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Smiley Smile Stuff => General On Topic Discussions => Topic started by: baseball95 on September 26, 2017, 11:57:22 AM



Title: Pick 3 songs to add to the setlists
Post by: baseball95 on September 26, 2017, 11:57:22 AM
So I noticed some good setlist chatter going on over on the Brian tour thread. I personally love talking setlists and would love to know 3 songs you guys would  add to both Brian and Mike’s setlists! They don’t have to be never performed songs even though I went that way with a few of my choices. They just can’t be in the regular set rotation.

Mike & Bruce
1. Tears in the Morning - love Disney Girls but it’s time for Bruce to change it up
2. Keepin the Summer Alive - Cowsill would knock this out of the park and I’d welcome it more than Summertime Blues which I noticed has popped back up in the encore. Also even the casual fan would appreciate the sentiment of the song even if they don’t probably know it.
3. California Saga: Big Sur - arguably Mike’s best song (right with All I Wanna Do which should be a set staple for them!) this song would work perfect in the dreaded Pisces Brothers slot  :lol

Brian, Al & Blondie
1. Breakaway - it’s been done by them, Al and Brian trade lead it’s perfect and a relative deep cut despite being a single.
2. Lookin at Tomorrow (Welfare Song) - they’ve rehearsed it, Al’s played it, seems like a perfect fit to me.
3. You’re Still a Mystery - great song, I think this one might be more of a personal fantasy, Brian, Al and I think Matt are all on the MIC version so I think it would work well.

Bonus: just so Blondie isn’t left out Leaving this Town or Hold on Dear Brother would be great but The Trader is my choice, as we’ve seen with Feel Flows he can pull Carl leads off, plus he played on the record.


Title: Re: Pick 3 songs to add to the setlists
Post by: NateRuvin on September 26, 2017, 12:10:03 PM
Mike & Bruce:
1. All I Wanna Do
2. Deirdre
3. Car Crazy Cutie (Idk why, but I think Mike's band could play this song really well)

Brian:
1. All I Wanna Do
2. Surf City (Brian's first #1 hit)
3. Had To Phone Ya


Title: Re: Pick 3 songs to add to the setlists
Post by: baseball95 on September 26, 2017, 12:12:08 PM
Mike & Bruce:
1. All I Wanna Do
2. Deirdre
3. Car Crazy Cutie (Idk why, but I think Mike's band could play this song really well)

Brian:
1. All I Wanna Do
2. Surf City (Brian's first #1 hit)
3. Had To Phone Ya

Great choices I agree on Car Crazy Cutie, they play those early songs really well. Cherry Cherry Coupe would be another good one.


Title: Re: Pick 3 songs to add to the setlists
Post by: KDS on September 26, 2017, 12:19:49 PM
Mike and Bruce

1.  All I Wanna Do (permanently, not the occasional airing it gets)
2.  Hushabye
3.  In the Parkin Lot

Brian

1.  Til I Die
2.  The Little Girl I Once Knew
3.  From There to Back Again / PCH / Summer's Gone


Title: Re: Pick 3 songs to add to the setlists
Post by: Mr. Wilson on September 27, 2017, 04:40:47 AM
Brian.. Midnites another day.. She says that she needs me.. Sail away..


Title: Re: Pick 3 songs to add to the setlists
Post by: HeyJude on September 27, 2017, 06:20:25 AM
Mike & Bruce:
1. All I Wanna Do
2. Deirdre
3. Car Crazy Cutie (Idk why, but I think Mike's band could play this song really well)

Brian:
1. All I Wanna Do
2. Surf City (Brian's first #1 hit)
3. Had To Phone Ya

Great choices I agree on Car Crazy Cutie, they play those early songs really well. Cherry Cherry Coupe would be another good one.

Weirdly, my recollection is that Mike's band played "Cherry Cherry Coupe" randomly at a few shows some time in the 2000s. Certainly a weird pick.


Title: Re: Pick 3 songs to add to the setlists
Post by: BBs Footage Saga on September 27, 2017, 06:21:45 AM
Mike & Bruce:
1. Tears in the Morning
2. Breakaway (Imagine Brian Eichenberger and Jeff Foskett)
3. Big Sur (A remake in Lanlocked style is heared in the Mike Book Biography trailer)


Title: Re: Pick 3 songs to add to the setlists
Post by: HeyJude on September 27, 2017, 06:21:59 AM
Brian.. Midnites another day.. She says that she needs me.. Sail away..

"Midnight's Another Day" and "Sail Away" have already had extensive airings through various past Brian tours. Not that this setlist selection exercise is only meant to pick "never performed" songs, but I would tend to pick songs that haven't been played relatively extensively in the past.


Title: Re: Pick 3 songs to add to the setlists
Post by: HeyJude on September 27, 2017, 06:26:13 AM
Mike & Bruce:
1. Tears in the Morning
2. Breakaway (Imagine Brian Eichenberger and Jeff Foskett)
3. Big Sur (A remake in Lanlocked style is heared in the Mike Book Biography trailer)

A Brian tune sung by Mike's backing guys sounds pretty boring to me, actually. It's like Foskett singing "Surf's Up." It's like "Wow, great song, a good singer, but all wrong and with no soul."

If I were to hand pick three tracks for Mike's band, I'd at least pick three for actual *Beach Boys* to sing. Given Mike and Bruce have a hundred other songs *they* could sing, and Brian and Al are around to reprise their *original* vocals on "Break Away" in their band, I would pick something else for Mike's band.

Perhaps the most surprising song selection, on record anyway, in terms of digging into old stuff was Mike choosing to sing the lead on "Ballad of Ole Betsy" on that "Salute to NASCAR" album. I remember thinking that was the *only* thing on that awful album that was at least moderately interesting, for Mike to take a Brian "falsetto song" and sing it in a lower register.


Title: Re: Pick 3 songs to add to the setlists
Post by: BBs Footage Saga on September 27, 2017, 07:10:44 AM
Foskett singing Surf Up would be awesome


Title: Re: Pick 3 songs to add to the setlists
Post by: KDS on September 27, 2017, 07:25:20 AM
Foskett singing Surf Up would be awesome

Especially if Brian no longer wishes to perform the song.  In that case, I have no issue with Mike and Bruce's band picking up the torch. 


Title: Re: Pick 3 songs to add to the setlists
Post by: HeyJude on September 27, 2017, 08:01:10 AM
Foskett singing Surf Up would be awesome

Especially if Brian no longer wishes to perform the song.  In that case, I have no issue with Mike and Bruce's band picking up the torch.  

If someone digs watching Mike's backing guys singing Brian's song, a song Mike has in the past not shown a strong affinity for (and arguably/allegedly did not want to perform on C50), I don't think whether Brian does the song or not should matter. Obviously just my opinion.

My reason for finding Foskett singing "Surf's Up" in Mike's band distasteful is all about context, not the performance quality itself. I find it distasteful regardless of whether Brian continues to sing the song or not.

And certainly, Mike's band's motives in setlist composition have nothing to do with "picking up the torch." They're not monitoring Brian's setlist and deciding that since Brian may have retired a song, they should take it on.


Title: Re: Pick 3 songs to add to the setlists
Post by: HeyJude on September 27, 2017, 08:03:52 AM
Foskett singing Surf Up would be awesome

It already happened; it's not a hypothetical.


Title: Re: Pick 3 songs to add to the setlists
Post by: KDS on September 27, 2017, 08:09:48 AM
Foskett singing Surf Up would be awesome

Especially if Brian no longer wishes to perform the song.  In that case, I have no issue with Mike and Bruce's band picking up the torch.  

If someone digs watching Mike's backing guys singing Brian's song, a song Mike has in the past not shown a strong affinity for (and arguably/allegedly did not want to perform on C50), I don't think whether Brian does the song or not should matter. Obviously just my opinion.

My reason for finding Foskett singing "Surf's Up" in Mike's band distasteful is all about context, not the performance quality itself. I find it distasteful regardless of whether Brian continues to sing the song or not.

And certainly, Mike's band's motives in setlist composition have nothing to do with "picking up the torch." They're not monitoring Brian's setlist and deciding that since Brian may have retired a song, they should take it on.

I don't see Foskett doing Surf's Up as distasteful as much as I see it as playing a song that the audience wants to hear.  After all it was still released on a Beach Boys album, so as long as they're performing as The Beach Boys, I see no problem in songs like Surf's Up and Til I Die being performed. 

My main point was that, as somebody who attends both shows, I'd like at least one of the bands to perform Surf's Up. 


Title: Re: Pick 3 songs to add to the setlists
Post by: HeyJude on September 27, 2017, 08:19:38 AM
I don't see Foskett doing Surf's Up as distasteful as much as I see it as playing a song that the audience wants to hear.  After all it was still released on a Beach Boys album, so as long as they're performing as The Beach Boys, I see no problem in songs like Surf's Up and Til I Die being performed.  

My main point was that, as somebody who attends both shows, I'd like at least one of the bands to perform Surf's Up.  

I can't disagree with the obvious, that Mike works from a pool of "Beach Boys" songs (whereas Brian works *mostly* from a pool of songs he's written; a very important distinction), and sees doing any BB song as no different from when he did them in the 70s or 80s or 90s, etc.

I also can't disagree with the idea that fans like songs like "Surf's Up."

I just think Mike and Jeff choosing in 2015, after Foskett flipping from Brian's to Mike's band, and after a C50 tour where "Surf's Up" was nowhere to be seen/heard, that Mike and Jeff doing *THAT* particular song is just tonally wrong and leaves a bad taste. As I said back then, I think as a fan you either immediately understand that feeling, or you don't. You either understand that Jeff leaving Brian and joining Mike and doing "Surf's Up" is different from Mike singing "Kiss Me Baby" or "You're So Good To Me", or you don't.

I don't expect the seven-thumbs-up, "five different touring bands touring at once means more music!" classification of fans to get that feeling.

Closest thing to Mike and Foskett doing "Surf's Up" that I can think of would be, I guess, Al doing a solo show with cheerleaders and singing a heartfelt tribute to George Harrison, "Pisces Brothers." Far from a perfect analogy of course, but that's the closet converse analog I can think of at the moment.


Title: Re: Pick 3 songs to add to the setlists
Post by: KDS on September 27, 2017, 08:27:04 AM
I don't see Foskett doing Surf's Up as distasteful as much as I see it as playing a song that the audience wants to hear.  After all it was still released on a Beach Boys album, so as long as they're performing as The Beach Boys, I see no problem in songs like Surf's Up and Til I Die being performed.  

My main point was that, as somebody who attends both shows, I'd like at least one of the bands to perform Surf's Up.  

I can't disagree with the obvious, that Mike works from a pool of "Beach Boys" songs (whereas Brian works *mostly* from a pool of songs he's written; a very important distinction), and sees doing any BB song as no different from when he did them in the 70s or 80s or 90s, etc.

I also can't disagree with the idea that fans like songs like "Surf's Up."

I just think Mike and Jeff choosing in 2015, after Foskett flipping from Brian's to Mike's band, and after a C50 tour where "Surf's Up" was nowhere to be seen/heard, that Mike and Jeff doing *THAT* particular song is just tonally wrong and leaves a bad taste. As I said back then, I think as a fan you either immediately understand that feeling, or you don't. You either understand that Jeff leaving Brian and joining Mike and doing "Surf's Up" is different from Mike singing "Kiss Me Baby" or "You're So Good To Me", or you don't.

I don't expect the seven-thumbs-up, "five different touring bands touring at once means more music!" classification of fans to get that feeling.

Closest thing to Mike and Foskett doing "Surf's Up" that I can think of would be, I guess, Al doing a solo show with cheerleaders and singing a heartfelt tribute to George Harrison, "Pisces Brothers." Far from a perfect analogy of course, but that's the closet converse analog I can think of at the moment.

I can't say I understand that feeling to be honest, so I'll respectfully disagree. 


Title: Re: Pick 3 songs to add to the setlists
Post by: jeffh on September 27, 2017, 09:20:34 AM
Brian.....Slightly American Music. I just love that song


Title: Re: Pick 3 songs to add to the setlists
Post by: NateRuvin on September 27, 2017, 11:07:44 AM
I have no issue with Mike's band playing songs like Surf's Up and Til I Die. To me, Mike's band is about keeping the music alive and pleasing audiences. Now, would Til I Die go over well at a county fair? Probably not. But in a calmer setting, I'd love to see that thrown in. Tim B did a great job with the vibraphone part and so did Ike with that bassline.

In fact, I'd almost rather see Mike's band play those songs,  than watch Brian relive such a dark time in his live. Perhaps that's why the song is played so rarely.


Title: Re: Pick 3 songs to add to the setlists
Post by: KDS on September 27, 2017, 11:11:56 AM
I have no issue with Mike's band playing songs like Surf's Up and Til I Die. To me, Mike's band is about keeping the music alive and pleasing audiences. Now, would Til I Die go over well at a county fair? Probably not. But in a calmer setting, I'd love to see that thrown in. Tim B did a great job with the vibraphone part and so did Ike with that bassline.

In fact, I'd almost rather see Mike's band play those songs,  than watch Brian relive such a dark time in his live. Perhaps that's why the song is played so rarely.

At least in recent years, Mike and Bruce only seem to include those songs in theaters, where the setlists tend to be a little more daring than their summer shed / seaside resort shows. 


Title: Re: Pick 3 songs to add to the setlists
Post by: HeyJude on September 27, 2017, 11:22:39 AM
I have no issue with Mike's band playing songs like Surf's Up and Til I Die. To me, Mike's band is about keeping the music alive and pleasing audiences. Now, would Til I Die go over well at a county fair? Probably not. But in a calmer setting, I'd love to see that thrown in. Tim B did a great job with the vibraphone part and so did Ike with that bassline.

In fact, I'd almost rather see Mike's band play those songs,  than watch Brian relive such a dark time in his live. Perhaps that's why the song is played so rarely.

"'Til I Die" was a regular in Brian's setlist from 2000 to 2002. I think once the themed tours took over (Smile, etc.), the song just fell by the wayside. I'm not so sure he doesn't perform it because it's dark.

As for Mike's band performing it, again, it's just a case where the apocryphal/alleged story goes that Mike was not a fan of the song (or at least its themes) back when it was released (e.g. allegedly calling it a "downer", and definitely mentioning in an interview that he didn't approve of the "it kills my soul" line), but now (in my opinion) uses it to capitalize on British/European fans' affinity for the song.

It would be like Lennon adding "Maxwell's Silver Hammer" to a setlist or something.

I give ample credit to Brian for not ever caving and doing "Kokomo" and its ilk. Jardine clearly never liked doing "Kokomo" at his solo gigs, only budging when likely forced to by the venue/promoter/audience and its expectations. Kind of like Billy Joel continuing to do "We Didn't Start the Fire" even though he clearly loathes the song now.


Title: Re: Pick 3 songs to add to the setlists
Post by: KDS on September 27, 2017, 11:26:11 AM
I have no issue with Mike's band playing songs like Surf's Up and Til I Die. To me, Mike's band is about keeping the music alive and pleasing audiences. Now, would Til I Die go over well at a county fair? Probably not. But in a calmer setting, I'd love to see that thrown in. Tim B did a great job with the vibraphone part and so did Ike with that bassline.

In fact, I'd almost rather see Mike's band play those songs,  than watch Brian relive such a dark time in his live. Perhaps that's why the song is played so rarely.

"'Til I Die" was a regular in Brian's setlist from 2000 to 2002. I think once the themed tours took over (Smile, etc.), the song just fell by the wayside. I'm not so sure he doesn't perform it because it's dark.

As for Mike's band performing it, again, it's just a case where the apocryphal/alleged story goes that Mike was not a fan of the song (or at least its themes) back when it was released (e.g. allegedly calling it a "downer", and definitely mentioning in an interview that he didn't approve of the "it kills my soul" line), but now (in my opinion) uses it to capitalize on British/European fans' affinity for the song.

It would be like Lennon adding "Maxwell's Silver Hammer" to a setlist or something.

I think Mike and Bruce performing Til I Die and/or Surf's Up sure beats the alternative of not having those songs played. 


Title: Re: Pick 3 songs to add to the setlists
Post by: HeyJude on September 27, 2017, 11:33:49 AM

I think Mike and Bruce performing Til I Die and/or Surf's Up sure beats the alternative of not having those songs played. 

In another context, perhaps yes. Not in that context. In my opinion obviously. It's not like these songs are otherwise dying a death in obscurity, especially "Surf's Up."

I keep trying to think of more analogies, but it's difficult because Mike's position in relation to these particular songs is relatively unique among rock bands. It's not super often that a main member of a band has such a complicated, sort of antagonistic relationship with their own music. Add to that this same member using the *band's* name to tour, and in the last five years doing so *to the exclusion* of other living, able members, and *that's* some of the context I'm talking about.

Mike doesn't want to tour with Brian or Al. But he'll gladly use *their* songs to make his show more credible, for instance, with a UK audience. 


Title: Re: Pick 3 songs to add to the setlists
Post by: KDS on September 27, 2017, 11:36:58 AM

I think Mike and Bruce performing Til I Die and/or Surf's Up sure beats the alternative of not having those songs played. 

In another context, perhaps yes. Not in that context. In my opinion obviously. It's not like these songs are otherwise dying a death in obscurity, especially "Surf's Up."

I keep trying to think of more analogies, but it's difficult because Mike's position in relation to these particular songs is relatively unique among rock bands. It's not super often that a main member of a band has such a complicated, sort of antagonistic relationship with their own music. Add to that this same member using the *band's* name to tour, and in the last five years doing so *to the exclusion* of other living, able members, and *that's* some of the context I'm talking about.

Mike doesn't want to tour with Brian or Al. But he'll gladly use *their* songs to make his show more credible, for instance, with a UK audience. 

To me, Mike's biggest sin in this case is not playing the songs to US audiences.  Some of us in Surfin USA want to hear some of the deep cuts he includes in the UK setlists.   I know he won't at the summertime shows, but at least in the theater shows. 


Title: Re: Pick 3 songs to add to the setlists
Post by: Michael Edward Osbourne on September 27, 2017, 12:32:15 PM
BRIAN:
1) Busy Doin' Nothin'
2) The Little Girl I Once Knew
3) Til I Die

MIKE & BRUCE:
1) Pom Pom Playgirl
2) Surfers Rule
3) Custom Machine



Title: Re: Pick 3 songs to add to the setlists
Post by: Hickory Violet Part IV on September 27, 2017, 12:43:40 PM
BRIAN

1) Day in the Life of a Tree

2) Pom Pom Play Girl

3) Wind Chimes (smiley smile version )

MIKE

1) Horst Wessel Lied

2) Lords Prayer (backwards)

3) How Do You Solve a problem like Maria?


Title: Re: Pick 3 songs to add to the setlists
Post by: NateRuvin on September 27, 2017, 12:51:19 PM
Mike Garneau, I actually love the idea of adding Custom Machine! I would love to see Bruce take a lead on that because of his awesome rendition with Terry Melcher from the 60's.


Title: Re: Pick 3 songs to add to the setlists
Post by: HeyJude on September 27, 2017, 12:59:01 PM
Brian has done "Custom Machine" on occasion (2009 and 2013 if I recall correctly).

I have a vague recollection of a story from 2012 where Al suggested adding "Custom Machine" to the C50 setlist, and Mike allegedly didn't want to do it.


Title: Re: Pick 3 songs to add to the setlists
Post by: HeyJude on September 27, 2017, 01:05:16 PM
In at least one case I can think of, a major member of a band left and struck an agreement with the remaining band members to split up their songs and not perform each others' material. When Roger Hodgson left Supertramp, he supposedly struck an agreement where the remaining members that would continue on under the name would not perform Hodgson songs.

This apparently didn't last long, since Hodgson wrote three of their most popular songs ("Give a Little Bit", "Take the Long Way Home", "The Logical Song"). Not sure how they ended up hashing that out.

In any event, it's not as if Brian and Mike could easily do this, as many of the hits have both of their names. But, it would be interesting if they only stuck to stuff they wrote or co-wrote. How many hits and other "meat and potatoes" or otherwise well-known numbers did Mike write without Brian? One: "Kokomo." How many did Brian write without Mike? Surfer Girl, Don't Worry Baby, Little Deuce Coupe, Shut Down, Heroes and Villains, In My Room, The Little Girl I Once Knew, most of PS, etc.


Title: Re: Pick 3 songs to add to the setlists
Post by: Mr. Wilson on September 27, 2017, 01:30:23 PM
Styx only does a couple of songs written by the departed keyboard player.. Most of the ballads they dont do anymore.. Keyboard player plays all the stuff on his solo tours.. The songs Styx"s plays are all written by the guitar players..  I saw them recently and it was still a good show.. More guitar orientated  less keyboards..


Title: Re: Pick 3 songs to add to the setlists
Post by: KDS on September 27, 2017, 01:37:05 PM
Styx only does a couple of songs written by the departed keyboard player.. Most of the ballads they dont do anymore.. Keyboard player plays all the stuff on his solo tours.. The songs Styx"s plays are all written by the guitar players..  I saw them recently and it was still a good show.. More guitar orientated  less keyboards..

With Styx, JY and Tommy didn't really care for a lot of those ballads, "Babe" in particular.  Or, pretty much anything on the Kilroy album. 


Title: Re: Pick 3 songs to add to the setlists
Post by: HeyJude on September 27, 2017, 01:42:11 PM
Styx only does a couple of songs written by the departed keyboard player.. Most of the ballads they dont do anymore.. Keyboard player plays all the stuff on his solo tours.. The songs Styx"s plays are all written by the guitar players..  I saw them recently and it was still a good show.. More guitar orientated  less keyboards..

I'm not even that into Styx and I still marvel at how a fan wouldn't miss DeYoung, who sang and wrote a bunch of their hits. In that sense, the other guys using their name are much like Mike Love. They're making enough bank on their own without DeYoung, and they can pick and choose doing his songs if they want, and while they'd certainly seen an uptick in venues/sales if they did another "reunion", they have no interest in doing their job by committee and having another guy have any say.


Title: Re: Pick 3 songs to add to the setlists
Post by: the captain on September 27, 2017, 04:43:47 PM
This isn't grounded in reality.

Brian Wilson:
"Still I Dream of It"
"Gettin In Over My Head"
"Love Is Here to Stay"

Alternates:
"Mona"
"I'll Bet He's Nice"
"Speed Turtle"  ;D

Beach Boys:
"Big Sur"
"Don't Go Near the Water"
"That's Not Me"


Title: Re: Pick 3 songs to add to the setlists
Post by: tpesky on September 27, 2017, 07:11:06 PM
Custom Machine- I remember Scott Totten stating a couple of times on message boards he wanted to play the song but Mike did not want to at all. Something about not liking his lead vocal.

I have heard Mike's band play Til I Die on multiple occasions, before and after Foskett. They generally do a nice job with it. It is a little weird considering the personal nature of the song and Mike looks kind of out of place during it.  Two years ago I apparently got so spoiled hearing it for the 4th time when M and B played it I was disappointed. I was hoping for All I Wanna Do as they had played that recently. I felt guilty not appreciating it more. Then I forgot about my guilt when Mike launched into the Pisces Brother/Cool Head Warm Heart medley.  :wall :wall.
 Brian played it with Al on the Jeff Beck tour most recently I believe. Jeff sang most of it if I recall.


Title: Re: Pick 3 songs to add to the setlists
Post by: Alex on September 27, 2017, 10:26:51 PM
Ding Dang
Shortening Bread
Drip Drop


Title: Re: Pick 3 songs to add to the setlists
Post by: KDS on September 29, 2017, 05:44:45 AM
Styx only does a couple of songs written by the departed keyboard player.. Most of the ballads they dont do anymore.. Keyboard player plays all the stuff on his solo tours.. The songs Styx"s plays are all written by the guitar players..  I saw them recently and it was still a good show.. More guitar orientated  less keyboards..

I'm not even that into Styx and I still marvel at how a fan wouldn't miss DeYoung, who sang and wrote a bunch of their hits. In that sense, the other guys using their name are much like Mike Love. They're making enough bank on their own without DeYoung, and they can pick and choose doing his songs if they want, and while they'd certainly seen an uptick in venues/sales if they did another "reunion", they have no interest in doing their job by committee and having another guy have any say.

With the exception of Dennis DeYoung's more smaltzy stuff (Babe) and the Kilroy material, Styx still plays plenty of hits that Dennis sang and wrote.  Lady, The Grand Illusion, Rocking the Paradise, etc.  As a fan, it would've been cool to see Dennis onstage with Tommy, JY, and Chuck when I saw them in 2001.  I did get to see Dennis in 2012, and the guy can still sing. 


Title: Re: Pick 3 songs to add to the setlists
Post by: Tony S on September 30, 2017, 05:28:09 AM
I saw Dennis perform down in Atlantic City NJ around 4 years ago as well; he was terrific, sang great, and put on a great show. And I think each ticket was like $30 for a really good seat.