Brian Wilson Taping Soundstage Special With Special Guests

[Pretty Funky]

From Brian's board. SOS included it seems.

Deb#1 

Registered: 06/29/12
Posts: 650   
 Posted an hour ago · Edited   
Totally exhausted...
What a high energy night!
Billy Hinsche started off, giving the audience some info on the taping, running us through some practice applause, arm waving, and camera phone dos and don'ts. Put them away, except for one taping of cell phones with lit screens waving. Get up and dance if you want to. Show the cameras you are having a good time. After all that, the band came out and the taping started. Billy played with the band as well.
I don't think it was necessary to have the audience practice applauding...as Brian, guests, and band brought the genuine appreciation out.
The Band started with Our Prayer followed by a great Heroes and Villains from Brian. Spot on vocals from Brian throughout the night. At ease, smiling, but I think I sensed a tense tiredness at times.
Al, Matt, and Brian Eichenberger, Blondie and Ricky were all there. Al was front and center, white suit...but turned over center stage to guests for their songs.
Blondie again doing a great Sail on Sailor. Al getting Sloop John B, California Saga, and Rhonda.
The new album songs were great. A great trumpet piece by Mark Isham, called something like "Beautiful Day". He also played a great instrumental version of "Don't Talk (Put Your Head on my Shoulder). There was a song with a similar backing to Sloop John B.
I didn't try to keep track of the set list. I was too much into the moment. In with a sea of fans having a great time. So I'm hoping somebody got one.
There was a lot packaged into the night.
One thing I will say, that new album is going to blow us all away. If anyone thought that having these guest artists on the album would detract, I think we got a pretty good sample tonight. From the music I heard tonight it is still Brian's music. It's still got the magic. The guests only make it more so.
I am awed and humbled by what I saw Brian give us tonight. His gifts are just amazing still.

__________________

[ontor pertawst]

Overheard mullet department: Zooey/Kacey to be filmed for the special in two weeks.

Still smirky approaching five AM. Thanks to everyone for the hospitality, hilarious banter, and gorgeous music! All hail the evvvvvvil handlers!

[MyDrKnowsItKeepsMeCalm]

Nate Reuss fuckin' killed "Hold On, Dear Brother".
Killed it dead.
Fucking dead.
Holy sh*t.

Oh mah gawd.   

Too cool.  And can't wait to hear the new songs!

[Debbie Keil-Leavitt]

Overheard mullet department: Zooey/Kacey to be filmed for the special in two weeks.

Still smirky approaching five AM. Thanks to everyone for the hospitality, hilarious banter, and gorgeous music! All hail the evvvvvvil handlers!

So glad it was smirk-inducing!  I've been excited about the new album for a long time...knew it was going to be great in my gut, and we were told so a long time ago on this Board by a good source...

[Debbie Keil-Leavitt]

From Brian's board. SOS included it seems.

Deb#1 

Registered: 06/29/12
Posts: 650   
 Posted an hour ago · Edited   
Totally exhausted...
What a high energy night!
Billy Hinsche started off, giving the audience some info on the taping, running us through some practice applause, arm waving, and camera phone dos and don'ts. Put them away, except for one taping of cell phones with lit screens waving. Get up and dance if you want to. Show the cameras you are having a good time. After all that, the band came out and the taping started. Billy played with the band as well.
I don't think it was necessary to have the audience practice applauding...as Brian, guests, and band brought the genuine appreciation out.
The Band started with Our Prayer followed by a great Heroes and Villains from Brian. Spot on vocals from Brian throughout the night. At ease, smiling, but I think I sensed a tense tiredness at times.
Al, Matt, and Brian Eichenberger, Blondie and Ricky were all there. Al was front and center, white suit...but turned over center stage to guests for their songs.
Blondie again doing a great Sail on Sailor. Al getting Sloop John B, California Saga, and Rhonda.
The new album songs were great. A great trumpet piece by Mark Isham, called something like "Beautiful Day". He also played a great instrumental version of "Don't Talk (Put Your Head on my Shoulder). There was a song with a similar backing to Sloop John B.
I didn't try to keep track of the set list. I was too much into the moment. In with a sea of fans having a great time. So I'm hoping somebody got one.
There was a lot packaged into the night.
One thing I will say, that new album is going to blow us all away. If anyone thought that having these guest artists on the album would detract, I think we got a pretty good sample tonight. From the music I heard tonight it is still Brian's music. It's still got the magic. The guests only make it more so.
I am awed and humbled by what I saw Brian give us tonight. His gifts are just amazing still.

__________________

Thanks so much for sharing that...

[ontor pertawst]

Scattered thoughts at a weird hour... fear and loathing on a gondola.

 I stowed all gadgets during the show and took no photos or footage to enjoy the music. f*** the boring prick in front of me that took useless 20 second snippets shaking nonstop of something amply covered. The rehearsals of course were a different story!  It was incredibly interesting to check out all the haaard, brutal, frayed at the edges sometimes work that went into getting the new material down and covering all the technical bases. BW seemed distracted, tired, under incredible pressure... moments of worrying if it would ruin the night. But the guy is a pro and didn't fumble when it counted. Seeing it all come together in an explosion of sound and brilliant musicians churning away on the night at full power bouncing off the energy of all the love, joy, and cries of Cuddle Up from the audience was amazing to witness.

Right after Isham's "Don't Talk," some guy probably reading this thread goes "Eat your heart out, Jeff Beck!" Yeah... this was on a whole nother level than that tour. Nary a Danny Boy to be seen.

New songs were a treat! A bunch of Beach Boys swapping verses on Sail Away? Uh... yes please. Shove that up yer set end date!

PCH into Summer's Gone? Magic. Opening with Our Prayer? Pure class. Ike has a fantastic voice... having him AND Matt Jardine made Jeff Foskett look like... Jeff Foskett. Good luck finding many folks who'll miss him after experiencing this. I'm sure he's a lovely man and is kind to animals but... phew.

Sail On, Sailor with that lineup. Jesus. Having Blondie come out at the Greek was one thing, adding Ricky Fataar and Billy with a fantastic sound system = levitation without a fuckin' Maharishi to sell it to you.

Pay Blondie his weight in gold or silver or whatever precious metal is necessary to have him tour with the BW band more often. That guitar!

I never liked Hold On Dear Brother. Bubbly waves is right... they absolutely honed it into an incredible version that makes me take a red marker to my old opinion of it. Dunno if adding odd synthy noises to Don't Worry Baby was as effective!

But gawd, go see any 2015 shows. This is good stuff. Brian Wilson and company, home run! Now go get some sleep! You people must be beat. Joe Thomas: don't f*** up the edit. Don't ladle on artifical sweeteners. Learn from your mistakes on the C50 releases that were a lauaghable representation of the tour and concentrate on the music and interplay of these musicians... don't cut to the audience every three seconds. We want to see the guys on stage. History! It made the petty point-scoring distractions and one-upping earlier in this thread look like the absolute drivel that it was. You wanna claim to be about the music? Here it is. Coming soon! Let's eat.

[STE]

Scattered thoughts at a weird hour... fear and loathing on a gondola.

 I stowed all gadgets during the show and took no photos or footage to enjoy the music. f*** the boring prick in front of me that took useless 20 second snippets shaking nonstop of something amply covered. The rehearsals of course were a different story!  It was incredibly interesting to check out all the haaard, brutal, frayed at the edges sometimes work that went into getting the new material down and covering all the technical bases. Seeing it all come together in an explosion of sound and brilliant musicians churning away on the night at full power bouncing off the energy of all the love, joy, and cries of Cuddle Up from the audience was amazing to witness.

Right after Isham's "Don't Talk," some guy probably reading this thread goes "Eat your heart out, Jeff Beck!" Yeah... this was on a whole nother level than that tour. Nary a Danny Boy to be seen.

New songs were a treat! A bunch of Beach Boys swapping verses on Sail Away? Uh... yes please.

PCH into Summer's Gone? Magic. Opening with Our Prayer? Pure class. Ike has a fantastic voice... having him AND Matt Jardine made Jeff Foskett look like... Jeff Foskett. Good luck finding many folks who'll miss him after experiencing this. I'm sure he's a lovely man and is kind to animals but... phew.

Sail On, Sailor with that lineup. Jesus. Having Blondie come out at the Greek was one thing, adding Ricky Fataar and Billy with a fantastic sound system = levitation without a fuckin' Maharishi to sell it to you.

Pay Blondie his weight in gold or silver or whatever precious metal is necessary to have him tour with the BW band more often. That guitar!

I never liked Hold On Dear Brother. Bubbly waves is right... they absolutely honed it into an incredible version that makes me take a red marker to my old opinion of it. Dunno if adding odd synthy noises to Don't Worry Baby was as effective!

But gawd, go see any 2015 shows. This is good stuff. Brian Wilson and company, home run! Now go get some sleep! You people must be beat. Joe Thomas: don't f*** up the edit. Don't ladle on artifical sweeteners. Learn from your mistakes on the C50 releases that were a lauaghable representation of the tour and concentrate on the music and interplay of these musicians... don't cut to the audience every three seconds. We want to see the guys on stage. History! It made the petty point-scoring distractions and one-upping earlier in this thread look like the absolute drivel that it was. You wanna claim to be about the music? Here it is. Coming soon! Let's eat.

Well oh my, oh gosh, oh gee!

[Rocky Raccoon]

I hope they air the entire show, this sounds like it was just as exciting as the C50 shows.

[Don Malcolm]

Ontor, you hadn't been to bed for close to 24 when you wrote that, right? I recognize that mind-body chemistry--and so great to see that BW and company are still oh-so-capable of making it happen!

You get some rest, now, too, OK? Thanks for the great report, done only as you can do it!! 

[ontor pertawst]

Don't worry I am under expert medical and legal supervision, grabbed a snooze and am under a comforter now! Wanted to get that jangled half asleep stuff down before I went back to bed. Lovely stuff, teen gang! This album is gonna provoke some fun chatter around here. And in conclusion.... zzzzzz.

[alf wiedersehen]

Since some people still seem to have questions about which songs were played, I thought I would repost this - the complete list.

Songs I remember, not in order (updated as I remember more):

She Knows Me Too Well
Darlin'
Marcella
Wild Honey
God Only Knows
Saturday Night on Hollywood Boulevard
This Beautiful Day (they did this one twice)
Half Moon Bay (a false start on this one)
Wouldn't It Be Nice
Surfin' USA
Help Me, Rhonda
Don't Talk (Put Your Head on My Shoulder) (trumpet played the melody)
The collaboration with Capital Cities (I believe this was Runaway Dancer)
Barbara Ann
Hold On, Dear Brother
Summer's Gone (Joe wanted people to wave their phones in the air - no one did)
Pacific Coast Highway
Don't Worry, Baby
Sloop John B
Our Prayer -> Heroes and Villains
California Girls
Sail Away
Fun, Fun, Fun
Right Time
All Summer Long
Dance, Dance, Dance
Then I Kissed Her
Good Vibrations
Sail On, Sailor
California Saga: California

I think that's it.

[Cyncie]

Sounds fantastic! Can't wait to see it air!

[alf wiedersehen]

Brain Eichenberger sang lead on "She Knows Me Too Well", and he was wonderful.
Like Ontor says, I doubt Jeff will be missed too much.

[Wirestone]

Joe is such an odd duck. He has impeccable taste in some ways (never forget that he was central to putting the original BW band together) -- yet is a really tacky old dude in others (wave your phones!). Maybe that's why he gets along with Brian, though ...

[GuyO]

Who sang Barbara Ann? Matt and Brian Eichenberger together? And did Darian sing Darlin'? Last question: :-) No I Get Around?

[alf wiedersehen]

Who sang Barbara Ann? Matt and Brian Eichenberger together? And did Darian sing Darlin'? Last question: :-) No I Get Around?

"Barbara Ann" was a giant group thing. Even the guy from Capital Cities came back onstage to sing.
I think Nate sang lead on "Darlin'".
Nope, no "I Get Around".

[Wirestone]

Here's a picture of the setlist (via Twitter) ...

[alf wiedersehen]

Weird, they didn't play "Lookin' at Tomorrow". That's too bad, I would have loved to seen that.
I seemed to have named the rest of 'em, though.

Also, they did WIBN in E major.

[Wirestone]

It is dated the 11th, now that I look at it more closely ...

[the captain]

Bubbly or ontor or anyone else who was there, were the guests pretty much just there for their featured parts, or were they more fully integrated into the band for other songs as well? What did Mike do while Ricky drummed? Were there more guitars simultaneously on stage than at an Eagles concert?

What was the full band? I am guessing based on comments and recent history it was:

"Core band"
Drums/vox: Mike D'Amico
Percussion/vox: Nelson Bragg
Bass: Bob Lizik
Keyboards, etc, vox: Darian Sahanaja
Keyboards, etc, vox: Scott Bennett
Guitar, horns, vox: Probyn Gregory
Guitar, vox: Nick Walusko
Woodwinds: Paul Mertens
Falsetto, guitar: Brian Eichenberger
Falsetto: Matt Jardine
Gestures, Vox: Brian Wilson

Additional (from the past):
Keys/guitars, vox: Billy Hinsche
Drums, (pedal steel on HODB?): Ricky Fataar
Guitar, vox: Blondie Chaplin
Vocals, guitar: Al Jardine

Additional (current album but not BBs related):
Nate Reuss
Trumpeter whose name I forgot (sorry, trumpeter) [Edit, I see it is Mark Isham.]
Capital Cities

[Eric Aniversario]

Al did Lookin at tomorrow at the Roxy in March before the C50 tour. What a special moment that was to watch him play that less than 10 feet away from me! Too bad it wasn't performed.

[Rich Panteluk]

I can only share the enthusiasm and excitement of others who witnessed his event.  I only have two days left of Vegas and don't want to waste them so I will save my lengthy review for another time but I wanted to give an accurate setlist (with indication of lead vocals) for the (wonderfully long) soundcheck/rehearsal in proper order because I am nerdy like that.  I will do the same for the actual show when time permits. (I see while I was typing Wirestone posted the setlist which WAS followed for the evening performance (Looking at Tomorrow was cut though)

Soundcheck rehearsal:  
We were told to expect lot of stops starts and such for the production people and there were quite a few.  Very cool experience.  Paul Mertons was go between leading Brian's band and chatting with Joe T's folks.

Our Prayer (3 times with Al)
Heroes and Villains (with Al) after this Al Leaves
She Knows Me Too Well (Eichenberger - yup he is great)
Good Vibes
This Beautiful Day (short and pretty)
Runaway Dancer (3 times - Sabu from Capitol Cities - very modern soul dance vibe)
Don't Worry Baby (new modern arrangement with extra synth bits - Sabu on lead again - dude can sing)
Marcella (out comes Al, Blondie, Ricky and Billy for next four tracks) (Brian sings lead)
Wild Honey (Blondie lead - great vocals -same key as previous tour)
Sail On Sailor (Blondie)
Sail Away (Blondie, Al, Brian shared lead Matt Jardine on high harmonies)
(Al and other guests leave and Mark Isham -great horn player enters)
Don't talk (instrumental horn handles lead moody and nice)
Half Moon Bay (short no lead vocals but some bits of wordless stacked harmonies more horn playing from Mark)
(Mark leaves Al back on)
The Right Time (Al lead with a bit o Brian)
(Al leaves Nate Ruess from Fun comes out)
Saturday Night (Nate lead - fave new song so far)
Hold On Dear Brother (with Blondie and Ricky Nate on lead again - best song of the night {both rehearsal and final gig} for me.  Goosepimples.  Hair standing on end.  It was never one of my favourites, but Nate tore this up.  Emotional and passionate lead with star power.  The band clearly loved his performance too.  Blondie's reactions after both performances gave witness to this fact.  If this doesn't make the tv special I will cry out for the injustice!  :-)
God Only Knows (Nate lead again - good but his least convincing performance - Brian would have been my preference here)
Darlin (Nate lead - great vocal.  He stayed out of the intro and ending as it seemed he was not 100% confident with it but the intro and a cappella ending didn't need him anyway as Brian's band are vocal ninjas and had that sh*t covered anyway!)

That was it for the rehearsal / soundcheck.  It was long and awesome.  I was tired from it.  I worried a bit for Brian as he still had a whole show performance with 13 extra songs that they didn't do at rehearsal / soundcheck.  Big day for the Big Man.  But he is a survivor and trooper.  If I didn't see the actual evening performance I could still have died happy.  And say what you will about Joe Thomas (and I know that some of you will) but he puts on one hell of a big assed professional high production value tv special.  The venue, lighting, and video screens (very inventive set up and appropriate content) were beautiful and over the top.  I felt so good for Brian and band to have a lavish backdrop that suits the beautiful music they create on stage.  
P.S.
Big thanks to Glenn for his kindness.  It meant a lot to this nerdy fan who traveled a long way.

[Rich Panteluk]

Captain,
I hope my post clears up some of your band questions.  Yes the core band is how you described it but Matt was out for about a third of it and Eichenberger was the go to high voiced dude for the night and did not leave when Matt came out.  During Ricky's songs Mike D would leave and Ricky would be the sole drummer.  Except for set 8 the last five songs where they did the double drummer thang (there was always two drum sets on stage they did not share kits).  The guests came and then left after their bits.  The encore, set 8, had everyone out except Nate R and Mark I.
 

[alf wiedersehen]

Bubbly or ontor or anyone else who was there, were the guests pretty much just there for their featured parts, or were they more fully integrated into the band for other songs as well? What did Mike do while Ricky drummed? Were there more guitars simultaneously on stage than at an Eagles concert?

What was the full band? I am guessing based on comments and recent history it was:

"Core band"
Drums/vox: Mike D'Amico
Percussion/vox: Nelson Bragg
Bass: Bob Lizik
Keyboards, etc, vox: Darian Sahanaja
Keyboards, etc, vox: Scott Bennett
Guitar, horns, vox: Probyn Gregory
Guitar, vox: Nick Walusko
Woodwinds: Paul Mertens
Falsetto, guitar: Brian Eichenberger
Falsetto: Matt Jardine
Gestures, Vox: Brian Wilson

Additional (from the past):
Keys/guitars, vox: Billy Hinsche
Drums, (pedal steel on HODB?): Ricky Fataar
Guitar, vox: Blondie Chaplin
Vocals, guitar: Al Jardine

Additional (current album but not BBs related):
Nate Reuss
Trumpeter whose name I forgot (sorry, trumpeter) [Edit, I see it is Mark Isham.]
Capital Cities

The guests showed up to preview their songs, and then they stuck around for more. Sebu from Capital Cities sang "Runaway Dancer", and then sang "Don't Worry, Baby." Nate sang "Saturday Night" and then three other Beach Boys songs. Blondie and Ricky were on the stage in stretches. They would stick around for a few, get off the stage for a few, and then come back. Al did the same thing for the most part. Blondie and Ricky were actually integrated into the band, while Al had a guitar he didn't play much. Brian Eichenberger had an acoustic guitar when he came up, but Nate and Sebu were empty-handed. Mark Isham showed up for the new songs and a couple of others, like playing the lead on "Don't Talk".

You've pretty much got it right.

[bossaroo]

looks like a mindblower. can't wait to see the show when it airs.

wonder why they don't include From There To Back Again? don't they realize it was most everyone's favorite song from TWGMTR? and it just dovetails perfectly into Pacific Coast Highway.