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

[HeyJude]

Looks like last night's setlist got up back at least close to the "long" setlist for the tour. "Do You Wanna Dance" made its first appearance in awhile last night; it looks like it may have taken the place of "Hushabye" (which was sounding great based on the recording I heard).

I have to say "Do You Wanna Dance" is one of my least favorite setlist picks; it was one of the weaker moments of C50. I sense Brian may just dig singing it.

[mabewa]

To be honest, I LOVE 'Do You Wanna Dance,' and really enjoyed it in C50.  

I notice that he hasn't played 'One Kind of Love' for a few shows...  hope he brings it back! 

[RubberSoul13]

Do You Wanna Dance works when the crowd wants it to work. I just saw M&B Tuesday and it totally fell flat with the dead crowd. On C50, it was placed in the set where it couldn't fail, I felt. Everyone was already up and rocking and they rolled through it and the energy stayed high. I also like when David sings it. I think it's pretty shitty to "honor" Dennis by playing his recording on tour (M&B) and I don't think Brian has the pipes for it.

[TV Forces]

No meet & greet stories or pictures posted here in some time.

[wbarnes4393]

Saw the show last night in Bossier City, LA (Horseshoe Casino - Riverdome). Really small room, so it was great seeing the band up close. Al Jardine was with the group after all. Not Darian though (Billy Hinsche was there). Brian was in pretty good form. There was no intermission, so I am guessing it was a shorter show.  This was the setlist for last night :

Our Prayer
Heroes and Villains
California Girls (with some new intro)
Dance Dance Dance
Do You wanna dance
I Get Around
Surfer Girl
Don't Worry baby
California Saga: California
Wild Honey
Sail on sailor
(pet sounds in order)
Good Vibrations
Help Me Rhonda
Barbara Ann
Surfin USA
Fun Fun Fun
Love and Mercy

[ArchStanton]

Looks like the Indiana show got a full-length setlist (39 including "River Deep"), then they did an extremely short setlist at Pitchfork, perhaps the shortest setlist of the tour, and then in Iowa they did a longer but still truncated setlist (assuming it's correct on setlist.fm.

Sometimes (though less so than the olden days), casino shows are required to be shorter. Since both the Indiana and Iowa shows were "Horseshoe Casino" shows, it's a bummer they did such a shortened show in Iowa. Perhaps if you get the band on the third or fourth night in a row, you sometimes get a shorter setlist. The festival gigs being shorter makes sense, but it's a bummer when two nearly-identical venues two days apart get drastically different length shows.

I was at the Iowa show (first time seeing Brian!). It was hotter than hell, the show was outside, and the band was right in the sun, so that may have been part of the shorter set. Bluntly, Brian really didn't do too well, and I was legitimately worried about him, so it's good to hear that he sounds better elsewhere. He sounded fine on the faster songs, but on a lot of the Pet Sounds tracks, he was missing a lot of lines and just kind of spitting others out here and there.

But the weather was brutal. I'm just glad I finally was able to see him!

We would've loved hearing "Do You Wanna Dance?" though, as it's my wife's favorite.

[WonderfulLittlePad]

Saw the show last night in Bossier City, LA (Horseshoe Casino - Riverdome). Really small room, so it was great seeing the band up close. Al Jardine was with the group after all. Not Darian though (Billy Hinsche was there). Brian was in pretty good form. There was no intermission, so I am guessing it was a shorter show.  This was the setlist for last night :

Our Prayer
Heroes and Villains
California Girls (with some new intro)
Dance Dance Dance
Do You wanna dance
I Get Around
Surfer Girl
Don't Worry baby
California Saga: California
Wild Honey
Sail on sailor
(pet sounds in order)
Good Vibrations
Help Me Rhonda
Barbara Ann
Surfin USA
Fun Fun Fun
Love and Mercy

Was there as well.  Great show.  Even got Al's autograph after the show so glad he was able to make it.

[HeyJude]

Glad Al made it to the Louisiana gig. Still a bummer the setlist varies in length even on stand-alone shows.

Seriously, why can't they just give Al and Blondie a solo spot with a few songs (truly solo or with some or all of the band)? I understand it's a Brian show, but it's kind of a bummer when one show gets a 40-song setlist and then another gets 32.

I've assumed in more recent years that the restriction on concert length for casino shows was not as much of a thing (due to the casinos being much more of a "resort/destination" thing rather than being mostly only gambling), but perhaps some casino venues still do tell bands to keep it short.

They're more than half-way through the tour now; by my quick count they've done 49 shows (including the private gig in April), and have 42 shows to go starting with Paso Robles.

[Kurosawa]

Got my ticket today for the Raleigh show on August 19th. Can't wait!

[Uncle Jesse]

Are they maybe doing the shorter set at outdoor shows?  Playing a long set might get grueling in this summer heat

[HeyJude]

Are they maybe doing the shorter set at outdoor shows?  Playing a long set might get grueling in this summer heat

That's certainly a possibility. I *think* the previous few "Horseshoe Casino" gigs were indoor though.

Outdoor festival gigs are shorter, but I think that has more to do with the nature of festival gigs.

I think it also has to do with, as someone else awhile back mentioned, that Brian seems to lag a little more when he's doing a second (or third or fourth) night in a row and traveled the day before.

When he's had a day off, or if it's multiple nights at the same venue without traveling, he seems a little more rested and is able to put in a better show. *Very generally* speaking.

[marcella27]

Are they maybe doing the shorter set at outdoor shows?  Playing a long set might get grueling in this summer heat

That's certainly a possibility. I *think* the previous few "Horseshoe Casino" gigs were indoor though.

Outdoor festival gigs are shorter, but I think that has more to do with the nature of festival gigs.

I think it also has to do with, as someone else awhile back mentioned, that Brian seems to lag a little more when he's doing a second (or third or fourth) night in a row and traveled the day before.

When he's had a day off, or if it's multiple nights at the same venue without traveling, he seems a little more rested and is able to put in a better show. *Very generally* speaking.

I saw them at two "festival" shows (Ottawa Montreal) and one "regular" show (Toronto) in the first week of July.  The Toronto show was full-length, but the Ottawa and Montreal shows were shorter.  Ottawa was outside, but the Montreal show was in a concert hall at the arts centre.  So I don't think it has to do with whether the show's outside or inside. 

I can't really understand why these particular festival shows were shorter, because it wasn't a situation where were a lot of bands playing on one day.  Rather, these were separate ticketed events. 

And I couldn't agree more with the idea of giving Al and/or Blondie their own mini-sets!!!

 

[HeyJude]

Are they maybe doing the shorter set at outdoor shows?  Playing a long set might get grueling in this summer heat

That's certainly a possibility. I *think* the previous few "Horseshoe Casino" gigs were indoor though.

Outdoor festival gigs are shorter, but I think that has more to do with the nature of festival gigs.

I think it also has to do with, as someone else awhile back mentioned, that Brian seems to lag a little more when he's doing a second (or third or fourth) night in a row and traveled the day before.

When he's had a day off, or if it's multiple nights at the same venue without traveling, he seems a little more rested and is able to put in a better show. *Very generally* speaking.

I saw them at two "festival" shows (Ottawa Montreal) and one "regular" show (Toronto) in the first week of July.  The Toronto show was full-length, but the Ottawa and Montreal shows were shorter.  Ottawa was outside, but the Montreal show was in a concert hall at the arts centre.  So I don't think it has to do with whether the show's outside or inside. 

I can't really understand why these particular festival shows were shorter, because it wasn't a situation where were a lot of bands playing on one day.  Rather, these were separate ticketed events. 

And I couldn't agree more with the idea of giving Al and/or Blondie their own mini-sets!!!

 

I'm probably now way *overanalyzing* it, but another thing with festival gigs is that, even if it's a sort of "stand-alone" ticketed show within a festival, they tend to leave out an intermission. I wonder if perhaps they skip an intermission at outdoor festival gigs because, unlike indoor theaters or amphitheaters where people more easily have a place to go during the intermission and have a reserved seat to come back to, there's no much anybody can do at a festival gig during intermission.

So, rather than not doing an intermission because the show is shorter, perhaps they're doing a shorter show because there's no intermission. Indeed, 2015 gigs typically didn't have intermissions and clocked in around 32 or so songs.

[HeyJude]

Two more dates:

October 28, 2016 – London, England - Royal Albert Hall
October 30, 2016 – Paris, France - Salle Pleyel

[RubberSoul13]

Well, I see those weren't the final UK dates after all...

[HeyJude]

More Brian shows ain't a bad thing, from a fan perspective.

I also am not prepared yet to criticize a billing of a "final UK tour" if it's followed by some scattered additional dates.

If Brian books another month's worth of shows next year throughout the UK, then some criticism of this year's billing would be warranted.

But the fact that he booked two September shows and one October show in the UK after the main "tour" is not a big deal, and I don't particularly consider the two September shows as a "tour" particularly. I know the Bellagio tour dates website tends to call any grouping of shows in a region a brand-new "tour", but I kind of just look at tours by years more than anything else.

All of this is the 2016 tour, which is clearly jumping back and forth around the globe. If anything, it's a probably a pain in the ass to make arrangements for *three* separate trips to play gigs in the UK over a span of only five months. They must be getting some good offers to do these additional shows.

[RubberSoul13]

More Brian shows ain't a bad thing, from a fan perspective.

I also am not prepared yet to criticize a billing of a "final UK tour" if it's followed by some scattered additional dates.

If Brian books another month's worth of shows next year throughout the UK, then some criticism of this year's billing would be warranted.

But the fact that he booked two September shows and one October show in the UK after the main "tour" is not a big deal, and I don't particularly consider the two September shows as a "tour" particularly. I know the Bellagio tour dates website tends to call any grouping of shows in a region a brand-new "tour", but I kind of just look at tours by years more than anything else.

All of this is the 2016 tour, which is clearly jumping back and forth around the globe. If anything, it's a probably a pain in the ass to make arrangements for *three* separate trips to play gigs in the UK over a span of only five months. They must be getting some good offers to do these additional shows.

True! And I'm certainly happy to see Brian doing them. I just feel that the UK fans have been treated with much disregard lately with all this back and forth on the "final tour" and reschedules etc.

[HeyJude]

The whole 2015 tour cancellation was certainly unfortunate to say the least.

I just think one can't assume anything "final" is actually final. All of this year's "one last time" stuff I've simply taken more as "chances to see this are diminishing as time goes by."

One of the articles a couple months back suggested they were already looking at more PS shows in 2017 to hit markets they didn't in 2016 and to do return visits to markets already hit that could have sustained a second or third show being added.

Ideally, it would be nice to hammer down a full, final tour schedule before anything goes on sale so that people can pick a show to go to that is the least inconvenient. But a lot of us have probably dealt with that: Travel farther out to some show, only for a closer show to subsequently be announced.

[RubberSoul13]

The whole 2015 tour cancellation was certainly unfortunate to say the least.

I just think one can't assume anything "final" is actually final. All of this year's "one last time" stuff I've simply taken more as "chances to see this are diminishing as time goes by."

One of the articles a couple months back suggested they were already looking at more PS shows in 2017 to hit markets they didn't in 2016 and to do return visits to markets already hit that could have sustained a second or third show being added.

Ideally, it would be nice to hammer down a full, final tour schedule before anything goes on sale so that people can pick a show to go to that is the least inconvenient. But a lot of us have probably dealt with that: Travel farther out to some show, only for a closer show to subsequently be announced.

Yep, happened to me with Bethesda and then Baltimore...and they got me for both. 

Personally, having come to the fandom after all the smile tours...my interest would be rooted in shifting the focus in that direction...

[mojoman3061]

Saw the show last night in Bossier City, LA (Horseshoe Casino - Riverdome). Really small room, so it was great seeing the band up close. Al Jardine was with the group after all. Not Darian though (Billy Hinsche was there). Brian was in pretty good form. There was no intermission, so I am guessing it was a shorter show.  This was the setlist for last night :

Our Prayer; Heroes and Villains; California Girls (with some new intro); Dance Dance Dance; Do You wanna dance; I Get Around; Surfer Girl; Don't Worry baby; California Saga: California; Wild Honey; Sail on sailor;

(pet sounds in order);

Good Vibrations; Help Me Rhonda; Barbara Ann; Surfin USA; Fun Fun Fun; Love and Mercy

This jibes with my notes from this show.  I'll fill in a little detail.

When they came on stage, Brian said, "Hello.  Thank you for coming out tonight.  We really appreciate it."  Al played a red Strat (he played a white one in December).

"Heroes and Villains" included the cantina section, and Paul Mertens said, "You're under arrest."  "California Girls" had the "River Deep Mountain High" intro.  Brian introduced "Surfer Girl" as "the first song I ever wrote."  He took it at a fairly brisk tempo, I thought.

Matt Jardine got some cheers.  I thought he must have had a fan club there.  Paul played flute and harmonica on "California Saga: California."  Blondie does not hold anything back when he sings "Wild Honey"!  He took two guitar solos, and Paul had a tenor sax solo in between.

I wasn't sure what Paul was playing in "You Still Believe in Me."  Was it a clarinet?

On "Don’t Talk (Put Your Head on My Shoulder),"  Brian and Matt shared the lead.  Matt beautifully picked it up from "heart."

Al introduced "Sloop John B" by saying, "We reshaped this to be a Beach Boys song."  Brian sang what was Mike's part.  Al sang "this is the worst trip …" the first time and "this is the best trip …" the second time.  When it was done, Al said, "Well, that’s the end of Side 1."

Brian did a talky, Rod Stewart-like lead vocal on "God Only Knows," joined by the audience.  He got a standing ovation, then said, "Please be seated."

Al played a banjo under Paul's bass harmonica solo in "I Know There's an Answer."  "Pet Sounds" (the song) was played without the James Bond intro I heard in December.  Brian's best lead vocal of the night was on "Caroline, No."

Everything after Pet Sounds was an encore.  They did "Barbara Ann" with the "Fingertips" intro ("Everybody say yeah ...").  Paul's bari sax line at the end of "Fun, Fun, Fun" quoted "Rhapsody in Blue."

[wbarnes4393]

Yes, thanks for this. I laughed when Brian told everyone nervously to "please be seated" after God Only Knows.  Not sure if he was nervous, or just being businesslike.

Now that we're filling in details, this reminds me.  What was the thing they did before California Girls?  Seems like I had read about a new intro they were doing for that, but I didn't get my bearings until it was almost over.  Is there a clip anywhere of them doing that?

[Craig Boyd]

Just wondering if anyone knows of a fan meetup pre/post show for the September 24th Beacon gig in New York? I'm travelling over from Scotland so it would be nice to meet some fans on the other side of the pond!

[HeyJude]

Added the November Oslo date to the top post schedule.

[Rocky Raccoon]

Now that we're filling in details, this reminds me.  What was the thing they did before California Girls?  Seems like I had read about a new intro they were doing for that, but I didn't get my bearings until it was almost over.  Is there a clip anywhere of them doing that?

An excerpt of "River Deep Mountain High" the great Ike & Tina Turner song produced by Phil Spector.  There's an unfinished Beach Boys version that's circulated on bootleg for years.

[marcella27]

Added the November Oslo date to the top post schedule.

Very interesting.  Do you think this will be a single appearance after the official end of the tour, or do you think they'll extend past October and do a bunch of dates in November?