The Smiley Smile Message Board

Do you wonder what happened New Year's Eve at their 50th anniversary  NYE show?

http://www.sacramentopress.com/headline/61810/Beach_Boys_Ring_in_2012_at_Thunder_Valley_Party

The author of the article wrote:

Speaking of history, they were also recently inducted into the California Museum Hall of Fame in Sacramento by Governor Brown at the Memorial Auditorium, along with Carlos Santana and others. It was another great night and I was lucky enough to be there for that as well. Wilson and Jardine, along with David Marks, accepted the award.

Is the writer sure he was there? There wasn't a Wilson in sight!  ;D

Very nice. Do you have a setlist ? David wasn't there, was he ?

  Rocker,

It was the Mike and Bruce Beach Boys' band only.  No David, Al or Brian.  I will post the setlist when I get  chance.  It appeared to be a sell-out- 2000 people.




Mikie- I noticed that WILSON error also in his article for the HALL Of Fame acceptance speeches.

Les in SF

The California Museum Hall Of Fame exhibit on the Beach Boys located in Sacramento runs through Oct 31, 2012 and has items loaned by the Beach Boys and fans.  It  is worth checking out!

Turbans, robes, glass eyes? :o

We need to know!

Looking at the pics, Mike looks great

Here's a vid

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGOAgjsmmwo (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGOAgjsmmwo)

So Les why do you allways  sign..LS In SF supposed to mean something from SF..Please explain

I know you did an interview in 1980 for KSA.And maybe a CW interview 81..OK I know your a BB collector + maybe a DJ on radio..OK..SO... What have you done lately..Do you know Ted Dugan..??? Tower Records Employee..!! ..You have done good work with BB..But your posts remind me of Ted Dugan .. Relocated from Anaheim to reno..

Mr Wilson,

Les in SF means simply I'm from San Francisco and proud to be a San Franciscan!

I've done radio and collector but regard myself as simply a fan of the music.    You are correct Mr Wilson.

I heard from Ted last month and he is still in Reno.

I appreciate your positive comments!!


Les in SF

THX Les...No negative vibes here.. Ted + I used to trade in 80"s..Nice to hear he is STILL among the living..GOD bless..Paul

I can´t help feeling that this is a pure nostalgia act playing in front of a bunch of Joe Does who knows about 6-7 tunes.. the vocals sounds very flat occasionally..  Who does´the high harmony parts?

A guy named Randell Kirsch does the high parts in the Mike and Bruce band. He ain't bad.

And I agree about the flat singing and the less than stellar singing overall. They sounded like they were very tired and listless and going through the motions. If this performance is representative of the upcoming tour, batten down the hatches matey! Luckily, there will be a change in personnel on stage for 50 of the gigs next year. Let's hope Mike (and Bruce) keep their voices intact and are in much better condition than we've heard recently. They're just not sounding very good vocally. Time for a good rest, I think; especially Mike Love.

Brian's band is exactly the same and so is Al's. that's their audience. of course it's a nostalgic act, they're old. get over it.

Sad but true. 

I didn't notice anything especially bad about the video...seemed to be the usual stuff--meaning that I thought the band and vocals sounded fine---only slightly rough around the edges.  I wouldn't have noticed it if no one mentioned it. 

I remember looking at their tour itinerary a few weeks ago and did not notice too many dates...perhaps this NYE show was just a one off gig after being on a short hiatus?  If so, that could explain why their performance is a little rough? 

It should be second nature for them-they should be able to do it in their sleep. They play 700 shows a year don't they? :p

I think Brians band is anything but a nostalgic act. (and they do generate a more musical minded audience) , hell they are doing new songs written by Brian.. They got more "new" songs than the Beach Boys has had for 26 years.

I think the new band constellation and the fact that they are playing for the BEACH BOYS will result in a fresh and passionate way of playing. Not that I had anything against Mike's or Brian's band as I think they both do a very good job

When I looked at the venue, it seems to be oudoors, with concertgoers in jackets.  The sound is not at all as it is in an indoor venue where there is more control of the acoustics.  It's not an acoustically perfect outdoor Greek theatre.  Could be the device.  But it was nice to see the sampling of the setlist.  Maybe someone who was there, could chime in...

Randell Kirsch does the fab falsetto...

The person who posted the video states in the info section that they had set up a tent outside the casino...so it seems this was a temporary stage for the occasion which would probably account for the sound being off as you suggest.



It probably has a lot to do with the locations of their concerts too.  Not sure the demographic for Lincoln, California but it looks basically what you'd find at either a BB or BW show.  I saw Brian last summer in Cerritos, CA and it was pretty frustrating to try to enjoy a show when you were surrounded by senior citizens.   Everyone wants to sit down, tap their fingers...YAWN.  Brian played LA in 2008 and I recall it being a more energetic (and younger) crowd.

Justin - I missed the tent info.  The casino dynamic is a little different from the the theatre.  Some of the high rollers get the prime seats and might not have the "fervor" as it were, of some of the more active enthusiasts!  More's the pity!

You might be surprised at the level of enthusiasm some of us save up / just for the show!    ;)

I hear ya...I've seen the "high-rollers syndrome" many times---always irks me!  I'm all for all ages, 7 to 70 coming to the shows...I just believe people shouldn't act like their watching a DVD at home on their couch!

The BBs do not sell out to crowds of knowledgeable fans. It's the Joe Does that buy the tickets.

Re. the voices, I am interested mostly on how good Mike's leads will sound. He sounds great on the DIA recording, and has sounded consistently good and effortless in the recent couple of years. Notwithstanding the occasional cold or off night. As a bass singer he is probably the most consistent voice the band ever had.

As for Bruce, he will not get many leads anyway, and as a harmony singer is always spot-on

I have to agree...his voice has aged well and has held up nicely over the years.

As promised, the Beach Boys setlist from the Dec 31, 2011 concert at Thunder Valley Casino, Lincoln, CA:

1) Surfin Safari
2) Catch A Wave
3) Hawaii
4) Little Honda
5) Do It Again
6) Surf City
7) Surfin USA
8) Surfer Girl
9) Getcha Back
10) Darlin'
11) Why Do Fools Fall In Love
12) When I Grow Up
13) So Young
14) Don't Worry Baby
15) Little Deuce Coupe
16) 409
17) Little Old Lady From Pasadena
18) Shut Down
19) I Get Around
20) Be True To Your School
21) In My Room
22) Cool Head Warm Heart
23) God Only Knows
24) Good Vibrations
25) Sloop John B
26) Wouldn't It Be Nice
27) Then I Kissed Her
28) Dance Dance Dance
29) California Girls
30) Help Me Rhonda
31) Rock and Roll Music
32) Do You Wanna Dance?
33) Summertime Blues
34) Barbara Ann
Countdown til midnight..
35) Auld Lang Syne
36) Kokomo
37) Fun Fun Fun

From the setlist, I could do without 1,3,4,9,11,12,17,20,22,27,31,33,34,and 36. Just sayin'.

There haven't been a whole of of changes to the setlist in a few years but hoping that changes during the reunion shows starting in late April!   

Ugh.
Ugh.
Ugh.

All the songs on all those albums (including the covers they recorded themsleves) and yet they're still padding the set list with songs outside their own catalog.  Oh well.  At least they dropped "Sherry" and "Duke Of Earl", etc.

Think you'll find the last two are part of the BB canon. Alternatively, give Brian a hard time for padding his set with the likes of "Sloop John B" and the Gershwin material.

Thank you for the setlist Les !

edited

I have no problem with them playing songs they've already recorded (which I suppose would count the live version of "TLOLFP").  I just don't understand the band's "adoption" of the J&D stuff (tho like I said, I guess I should ease up on the one) and it's not like they dedicate it to their pals, or to the memory of Jan.  I think it just perpetuates the myth to the layman that all that "generic" summer stuff ("Little GTO", "Hey Little Cobra", etc.) is the Beach Boys.

http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/MisattributedSong
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_Beach_Boys_track_is_Little_GTO_on

Not only does it confuse the public on the actual style of the band, it diminishes the accomplishments of some other great artists, and/or to some people, takes them away all together.

As I said, they've certainly performed much worse sets.  One of my biggest wishes for the reunion tho is sticking to stuff from the band's own catalog: No "Back In The U.S.S.R.", etc!

PM your way, Southbay!

Bruce sang on Hey, Little Cobra as part of the Rip Chords. Brian co-wrote Surf City, which really pissed Murry off to no end that he gave it away to Jan & Dean. Mike had a hand in the lyric writing of Back In The USSR. So, for most these songs, there is a reason why they are included in setlists.

back at ya...

I guess it's a fine line (tho I'm sure it just sounds like I have some bizarre double standard  :-\ ).  I just think they should give a heads up to the audience on the non-BB stuff and keep it to stuff they actually worked on (writing or recording), and even then, keep it to a minimum. 

As for "Back In The U.S.S.R.", I'm a huge Beatles fan but don't want to see them do it.  Mike's involvement is rather nebulous and as many people on this board feel, the Beach Boys don't need the Beatles association to help them along.  (I doubt Paul ever considered adding "Vega-Tables" to any of his setlists ;D )

I love Hey Little Cobra & Surf City, so them doing it in concert may be the only chance I ever get to hear it live, though I did get to hear the latter day Rip Chords sing it back in 2004 at an Al Jardine show. I doubt they will have room to fit such songs in with the Reunion shows. The Beach Boys have been doing Back In The USSR off and on for close to 30 years now. So, I'm sure most concert goers are fairly used to it. Back in the early 70's they use to add Jumpin' Jack Flash to their encores. They did a pretty damn good version of that one too.

Mike & Bruce did it also in 2011:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztFcpguCB8o (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztFcpguCB8o)

I don't know why Brian's band doesn't do Surf City. He had more involvement in writing/arranging that song than something like Sail On Sailor, for instance.

It's so ridiculous they do "Back In The U.S.S.R" when they have, oh I don't know, 200 songs better than that

Yeah that's always a bummer when a band who has a vast catalog, plays a full greatest hits show sans any obscure gems and they choose to fill the slots with covers. 

That said, I actually quite enjoyed seeing them perform "Back In the USSR" and "Summertime Blues" when I saw them a few years ago---mainly because I'd never seen them do it before.  But I'd hope they'd skip all the covers for the new tour.  It would be the biggest "F-you" to their catalog...and their fans if they littered the set with more covers.

I guess that includes Barbara Ann, even though they probably had as big a hit with it as The Regents did with the original version. Not saying I wouldn't mind if they did drop it from the setlist. I'm sure Andrew wouldn't mind either. Between Mike & Brian, they have played it at every single show that I ever attended, I think.

Ah yes "Barabara Ann"...well naturally, I meant covers of songs that they haven't had a hand in producing aka "Back in The USSR" and "Summertimes Blues."   The songs for the setlist should be coming from Beach Boys albums...not other groups/artists' albums.

Ya, Justin, sometimes they cover stuff.  I think it shows respect for other artists' work and that those songs belong to a certain "genre" as it were.  In the white suit days, say 1967-8 or so, they used to do "Rock and Roll Woman" by the Buffalo Springfield, with whom they used  to tour, (and whose work I love!)  It shows the collective and explosive music genius of that time.  I don't think we have seen that kind of talent since then.  JMHO

There is also some old black and white footage from a Paris concert in about 5 sections.  Within those, there is a great medley section, which might be on the menu, to at least give a sample of favorites.  I would not want to have a hatchet for the setlist.  It will be a daunting task.  And some, such as Surf City tell the important and courageous story of Jan and Dean.   ;)

Summertime Blues is on a Beach Boys album! Surfin' Safari.

You are exactly right, Aegir.  My mistake. 

Anything else I miss?  Did "Back In The USSR" appear on a version of Pet Sounds, I'm unaware of?   8)  And I totally get the inclusion of this song is in the set is specifically for the reason that Mike helped Paul write the "Moscow girls..." bridge...

Jimmie, you ought to go see one of their shows then and lose the ignorance.  I went several years ago, the whole audience was Joe Does who knew about all the songs. 

I went to Mike+Bruce show Alhambra Ca.2008..I loved it when they played Betsy+ So Young+ Summertime Blues..And there was people there that recognized the BB recorded those.So it depends what side of the fence your on..Now Barbara Ann can go take a walk off a short pier along with my EX.!

Mike and Bruce put on a good show these days. I saw them in August and was impressed.

Yea every since Scott took over direction + rehearsals + John Cowsill took over drums.. I guess Scott is on retainer cause he is responsible for band.Just like i read here that Jeff Foskett is only one in BW band on retainer..Anything to add ..? AGD

Testify!
My sentiments exactly but some people seem to try pretty hard to miss that point.
Tho, as said, I'd be happy to hear them play "Summertime Blues" on this tour, as long as David sang it!

Hmmm.  I've got an idea, maybe if you guys go see any of their shows you just enjoy whatever the f*** they decide to play and stop bitching about sh*t that doesn't matter. 

You know, the more ignorant people in the audience who don't know who sang what and don't realize that Summertime Blues was never an original record.... all those idiots are having a good time.  Maybe if yall relaxed a little bit you would too. 

"Oh boo hoo, they played this song I really like instead of this other song I really like.  Whatever will I do now that I'm happy for a different reason"

If you still have any extra acrimony left over from this post...would you mind dropping by the Stamos thread too? 

Betsy isn't a cover.....


They'll do Barbara Ann and that is ok, they had a big, big hit with it. I don't really want to hear it but I will I'm sure and it should be there

Oh im aware Betsy is not a cover.I was pleasantly surprised they played it tho.And the best song on the NASCAR cd.!

They do summertime blues.. rock and roll music.. little old lady...but almost compleatly forget anything from the 67-72 era.. sad..

"If you still have any extra acrimony left over from this post...would you mind dropping by the Stamos thread too? "

  :lol