Brian / Al / Blondie Summer 2015 Tour Thread

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

I cried like a baby (happy tears) during several songs at my show. As I shouted out between  songs, I love that man, in a platonic way.

[Andrew G. Doe]

Love the music, love the band, love the man, just as surely as night follows day.

Howie got it, about the band, but Brian is also buoyed up by the love from the fans: my (then) gf saw the TLOS show in 2007, and Mike & Bruce's legendary UK show the following spring, and she put it far better than I ever could: "Mike's show is great, huge fun... but at Brian's show you could feel the love for him". Not better, just different.

[HeyJude]

I certainly hope they can do some more touring. Obviously, if Brian's ready to retire soon, that's cool. But with Jardine still singing like its 40 years ago, and with Brian in perhaps the most sustained, consistent high spirits of any tour he's done, and with fresh blood in the band with Matt, and with the consistent support and perfectionism of the entire band, I'd love to see them keep going for awhile longer.

I also wish Al had the capital and management to get his own tour going and just use most of Brian's band when Brian isn't on the road. I'd love to see Al backed by Matt and those guys, digging into the back catalog.

[Pacific Ocean Blue]

Does anyone know if Brian will have Al and/or Blondie in his band when he tours the UK later this year?

[The Shift]

Love the music, love the band, love the man, just as surely as night follows day.

Howie got it, about the band, but Brian is also buoyed up by the love from the fans: my (then) gf saw the TLOS show in 2007, and Mike & Bruce's legendary UK show the following spring, and she put it far better than I ever could: "Mike's show is great, huge fun... but at Brian's show you could feel the love for him". Not better, just different.

Spot on.

I worry that soon someone will be writing posts along the lines of "you couldn't possibly have enjoyed that show, because this other show was better…"

We the luckiest fans in the music world cos we have two top notch bands out there playin the best music ever written in the best way possible. Neither is a tribute band: we get two helpings of the real deal.

I'm happy with that.

[J.G. Dev]

Was also at the Boston show last night.  The other posters covered most of what I would have written as well. Few additional random thoughts;

-Rodriquez seems to have quite a faithful following. There were quite a bit of his fans there.
-Matt J was excellent. Haven't seen him since the early 90's.
-In my opinion, Wild Honey and Sail On Sailor were the best two #'s of the night. WH seemed longer, hotter, and better than any of the Youtube video's I've seen thus far. As someone mentioned, a big difference between Blondie doing these now than on the Beck tour. He's not a guest, he's part of the band, and you can see the difference .
-Was disappointed that they didn't do Runaway Dancer as the other 3 songs from the new record were really good. I think they had a punch in a live setting...better than the recordings.
-The two songs from Friends were fantastic. I've been going to shows for close to 30 years and it's always great to hear something you've not heard live before.
-This band really enjoys performing together and you can see it in their interaction with each other on stage.

[Andrew G. Doe]

Does anyone know if Brian will have Al and/or Blondie in his band when he tours the UK later this year?

So... the tour's back on ? Most excellent ! 

[keysarsoze001]

[keysarsoze001]

[Marty Castillo]

^Looks like some good merch, what else did they have available on this tour?

[Russ_B66]

Yes. It is.

One thing that is striking about the difference between Paul and Brian's shows is that Paul plays huge venues and fills them which means that he could easily afford to carry a larger band. I think that there are missed opportunities that are being filled in with modern technology.

I believe that Paul is still a great and exciting performer. The catalog is huge and above reproach but he comes across as a bit cheap. He has a great band but it could be fuller.

[RubberSoul13]

Yes. It is.

One thing that is striking about the difference between Paul and Brian's shows is that Paul plays huge venues and fills them which means that he could easily afford to carry a larger band. I think that there are missed opportunities that are being filled in with modern technology.

I believe that Paul is still a great and exciting performer. The catalog is huge and above reproach but he comes across as a bit cheap. He has a great band but it could be fuller.

A string quartet and a small brass section would go a LONG way, and still leave Wix (keyboard guy) plenty to do on just about every song!

[J.G. Dev]

^Looks like some good merch, what else did they have available on this tour?

I bought an autographed NPP cd for only $25. I figured since Jeff isn't around anymore it must be Brian's signature. 

[Gerry]

Let me tell you what the BW show in Austin did for some friends of mine. Their husband/Dad has been sick with terminal cancer for two years and we went to the show. They were laughing, clapping and singing along the entire concert.We played Beach Boy music all the way home(2 1/2 hours). We bought both daughters t-shirts. They haven't taken them off yet. That's what this concert meant to three people from Houston.

[keysarsoze001]

There was a white tee with the NPP sign on the front and the tour cities on the back, a sort of baseball-style shirt, one with surf boards, the signed NPP CD, and a signed lithograph with Brian's image made up of lyrics.

[HeyJude]

Most of the tour merchandise is up on Brian's website store:

http://insomniac.fanfire.com/cgi-bin/WebObjects/Store.woa/wa/artist?sourceCode=FANWEB&artistName=Brian+Wilson

[Robbie Mac]

Yes. It is.

One thing that is striking about the difference between Paul and Brian's shows is that Paul plays huge venues and fills them which means that he could easily afford to carry a larger band. I think that there are missed opportunities that are being filled in with modern technology.

I believe that Paul is still a great and exciting performer. The catalog is huge and above reproach but he comes across as a bit cheap. He has a great band but it could be fuller.

A string quartet and a small brass section would go a LONG way, and still leave Wix (keyboard guy) plenty to do on just about every song!

But aren't you the guy who said that Wix's Casio sounded "just as good as a real string quartet"?

[Robbie Mac]

The point Howie is making is that at a Brian show, you get Brian being himself. He says whatever comes to his mind at that exact moment, sings whatever notes he wants (sometimes it works, other times it doesn't) and puts up very little in the way of pretension. At a Paul show, you see a guy pretending to be Beatle Paul and deliberately doing so. His shows have become high-end Beatles tribute shows. The Wings shows were much more organic and not-quite as calculated.

[undercover-m]

Let me tell you what the BW show in Austin did for some friends of mine. Their husband/Dad has been sick with terminal cancer for two years and we went to the show. They were laughing, clapping and singing along the entire concert.We played Beach Boy music all the way home(2 1/2 hours). We bought both daughters t-shirts. They haven't taken them off yet. That's what this concert meant to three people from Houston.

That's amazing! Music has that weird ability to affect our lives like that. I'm glad they enjoyed the show, and I hope the dad is doing well!

I cried like a baby (happy tears) during several songs at my show. As I shouted out between  songs, I love that man, in a platonic way.

Hey, you're just saying what we're all thinking  

[RubberSoul13]

Yes. It is.

One thing that is striking about the difference between Paul and Brian's shows is that Paul plays huge venues and fills them which means that he could easily afford to carry a larger band. I think that there are missed opportunities that are being filled in with modern technology.

I believe that Paul is still a great and exciting performer. The catalog is huge and above reproach but he comes across as a bit cheap. He has a great band but it could be fuller.

A string quartet and a small brass section would go a LONG way, and still leave Wix (keyboard guy) plenty to do on just about every song!

But aren't you the guy who said that Wix's Casio sounded "just as good as a real string quartet"?

Yes, absolutely! For one, he doesn't use a Casio...anyway; I do think it sounds just as good but, if he can have the live strings/brass...why not? It would add another element. I don't think one is better than the other, nor do I think THAT many people would care. But like I said, it would go a long way (to certain fans) and still leave Wix with plenty to do.

I totally agree, Paul's show is way too scripted. I've heard the Jimi Hendrix plays Sgt. Pepper, George Harrison played the ukulele, and the Russians learned English from the Beatles story way too many times. But I can also point out the differences as well. I think Paul has "checkpoints" in his dialogue that he ensures he gets to, but there's plenty different. To say that what he does on stage is "pretending" is absurd.

[Gerry]

Why are you talking about McCartney in a thread about Brian's current tour. Why not start a new thread and let the negativity begin.

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

Why are you talking about McCartney in a thread about Brian's current tour. Why not start a new thread and let the negativity begin.

Thank you. I'm a fan of McCartney, but this is a thread about the current tour of the greatest songwriter on the planet. Let's please keep it that way.

[Matt H]

Are they still trying Funky Pretty or Ding Dang during the sound checks, or have they given up on doing those songs?

[RubberSoul13]

Are they still trying Funky Pretty or Ding Dang during the sound checks, or have they given up on doing those songs?

Funky Pretty would be an excellent addition. I'd say swap this for "Sail Away"...or maybe make "Sail Away" into a medley with "Sloop John B" and then continue the Pet Sounds trifecta.

[Wirestone]

Seems like Funky Pretty is out of the picture for now.