I can't really see it gelling. I could maybe see Brian writing for the group...but at that time in his life, I just don't think the character traits of all these weirdos, the musical abilities at that time, and Brian's baggage of Landy could have possibly worked. I vote Al Jardine for BB representation in the group! "Clean Wilbury" 

You know it's a good night when Brian starts cursing! 

Now if he could get leads on songs that are ya know...actually interesting and impressive to see a band of this degree doing...that would be great too!!

Valid point...given the current lineup of the all-stars, I couldn't see Al holding down the rhythm parts on the music of Santana or Toto. He could swing the Mr. Mister stuff as well as Todd Rundgren's material and most of Ringo's stuff. But if he were just added in as a third guitarist, he could do it since he could drop in and out as he pleases, like he does now anyway. As far as vocals, I think this current band could handle BB harmonies...but that is far from true for all incarnations of the band.

I'm really tired of this lineup honestly. They are absolutely incredible...but it has gotten tiring. I never had the desire to hear anything remotely related to Mr. Mister live, yet I now have a total of four times since 2010 with Ringo. Even the stuff I LOVE (AKA The rest of the band) has been exhausted at this point.

Wow- great minds think alike! I have ALWAYS said that Al Jardine belonged in at least one rotation of the all-starr band. What three songs would you think he could do? I would think "Wouldn't it Be Nice" "California Saga" and "Help Me Rhonda"

At both shows I Saw last year, it was a very even spread of ages however both crowds were very bland. I'm noticing this more and more at all concerts now. Everyone is too wrapped up in filming the whole f-ing thing and not enjoying it.

That would be because I saw Darian Friday night with The Zombies playing Odyssey and Oracle in Philly 

I think it's more likely that he's sitting on tons of great material and for some internal reason we are unaware of, he isn't releasing them. At this point, an album of him singing them might sell about 200 copies if he's lucky. However, he knows EVERYBODY and he's a really great writer. He should do an album of people singing his brand new songs, that would tap into multiple fan bases and move some units...and probably be a pretty great record too!!

In terms of the original BB recording, I've always felt it was *near* perfect. The middle eight instrumental bars always take away from it for me. It's not a guitar solo. It's chords. It always sounds like something else belongs there. It has no melodic interest for eight measures in a piece that is virtually overflowing with melodic interest.

I disagree. To me that is one perfect "less-is-more" instrumental break.

Totally agree. Might be my favorite part of the song, especially live, when they started injecting it with a little more energy.

I agree, it works live. But for me, it falls flat on the recording. I think if Brian had recorded it just one year later, he would have done that differently.

In terms of the original BB recording, I've always felt it was *near* perfect. The middle eight instrumental bars always take away from it for me. It's not a guitar solo. It's chords. It always sounds like something else belongs there. It has no melodic interest for eight measures in a piece that is virtually overflowing with melodic interest.

I may be completely wrong, but I feel like Bruce has this massive collection of songs that are very genuine and sincere that have never been released because there has never been a commercially feasible time, or seemingly so. Virtually everything he has been part of has been a "fad". He always wrote and produced and arranged to fit the norm of the genre he was working in. I really hope we get some of his back-catalog released while he's still living...an autobiography would be pretty incredible too.

As for this cover of Don't Worry Baby? I think it's pretty crappy. I really don't have anything nice to say. It's easily forgettable and it's shameful to even consider that an actual Beach Boy is on the record.

That's nice to hear about Totten 

...and yes, Mike signed a second "Love Mike Love" right over Brian...

Yes, my experiences parallel those already mentioned too. I first encountered Foskett on C50 where he chewed out Scott Totten over the new lyrics to "Isn't it Time" that they were rehearsing. I don't remember the specifics but either his sheet was wrong or Brian's screen was wrong...I don't remember. It was actually Mike Love who diffused the moment joking that this was cutting into the fan's meet and greet time which got a rise out of the VIP group.  during which, he Foskett hovering over the photo process the whole time, standing just close enough to the group to not be in the photos but still have a presence. He was the only band member that was there...he was just to the left out of the photo frame, and Mary Ann Jardine was next to Al on the right, just out of frame.

I saw him once with Brian, AL & David on the Jeff Beck tour...he seemed torn between captaining the ship that is Brian's piano and following Beck around the stage when they were out together. 

I've seen him three times now with Mike and Bruce...some memorable anecdotes include a time at the American Music Theatre in Lancaster where he refused to sign a woman's ticket on the edge of the stage after the show so she proceeded to scream "ASSHOLE" at him repeatedly. For a little context, that was the same show that Bruce personally took my C50 meet and greet photo from me, bent down to greet me at the edge of the stage and ask who I wanted to sign it (since he already had) and took it all the way across the stage to have David Marks sign it for me (Mike also intercepted it and signed AGAIN). Then, I called out to the Lovester who bent down pulled the setlist off the stage and handed it to me......but Foskett couldn't be bothered to sign one woman's ticket while all three original members were going out of their way for fans like myself.

Then at the Lyric Opera House in Baltimore last year, they played on his 60th birthday and brought out a great big cake and had pictures on the screen of him and Paul McCartney at the Grammy awards in 2012 while the band played a bit of "Birthday". He was totally beaming in the moment, as he rightfully should, but I couldn't help but wonder if any other band member would get that treatment? And it always bugs me when he wears sunglasses inside...which he does quite a lot. In fact, anyone that wears sunglasses inside bothers me quite a lot.

I agree, my resentment towards the Lovester isn't anything like yours...I admire his showmanship and vocal abilities, but the reason for the touring band's high quality performances comes from Scott Totten and his ability to lead other stellar musicians such as John Cowsill & Brian Eichenberg...Tim Bonhomme does an acceptable job and sure, Foskett's musicianship is way better than Christian Love's...but his ego is a close second only to Mike's. And then Bruce, while seemingly trivial with the incessant clapping and stand-adjusting, is more important in the harmony stack than most people realize, and that's often what his keyboard is for- check points for pitches, not so much keyboard parts.

I suspect it was a one off thing, perhaps prompted by this board...but probably not. When I saw C50 Mike was thoroughly unenthused with anything Al was doing and the two did not miss a chance to jab the other, albeit seemingly on playful terms at the time. Mike did that thing where he basically apologizes for a song when introducing Alan for Cotton Fields & California Saga.

While the reunion will always be the ultimate for me, we're in a very unique time in Beach Boys history where there are TWO high quality touring bands performing almost completely different shows, and I don't just mean the setlist. Both shows have their positive and negatives but both shows are primarily positives and as KDS said, it's affordable. I've been a Beach Boy fan for about ten years now, and from what I've seen and heard live (and countless hours on youtube), The Beach Boys touring band (C50 excluded) sounds the best it has in 2017 than since the early 70's.

Now...I would be TOTALLY down for that! 

HA! I see Let Him Run Wild & Little Girl I Once Knew both appeared on the second night, but no Cal Saga. Perhaps they're just testing things out on this theatre shows early in the year. I've never heard either of the first two I mentioned live...would love for them to stick around. Not sure how I feel about Cal Saga without Mr. Jardine...

Am I the only person that finds it really suspicious that JUST that song appeared on setlist.fm the very same day we all were discussing its presence in the setlist?

Maybe, or maybe it's just because they played in Monterey and the song mentions Monterey.

It just seems very suspicious that the first time The Beach Boys play it live without Al Jardine is the very same day that we are discussing it on this board, especially since Monterey isn't exactly an unusual tour stop for them. They hit the very same theatre last year with seemingly no evidence of it's appearance.

They "honor" Dennis with DYWD...it's super weird. I'm not a fan.

How weird

Sometimes Mike will acknowledge it, sometimes he won't and they'll just launch into it with Dennis' vocal and the band awkwardly bobbing along. I've never heard him mention Dennis' death...he just says something like "and here's one from the vaults with Denny Wilson!"

They "honor" Dennis with DYWD...it's super weird. I'm not a fan.

Am I the only person that finds it really suspicious that JUST that song appeared on setlist.fm the very same day we all were discussing its presence in the setlist?

Hopefully never...I know, sorry...shots fired. 

Way back before this Pet Sounds monster tour got going, I suggested giving Blondie the lead on "Here Today" and I still think that would be a kick-ass move. That being said, I would absolutely HATE to see "Wild Honey" leave. That was hands down the highlight of the opening set every time I've seen Blondie with Brian.

Bruce has always been in great voice when I've heard him live, but I have heard some clips that were less than satisfactory.

Additionally, that setlist is from a symphonic show and is nearly identical to the setlist with the NSO last summer.