Show 2: Verizon Theatre - Grand Prairie, TX 4/26/12 (SETLIST/PICS/REVIEWS)

[John Manning]

I don't believe it.....

If you mean that all this happening: ya, me neither. Just watched the 2 YouTube clips from the 2nd show and.. phew.... wow. The real Beach Boys are back.

And yes, Marks is having a blast! I'm so happy for him.


Can't wait 'til August now...

TWO?!?!?!?

[Fall Breaks]

I don't believe it.....

If you mean that all this happening: ya, me neither. Just watched the 2 YouTube clips from the 2nd show and.. phew.... wow. The real Beach Boys are back.

And yes, Marks is having a blast! I'm so happy for him.


Can't wait 'til August now...

TWO?!?!?!?

The one you posted and the one of the entire Good Vibrations. 

[Menace Wilson]

This was my first time to ever see BW or the Beach Boys live.

First of all, I was blown away by how good Brian sounded.  There were several times when Jeff stepped back and let Brian fly solo.  Fantastic.  B-Dub didn't exactly look ecstatic, but he did seem relatively relaxed for most of the show.  

Al in particular sounded great too.  Of all the BBs, his voice seems to have survived the years best.

David Marks looked happy and played great.  If the set list was "oldies"-centric, it makes sense since David originally played on several of those tunes.

The video tributes struck me as a classy touch...liked them a lot.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the show, though I wished there had been more surprises, setlist-wise.  Also, it was pretty surreal to see so much of the crowd remain seated for "Heroes and Villains," yet standing for tunes like "Barbara Ann."    

[MarcellaHasDirtyFeet]

First: Have we not learned our lesson about askingforit for PMs in the open forum?

Second: Where can I find the quotes from Bruce that everyone has been referring to? Don't know how I missed it...

[PongHit]

So those 2 photos of the bra are all that exist?

I hope someone throws a bra at each show. Much better idea than a beach ball.

[Fall Breaks]

So those 2 photos of the bra are all that exist?

I hope someone throws a bra at each show. Much better idea than a beach ball.

I think we all should be responsible and toss a green bra at Al during Help Me Rhonda during this tour. Could start a nice tradition. 

[PongHit]

I think we all should be responsible and toss a green bra at Al during Help Me Rhonda during this tour. Could start a nice tradition. 

Yeah, but does it have to be green?

[anazgnos]

I can't remember who said if we didn't have autotune to complain about we'd just lock in something insignificant to bi.tch about, like, say, the stage design, but I'd hate to disappoint them, so...



Man I hate that "50" on the proscenium.  It's like a cheesy 1930s-style, "That's Entertainment!" font so it's totally thematically inappprorpriate.  I really like the stage design overall but that "50" has a cheap clip-art look about it that just bugs the crap out of me.

[seltaeb1012002]

Clip of 409:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WM0vHKbfnPM

[Ron]

Vibes vid:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T18oIa3Gu1k

Man there's nothing like hearing Mike and Brian sing that together.  Lovin' it.  Mike sounds great.  Basically, those lyrics "I'm picking up good vibrations, she's givin' me the excitations" only work if Mike sings it, lol. 

[southbay]

Damn.  I'm no cheapskate but those shirts are expensive!

Pretty normal for a big-scale concert like this. Thirty bucks for a hat is pretty ridiculous too.

Paul McCartney charges about that also.

Yup, I got a poster, it was $20 the T shirt cost more then I spend in a normal month haha

Exactly why I say they should sell the new cd for $15 at the stand.  Whata re most people going to choose?

[Ed Roach]

Clip of 409:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WM0vHKbfnPM

The guy who shot the video of 409 posted a less than stellar review:

Review: Beach Boys drown in nostalgia during 50th anniversary show

By Preston Jones

Posted 9:36am on Friday, Apr. 27, 2012
 
Grand Prairie -- It wasn't exactly a great day at the beach.

The Beach Boys, with all surviving, original members together on stage for the first time in two decades, including mystical figurehead Brian Wilson, took the stage at the Verizon Theatre Thursday night to mark the band's 50th anniversary. The myth has become legend: a small knot of family members in Hawthorne, Calif. and a friend from school get together, write some tunes about girls, surfing and cars, and in the process, become one of the most influential pop groups of all time.

The weight of that legacy was scarcely felt Thursday -- having a good time far outweighed any need to even briefly acknowledge the Beach Boys' place in pop history. While the band -- Mike Love, Al Jardine, Bruce Johnston, Brian Wilson and David Marks (brothers Carl and Dennis Wilson have long since passed; solemn tribute was paid to both deceased members) -- didn't betray too many signs of age, it took an awfully long time for the evening to shake off the cobwebs and find its groove. (In fairness, this was only the second show of the tour, which opened in Tucson, Ariz. earlier this week.)

With a staggering 15 musicians arrayed on stage, it quickly became evident -- sadly -- that this was merely going to be the ho-hum, state fair version of the Beach Boys that has crisscrossed the country for the last two decades, with Brian Wilson tacked on. Right down to the gaudy video screen with its low-rent graphics and surfboards tucked into one corner of the stage, very little about the presentation suggested this was a monumental occasion.

Indeed, Wilson appeared to be anywhere but present during the show's first half -- the 130-minute long night was split in two by a 20-minute intermission -- playing his white grand piano, betraying no emotion on his face. Watching Mike Love ham it up as de facto bandleader (seriously, man, the cheese-ball pointing and hand flourishes are straight outta Branson), while the man often credited with making the Beach Boys as impactful as they were relegated to the role of sideman injected a fascinating tension into the proceedings.

Not that anyone in the nearly sold-out room was interested in the band's legendarily frictive dynamics. The theatre was packed with baby boomers, with a sprinkling of young families, intent on reliving the glory days, shouting along and standing up for the tracks they knew (Surfin' Safari, Do It Again and Don't Worry Baby got 'em going) and sitting back down for the more contemplative cuts. Love kept up his irritating schtick for the duration of the performance, even as Brian Wilson took on more of a central role in the second half of the show, performing knock-out renditions of Wouldn't It Be Nice, Sloop John B and Heroes and Villains.

The close, sun-dappled harmonies still seemed to be there (In My Room was immaculate), the gleaming arrangements were faithfully rendered and, although I have no empirical evidence to support this, I got the sneaking suspicion many of those extra bodies on stage were to help the Beach Boys achieve vocal heights that haven't been hit since the days of LBJ. The new single, That's Why God Made the Radio, ahead of the "reunion" album due out in June, fits snugly within the back catalog, but is otherwise unmemorable.

Was it fun? Sure, in a trip-down-memory-lane kind of way and, whatever the motivations, the songs hold up like the classics they are. But having grown up not with the Beach Boys as a band in heavy rotation (I came age during the Kokomo era, after all), and instead, a group already revered for its contributions to the pop canon, seeing the men themselves appear so indifferent to the breadth of their accomplishments was a little jarring. I didn't need a buttoned-down "evening with" experience, but at the same time, this concert marking the 50th anniversary felt more cynical than celebratory. Talk about a wipe-out.

http://www.dfw.com/2012/04/27/613287/review-beach-boys-drown-in-nostalgia.html

[Lowbacca]

[...] Brian Wilson took on more of a central role in the second half of the show, performing knock-out renditions of Wouldn't It Be Nice, Sloop John B and Heroes and Villains.

Yeeaah.  

Anyway.. what is being criticised exactly? I don't really get it. Seems like the review of somebody who attended a cool BBs show, but isn't really into their music anyway. Nothing negative is said about the musical quality. Not much at all is said about the music itself. Not that good a review, sorry.

[Mikie]

Seriously, man, the cheese-ball pointing and hand flourishes are straight outta Branson.

Ah Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha!   That was good.

[guitarfool2002]

Recession? 

[Autotune]

[...] Brian Wilson took on more of a central role in the second half of the show, performing knock-out renditions of Wouldn't It Be Nice, Sloop John B and Heroes and Villains.

Yeeaah.  

Anyway.. what is being criticised exactly? I don't really get it. Seems like the review of somebody who attended a cool BBs show, but isn't really into their music anyway. Nothing negative is said about the musical quality. Not much at all is said about the music itself. Not that good a review, sorry.

The writer seems honest but fails to make a point.

[jmc]

Sorry if this has been discussed already, but I wonder if Brian is having moments of deja vu at these shows.  For one, it's been a long time since he's played with Mike and Bruce, and B) it's been a really long time since he's sat at the grand white piano at the end of the stage -since the early 80's, where he basically sang a few leads, played a bit of piano, and added a little background harmony here and there (all that is missing from the set are the ash tray and coffee cups).  Does this take him back to a bad place in some ways (that view and setting with those songs and familiar faces)? From the limited pics and vids I've seen so far, he doesn't appear very happy (granted its early and I have seen him many times solo and its been a mixed bag).  

Anyhow, I really hope he is truly enjoying himself up there (as much as Brian could).  I look forward to seeing them on June 1.    

[John Manning]

Think the guy suffers from the same as what a lot of us do, myself included.

He wants the BBs to go on-stage in tuxedos and perform Bach, Beethoven, The Trader and other deep stuff what they wrote*.

Their legacy, in the eyes of the world, is surf, beach, fun, and it's damn great music however it's wrapped up.

Remember the SMiLE debut at the RFH, and the fans who turned out in DJs and evening gowns? That was appropriate for that night but it seems to be what the reviewer wanted last night.  But it ain't appropriate for the context of this reunion.  They're celebrating their public image legacy, not laying claim to the solemn stuff.

Once the reunion fuss has died down maybe they could go out, play smaller halls and give us solemn, deep, wool shirts, beards and Long Promised Sail On Cabinessences.  'T'ain't gonna happen, sadly for us. 

This guy needs to accept the fact, move on, and have fun fun fun while it lasts.

*Eric & Ernie pun intended.

[Emdeeh]

Interesting, Mikie D is playing left-handed bass.

[SBonilla]

Think the guy suffers from the same as what a lot of us do, myself included.

He wants the BBs to go on-stage in tuxedos and perform Bach, Beethoven, The Trader and other deep stuff what they wrote*.

Their legacy, in the eyes of the world, is surf, beach, fun, and it's damn great music however it's wrapped up.

Remember the SMiLE debut at the RFH, and the fans who turned out in DJs and evening gowns? That was appropriate for that night but it seems to be what the reviewer wanted last night.  But it ain't appropriate for the context of this reunion.  They're celebrating their public image legacy, not laying claim to the solemn stuff.

Once the reunion fuss has died down maybe they could go out, play smaller halls and give us solemn, deep, wool shirts, beards and Long Promised Sail On Cabinessences.  'T'ain't gonna happen, sadly for us. 

This guy needs to accept the fact, move on, and have fun fun fun while it lasts.

*Eric & Ernie pun intended.

The Beach Boys have a hokey streak. Some folks are uncomfortable with that.

[guitarfool2002]

because his guitar lick sounds more like the record than Brian's shows usually do.  Maybe he's got a little nuance that others do slightly different?

Interesting observation, another reason why it is great to have him on stage. He and Carl learned guitar from the same teacher, apparently, and were part of the same scene, surrounded by the same music at the same time. It's like playing classic soul music with musicians from California or the UK then playing the same songs with musicians from Memphis - the feel and the groove is just flowing naturally in their blood because they learned within that style versus copying it.

Great to see David there, great to hear that he's taking leads and playing authentic 60's California surf guitar, and great to see FENDER GUITARS on stage!

[Les P]

At his own shows, hadn't Brian grown visibly bored with the old hits, typically stepping up his game and enthusiasm whenever performing songs from whatever current projects (TLOS, BWRG) he was touring at the time?  He's probably sick to death of most of these songs.  Any back pain he's suffering probably just adds to his"OK, I said I'd do this, and if I don't I'll catch hell from the promoter, so I gotta get through it" attitude.  Plus who knows if there really is conflict going on behind the scenes.  Still, it would be nice if he looked like he was enjoying himself.  

[Les P]

(accidental double post)

[John Manning]

Interesting, Mikie D is playing left-handed bass.

He probably nicked it off Macca at the Grammys!! 

[PongHit]

straight outta Branson

"Straight Outta Branson" — the new hit single from NWA feat. B-Pain.