Mark says he presented them to Brian...and I seem to recall a photo on FB in the Fall of '13 of them at the console together. I think it's likely that Brian did "something" with them and as all too often is the case, they never went anywhere. I guess Brian didn't actually contribute any new ideas or anything except maybe some vocals?

I have never cared for Foskett's voice. There have been shows where he's sounded better than others but all in all, I've never cared for it.

One thing that needs to be clarified, is that Mike's band has never had a sole "falsetto guy". They all rotate this role around the band from Foskett, to Totten, to Ike, and even Bruce still sings a fair amount of the top line. It would seem the key to staying in Mike's band is versatility (wide vocal range/multi-instrumentalist) OR...be Bruce Johnston. 

The band sounds fine on "Unleash The Love"...I'm assuming it's the touring band. But the lyrics are just as trite as I'd expect. Also, despite the attempts to beef it up with autotune, Mike's voice sounds very fragile on that track. I'm still not convinced I should spend money on this.

What a joke. I don't have any further grievances than those that have been listed but this is just ridiculous.

Someone in the inner circle should be making a stink about the Beach Boys name on the cover, since normally Mike would be the one to do that...and I'm not saying he wasn't justified in the past, but this is a prime example of what he has constantly bitched about with the other guys...and don't get me started on Brian's Back. All the hundreds of songs he could've recorded, and that makes the cut? He has to know what he's doing.

What store is actually going to carry this? I don't see physical copies of this existing anywhere beyond his website and Amazon.

Dammit...they played the Wild Honey songs last night and I wasn't there. 

This is absolutely hysterical and so typical of the Beach Boys...

Mike and Bruce's tour is literally "The Wild Honey Tour" and they played ONE song (Darlin) from the record when I saw them in OC.

Brian and Alan's tour is literally "The Pet Sounds Tour" and they played FIVE songs from the record when I DIDN'T go because it was advertised as the same show I had seen twice before.

Why a hat in the pool?

The hat was what bothered you in that photo? Not the twenty-pounds of gold beaded costume jewelry around his neck?

Blondie is always around before and after. Alan typically takes time to sign for fans from the stage and on his way to the bus. Unless you shell out for VIP, Brian isn't happening.

uhhh...just what exactly were they checking each other for?

I wonder whether "guitarist Bruce Johnston " enjoyed this article.

What is up with "guitarist Bruce Johnston" and his glasses in this picture?! Looks like he just had his cataracts done!

I was considering getting tix for Monday's show in Lancaster even though the crowd at that theatre is a total drag. BUT, if all those Wild Honey songs are out of the set again, I can't justify paying that kind of money to see the same show a third time.

I totally agree about his keyboard, however Scott Totten told me that Bruce is plugged in audible on Darlin (main piano), certain parts of Good Vibrations, and Disney Girls. Maybe Scott is just saying this to keep up Bruce's reputation, but I honestly doubt that he would lie to me.

Scott gave me the same reply several years ago too. When they play "Disney Girls" I can hear his cheesy electric piano sound...but I've watched for him on Darlin & GV and I can't pick anything out that he's doing. I guess it's just me!

Despite still being bitter about his inexcusable blow-up at me last month, I will take this moment to wish Bruce a speedy recovery...the band needs him. Those clips solidify two things...first, his voice is crucial. I'm stunned that they're just letting that go. You'd think that somewhere in the vast universe of the Beach Boys, they could've found somebody on the West Coast that could sing those harmony parts. Second, his keyboard is utterly inconsequential to the audience mix. He is playing sometimes, but I sat right in front of him for the whole show last month and studied his motions. I did not hear one note from his keyboard the whole night. If this is what the future looks like, Mike will need to make lineup changes again to even out the harmonies.

I don't know but something tells me it would go like this:

Paul: I heard it, yeah. That's the thing, really, is that George was a beautiful guy and inspired others.

Ringo: I haven't heard it. (after being informed he heard it yesterday) Oh was that the one? Yeah, well, it was great.

Accurate.

Yes, I've always thought this. Also, much more in common than say oh I don't know...his so called "Pisces Brother" Mike Love. If Mike and George were alike, Mike wouldn't have written that piling of dog doo about it.

Luck Old Sun is a more consistent product...but 'radio' has a few songs on it that just blow the whole 'sun' record out of the water. That being said, 'radio' also has some absolute garbage. It's all over the place.

In My Concert they do Pisces Brothers, Summer in Paradise, Ballad of Ole Betsy,  and Good To My Baby, THOSES ARE UNDERRATED

I'm with you on three of those four.  I can't say I'm a fan of Pisces Brothers (though Scott Totten plays a nice solo). 

Scott Totten...makin' sh*t shine since 2007.

I saw M&B for the 4th time last week. It was the night after the Beacon show in which they did "All I Wanna Do", "I'm Waiting For The Day" etc. I was hoping i'd get that setlist, but hey, I'm a dreamer. It was still pretty good though. A little under 40 songs with at least a few non-hits like Good To My Baby, Kiss Me Baby etc.

Some thoughts:

Positive!

-Scott T and John C are rockstars.
-I've never heard Jeff sound better
-The sound was the fullest I've heard from the M&B band
-Mike sounded like Mike. To be fair, when Brian sounds good, he doesn't sound like Brian anymore. (That's not a knock. I would literally die for Brian Wilson.)
-As a straight twenty something male, Bruce singing Disney Girls makes me melt every time.

Other thoughts!

-Please retire Pisces Brothers. Please. For the love of God, please.
-Please retire Summer In Paradise. Please
-California Dreamin'. Every time I hear them play it, I'm always thinking, "guys, this will NEVER be your song", and I even thought that during C50.
-Getcha Back - use the original lyrics.
-Could do without Why Do Fools and Then I Kissed Her.
-Mike using McGrath's Do It Again vocals. Why is he so proud of this?
-If you call it the Wild Honey tour, you need to do more than the two singles from Wild Honey.

Here's a dream (but within reason, I think) setlist for the M&B band that would please both the average and hardcore fan.

The Beach Boys
Wild Honey Tour 2017
 
Set 1

Surfin’ Safari
Catch A Wave
Little Honda
It’s OK
Hawaii
Do It Again

Wendy (Bruce on bridges)
Surfer Girl

When I Grow Up (To Be A Man)
Kiss Me Baby
Please Let Me Wonder (Bruce)

Darlin' (Jeff)
Aren’t You Glad
Here Comes The Night (Brian E?)
Country Air
Wild Honey (John C)

In My Room
Dance, Dance Dance

Be True To Your School

The Warmth of The Sun (Scott T)
Don’t Worry Baby (Jeff)

Little Deuce Coupe
409
Shut Down
I Get Around

Set 2

California Girls
You’re So Good To Me (Bruce)
Let Him Run Wild (Scott T)

Sloop John B
I’m Waiting For The Day
Here Today
Wouldn’t It Be Nice (Jeff)
God Only Knows (Carl)

Their Hearts Were Full Of Spring
All I Wanna Do
I Can Hear Music (Brian E)

Disney Girls (Bruce)
Heroes & Villains (John C)

Do You Wanna Dance (Dennis)
Help Me Rhonda
Kokomo
Good Vibrations

Encore:

Surfin’ USA
Barbara Ann
Fun Fun Fun

Heck I'd take that and that's without adding anything they haven't played recently outside the Wild Honey tracks.
Honestly I'd see them 10 more times if I knew without a doubt they'd play All I Wanna Do every time, that's how much I love that song.

Same here.  I'm also kind of hoping for a nearby Christmastime show. 

Man, now that is a killer setlist. BUT, it needs to be in the right venue. Also, I'd swap "Country Air" for "Let The Wind Blow" just so we could get another lead from Mike. Not knocking the band, but I'm very pro-original member leads as much as possible. They are, after all, the reason any of us started going in the first place.

What would truly be nice, is if whoever does their booking would book the blocks of tour dates at the same types of venues so if for example, the month of September they had twenty shows booked and they were all theatres, then you knew you could get a "deep cuts" set. And on the otherhand, if say they do thirty-five shows the month of July at state fairs, minor-league stadiums, resort cities, theme parks etc. ...it would be perfectly clear that those will all be the same meat and potatoes set.

When they bounce back and forth between the style of venue, you always wonder if a song might "spill over" from the night before...like the experience you had with the gig after The Beacon Theatre. You can look at the setlists that follow that show and slowly watch the album tracks fade out of the set. 

Thanks...that's the way it goes. If he really didn't want to sign anything (and I wasn't even asking to sign anything!) he should have just taken ten more steps and gotten on the bus peacefully, instead of going out of his way to create this confrontational BS. If I had been faced with silence, I would have just figured he was exhausted, off-stage, and not up to talking...totally cool.

Anyway, technically I had never heard Mike and Bruce do "Cotton Fields" with Cowsill on lead, but I heard it on C50 and nearly every time I've seen Al as well, but Cowsill gave it a great lead too, just an unusual selection. Other than that, I had heard all of these songs many, many times. The energy is still there but what enhances the repetitious tunes, is a shake up in the deeper cuts of which there simply were none...short show, long tour, I get it...I guess I should have seen it coming.

But you do raise a good point in that, a lot of the...we'll call them "second tier" songs could be shifted with no audience backlash. The opening surf songs can be in constant flux minus 'safari' and 'usa'...same with the car songs except "I Get Around". Of course, the standard three PS tunes have to stay, plus California Girls, and once they reach the point of about "Help Me Rhonda" it's pretty much set in stone from there out...but the point is, there is a LOT of room for fluctuation inbetween there that casual fans wouldn't care one way or the other about, and hardcore fans like us would appreciate.

Maybe my rant is over now. 

I saw Mike and Bruce at the OC PAC last night....total meat & potatoes show, but not a bad one at all. I was expecting more as it was a lovely venue...but it was also their tenth show in seven days, and their second that day...so I get it. The only "surprises" were "You're So Good To Me" and "Cotton Fields"...I wasn't necessarily counting on either of them...Cowsill was excellent on the latter. Mike and Bruce seemed to be a little weak in voice both when speaking and singing, but again, I think that was part of the overloaded week they had...and it isn't even over yet for them! The band was on fire as always. This was my first show with Randy Leago on woodwinds and he brings a lot to the lineup. The crowd was the standard bunch of old farts frozen in their chairs, except for the two times they were prompted by Randy to rise... except for the token party of middle-aged half-lit women of course. By the way, we had front row seats and it was like a private concert...I'll explain some observations...

First of all, Scott Totten and John Cowsill keep this whole thing alive. The rest of the band are excellent members and do their part...Mike and Bruce rely on a lot more cues from Scott than I had noticed before...even on things like "Little Deuce Coupe"...which I wouldn't expect considering it hasn't left the setlist since the mid-70's. But on the other hand, this band has a LOT of fun together. It was great to watch them do what they do and have fun teasing each other the whole way through, most of which happened during "Do it Again". They're piping in McGrath's vocals and Mike had a horrible time remembering when he should and shouldn't sing. It was beyond comical. It was also atrocious to hear his vocals.....

But I'm not here to rag on Mike, really. Say what you will about his personal life choices but on stage, the man is a master showman and entertainer. We had lots of interaction, as did everyone within at least the first five rows of the stage. He was also kind enough to sign my copy of his book that I brought to the show after they took their final bow AND he had the soundman give me a setlist off the stage too, which I was lucky enough to receive at a previous show as well. Of all the shows I've been to and all the interactions I've had with Mike, he has been nothing but kind and always puts the fans first.

That being said...after years of defense, I finally experienced Dr. Bruce Johnston and Mr. Hyde. Bruce was his happy old self onstage and even struck up a conversation with me about Mike's book after Mike signed it! I couldn't really hear him well because the room was loud, but he was laughing and smiling and saying how great it was! Now, my other goal of the evening, was to add John Cowsill's signature to his siblings photo I received at the Happy Together tour this summer. I waited by the front of the stage but he was disassembling his own drum kit way on the back of the stage and I was not going to interrupt him so I went out front and waited a bit, then went to the stage door thinking he may be finished and coming out soon. One of their crew members was there and I asked him if he had left, he said he'd go grab him for me. I waited all of about five minutes and many of the other band members passed by. I thanked them for a great show and they were all very cordial...then came Bruce. I said "Hey Bruce-" and was interrupted by a stern, cold stare and "NOT GONNA HAPPEN" barked at me. I suppose he saw the Cowsill photo and pen, and assumed I was going to ask for an autograph. I kindly said No thank you, I'm waiting for Mr. Cowsill, to which he graveled a snarky "well all RIGHT then Mr. MANNN" and hopped on the bus.......SO bizarre. The man who was just chumming with me from stage over the book maybe twenty minutes prior, was shooing me away like a peasant...and then mocking me. Regardless, Cowsill was great to meet...I asked him if he gets to sing with the family band anymore and he said of course not because of the grueling schedule, but just as he was saying that Mike came out and Cowsill shouts "BECAUSE OF HIM!"...Mike was thoroughly confused.  I thanked Mike again for signing my book and said goodnight, he wished me good night as well and hopped on the bus. I also asked Cowsill why no "Wild Honey" tonight on the Wild Honey tour...apparently Mike doesn't think it's suitable for these sorts of venues...oh well.

My very, very long story short......it was a GREAT concert with possibly the best seat in the house, two great autographs, and a lovely trip to the beach on top of it all. That being said...I think I might be calling it quits for Mike and Bruce. I've heard almost all the songs, definitely heard all the stories, got tons of great photos, t-shirts, autographs and of above all, memories... and well...Bruce really pissed me off. I've always treated him with respect whenever he was kind to me in the past, and suddenly I was a second class citizen.  I still highly recommend the show to those that haven't seen it. You need to go in expecting the best Beach Boys tribute band in the world, featuring former front man Mike Love, and side man Bruce Johnston. The band really makes the show when you focus on them.

Al and Probyn meeting fans after a gag. Al briefly mentions he wanted to do more "Love You" songs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F2imK2elVfs

Brian and Blondie back in LA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XiUXyh4kNSc

That was a LOT of people waiting after the show!!! When I met Al after the Montgomery College concert, I had to walk with him from the door to the bus to get my photo signed because he was in such a hurry...he signed my photo by balancing it upon his carry-out container he was holding!    Nice as could be, but he definitely did not have mingling time like he did here.

That being said, I find it pretty hilarious that the 50th Anniversary tour of Pet Sounds that already had an ironic existence in it's 51st year, is now taking five songs out of the show to focus on an ACTUAL golden anniversary for Wild Honey. Judging by the clips and Brian's apparent boredom with the PS set at times...why not switch the records out? The fans that don't know the Wild Honey deep cuts are probably the same people that don't know the Pet Sounds deep cuts and the people (all of us) that love hearing Pet Sounds in its entirety would probably love hearing Wild Honey in its entirety! Blondie could stay on stage for the whole set as he could be greatly utilized and this band has a great potential for giving more energy to the original arrangements on the album that are maybe a little too simplistic for the live stage.

If these Wild Honey cuts stick around for the shows back in the states this fall, I just may have to find a way up to my favorite oldies venue this side of the Mississippi...

I have to commend Mike's ability to look, act and dress like a 75 year old since around the time he was I'm his mid-40s. That's no easy feat looking like that!

It is pretty strange how he didn't really ever look like the ages of oh say 40-70...It's like the late 1970's hurdled him into his 70's...

So here's some sh*t to stir: I received an email from Wolf Trap yesterday promoting Mike & Bruce's upcoming concert, obviously a "The Beach Boys" concert, and just below the information for the show there was a video. One horrible, horrible little video...they're using this bile to advertise "The Beach Boys" concerts. That cannot be acceptable.

I wonder if thats the venue. Two years ago, I emailed Wolf Trap because they used a video for Thats Why God Made the Radio with Brian and Al (David was actually at the 2015 show) to promote their 8/23/15 concert.   I got no reply.   

Could very well be. I haven't been to Wolf Trap in three years since their lack of organization cost me the opening number of Ringo's all-starr concert in 2014.

So here's some sh*t to stir: I received an email from Wolf Trap yesterday promoting Mike & Bruce's upcoming concert, obviously a "The Beach Boys" concert, and just below the information for the show there was a video. One horrible, horrible little video...they're using this bile to advertise "The Beach Boys" concerts. That cannot be acceptable.