Show 4: Chastain Park -Atlanta, GA 4/28/12 (SETLIST/PICS/REVIEWS)

[John Manning]

Hope you caught the bus home after…

I always have a DD. Never leave home without one.  

So... it's the 4th BB reunion show ever, and some so-called fan respects the event sooooooo much they have to get trashed between the sound check and the gig ? That's my definition of an asshole.  

Why does AGD get to call people an as*hole, but we get baned for doing it? I've always had great discussions with people on this board and learned a lot, but I would never call somebody that. I just wanted to have a good time with the band I love. I was respectable the whole time dude. YOU WERE NOT THERE WITH ME.

Like AGD, I've had gigs ruined by prats "enjoying themselves' at everyone else's expense.

Including the symphonic PS Hollywood Bowl gig in 2000, where some drunk in the next stall was singing at the top of his voice for the benefit of his girlfriend.  Okay, he paid for his ticket, and for the drink… I'd also paid for my ticket, and the flight from Glasgow to be there.  

Then there was the chump who arrived late to one of the very first SMiLE gigs at the RFH – he'd paid for his ticket, paid for his drink, and kindly thumped out the beat of every tune he sang along to on the front balcony rail.

Some folk don't give a sh*t, as long as they remember hat they probably had a good time.  Long as they have the ticket stub in your pocket to remind them they were there.

At festivals, fine, get stoned, get sh*t-faced, do what you will… folk can move if they don't like it. Indoors, seated venues, it's just good manners to let others enjoy music in their own way without intruding on that enjoyment.  Respectful.

 

PS: what's a DD? 

[over and over]

Hope you caught the bus home after…

I always have a DD. Never leave home without one.  

So... it's the 4th BB reunion show ever, and some so-called fan respects the event sooooooo much they have to get trashed between the sound check and the gig ? That's my definition of an asshole.  

Why does AGD get to call people an as*hole, but we get baned for doing it? I've always had great discussions with people on this board and learned a lot, but I would never call somebody that. I just wanted to have a good time with the band I love. I was respectable the whole time dude. YOU WERE NOT THERE WITH ME.

Like AGD, I've had gigs ruined by prats "enjoying themselves' at everyone else's expense.

Including the symphonic PS Hollywood Bowl gig in 2000, where some drunk in the next stall was singing at the top of his voice for the benefit of his girlfriend.  Okay, he paid for his ticket, and for the drink… I'd also paid for my ticket, and the flight from Glasgow to be there.  

Then there was the chump who arrived late to one of the very first SMiLE gigs at the RFH – he'd paid for his ticket, paid for his drink, and kindly thumped out the beat of every tune he sang along to on the front balcony rail.

Some folk don't give a sh*t, as long as they remember hat they probably had a good time.  Long as they have the ticket stub in your pocket to remind them they were there.

At festivals, fine, get stoned, get sh*t-faced, do what you will… folk can move if they don't like it. Indoors, seated venues, it's just good manners to let others enjoy music in their own way without intruding on that enjoyment.  Respectful.

 

PS: what's a DD? 

I went to the side early cuz I knew I wanted to stand up the whole time. I stayed respectful. I'm not the kind of person to sing out load. Mostly just rocking my head with my hand in the air.

DD is a designated driver. I always bring one with me. 

[Andrew G. Doe]

I'm sure this morning those 'weird people' are talking about the drunken asshole sat next to them and how relieved they were when he moved to the aisle.

You mean that you`re certain that nobody has ever thought that you were an asshole at a gig? Think hard...

Given I've only had a drink once since summer 1980 (in 1994, when my father died) and never at a show, not because of that.

[John Manning]

DD is a designated driver. I always bring one with me. 

If you buy me a show ticket an a flight, I'll drive - even let you sing in the car on the way home! 

[Yorick]

Given I've only had a drink once since summer 1980 (in 1994, when my father died) and never at a show, not because of that.

Puts a whole new spin on your avatar picture!

[Andrew G. Doe]

Given I've only had a drink once since summer 1980 (in 1994, when my father died) and never at a show, not because of that.

Puts a whole new spin on your avatar picture!

Not by choice, I assure you. I got the "either... or else" lecture from the doctor.

[Zach95]

I wish we could find out more about the concert instead of this nonsense.

[Shady]

Well sucks to hear about the tickets sales, if it's true the show didn't sell that great...

It's not The Beach Boys fault though, the show only went onsale a few weeks ago out of the blue.

Poor planning

[Yorick]

Not by choice, I assure you. I got the "either... or else" lecture from the doctor.

I'm sorry to hear that Andrew. I'm glad that you've listened to the doctor's advice and have been able to resist temptations!

[Runaways]

i'm getting more distressed that i might have to be sitting down, NO I REFUSE. 

[SummerInParadise23]

I've been to shows (yes Beach Boys concerts!) where people behind me have snapped on me for standing up and dancing. It's the most negative/bizarre thing. How can anyone sit during such a fun time? You guys should stop the silly arguing on here. It's so pointless

Cool Head Warm Heart

[Kirk]

Well, for what it's worth, here's my report:

We got there about 4 for the meet and greet. Interesting mixture of folks. I was surprised at how many people actually bought the VIP packages. You could really sense how intensely personal this M&G was to some people bc there was a lot of crowding to be the first in the gate. The other interesting thing was how intergenerational it was. I really liked seeing families bringing their kids. Though my wife kept asking if I would pay $500 for a six or seven year old to see a soundcheck. Of course, I said no. But I would have. In a country minute.

When they opened the gates, Stix the VIP guy was very friendly, very cool. He had some neat stories to tell about traveling this past week with the band. The whole process works smoothly. People started asking right away if they could get stuff signed. People had albums mostly. Some other folks were miffed that bc of the instructions with the VIP ticket you weren't to bring anything. I actually had a BBFUN newsletter from 1977, back when they were photocopied and stapled and the covers were hand-drawn. Ultimately, I decided not to try to get it signed---there were just too many other people with stuff.

So we waited about twenty minutes for all 50 or so VIP folks to check in. There may have been even more---it seemed like a big crowd to me. As we milled in the passageway I started a near stampede by pointing out that Brian was already at the piano. You could see him sitting at it over some low shrubs. He had to be hot bc the sun was pouring at this point but he was as impassable as Buddha. At another point I waved my wife over from the opposite wall where she was enjoying some shade. I said, "That's Jeff, the guy who sings the falsetto parts." She gave me a steely glare and said, "You made me lose my spot for that?"

Finally, we were led down to some seats at stage left. Bruce was the first person we saw. He walked up to the lip of the stage and greeted everybody. Very friendly. He and Brian were the only "principals" on stage at this point. They did an instrumental "Do It Again." Scott definitely in charge. Soon enough David came out and then Al. Both smiling at waving at us. Mike got the loudest ovation when he arrived a while later. Most of the soundcheck was taken with TWGMTR. It was pretty clear they're still learning the song---at least the chord progression. Scott walked everybody through the progression, which sounds a hell of a lot more complex than on the song itself (the chorus, anyway). There was a lot of discussion about a Dm9 and the need to bury the F bc it rubbed against the E. Interesting stuff if you're into music. They worked quite a while on making sure it sounded cohesive. And honestly, I think it sounds better live than on the record. Cowsill pumps it up. There was a lot of discussion about who would join Brian on the middle eight. Scott didn't think it was full enough. First it was Brian, Mike, and Bruce, then it was Brian, Mike, and Al. Whether they knew it or not, it was actually Brian, Mike, Al, and me bc my wife kept elbowing me telling me to stop singing along. They did the vibe breakdown after the middle eight several times and it was really powerful. Brian sounded great---though I could definitely see why they wanted other voices on the bridge.

I was sorta surprised they didn't run through more on the soundcheck. Probably the funniest part was when Scott called for "Barbara Ann" and Al basically went WTF? But they had to rehearse the "Everybody say yeah" intro bc a special guest was joining in on bass. No, it was not Stamos (who I never saw). It was The Man. He stepped up, thumbed the E string, shifted from his left to right foot. Scott pointed out that his bass didn't have a wedge (meaning it wasn't plugged in). Jeff said it would be for the show. It was, later, but Brian still thumbed the E string only.

They ended soundcheck running through the two video tributes. The Dennis one is amazing, and the timing was perfect both at rehearsal and in the show. We only heard the Carl tribute bc we had to line up for the M&G. It goes fast. Don't blink or you'll have a picture of your eyelids. And if you have dreams of going, "Hey, how about tossing in 'Stoked' tonight so David can shred?" don't bc you'll hold up the line. We were told point blank they're not really chatty. But the funny thing is when my wife walked in ahead of me, Mike's eyeballs popped out of his head. My wife is 48, a year older than me, and I like to think of her as hot stuff. Apparently Mike and I have the same taste. He squeezed in tight and then made a point of shaking her hand. That made him obliged to shake mine. He was very friendly, though. As we wove around I caught Brian's eye and whispered "thank you." He smiled very shyly and nodded. Any more and I would've felt like I was intruding.

If I can ever figure how to post a pic, I will. It's worth it in my opinion.


Instead of hanging out in the venue we had to exit. So we went back to the car for a glass of wine. We were parked next to a few folks also from the VIP so we talked shopped for an hour or so. And this is a great part of the night if you're a fan, just sharing stories. I showed off my BBFUN newsletter, others showed off their mixtapes. We all looked through the program, which is the best merchandise. As were standing talking at our trunk here comes Nelson walking up the hill by himself with a stack of his CDs. He was all by himself to I waved him over and we talked probably 10 minutes. A GREAT GUY. We bought one of his CDs and I highly recommend---he's a big REM fan, as am I. Mostly I asked about Jazz Fest and how the two bands were mixing. I felt bad after a while bc we were dominating his time and he was trying to sell CDs. Other folks we met saw Probyn down at the gate, and one guy hung out a while with David. So scope out the gates nearest the stage and you'll probably get lucky.

So for the show: the bad news to me is the set list is going to be the set list from what I can see. It was the same as Grand Prairie, basically---that means no "This Whole World." My only disappointment of the night. That said, there were a lot of highlights. TWGMTR was great; very powerful, almost spiritual live. Mike was in great voice, and I could hear a bass part on that song. I heard a lot of deep bass from him all night. There were some funny moments. When Jeff went to introduce the band at the beginning, he called out every member, beginning with David, then Bruce, then Al. You could see them lining up in the wings. Then he goes "Michael Edward Love!" and Brian started walking out. Mike tried to cut around him, but couldn't get out fast enough. Then during "Be True" Mike had this riff about women in uniforms and he was going, "Brian, you remember when we went to Friday night football games, and they had cheerleaders?" And Brian just goes, "Michael Love!" As in, "Michael Love ... ladies man!" It was pretty funny.

Speaking of Brian, he was in solid voice. He absolutely smoked the second (Carl) verse of "California Dreamin'." My wife, who is not by any means a homer like me, talked about that moment all the way home. He even swiveled chair toward the audience when he sang it. He was great on "Heroes and Villains," too. There were a couple of dropped lines here and there, but "Please Let Me Wonder," etc.---he sounded in fine form to me. Bruce was a little fluttery on "Disney Girls"---but damn, it only added to the poignancy of it. Al sounded great, too---"Cottonfields" works really well. Another funny moment: in the encore, Al was banging on a tambourine, and he stuck it over the end of David's guitar, which was fine until he went to take it off and knocked the knobs completely out of skew. You could see David chuckle and roll his eyes as he retuned.

One thing I will say about the show: if you believe in the two Beach Boys theory, the concert proves it. There were a lot of folks who had no clue about the band other than the familiar songs. And they do bring the energy down on "All This is That" (which was gorgeous) and even "Sail on Sailor" (another fine voice, btw). Just as an example, the woman next to me. As the video of "Forever" was going and I was remembering being 12 wishing I had Dennis Wilson's hair, she leaned over to me and said, "Now, what happened to him." I decided to skip the whole story and just said, "Unfortunately, he drowned." And, honest to God, she asked, "Why did he drown?" So I said it was in December in 58 degree water. Of course, she asked me the same thing during "God Only Knows." So I had to explain cancer. Then she wanted to know which ones were the surviving Wilson brothers. Then a little later she asked me which of the Wilsons' parents got them into music (?!?). I resisted the temptation to say, "The one that made them defecate on a plate [sic] and stare in his empty eye socket." So if you're a studied fan, be prepared: this is a general audience. They want hits. I was grateful for "Don't Back Down," which I'd never heard live, and "Wendy," which I'd heard last August during Brian's show. And "Little Girl" is always a thrill to me. Yes, I would've died for "Caroline, No," or anything off Love You, but I don't see it happening.

So, to wrap up after a long post, it was a great show. I will say Chastain is an asterik show for the VIP program, which means your front row seat isn't a front row bc they sell picnic tables down front to subscribers. I knew that already, but some of the other VIPers didn't really understand it, and there was some grumbling ... at least until show time.

Anyway, hope everyone there had as much fun as we did. BTW, in Atlanta, we stayed at a great B&B called The Social Goat. In the city with dwarf goats, chickens, and turkeys. I highly recommend if you're ever in the ATL and want a different sort of experience.

[meltedwhiskeyinmyhand]

I guess you can call me an asshole as well. I went to a rock concert and got drunk last night and guess what? It was fun! Lighten up AGD.

[slickman9696]

How can anyone person here think they're better enough than someone else to call them an a**hole. Some people drink at concerts. In fact I know a lot of people that drink at concerts. Yes, this is a legendary tour, that has not escaped this guy's mind. But sometimes you celebrate the things that are seminal moments with a drink, that's just what some people do, and you cannot judge them. I am a trained singer, and I know there will be drunk people and sober people alike that are going to sing a long to the songs, and sound completely horrible and off-pitch (it might be some of you sober attendees), but I am not going to tell you to shut up and ruin the harmonies, because I know you'll be celebrating by singing along with all your favorite songs. To me, horrible singing will be way worst that a drunk person enjoying their concert. But I'm not gonna call that person an a**hole for singing with their fav band.

And let the bashing begin, Mike Love style.....

[JohnMill]

I wish we could find out more about the concert instead of this nonsense.

Same here although props to Kirk for a great recap. 

[Kirk]

Thanks, John. I still can't figure how to post pics, but feel free to go to my Facebook and see what a VIP pic looks like if you're interested:

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=855065869432&set=a.529019079812.2064065.45107621&type=1&theater

[Paulos]

Excellent review Kirk, thank you very much.

[Lowbacca]

@Kirk: you're wife sure is hot stuff. Congrats.

+ Bruce in shorts - yeeah. He's gonna be buried in those. And he's gonna be rockin' them.

[hypehat]

Cheers for the review Kirk! That's a nice photo too 

[meltedwhiskeyinmyhand]

I only have the setlist for the second half:

Set 2
California Dreamin
Sloop
WIBN?
Sail on Sailor
Forever
Heroes
In My Room
God Only Know
Thats Why God Made the Radio (one of the better performances of the evening)
California Girls
All Summer Long
Rhonda
RNR Music
Do YOu Wanna Dance
Barbara Ann
Surfin USA

Encore:
Kokomo
Good Vibes
Fun FUn FUN!

[ohthosegirls]

http://www.nj.com/entertainment/index.ssf/2012/04/brian_wilson_and_mike_love_peo.html

Wilson: Wow. I didn't know that. Single of the century?

Love: In 1966, when it went to No. 1, the Beach Boys were named the No. 1 group in England, No. 2 being the Beatles and No. 3 being the Rolling Stones.

Wilson: Really, Mike? My God.

I love Wilson/Love chat...

[STE]

Did they really start with CalDreamin'?  And no Kokomo?

[meltedwhiskeyinmyhand]

I forgot to throw Kokomo in there but yes, set 2 started with dreamin

[JesusUK]

Thanks so much, Kirk!  I was getting bothered going through all of these posts and learning noting.  Your review was what I was looking for all along.  I couldn't make it to last night's show because of a wedding.  But after reading your review, I was reminded of seeing The Beach Boys and Brian there about 10 years ago.  I really don't like Chastain. 

Six more days till I fly to Tampa for the Straz Center show!

[Zach95]

Thank you Kirk! As others have noted, that's exactly what I wanted to hear. Glad you had an enjoyable time, though I do wish they would change that setlist just a bit.