The Smiley Smile Message Board

I don't really care about winning an arguement with this guy, I just want to know what the facts are. :)

I received this message on a youtube video. This guy say he hates the BB because:

"i live in poughkeepsie ny they were billed to play at a local festival but refused to go on stage until the american flag was removed f*** the beach boys they blow chunky stew tomatoes"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDi_2K_GGXk

Is there any truth to this? I think its very hard to believe.

Only Americans and Iranians care about patriotism >:D

I received this message on a youtube video. This guy say he hates the BB because:

"i live in poughkeepsie ny they were billed to play at a local festival but refused to go on stage until the american flag was removed f*** the beach boys they blow chunky stew tomatoes"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDi_2K_GGXk

Is there any truth to this? I think its very hard to believe.

You decide!

http://www.truthorfiction.com/rumors/b/beach-boys-flag.htm

Beach Boys American Flag Fiasco?-Fiction
 

Summary of the eRumor: 
A country radio station announcer's account of a back stage dispute over the American flag displayed at a Beach Boys concert at the Dutchess County Fair.
 
The Truth:   
The Beach Boys did perform at the Dutchess County (DC) Fair on August 24, 2008.   This rock and roll band began in the 1960's in Southern California and has been a staple for American music lovers for four decades.

WRWD radio announcer Tommy Lee Walker told TruthorFiction.com that he did send out this email.   

A representative of the Events & Corporate Affairs department that managed the fair event told TruthorFiction.com that an issue was raised and discussed over the telephone between DC FAIR management and production staff regarding an American flag that was hanging from the roof at the back of the stage.   The Beach Boys performance contract stipulated an approval for all backdrops on the stage and requested that the flag be removed.   The management pointed out a rider in the contract regarding the display of a 30'X20' US Flag for the song "Surfing USA" and that the flag on the stage was actually flown over the US Capitol in the District of Columbia and presented to the fair to honor all the veterans of Dutchess County.   Within 15 minutes the management was notified by phone that this flag would remain where it was placed.   After the performance when the set was dismantled the flag was moved to the front of the stage where it stayed for the rest of the week.

posted 09/11/08
 
 
A real example of the eRumor as it has appeared on the Internet:
Subject: Beach Boys gone bad? Dutchess County Fair, NY. Aug. 2008.
I was truly disgusted when I found this out...and angered by the pomposity and unpatriotic gall of the Beach Boys who obviously can't be bothered with little things like the fans and the country and culture that made them what they are!! For those who don't know, the abbrieviations used below are DC Fair meaning our Dutchess County Fair (only the 2nd largest agricultural show in NY State) and CC which stands for Clear Channel Communications which owns the radio station for which Tommy works for. The following is as posted by DJ Tommy Lee Walker of Country 107.
3 WRWD Poughkeepsie, NY (a mainstay at the DC Fair on Livestock Hill):

They wouldnt let me bring this to the airwaves, but here ya go:

So Last Wednesday night the Beach Boys played the DC Fair, The backdrop behind them on stage (for all shows) was a real big american flag, donated to the fair, It once flew over the capitol building. The Beach BOYS refused to share the stage w the flag and refused to play until the flag was taken down. Thankfully the manager there said screw you, the flag stays, and if you wanna, pack your merda up now and get the hell outa here, we aint takin that flag down. Management then told them they'd have every major news outlet there when they left to explain why they were not doing the show, and see how many other venues would drop them. - In the end, the Beach Boys made them remove the flag from the backdrop and The fair had to hang it on the top in FRONT of the stage.

The band was rude and bitched about it backstage all night, when they were leaving the bus driver insisted a police escort so they "Could Get The Hell Out Of This ShitHole" (Yes, Thats a Quote)

Once again, the disrespect shown by these guys was unbelievable, CC made me promise not to bring this up to the masses on the FM, but I had to set the story straight, so this is where I'll start. The reasoning behind not going public on the air was that most people would be pissed that management even moved the flag in the 1st place, so they met in the middle, so the show would go on, and not make the fans suffer a no-show, OMG if the fans only knew what was happening...

There, now you have the REST OF THE STORY

See Ya On The Radio
 

I am confused. So the Beach Boys DID request the flag to be removed? But 15 minutes later said the flag could stay where it was?

I hate to keep this garbage going, but I feel that I must respond.

1-The band often asks for a LARGE American flag which is to be unfurled during Surfin' USA. (read:we love the flag and the USA)

2-As I understand it, the flag provided by the venue that day was too small for our purposes.

3-As a compromise, the flag was flown from the front for the whole show - again as I understand it.

4-the Band knew NOTHING about any of this at the time, I heard about it days later.  We did not refuse to go on nor did we "bitch about it"- we had not heard about the flag.

5-the Band bus often has a police escort to cut through the show traffic, and in this case we had a 3+ hour drive to Hampton Beach NH after the show.

Like the date he listed, this "DJ" has many of his facts wrong.

Scott Totten