So if the license for the name "Beach Boys" ends with Mike Love using it and Brian Wilson then bought it and he toured - would that be a better usage of the "Beach Boys" name?

Why does Mike Love get to call his band The Beach Boys and Brian Wilson doesn't??

I cannot stop thinking about whether what I went to as "The Beach Boys" is really "The Beach Boys" with Mike and Brice as the only 2 Beach Boys there and Brian and Al touring on their own, but not using "The Beach Boys" name - so why should Mike and Bruce call themselves "The Beach Boys"  since the others don't?

I posted a question and some comments on the general Beach Boys discussion section called "When are The beach Boys really "The Beach Boys" and would appreciate any thoughts on that. Thank you!

I had total fun at the concert and it was great! But I just keep thinking it was more of a cover band than "The Beach Boys".

I posted a review of the Saratoga, CA concert in the reviews section. But something has haunted me since I saw them last week.

I did see the Beach Boys 4 times from 1975 thru 1979. Didn't see them since then. So coming back after 30 years and seeing them again was interesting.

I know Brian would be on and off touring with the band, so when Brian didn't play with them it was still "The Beach Boys" of course.

But now, things seem different.

Brian is playing on his own and touring and playing plenty of Beach Boys songs. So this isn't because he is afraid or messed up and not touring which were the reasons before. He now is out touring, but isn't in the band for other reasons.

And Al Jardine is also touring and playing Beach Boys songs when he plays live.


So what was strange was seeing "The Beach Boys" but it was only Mike and Bruce. I know that Carl and Dennis are deceased, so replacing them is obviously understood. But is The Beach Boys really  "The Beach Boys" when it is only Mike and Brice when Al and Brian are alive and touring themselves and capbale of being in the band? Is  "The Beach Boys" a franchise or a real band?

That is what was odd for me and I keep thinking about it - as it kind of felt more like a Beach Boys cover band, knowing that Brian and Al could be playing with them and they are a critical part of the band. I have read that Brian and Al may join Mike and Bruce for a 50th year reunion and that to me would truly be "The Beach Boys. But should it be "The Mike Love Band"? or "Brice and Mike's band" vs. "The Beach Boys" when they play? Brian and Al don't use the name "The beach Boys" when they tour now, so why do Mike and Bruce?

Anyway, any thoughts on this?

The Mountain Winery is a great place to see a show as Mike said in this interview.  http://www.mercurynews.com/peninsula/ci_12957588

It wasn't sold out, but fairly close.

This was the 4th time I have seen the band, saw them back during the reunited time period with Brian in the late 70's/early 80's. My first concert I ever saw was The Beach Boys when I was 13. Tonight, our 7 year old daughters came with us and this was their very forst concert - so The Beach Boys are now their first concert as well which is cool as a parent sort of passing that on.

The crowd was initially somewhat mellow, rising up for the first time during Surfin USA. Then was mellow then up again as Bruce encouraged people to stand up. After the break/intermission they came back with California Girls and because it was also dark by then - the crowd came more alive with enthusiasm and it stayed pretty up for the most part. Especially the last several songs that were more singable from everyone.

I haven't seen The Beach Boys in over 20 years, so it was a bit odd seeing just Mike and Bruce. Sometimes it almost felt like a Beach Boys cover band when Mike wasn't singing. It was still very high quality music and shared covering of Carl's vocals on his songs was well done. But still weird just seeing Mike and Brian only left. During the intermission the people near me got into a discussion and the energy picked up greatly thinking about a possible 50th Anniversary reunion with Brian and Al coming together for a tour with Mike and Brian. I probably wouldn't see The Beach Boys again unless it was with Brian and Al joining them. But I am glad we went as it was a great first concert for our daughters to go to and nostalgic since they were my first concert.

I am pretty certain, the set list was identical to the Englewood, NJ setlist posted here - except that  Kokomo was played right before Fun, Fun, Fun.

It was an older crowd for sure. Not too many children there and barely anyone in their teens or 20's. Mainly people in their 40's, 50's 60's. Maybe because it was an evening show not too many families went. During Barbara Ann or Help Me Rhonda, a 9 year old girl (or around that age) went on the stage and sang and danced mainly with Bruce. Her dad was in the front row and enthusiastically cell phone filming.

It was a bery fun show. Very nostalgic. Very high quality band. I kept wondering what percentage of the crowd could tell who was missing or not from the original band, or didn't care and assumed they were the originals. Didn't matter I guess, as people seemed to just have fun on a summer night listening to classic Beach Boys songs.