The Smiley Smile Message Board

Smiley Smile Stuff => General On Topic Discussions => Topic started by: mcgrupp on October 13, 2012, 10:16:59 PM



Title: mike and bruce in biloxi - preliminary report
Post by: mcgrupp on October 13, 2012, 10:16:59 PM
It's really bizarre to have this experience so close after coming home from the UK.  Ill post some thoughts and pics tomorrow I guess.  Here's the list I may have missed one somewhere:

Do it Again
Little Honda
Catch a wave
Hawaii
Surf City
Surfin safari
Surfer girl
Don't worry baby
Little deuce coup
409
shut you down
get around
ballad of old Betsy
Getcha back
Be true to your school
Fools
When I grow up to be a man
Forever
God only knows
Sloop
wouldn't it be nice
Cali girls
Kissed her
Good vibrations
Kokomo
Rhonda
Rock and roll music
Do you wanna dance
Barbara Ann
surfin usa
summertime blues
fun fun fun


Title: Re: mike and bruce in biloxi - preliminary report
Post by: Shady on October 13, 2012, 10:21:02 PM
Must be weird seeing them open the show with "do it again" without the rest of the guys


Title: Re: mike and bruce in biloxi - preliminary report
Post by: Mikie on October 13, 2012, 10:25:36 PM
Yeah, Shady, it must be real weird, huh?   It's just not the same without Brian, Al, and Dave, is it Shady?


Title: Re: mike and bruce in biloxi - preliminary report
Post by: Shady on October 13, 2012, 10:41:00 PM
Are we back to this Mikie? huh, are we Mikie?

No it's not


Title: Re: mike and bruce in biloxi - preliminary report
Post by: Mikie on October 13, 2012, 11:14:40 PM
Well, it seems like you're dragging out the familiar anti-sentiment propaganda against Mike & Bruce for resuming their tour schedule without Brian, Al, and Dave.  Haven't you gotten a little tired of that subject by now Shady, or you just like stirring it up on yet another thread?


Title: Re: mike and bruce in biloxi - preliminary report
Post by: Aegir on October 14, 2012, 12:02:32 AM
Mikie, you are one of my least favorite posters on this board.


Title: Re: mike and bruce in biloxi - preliminary report
Post by: Mikie on October 14, 2012, 12:04:47 AM
Feeling's mutual, son.  Just skip my posts, K?  Thanks in advance.  ;D

Can't even read a thread around here without Shady or somebody whining about the Beach Boys going off in different ways. Get over it! Move on with your lives! It's going to be OK!

http://smileysmile.net/board/index.php/topic,14528.msg328784.html#msg328784


Title: Re: mike and bruce in biloxi - preliminary report
Post by: Aegir on October 14, 2012, 12:16:03 AM
Yeah, that annoys me too, but I don't see the point in calling any one person in particular out on it.


Title: Re: mike and bruce in biloxi - preliminary report
Post by: Andrew G. Doe on October 14, 2012, 12:19:54 AM
I thought it strange to see Brian playing a buncha hits without Mike, Bruce, Alan & David the other day. Just sayin'.


Title: Re: mike and bruce in biloxi - preliminary report
Post by: Mikie on October 14, 2012, 12:23:15 AM
AGD, that's annoying!  Get over it!  Move on with your life!  It's going to be OK!   ;D


Title: Re: mike and bruce in biloxi - preliminary report
Post by: Andrew G. Doe on October 14, 2012, 12:33:28 AM
No, it's just wrong, Brian exploiting all the goodwill so soon after the C50 tour: has the man no shame ?  ::)


Title: Re: mike and bruce in biloxi - preliminary report
Post by: Danimalist on October 14, 2012, 12:42:30 AM
I thought it strange to see Brian playing a buncha hits without Mike, Bruce, Alan & David the other day. Just sayin'.

Not so weird. They're his songs.


Title: Re: mike and bruce in biloxi - preliminary report
Post by: Lonely Summer on October 14, 2012, 01:21:55 AM
No, it's just wrong, Brian exploiting all the goodwill so soon after the C50 tour: has the man no shame ?  ::)
:lol :lol :lol


Title: Re: mike and bruce in biloxi - preliminary report
Post by: ♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇 on October 14, 2012, 01:27:01 AM
I wish Brian would do more of his solo songs on his solo tours, and less of the hits. In recent years, the setlists for his shows and M&B shows have been very similar.  It's different when he has an album to promote, but when he does the oldies shows it's usually not as good.


Title: Re: mike and bruce in biloxi - preliminary report
Post by: RBennett123 on October 14, 2012, 01:28:42 AM
Can't we all just agree it's a bummer to see Brian and Mike/Bruce play separately instead of arguing passive aggressively about which one has the right to? It's not happening right now...period. I am mostly a reader on this board and have been frequenting it daily for a few years now, but I am sick to death of seeing the same stuff posted over and over again on almost every thread posted about this situation recently. Mike is doing his thing, Brian is doing his. Hopefully (PLEASE), they will get back together and release the rock and roll album and do another tour (saw them in Eugene, OR in July...Amazing), but until then, let's just move on and let it be. Just my opinion.


Title: Re: mike and bruce in biloxi - preliminary report
Post by: Gertie J. on October 14, 2012, 01:51:04 AM
Amen to that.


Title: Re: mike and bruce in biloxi - preliminary report
Post by: Cabinessenceking on October 14, 2012, 02:20:27 AM
Do It Again drums start, Scott Totten comes on stage with a yellow gretch guitar and announces; "Ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to the Beach Boys 50th Anniversary concert touuuur....Please welcome from Hawthorne, California, the Original Beach Boys Da....Bruce Johnston, Michael Edward Love and Briaaaaa....that's all folks!   "

tbh that setlist is the least exciting one I ever saw. Looks like these guys are Conservative in many respects...


Title: Re: mike and bruce in biloxi - preliminary report
Post by: Autotune on October 14, 2012, 03:24:25 AM
Do It Again drums start, Scott Totten comes on stage with a yellow gretch guitar and announces; "Ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to the Beach Boys 50th Anniversary concert touuuur....Please welcome from Hawthorne, California, the Original Beach Boys Da....Bruce Johnston, Michael Edward Love and Briaaaaa....that's all folks!   "

tbh that setlist is the least exciting one I ever saw. Looks like these guys are Conservative in many respects...

Author says the setlist might be incomplete. Brian's set at the HOB was just as safe and unexciting.


Title: Re: mike and bruce in biloxi - preliminary report
Post by: Andrew G. Doe on October 14, 2012, 03:47:59 AM
I thought it strange to see Brian playing a buncha hits without Mike, Bruce, Alan & David the other day. Just sayin'.

Not so weird. They're his songs.

Sarcasm not your strong suit, huh ?  :)


Title: Re: mike and bruce in biloxi - preliminary report
Post by: Andrew G. Doe on October 14, 2012, 03:50:43 AM
(saw them in Eugene, OR in July...Amazing)

Well make your mind up - was it Eugene or July ? Matters to some of us.  :p


Title: Re: mike and bruce in biloxi - preliminary report
Post by: Rocker on October 14, 2012, 05:34:52 AM
This board really gets on my nerves this past week.


@mcgrupp, thanks for the setlist! How was the show? Did Mike or Bruce mention anything about Brian, David or Al?


Title: Re: mike and bruce in biloxi - preliminary report
Post by: Lowbacca on October 14, 2012, 05:49:36 AM
This board really gets on my nerves this past week.
It really is a disgrace, and takes much of the fun out of the whole fan message board experience (at least for me).
When SmileySmile is at the top of its game as a message board it's f*ckin' brilliant (great discussions, on the spot with new information, inside scoops, special guests, funny users etc.)... but then again, at times, it's downright nasty. We're better than this, guys.


Title: Re: mike and bruce in biloxi - preliminary report
Post by: Andrew G. Doe on October 14, 2012, 06:14:23 AM
We are ?  Well hot damn, who knew ?


Title: Re: mike and bruce in biloxi - preliminary report
Post by: Lowbacca on October 14, 2012, 06:17:57 AM
We are ?  Well hot damn, who knew ?
... that's just sad, AGD.


Title: Re: mike and bruce in biloxi - preliminary report
Post by: Mikie on October 14, 2012, 07:33:17 AM
Can't we all just agree it's a bummer to see Brian and Mike/Bruce play separately instead of arguing passive aggressively about which one has the right to? It's not happening right now...period. I am mostly a reader on this board and have been frequenting it daily for a few years now, but I am sick to death of seeing the same stuff posted over and over again on almost every thread posted about this situation recently. Mike is doing his thing, Brian is doing his. Hopefully (PLEASE), they will get back together and release the rock and roll album and do another tour (saw them in Eugene, OR in July...Amazing), but until then, let's just move on and let it be. Just my opinion.

I share your opinion, RBennett.  Speaking words of wisdom, let it be.


Title: Re: mike and bruce in biloxi - preliminary report
Post by: ♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇 on October 14, 2012, 08:19:08 AM
We are ?  Well hot damn, who knew ?
... that's just sad, AGD.

He was joking.

But yeah...lately there's been a lot of negativity and nastiness.


Title: Re: mike and bruce in biloxi - preliminary report
Post by: RBennett123 on October 14, 2012, 09:47:40 AM
(saw them in Eugene, OR in July...Amazing)

Well make your mind up - was it Eugene or July ? Matters to some of us.  :p



Haha.  :)


Title: Re: mike and bruce in biloxi - preliminary report
Post by: Doo Dah on October 14, 2012, 10:50:34 AM
Now this thread is the perfect mix of official information, self righteous indignation and sarcasm.

What did Doug (Dinsdale) do?

He used... sarcasm. He knew all the tricks...puns, parody, metaphors, dramatic irony. He was vicious.


Why can't John Cleese tour with the Beach Boys?


Title: Re: mike and bruce in biloxi - preliminary report
Post by: ontor pertawst on October 14, 2012, 10:53:35 AM
Quote
Why can't John Cleese tour with the Beach Boys?

Not enough profit to pay for his divorce settlement. He prefers a lean and mean touring setup with less overhead. Plus, Stamos keeps talking about how he really loves Fawlty Towers... freakin' incessantly. I get that he's a big fan of John Cleese and it's every Python fan's dream to be on stage with him, but... geez.


Title: Re: mike and bruce in biloxi - preliminary report
Post by: MarcellaHasDirtyFeet on October 14, 2012, 11:22:31 AM
Just want to say that I think the setlist in the first post is actually pretty decent. Yeah, it has its hits, but it certainly isn't exclusively Top 40, right?  It's not any "worse" than Brian's Dallas show.


Title: Re: mike and bruce in biloxi - preliminary report
Post by: Lonely Summer on October 14, 2012, 01:31:57 PM
I wish Brian would do more of his solo songs on his solo tours, and less of the hits. In recent years, the setlists for his shows and M&B shows have been very similar.  It's different when he has an album to promote, but when he does the oldies shows it's usually not as good.
Agreed.


Title: Re: mike and bruce in biloxi - preliminary report
Post by: Danimalist on October 14, 2012, 02:14:42 PM
I thought it strange to see Brian playing a buncha hits without Mike, Bruce, Alan & David the other day. Just sayin'.

Not so weird. They're his songs.

Sarcasm not your strong suit, huh ?  :)

I read so much ridiculous crap on this board that I've started to take everyone literally.


Title: Re: mike and bruce in biloxi - preliminary report
Post by: Jason on October 14, 2012, 02:55:35 PM
This board really gets on my nerves this past week.
It really is a disgrace, and takes much of the fun out of the whole fan message board experience (at least for me).
When SmileySmile is at the top of its game as a message board it's f*ckin' brilliant (great discussions, on the spot with new information, inside scoops, special guests, funny users etc.)... but then again, at times, it's downright nasty. We're better than this, guys.

You clearly never lurked Male Ego back in the glory days. We're nowhere near as bad. Although...half of the reason no one really took Male Ego's exceedingly rough atmosphere all that seriously was because so many of the posts were by "Guest", or some variant thereof.

I don't think this board is nasty at all except for situations when THAT guy has the opinion that goes against the grain. I've said it before and will say it again. Can't take the heat? Get out of the kitchen. We're all fans and we all have very strong opinions.


Title: Re: mike and bruce in biloxi - preliminary report
Post by: mcgrupp on October 14, 2012, 03:59:01 PM
The show was fun and I love the music enough to have a great time no matter who performs it.  The 50th shows meant more to me than just "having fun" though where I went in to this one w a different level of intensity, expectation etc. in spite of it being an unpopular opinion, I do like Mike's stage presence and he has the lead on a bunch of my favorite cuts so it still had value for me as a fan.  They mentioned Dennis before Forever (I think it was Mike who said something) and Bruce mentioned Carl before God Only Knows.  Brian was only mentioned once in a quick statement about the early days where Mike briefly said something about "Brian Dennis and Carl."  Nothing was said about the 50th tour, Al or Marks.

I don't think many people there were looking for an artistic performance or critiquing anything too closely but there were definitely people who knew most of the music.  Whether or not the show was technically sold out, there were about 20% of the seats left unfilled, some up front.  In fact, about 5 minutes into the show an usher asked me if I wanted to move up and I got promoted from maybe the 40th row to the 3rd.

Mike featured Stamos almost more than Bruce.  If you didn't know better you could have thought "the beach boys" consisted of mike and Stamos and that Bruce was just a hired hand.  Musically they hold their own.  I like Scott and Cowsill a lot.  It was also a lot clearer who was doing what vocally compared to the 50th w so many vocal contributions.  That said it was odd seeing Bruce sing lead on some cuts and even stranger seeing Christian Love take leads.

Barely anyone was dancing although lots of people were smiling and singing along.  There were a fair amount of kids in the audience and gradually they need up on the floor at the foot of the stage. It was actually pretty cool, they were holding the mics out during Barbara Ann and then they brought a bunch of them on stage for surfin USA.  Mile and Bruce probably signed about 4-5 autographs each during the set.

I think Mike and Bruce recognized me from London bc I was really close both nights for those shows.  if i missed anything in the setlist, it would have been something pretty standard.  nothing really surprised me re: song selection. they didn't play any of twgmtr.  Guessing the chord changes were too much for some of the guys to learn so quickly.

The instrumentation was clearly much more basic than summer.. No flutes or elaborate percussion or brass etc.  The energy was pretty good by the end of the set up front.  I was happy enough w the track list although its a pet peeve when bands only do one long set.

Overall it was a fun show in driving distance from my house.  I give Mike credit for keeping the band going post-carl and when Brian couldn't it wouldn't  but overall I kept thinking that if Brian wants to lead this ship again, it would be a tragedy to not keep it going (after mikes commitments are through).

The main lineup and backing musicians can make the difference between something "fun" and nostalgic, and something more interesting artistically and even historic..  Kids singing and jumping around w Stamos vs our prayer for example..

I see Scott posting pictures of RAH on his Facebook and somehow I doubt he is going to post photos of these shows. It would be different if Brian wanted to stay away from it all but apparently he doesn't.  Ideally I hope they do this for awhile while Brian works on that rock and roll album.  After a fantastic summer it seems greedy to want more from them all, but boy it feels like it could work.

Sorry for long post/errors I wrote this out really quickly.  Let me know if you have any questions and ill post some photos later.

Final point... Bruce.. Why no Disney girls?


Title: Re: mike and bruce in biloxi - preliminary report
Post by: Jonathan Blum on October 15, 2012, 02:15:08 PM
It's really bizarre to have this experience so close after coming home from the UK.  Ill post some thoughts and pics tomorrow I guess.  Here's the list I may have missed one somewhere:

Bit that interests me is just how much of this is straight from the reunion setlist, just with chunks dropped right out:

Quote
Do it Again
Little Honda
Catch a wave
Hawaii
Surf City
Surfin safari
Surfer girl

...The opening batch is identical to the show in Sydney, with the exception of "Surf City" instead of "Don't Back Down"...

Quote
Don't worry baby
Little deuce coup
409
shut you down
get around

...and then we jump straight to the last five numbers of the first set.

Quote
ballad of old Betsy
Getcha back
Be true to your school
Fools
When I grow up to be a man

Five tracks which fell in the middle of the first set, slightly rearranged...

Quote
Forever
God only knows
Sloop
wouldn't it be nice
Cali girls
Kissed her
Good vibrations

...and a very familiar combination from the second set, with "And Then I Kissed Her" moved in from the first.

Quote
Kokomo
Rhonda
Rock and roll music
Do you wanna dance
Barbara Ann
surfin usa

Aside from moving "Kokomo" up, this is a familiar finale run...

Quote
summertime blues
fun fun fun

..and "Summertime Blues" is the only other real departure from the setlist we got before.

Basically, it just struck me how much this is a reunion setlist with chunks from the middle of each set scratched out!

Cheers,
Jon Blum


Title: Re: mike and bruce in biloxi - preliminary report
Post by: AndrewHickey on October 15, 2012, 04:00:40 PM

Basically, it just struck me how much this is a reunion setlist with chunks from the middle of each set scratched out!

Cheers,
Jon Blum

Yeah. The reunion set was structured *exactly* like Mike's band's longer sets. See for example this set from 2008 -- http://www.setlist.fm/setlist/the-beach-boys/2008/manchester-apollo-manchester-england-bdd395a.html . There was a lot of talk during the tour about how Mike was in charge of the setlists, and the structure of the show bears that out. The structure of his shows is always basically start off with Do It Again, followed by a long medley of surf and car songs, all the Little Honda/Hawaii/Don't Back Down stuff, then Surfer Girl and first break to talk to the audience. You then have a mix of 50s cover versions, album tracks and the odd rarity before Betsy and the car medley. Second half starts with California Dreaming and one or more Pet Sounds tracks, before going into a quiet bit with In My Room and a few other 'arty' songs, then the standard ending.

It's a pattern that works very well, and allows for an audience that came wanting the hits to sit through quite a few rarities without getting bored, because there's never too long to wait for another hit and all the crucial points at the starts and ends of each set are crammed full of crowd-pleasers, so you come out thinking *everything* was a crowd-pleaser.


Title: Re: mike and bruce in biloxi - preliminary report
Post by: Aegir on October 16, 2012, 10:51:43 AM
Every time I saw Mike & Bruce they opened with California Girls.


Title: Re: mike and bruce in biloxi - preliminary report
Post by: AndrewHickey on October 16, 2012, 11:13:47 AM
Every time I saw Mike & Bruce they opened with California Girls.

I know that's the 'canonical' opening, but I've not seen them open with it since Adrian Baker was in the band. Of the shows I've seen, the ones in 2001 and 2003 opened with Cal. Girls, while those in 2004, 2008 and 2011 all opened with Do It Again. Apparently in the US recently they'd also opened with Surfin' occasionally.


Title: Re: mike and bruce in biloxi - preliminary report
Post by: BB Universe on October 16, 2012, 11:52:33 AM
Yes, in 2010 (and maybe also 2009?), they opened with Surfin. Actually the concert started with the song being played from the record and a dark stage and then the band took the stage and picked up the song as lights went on IIRC. I believe that this caused a reviewer (in Australia?) to believe - wrongly -  that the group was lip syncing.


Title: Re: mike and bruce in biloxi - preliminary report
Post by: Rocker on October 16, 2012, 12:09:59 PM
Yes, in 2010 (and maybe also 2009?), they opened with Surfin. Actually the concert started with the song being played from the record and a dark stage and then the band took the stage and picked up the song as lights went on IIRC. I believe that this caused a reviewer (in Australia?) to believe - wrongly -  that the group was lip syncing.


Same idea that Brian opened his Roxy-album with ("The litle girl I once knew"-session outtakes). I like that very much. Here's an example from June 2011:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wrWCC3ioPLU


Title: Re: mike and bruce in biloxi - preliminary report
Post by: AndrewHickey on October 16, 2012, 01:58:39 PM
I believe that this caused a reviewer (in Australia?) to believe - wrongly -  that the group was lip syncing.

I've seen reviewers claim that the lead vocals were pre-recorded once or twice. I think the reason is actually that it's hard to tell who's singing lead if you're not up close (and especially if you're watching from above at a theatre show) -- Mike, Bruce, Christian and Randell all wear baseball caps that cast shadows over their faces, while John Cowsill's hair covers his face for much of the time.


Title: Re: mike and bruce in biloxi - preliminary report
Post by: Aegir on October 16, 2012, 02:48:08 PM
Every time I saw Mike & Bruce they opened with California Girls.

I know that's the 'canonical' opening, but I've not seen them open with it since Adrian Baker was in the band. Of the shows I've seen, the ones in 2001 and 2003 opened with Cal. Girls, while those in 2004, 2008 and 2011 all opened with Do It Again. Apparently in the US recently they'd also opened with Surfin' occasionally.

forget about the Surfin' intro. yes, I think three times I saw them open with California Girls and twice with Surfin'. all after Baker left.


Title: Re: mike and bruce in biloxi - preliminary report
Post by: Shady on October 16, 2012, 03:01:18 PM
The Love's host a little celebratory dinner after Saturdays show at the Beau Rivage to celebrate 2 nights sold out shows in Biloxi.

(http://sphotos-b.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/c67.0.403.403/p403x403/75168_373888276023353_1418768053_n.jpg)