The Smiley Smile Message Board

This might possibly turn out to be the most short-lived thread on the history of this message board.

I will not be attending a reunion concert, and I was wondering: is there anyone else on here that can say the same?

Here's a question, though: why? was it money or because you are one of those people who thinks "the Beach Boys died with Dennis/Carl/etc" or for some other reason?

Money is the biggest reason, yes. I don't know if anyone noticed, but these things are crazy expensive. Sure, I'd like to go, but not THAT much.

Also, I'm much more a studio guy than a live guy, always have been. Not crazy about crowds either.

It's not a philosophical or aesthetic thing, really. There was a time, shortly after Carl died and Al left, where I'll admit I was somewhat cynical about things. But things change, don't they? I tip my cap to all 5 guys right now and I'm happy to see them enjoying their revival.

And I love the album. And I'm salivating over possible archival treasures later this year. Those things are 1,000 times more exciting to me than a concert.

It's kind of funny - I just realized this - but ever since the 2004 Smile shows, I have had almost zero desire to see another Beach Boys-related concert, ever again. And I haven't, come to think of it. I think that experience had a real finality about it for me (in a good way). Kind of an "I can die happy now" sort of thing.

Does "I will on be getting half the Beach Boys Concert in 2012 as most everyone else" count?  >:(

I dunno ... depending on the venue, there are a lot of tickets in the 50 buck range or so.

Main reason for me is that they aren't coming around my place..

BUT i am gonna see Radiohead and Noel Gallagher.

Yeah, I could have gone to Merriweather Post Pavilion and sat on the lawn for under $50, but who wants to watch a bunch of midgets a mile away? Well, I guess I should recant that, because clearly hordes of folks do want just that.

Another factor is that, um, well, I had nobody to go with. in the past I've naturally been part of a larger fan community through message boards and what not, meeting with them sporadically for these types of things. I lost touch with most of those folks a while ago, and no one else I knew here is into the Beach Boys enough to go (except one guy who just had a baby).

I actually kinda sympathize. I mean, I'm going to a couple of shows, but at a certain point you do have diminishing returns, especially in this age of instant YT videos and setlists popping up immediately.

I can and will be looking forward to hopefully seeing Brian and his band again. Zero interest in Luhv or Johnston, but wouldn't mind if Al joined with Brian again for some dates.

They are coming to my city in Australia soonish and I'm still on the fence. I may regret not going but I don't know if it's worth the money they want. I can't decide.

Ha ha, yeah that's another good point - for me it's probably more fun just to experience the shows vicariously through you guys!

Right now the only show I would move mountains to go to would be Lee Mavers and The La's (of "There She Goes" fame, if you can call it fame). And I almost did. I had tickets to see them in NYC earlier this year but they cancelled the week before. Speaking of tortured geniuses who may come across a bit strange, but can scale impossibly beautiful melodic heights...

I would have liked to see them if they had been closer to me. The travel, hotel, toickets is just too much.
Sounds like some really great shows and I hope ALL the songs make it to a DVD, which I can watch once and throw it on the pile with everything else. 

It's just not the same. After following tours for 90 dates starting in 1968 through the realization in 2003 that it was not the same, I have a clear conscience. My adult life was ingrained with seeing the BB. I'm just sorry those who missed it think some how they can make up. Wake up! You missed it. Go watch youtube. Or clap and yell your brains out at these shows. You missed it and luckily you have a place like this to try and attach yourself to the era. Doesn't work that way. Sorry.

I'm not going to see them this year, either. In fact, havfen't seen any of them since Brian was at the Puyallup Fair in ...was it 2000? Concert prices are just too high, got too many other expenses.

I had to play a festival gig the same day/same time they passed through Atlanta. I almost temporarily quit my band to go to the concert, but ultimately decided that it would be better to be creating new music rather than spending my time and money on a set of nostalgia. I regretted not going after that gig was a bit of a flop, though. Oh well. It was a B-Pain show.

I tried to scrape up the money for Bonnaroo, but I had too many bills approaching to spend money on something frivolous. I HIGHLY doubt it'll happen, but I'm hoping that they play something in the Southeast one more time after the international dates. If Megabus will depart from Atlanta to go to any city they're playing I'll go.

I'm not seeing them either. They just played nearby a few nights ago at Merriweather Post Pavillion but I don't have the money for that luxury. :(  I look forward to a nice TV concert or DVD.

i don't think they're even coming here. I wouldnt see them anyway as I can't stand crowds.

I am not ... but only cause money is too tight.

I sat on the fence for a good while about going: I wasn't gung-ho about the reunion, fully expected to be a naked cash-grab with little to interest fans of the mid-to-late 60's period. I read about the auto-tuning, read a few set-lists and heard 'Spring Vacation' and felt pretty good about not going. Then I saw the setlists slowly broadening in their scope, watched the RS performance, read the Rolling Stone article and listened to the album...it all totally turned me around. Then I saw half-price tickets on Groupon, and snapped them up. I'm extremely glad I did.

I've been to about 12 Brian shows, 3 of which are my favourite gigs of all time (and I go to a lot of gigs) but have never seen the Mike and Bruce show. As they are not playing Scotland this time round I don't fancy the expense of travelling to London. All in I reckon it would cost me £500. If they played a Scottish date I would go.

From where I am it would only be £200 or so all told to go to London. But that's a lot, and I'm going to get a better view when I purchase the concert blu-ray.

If money is the only issue, then I certainly understand.  If there is any other reason you have chosen not to see them on this tour, rethink that decision. I swore off seeing them live after Carl's death (although I have seen Brian a few times, including his Roxy show).  I have seen nothing like the shows on this tour. In terms of the quality, setlist, and the the pure magic of seeing these guys on stage together after all these years. I am a huge fan of Carl personally and musically, but this tour has been magic.  I enjoyed the 3 shows I have seen so much that I broke down this week and got tix for the last US show in Stateline (Lake Tahoe). IT may never happen again guys.

I got mine at LiveNation for 45 plus 12 (stupid charge thing)....and I bought one for my girlfriend...sure they were nosebleeders but it was worth it...plus the merch.

I can't either...too 'spensive! But luckily, there have been so many other ways to enjoy the BBs in this second Renaissance period.

Have you seen them yet this tour?

Sure wish I could say I've watched all of my DVDs even once... Some seemed like they were necessary at the time.  ::)

(I realise that this wasn't directly answering me and applies to other posts as well).

I much prefer small concerts nowdays. Particularly acoustic or semi-acoustic gigs. The kind where you can go to a table in the venue afterwards where the singer is selling her CDs directly and be told "Well thank you kindly" in an Oregonian drawl when you buy one. And where the volume isn't too loud so that you can hear the music clearly. Or where you get Irish singer Andy White playing guitar and pedal bass while his sole supporting musician plays a cardboard box. And you get to discuss politics with him afterwards.

For bigger bands, I do enjoy the live Blu-rays, as they typically look fantastic and the sound is clear. I've been to too many concerts where the volume is so loud that the music is distorted. I wear ear plugs to some concerts, but the volume is too much. And unlike SonoraDisk, my concert DVDs and (much preferred now days) blu-rays definitely get use. I don't like buying a live CD nowdays, I always want the visuals as well.

It is true that "it might not happen again", but ...... my gut feeling is to go to smaller concerts. I'm hoping to see the Bootleg Beatles in December, which would be in a hall. That's plenty big enough for me.

I'm not going to any of the shows.  I wasn't interested in a reunion before it was announced and that hasn't changed.  It's the surviving members of the Beach Boys yes, but to me that isn't the Beach Boys.  Never got to see them, never will, and that's ok.

OK. You got me. I haven't watched most of my BBs DVDs nor have I listened to even 1/10th of the CDs. But I still buy them, thinking that one day....

I'm sorry but this is a ridiculous post. Us unfortunates who happened to be born after 1968 have 'missed' our chance to see The Beach Boys live? I could've sworn that The Beach Boys, featuring 5 actual Beach Boys, were currently mid-way through a world tour...

And it took you 5 years from when Carl left us to realise it was no longer 'the same'?

So far I got nothing booked..

If nothing is announced in Ireland by mid-July or something, I'm goin to Germany

I was a little skeptical of how the reunion concert would sound, but it exceeded my expectations many times over.  If you've got the dough to buy a ticket, attend a show and become part of history.     

Alrighty then.  Well what do you want? A cookie?

That's right. I tried to keep the dream alive as long as I could. The real Beach Boys as I knew them are from a past life.

All too true, Dave. :'(

I thought that way too. I didn't go to a Beach Boys show for 9 years after Carl died. The wife finally convinced me to see the 2006 Christmas show and that made me come to terms with my own misgivings about the band. Turns out that I enjoyed the show in spite of myself. For me it was like someone in the family died when Dennis, and then Carl passed on. But, life goes on and I figured why should I deny myself the pleasure of still enjoying my favorite band. If they could pick up the pieces and go on, then so could I. Look at Brian, seems his whole professional life changed after his mother and brother passed. Don't deny yourself the enjoyment. You may regret it someday.

I fully expect that the shows will be memorable, musically and historically, but $70 for a show is way beyond my budget. I will enjoy the album and any resulting dvd's, etc, no mixed feelings about the reunion, even though I am a major Carl fan. I'm certain that Carl and Dennis are watching from rock 'n' roll heaven, and very proud of the guys. I don't go to many concerts these days, used to see quite a few major acts when the prices were in the $15-$20 range. I know, I'm old.  Been lucky enough to win tickets a few times and see the shows for free, but not expecting that kind of luck this time around.

Yeah, saw em in NJ on 16th....all worth it!

I would love to go, but alas they are not coming to my part of the world, Vancouver. Yes they are playing near Seattle but not the type of venue I was hoping for. In hindsight I should have flown to San Francisco or LA.

You make excellent points. While I've seen Brian quite a few times, the last BBs show was, I think 1984-5.
in some ways I already regret not having gone this tour, and probably should have gone to LA, even though that's like 2000 miles! ( I did Brian  for the Roxy and HB, but that was "another time" )
 The ticket prices scare me, even though they shouldn't. I do have really lousy hearing now, tho, so what's the point? other than "being there"

As far as this tour goes I knew it would be great because they had a lot to prove. As far as the 1994-2006 period I refused to go because I hated their sets. Once I was assured Mike and Bruce would be doing a creative show in 2007 and the Symphonic tour I knew it would be worth seeing and it was. Didn't feel the need to see them again until another major upheaval but after seeing Brian three time in three good shows (1999,2004, 2008) I didn't feel the need to see him again either unless he had a strong new album of new songs.. Yet them together it is something else entirely. I am seeing a second show and I have never done this on any tour by anybody up until now. It's that good.

Noel Gallagher is on record as saying he dislikes the Beach Boys isn't he? I know he completely changed his mind about Wings after Paul Weller gave him a copy of Band On The Run, so maybe someone needs to slip him a copy of Holland...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_8z6gsbqrw   The part of Noel calling Good Vibrations brillaint is left out however.

My hearing was almost the deal breaker for me. I've suffered from fairly severe, hearing loss-induced tinnitus over the past 5-6 years and pretty much retired from the concert scene in an effort to try and not make things worse (I'm 47 and would like to, hopefully, still be able to enjoy some of the finer points of audio when I'm 60). So, I hemmed and hawed over it, decided to plug my ears up, sit as far away as possible, and went for it. The funny thing was...even with the ear plugs, I was still able to make out everything just fine. In fact, maybe more so. They seemed to filter out a lot of the muck. On the other hand, even with foam plugs, my ears weren't completely spared further damage from the deafening levels, as I've noticed the byproducts of it all since the show.

Was I doing it just to say "I went." Probably. Was it worth it? At this point, I'd still say yes (or maybe that's how I have to rationalize it all). This was probably the only band that I would even still consider doing this for. The rest? Been there. Done that.