Brian Wilson 2016 Tour Thread (Pet Sounds 50th Anniversary Tour)

[Eric Aniversario]

I'm reading that M. Ward opened for Brian last night at the Hollywood Bowl, which might explain why Brian and the band may have done a shorter set.

I've never really understood the appeal of having an opening act. I enjoyed the show, but would have enjoyed it more had it featured Wake The World, Funky Pretty, etc rather than an opening act. 99.9% off the audience is there for the main performer, and anyone that takes away from that time...well it just doesn't make sense. I used to cringe whenever this one comedian would open for Mike & Bruce in the early 2000s. He wasn't funny, and I knew to expect a shorter set.

The only time I've seen people there more for the opening act, it was when Foster the People opened at a C50 show, and even then, it was probably 5-10% of the audience.

[HeyJude]

I don't think I'd mind an opening act nearly as much if it didn't cut down on the main act's show. And also, it's extra frustrating for hardcore fans because it's several more obscure/deep cuts that get axed first. They never drop "Barbara Ann." (Actually, I think one recent festival show did drop "Barbara Ann"; on a few occasions over the years Brian has actually skipped it.)

It's just weird to charge a premium price, and especially at arguably Brian's highest-profile gig on the tour, and do a shorter show.

Sometimes there are local sound ordinance issues at play (though, even then, just start the opening act earlier!).

I think the main deal on this tour is "Pet Sounds", and everything else is pretty malleable. As I've often said, I wish they'd give Al and Blondie (and Matt, maybe even other guys) a solo spot or two to lengthen the show without taxing Brian.

[SonoraDick]

"Love and Mercy", July 9, Phoenix.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0prqRQ_oMg

[SonoraDick]

Blondie at the Celebrity Theatre, Phoenix, July 9.

[bringahorseinhere?]

I don't know what it is like over the rest of the world, but in Australia it gives me the shits.  e.g
say a show starts at 9pm, there is a support act on before the name artist.  about a 1/5 of the audience
is there ready to embrace the show while the rest of the people walk in, walk out, find their seats, stand up
in front of the people who are enjoying the support act, play with their phones, go back out and get food drink etc,
talking, giving the support act and the people interested a hard time by just not 'giving a f^ck!' attitude. 

Now what is funny and STILL gives me the shits, if when a major act comes on and there is not support artist, and
these dumb ass people stroll in, crack the sads that they have missed the start of the show, while they are 20 - 30
minutes late as to what they were told what was the start time on the ticket, and all of a sudden it's the 'artists fault'!!???
huh wah??
Concert goer's have really lost the respect of what a concert is, and have become too arrogant and selfish.
As a concert goer recently to Brian's show, it sh*t me that about a 1/4 of the people were still walking in on
the opening song 'our prayer' and talking, finding their seats, and upsetting everyone else around them that were
hanging onto their seats for Brian's gig.  What is the matter with people.
And! while I'm at it, it shits me to see people playing with their phones at a concert! 
going to the cinema these days is exactly the same! Why do people bother going if they are not really interested?
To those people, stay home and play with your toys, but go to a concert for a one off experience!
GET A LIFE!

[HeyJude]

Concerts are like the movie theater, some people are stunningly oblivious to anyone but themselves. Even people that pay into the hundreds for concert tickets will show up late, go take 15 minutes and miss three or four songs to get a beer, will be the one person to stand and force everyone else to stand behind them (we've had the standing vs. sitting debates on other threads, but I'll say one thing I won't miss is Scott Bennett mid-show deciding that everyone will have to stand for the next hour instead of having the option of sitting), and so on.

People aren't often respectful to the main act of a show or fellow concergoers, so God help the opening act. The thing that bugs me most about audiences during opening acts is the talking. The shuffling to the seat and all of that is one thing, but I've seen opening acts, usually solid and enjoyable enough to listen to, be literally drowned out by the volume of just general talking in the audience.

[WonderfulLittlePad]

So is Darian only going to play select shows and do the PS portion for this tour?  I have tickets for the July 23 show and hope he is there.

If you're seeing the band on July 23rd, I'd be more bummed about it apparently being the one show on the tour that Al is going to miss.

Al is going to miss the July 23 show??  I haven't heard of this.  That is a huge bummer.

[Pretty Funky]

Gig with the Surf City Allstars. Doubt he will be there the night before either.

[WonderfulLittlePad]

Gig with the Surf City Allstars. Doubt he will be there the night before either.

That really is a huge bummer!!  I would think the Brian Wilson show would take precadent over that gig, but what do I know.

[bringahorseinhere?]

it's probably a better paying gig 

[HeyJude]

Gig with the Surf City Allstars. Doubt he will be there the night before either.

Brian's website made a point early on to mark only the 7/23 show as "Featuring Blondie Chaplin", which confusingly is their way of saying Al is not going to be there. So I would guess Al will be at the 7/22 show and then fly straight out for this side gig.

I would imagine Al's gig was booked ages ago, prior to the PS tour being booked.

[Robbie Mac]

According to Surf City AllStars website, it is a corporate gig.

[HeyJude]

it's probably a better paying gig 

Both Al and Dave probably make more on a per-show basis doing private gigs, the "Surf City All Stars" gigs and whatnot, than they do in either Brian's or Mike's band. It can be pretty lucrative. Not sure why Al has languished for years in this regard while "Papa Doo Run Run" plays countless, mostly private/coporate gigs, each year. I guess an Al show would cost more for clients.

[WonderfulLittlePad]

Gig with the Surf City Allstars. Doubt he will be there the night before either.

Brian's website made a point early on to mark only the 7/23 show as "Featuring Blondie Chaplin", which confusingly is their way of saying Al is not going to be there. So I would guess Al will be at the 7/22 show and then fly straight out for this side gig.

I would imagine Al's gig was booked ages ago, prior to the PS tour being booked.

Had no idea, figured that just meant that Blondie was going to be there, which at the time I was thinking that was pretty sweet.

[HeyJude]

Gig with the Surf City Allstars. Doubt he will be there the night before either.

Brian's website made a point early on to mark only the 7/23 show as "Featuring Blondie Chaplin", which confusingly is their way of saying Al is not going to be there. So I would guess Al will be at the 7/22 show and then fly straight out for this side gig.

I would imagine Al's gig was booked ages ago, prior to the PS tour being booked.

Had no idea, figured that just meant that Blondie was going to be there, which at the time I was thinking that was pretty sweet.

Yeah, I didn't understand why they had asterisked one show with Blondie's name until someone here pointed out that it meant that, since by default all other shows feature Al and Blondie, that something marked as featuring Blondie means *only* Blondie.

I get why PR wise it doesn't sound good to list who *isn't* going to be at a show, but they could have at least put "Blondie Chaplin Only" or something.

They've tried and usually, not always, succeeded in making it clear that these are "Brian Wilson" shows and any other guests are subject to change. Going back to 2014 and 2015, Al wasn't doing quite *every* gig with Brian. In 2014, Al mostly just did the California gigs with Brian (plus two UK and Vegas), and in 2015 Al also didn't make a few TV and promotional ("Noncomm") appearances.

On the other hand, Al has done some of the private gigs with Brian in the last couple years, so I think Al is more firmly a "member" of the band now as compared to a few years ago.

But yeah, I'm guessing he booked one corporate gig probably last year or something, and couldn't or wouldn't break that gig. Ideally, Brian could have just booked the Louisiana gig for 7/25 or something (there's nothing on the schedule between the 7/23 gig and the 7/29 Paso Robles gig, and then a break until mid-August).

[HeyJude]

In catching a video of "Hushabye" and "Surfer Girl" from the Hollywood Bowl gig, it looks like they've gone back to Brian singing the bridge on "Surfer Girl." Is there any recording on YouTube or elsewhere from the gigs where Blondie sang the bridge?

[SonoraDick]

"Wild Honey", Phoenix, July 9.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2XTscfBMYM&feature=youtu.be

[NOLA BB Fan]

Re Jul23: That's why I got a ticket for the night before, in Tunica, so that I could see the whole band.

Trying to be optimistic re July 23, for which I have. Sound check ticket. Who will sing the parts Al would have sung? Might there be a song or two that they'll do just for that show? Will Help Me Rhonda be sung?

If nothing else, it should be interesting

[SonoraDick]

Will Help Me Rhonda be sung?

quote]

I'm sure Matt will fill in nicely for that one.

[HeyJude]

Re Jul23: That's why I got a ticket for the night before, in Tunica, so that I could see the whole band.

Trying to be optimistic re July 23, for which I have. Sound check ticket. Who will sing the parts Al would have sung? Might there be a song or two that they'll do just for that show? Will Help Me Rhonda be sung?

If nothing else, it should be interesting

I'm guessing the one or two Al-centric songs like "Cal Saga" will be dropped, and Matt will probably sing "Rhonda."

If they do the couple of car songs Al normally sings, Brian will just take those (Brian sang them on opening night in 2015, even singing *over* Al on "Little Deuce Coupe" and singing "Shut Down" on his own). Brian also sang "Wake the World" on opening night in 2015, so he could easily do that one as well.

I doubt they'd do it, and it's not my favorite arrangement, but it would be kind of interesting if they did the lowered-key bluesy version of "Rhonda" that Dennis and Carl (and Al) used to sing in the early 70s and have Blondie sing it!

[thatjacob]

Without Al, I wish they'd finally break out "Leaving This Town."

[RubberSoul13]

I'll be curious to see how they replace Al's songs for that lone date. It'll probably only free up about 2-3 song slots but that could make a huge difference if used towards Blondie's mini-set.

[marcella27]

I know this has been discussed ever since Blondie started touring with Brian and Al last year, but he is severely underutilized. I get that an extra guitarist isn't needed on a lot of these songs, but man, give the guy more than 2-3 songs to sing. His voice is out of this world.

[HeyJude]

I know this has been discussed ever since Blondie started touring with Brian and Al last year, but he is severely underutilized. I get that an extra guitarist isn't needed on a lot of these songs, but man, give the guy more than 2-3 songs to sing. His voice is out of this world.

While he was only similarly utilized last year, I think in theory in the future he might get a bit more prominence during a show on a non-PS tour.

The way the current show is structured, there are only around 18 or so first-set songs to divvy up. The PS set is of course set in stone, and the encore pretty much is too. Add to that the "classics" that are always performed in the first set, and there isn't much room left. I do think when they whittle Blondie's leads down to one or two, that's a bit excessive. Three at absolute minimum makes sense. They are presumably paying him to be on the tour, so you'd think they'd get more bang for their buck.

I still think having Brian take a break and having Al and Blondie lead the band for a mini-set of 2-4 songs or so would be ideal. They could do almost half of the "Holland" album based on songs they've done and/or have rehearsed.

[HeyJude]

I'll be curious to see how they replace Al's songs for that lone date. It'll probably only free up about 2-3 song slots but that could make a huge difference if used towards Blondie's mini-set.

I think it's more likely they'll at least do the full 3-song Blondie set, but I doubt much else will be different. "Cal Saga" and "Wake the World" are really the only Al leads *currently* in the setlist that Brian hasn't regularly done in the past, and even then he has sung "Wake the World" at least once last year.

My best guess is the setlist will look nearly identical to previous shows. "Cal Saga" and perhaps "Wake the World" will be dropped, Brian will sing Al's car songs, and they might simply sub in another regular Brian track not done often this year like "Please Let Me Wonder" or something.

It would be nice to finally hear the band's rendition of "Leaving this Town", but the Louisiana show will be the fourth show in four nights, so they might have less energy or time to re-rehearse new stuff for that show.