aid on a Sunday at 10am, stand in line, and get front row tickets for Ringo in Concord. That ain’t happening ever again.

[drbeachboy]

Except for Brian, I have not been to any other concerts for years and years. At least for me, no one is worth that kind of money. Even Brian's shows, the most I paid was $64, and I paid $40 or $50 for the Beach Boys Xmas show back in 2007. If this was anything other than the Reunion Tour, I wouldn't bother going at these prices. The VIP packages are a total rip-off. If they have to charge me to meet them and get a autograph, it better be for charity. Some way to treat your fans.

[SBonilla]

I'm through with tickets. I've seen the people I want to see. The ones I really wanted to see and missed are dead (Clifton Chenier, Eubie Blake and a few others). I'm sticking with Barbes (a bar in Brooklyn) and intimiate places like that.

[drbeachboy]

I've never seen David with the band and I never saw Brian coherent with the band. So, this tour is a 2-fer for me.

[Justin]

A friend of mine couldn't understand why I'd want to see them more than once on this tour.  I dunno, it's Brian with The Beach Boys...I want to see them as many times as I possibly (financially) can.

Anyone going to multiple shows?

[Shady]

just saw this on facebook:

"Due To Overwhelming Demand The Beach Boys 50th Anniversary Tour
Announces Shows at Two NYC Area Amphitheaters

The Beach Boys Will Play Nikon at Jones Beach Theater in Wantagh, NY and PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel, NJ - Beacon Theatre Performances Sell Out in Record Time.

June 24 – Nikon at Jones Beach Theater – Wantagh, NY
Onsale February 2

June 27 – PNC Bank Arts Center – Holmdel, NJ
Onsale February 27"

Brilliant, much bigger venues

This is turning into a pretty extensive tour

[Nicole]

The DFW show (Grand Prairie) goes on sale Friday at 10 AM. The speed at which some of these shows have sold out makes me nervous as hell...I'm gonna be refreshing the page like crazy to be one of the first "in line" to buy some tickets. They range from $25 to $85, which is a lot cheaper than I would have thought.

[Eireannach]

The speed at which some of these shows have sold out makes me nervous as hell...I'm gonna be refreshing the page like crazy to be one of the first "in line" to buy some tickets.

Same here.  Tickets for Red Rocks go on sale Saturday, and I really would like to go.

[Runaways]

this is kinda the only concert i care to see.  i've seen my other favorites (granted i'm 25 but whatever).  I'm more of a festival goer nowadays.  cheaper and more bang for buck.

but i just bought the cheapest VIP package cause i know this is the only time i'll see them and my girlfriend is paying the difference soooo (really it's only 50 dollars more a pop)

i'm still in a dazed shock.  i screamed into my phone for 2 minutes after buying them.