[It's sad to see all the negative comments about the Beach Boys' music and people saying they're going to boycott the music when this is 100% on Mike Love and NOT THE BEACH BOYS. Even 50 people saying this kind of thing would be sad considering what the music of The Beach Boys has been known for.]

I'm puzzled as to why Mike and Bruce, who are vegetarians, are even considering playing this event.

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$...etc.

And from all indications, no sense of the bigger picture beyond the noses on their faces.

In other words, Mike either doesn't get it, or he doesn't care. And BRI as a corporate entity with any say in the use of the brand name must not give a sh*t at all at this point.

It's sad to see all the negative comments about the Beach Boys' music and people saying they're going to boycott the music when this is 100% on Mike Love and NOT THE BEACH BOYS. Even 50 people saying this kind of thing would be sad considering what the music of The Beach Boys has been known for.

How very sad.

Wonder what BRI and other entities with skin in this game are thinking when there is a petition like this going around against "The Beach Boys" when it's really Mike Love and his management making these calls.

Asking the age-old question...Where's the outrage? Those who know who I'm talking about will get it.

Some of those comments were heartbreaking....but I completely get why they're pissed off.

And there are still those who think The Beach Boys legacy can go completely untarnished no matter what. Just because The Beach Boys recorded 'Wouldn't It Be Nice' doesn't mean that every stupid thing they've done since then doesn't partially latch onto their image. Case in point: any time a major news article comes out about The Beach Boys, no matter what the subject is about, you always read how fractious the relationship between some of the members is because of their history of lawsuits. Their music isn't some magical antidote designed to erase the humanity/history of the band. The words and actions of the band go hand-in-hand with the music.

And the more dumb crap they do the more fodder the media will have to create click-bait articles about the band. And the media and pop-culture does a great job at shaping public opinion. Ask people in my parents' generation about the Beach Boys they talk about the lawsuits. Ask people from my generation about The Beach Boys and they talk about Full House. No, it's clearly not all about the music as some like to spout. Now they are gigging an event that glorifies the needless slaughter of beautiful animals.

My question is that if TM-loving Mr. Positivity vegetarian Mike Love actually wanted to do this gig, did anyone in the band or management question/protest the involvement? If not for the love of the animals, how about at least the love of the entity they have been entrusted with (The Beach Boys name).

Welp, the petition is nearing 5,000 signatures...can't wait to see how this unfolds.

After all these years there *has to be* some basic knowledge that the name "The Beach Boys" is a legacy of beautiful music which heals and makes people happy above all else, and an event or action that compels thousands of people to sign a petition or react negatively to the name "Beach Boys" is *not* in the best interest of the band, the legacy, the music, and all who love and want to protect it.

No matter what that event or action may be, I'm shocked that Mike, his management, or BRI (or a combination of all three and more) would have agreed to something like this...knowing there was a potential hot-button issue at the center of it that could cause a backlash which ultimately harms the band, the legacy, and above all the music.

Like I said earlier, they're aiming for 5,000 signatures on the petition - Even if it were 50 people out there saying they will no longer listen to the music of The Beach Boys because of something done by Mike Love that has nothing to do with the band itself or the music, it would be beyond sad to see the music and fan enjoyment of it tarnished that way.

And for something so absurd, no less, as a big-game or trophy hunting corporate gig...it's hard to fathom but here we are on February 1, 2020 witnessing this.

Just play another gig at a fair, a theater, or regular venue instead. Leave these kinds of gigs for other acts whose legacies are nowhere near as special as the Beach Boys.

You said everything I’ve been thinking since this ugly piece of news came to my attention.  I could not agree more with everything you’ve said.  I might be naive, but I’m truly shocked that Mike and his management thought that any of this was okay. 

It makes me so sad.  It’s one thing to cringe at the many embarrassing moments they’ve racked up over the years but this is a level of hypocrisy and immorality that I just can’t tolerate. 

Can anyone explain how the licensing thing works with stuff like this?  Playing at a political event is not the same thing as playing at the county fair or the concert hall down the street.  When you play something like this, it says something about your “brand”.  Do Brian, Al and Carl’s estate get any say in decisions to play events like this?  I cannot imagine Al being cool with it.  To say that it will tarnish their reputation is a huge understatement.  And the average person doesn’t know the complexities of who’s in what variation of the band, they’re just going to hear that “the Beach Boys” are playing at this big-game hunting fest and it will tarnish everyone’s reputation.  

I'm surprised people are surprised that Mike Love would stoop this low to collect a paycheck. His reputation stinks to high heaven so why not stink it up even more with this pathetic scenario? I like the petition idea and to go one further, I'd say a massive boycott of his fake Beach Boys show would perhaps show him who's boss. Has anyone posted their feelings about this on his Facebook page? If they did I'm sure he'd have them quickly deleted. What a guy.

I posted my thoughts on Mike's facebook page.  They hadn't been deleted last time I checked.  And I did say I would not be going to any more Mike shows. 

Thank you very much for posting this. I was not aware and I'm very, very disturbed by this news. I guess we now know that there is no low that Mike Love won't sink to. For someone who claims to be an environmental crusader this is absolutely despicable. I recognize that there will be a range of views on this, and that's okay, but if this gig goes ahead, I'll be selling my tickets to the upcoming Mike and Bruce show in April and donating the money to a conservation organization.  

I met Al at his storytellers show this past summer and he was very, very nice, though he did seem tired.  His wife was helping with the meet and greet and she was lovely and very friendly. 

I met David after a Mike and Bruce BB show in 2015, when he was just wandering amongst the crowd after the show.  He was very nice, and honestly seemed kind of surprised that we wanted to talk to him. 

The stories about Bruce are crazy.  I mean, it's not like he's movie-star level famous where he just can't get any privacy.  I'm sure he's not hounded by screaming fans every time he goes out in public.  How hard can it be to be nice to some fans after a show?

So I have been lurking on this board for about 5 years now and have never posted anything.While I share a love of the BB’s music with all of you, I have no musical skills and oftentimes I find myself amazed at some of the musical knowledge of the contributors. So thank you for educating me.

That said, I wanted to echo what Rab, Marcella and the rest have posted regarding last night’s concert at National Harbour. I had actually not intended to go initially; seeing Brian struggle on stage during his last two appearances in the DC area was not something I wanted to go through again. But as the date of the concert drew nearer I began to realize - hey, how many more chances am I gonna have to share the same room with someone who has brought so much joy to my life? So, I relented and attended the show. One of the best decisions I’ve made in awhile!!

Brian’s voice was stronger than it’s been since the 50th anniversary tour and the rest of the guys all sounded great. The high point, among the many moments I enjoyed, was hearing the first few bars of GOK — I thought I would melt right there in my seat.

I guess what I wanted to impart to all of you is — if Brian and his band are scheduled to appear anywhere near your home, you should make a point of buying a ticket and attending. I don’t think you will be disappointed!

Glad that you had a great time, and glad that you posted!

I had a great time at last night's show at National Harbour.  We had front row seats (the most beautiful words in the English language  ) but from my vantage point, the crowd was awfully sedate.  I didn't see many people dancing at all (with the exception of two quite inebriated but joyful fellows right next to us) and usually the first few rows are full of pretty hyped-up people.

This was my first show with a balcony seat, and it was cool to have a vantage point over the whole crowd. Haha I was looking at those inebriated fellows and wondered how the people around them were feeling about it...especially the people behind them. The people behind them actually started to stand just so they could see the show!

I was kinda lucky in that I was in the second row balcony but no one was sitting directly in front of us. So there wasn't anything to distract me from the show. I will say that the stage light was sometimes blinding to those of us in balcony seats. But it didn't happen often enough to give me a negative impression of the show.

Do it Again is one of my favorite BB songs, so I'm always happy to see it included in any setlist.  But last night they recreated the drum effect at the very beginning of the recorded version.  In the last verse of the song, you could really hear that echo-y drum and I've never picked up on that when they've played it live before.

Yes! I meant to mention this, but it was so cool to hear that - I kept trying to figure out how they were making that sound (I kept checking to see if there was an electronic drum pad but I couldn't see one).

Edit: also meant to add that I really dug the inclusion of the 'You Still Believe In Me' intro piece to the end of 'Love and Mercy' - I'm not sure if this is something they've been doing for a long time, but it's something I just noticed and really liked last night.

Those guys were immediately to our right.  They were really drunk!  But they were so happy, and kept shouting things like "thank you so much" with such passion after songs that it was hard not to like them.  Then again, they weren't blocking my view.

I wondered too about a drum pad duing Do It Again but because the drum kit is raised, I couldn't see from where I was sitting.  I don't really know anything about drum equipment but I'd be curious to know what they did.  It was super cool. 

And yes, weaving in You Still Believe In Me to Love and Mercy is a lovely touch.  I love those little touches, like Darian playing the melody from Rhapsody in Blue at the end of Fun Fun Fun. They're like little hidden treats

I had a great time at last night's show at National Harbour.  We had front row seats (the most beautiful words in the English language  ) but from my vantage point, the crowd was awfully sedate.  I didn't see many people dancing at all (with the exception of two quite inebriated but joyful fellows right next to us) and usually the first few rows are full of pretty hyped-up people.  Anyway, setting that aside, the band seemed to be having fun, aside from some issues with the sound, which Rab mentioned.  Matt, Darian and Blondie were all gesturing for the bass to be turned down at various points.  The curtains were closed prior to the show and when they opened, the whole band, including Brian, were onstage playing.  At the end of the show, the band bowed, Brian remained seated, and the curtains closed.  So the audience did not see Brian move around onstage. 

The setlist was pretty strong for a "greatest hits" show.  For me the highlights were: 

Surfer Girl...when Brian sang the bridge and the spotlight shone on him, it was just beautiful.  As Rab noted, his vocals were good all night, with the exception of God Only Knows, which I think is consistently a struggle for him (and I don't wonder why...it's a hard song to sing, and requires a big range).  He actually ended God Only Knows early and was clearly eager to move on. 

Al is always a joy.  His voice is so great, and he just exudes this gentlemanly grace onstage.  It just makes me so happy to watch him up there, especially watching him next to Brian.  California Saga was a highlight for me. 

Do it Again is one of my favorite BB songs, so I'm always happy to see it included in any setlist.  But last night they recreated the drum effect at the very beginning of the recorded version.  In the last verse of the song, you could really hear that echo-y drum and I've never picked up on that when they've played it live before.  Brian actually said something about drums when Al introduced the song, but I didn't catch exactly what he said.   Anyway, very cool. 

Heroes and Villains...impeccable.  Nothing more to say. 

I Can Hear Music...Darian's rendition of this song is absolutely beautiful.  And I think this manages to hit a sweet spot in terms of pleasing the whole audience.  It's well-known enough that even the casual fan responds well, but it's enough of a rarity in live shows that it's a treat for more hardcore fans. 

Blondie's set was good, as always, and I too am so glad that they kept Feel Flows in the setlist (and that Blondie usually mentions Carl, which I think is really nice).  My only minor complaint about Blondie is that his funny antics (crazy dancing, etc...) almost detract from the fact that he is an ASTOUNDING singer.  Really, he has a voice from heaven. 

I went into this show with tempered expectations.  The last time I saw Brian was the last show of the Something Great from 68 tour and it was MIND-BLOWING, so I was preparing myself for a less exciting setlist, the possibility of seeing Brian on an off night, etc...  But I was not disappointed at all, and I loved every second of it.  For me, the bottom line is that it's a chance to hear this music played live, and music played live by a real band is a sound that you simply cannot replicate any other way.  I love the many recorded versions of Heroes and Villains that I can listen to at home, but hearing the vocal blend by a live band sends chills down my spine.  Hearing the pause just before the last crashing chorus of Good Vibrations - hearing it live, I mean?  Bliss.  And this is a chance to hear that music performed by two original BBs and their hand-picked band.  I will keep going to see them every time I can. 

If setlist.fm is to be trusted, it appears that "California Saga" and "Let Him Run Wild" returned. The latter being one of the few songs I've never heard any variant on the band perform live! I assume Matt takes the lead on that one?

That's right, both those songs were in the setlist.  LHRW was in the setlist going back maybe two years to the later Pet Sounds shows.  Yup, Matt sings lead.  It's a good one for the band. 

I'll post tomorrow but it was a good show despite some issues with the sound mix, and a very sedate audience. 

[even The Beach Boys reunion tour]

Guitarfool, I guess my basic gripe is as a consumer that I don’t feel the price for a decent ticket to see Brian and company is commensurate with the product.  As a consumer I feel as though if I’m going to put out in excess of 100 US dollars for a good seat, that I would like to see a little more than a 30 song greatest hits show.  I had no problem shelling how 100 dollars for That Lucky Old Sun tour or the Smile tour or even The Beach Boys reunion tour or the Jeff Beck double bill.  Personally for me 100 bucks for the novelty of seeing Brian is a bit steep for a greatest hits show and the declining vocals.  

Wow, your standards are pretty high!  Didn't the C50 reunion tour shows regularly include well over 40 songs?  I'd say that 100 bucks for a show like that is a damn good deal and I'd be only too happy to pay that again.  Brian's shows are still relatively reasonably priced, all things considered.  I saw him in September on the Something Great from 68 Tour - I paid I think just over $100 for a fourth row seat to one of the best shows of my life.  It was money extraordinarily well-spent.  You're getting what, an EXCELLENT twelve-piece band playing some of the best pop music ever written, for that price.  In comparison, Mike and Bruce's shows aren't exactly cheap anymore, unless you happen to catch them at a state fair or something.  They're playing Washington DC and the good seats are $127 plus fees.

It's all personal choice.  You've said that for you, the product isn't worth the price.  But for some people, it is.  One of the advantages of youtube, social media, etc...is that you can see clips of pretty much any performer.  With a little help from google, it's easy to make an informed decision before buying tickets to a concert.  If people don't want to buy tickets, fine.  If they do, fine.  I'm not saying this isn't a valid topic for discussion, but it has been debated endlessly on this board and I honestly don't know what more can be said about the subject.  

All tickets for the show are 50% off...just received an email from Ticketmaster. About half the seats are sold at this time...still spots right in the front row available, and on the other hand, you could get a seat for as low as eleven bucks for this show now.

Is there a promo code or something to get 50% off? I only see them at the original discounted price.

I did not receive the email RubberSoul referred to (I had bought tickets for this show when the originally went on sale) so I don't know if there is a code or not.  However, I called Ticketmaster yesterday to try to upgrade my tickets.  What they ended up doing was cancelling my original order so I could buy new tickets.  The cheapest seats available when I looked yesterday were $23 each, not $11, and the most expensive were just over $100 (aside from the verified resale tickets, which were still going for as high as $400 a pop). 

Over saturation

It's more than that (although it is true). The venue was too large, it's in the middle of the week...in the middle of the winter, and is vaguely billed as "Greatest Hits Live", and if we're being honest with ourselves, Brian's live show does not seem to have the best reputation in live music circles right now.

Just to compare, I had a look at tickets remaining for Mike’s DC show in April.  Lots of tickets sold around the perimeter of the venue, but still loads of tickets in the front section, which are going for $125 each, if I recall correctly.  That’s just way too much. 

I really don’t understand why Brian is playing this venue though.  There are so many nice, prestigious theatres in DC that he could have easily filled, even on a weeknight. 

All tickets for the show are 50% off...just received an email from Ticketmaster. About half the seats are sold at this time...still spots right in the front row available, and on the other hand, you could get a seat for as low as eleven bucks for this show now.

Thanks for the heads-up!  I'd bought tickets the day they went on sale and had good seats, but was just able to call Ticketmaster and exchange them for first row. 

Which do you prefer? For me, it's classic all the way

Brian and Carl must have both liked this yellow shirt...I wonder how often they wore each other's clothes  

Brian's yellow shirt would've been too big for Carl in that first shot (from '76). Two years later, though, it made a nice hand-me-down. Too much Heineken?

Let's talk about the shirt Al is wearing in that 78 pic...a Beach Boys shirt with a wide 70s collar (in a different colour than the rest of the shirt) and a pocket on the sleeve?  Amazing! 

Sorry, this time with working link: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-tpTQv1rhbo

Yeah, I'd say even if we don't include the post-Carl/Al years of the band, I can't fathom how 1976 would be the "modern" look.

The band looked pretty awful in the late 70s and early 80s. Dennis pulled off the suave bearded look up until '78 or '79 when he often started appearing with stringy hair, sweaty, zonked, etc.

Look at those '76 pics. Carl is 29/30, Al and Brian are 34, etc. But they all look like they're in their 40s.

When Al shaved the beard in '83, he all of a sudden looked like 20 years younger.

The band has rarely looked particularly "cool"; I'd guess early era in the less dorky outfits they looked good, and the late 60s/early 70s they started to look cool once they got out of the uniforms.

But by '76 or so, they looked old, and often dressed in unflattering windbreakers and sweaters and sweatpants, matching branded jackets, etc.

In the 80s it got worse. It calmed down a bit in the later 90s I guess.

Carl veered away from some of the tackiness; sometimes opting for simple black outfits while everyone else wore loud 80s neon, etc.  

Al has looked pretty sharp on stage since rejoining with Brian, opting for simple suits instead of Hawaiian shirts and whatnot.

Other than that, it's really kind of inadvertent iconoclastic sort of poses and looks that are the only other thing that kind of came across as cool. Something like this, which is kind of accidentally pretty cool even though you also have to keep in mind he was also a total mess at the same time:

I would argue that in the very late 70s and particularly in 1980, Carl looked GREAT.  Better than he looked at any other time.  If you look at clips from Knebworth and other shows from that year, he looks healthy, trim, totally pulled together (as opposed to clips from say 76 or 77 where he's zonked).  Sometimes his outfits were, I dare say, cool.  I submit to you this evidence:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-tpTQv1rhbo

I agree that Al looks fabulous these days.  He's really found a style that works for him.  The white, tan, or blue suits with sneakers, his casual but polished look...it really works for him.

And lastly, I love that picture of Brian, exactly because of what you say.  He clearly wasn't trying to be cool, but damn it, he is.  

I received an email this afternoon "announcing" that Brian Wilson tickets were now on sale for the concert at the MGM National Harbor Casino. I see the prices have been lowered since they first went on sale months ago and only about 25% of the tickets have actually been sold to a show that's two weeks away. I was concerned about the size of this venue when it was announced. If they wanted to do a Greatest Hits show somewhere in the area, why not go back to the theatre district of DC...between the Lincoln, Hamilton, and Warner...they could've played to a packed house somewhere there.

I bought tickets to this when they went on sale, so am kind of annoyed that the prices have been dropped.  It is shocking to see how few tickets have been sold, though I'm told that it's a nightmare to get to this venue (I've never been before) so maybe that has something to do with it.  I agree that it would have been far preferable to do a show at a smaller theater. 

What usually happens in cases where tickets aren't selling well?  Does the show go on, or do they cancel and rebook for a later date at another venue? 

Carl.  Because he kept the band together, because he could sing the sweetest songs and also belt out rough rock n roll songs with the best of them, because by all account he was truly a kind and decent person.  I don't think I've ever heard any credible bad things about Carl.   

I also have a major soft spot for Al.  It amazes me to think about his life and what he's seen and done, and to think that after all that he's still really just a down-to-earth, normal person. 



 

What are the odds that one brother would be born on the summer solstice and another on the winter solstice?

A happy birthday to the incredible Carl Wilson.

I'd argue that the article should have been called "Brian Wilson chooses his favorite albums...today".  Because I feel like this list would change on a daily basis.  I've heard him refer to Love You as his favorite BB album fairly recently.   

I didn't hear Brian at all. Is something amiss on this tattered video??

I think he’s on the chorus.

I can't hear him at all. 

Brian's impersonation of rooster is great.  "One of those...what do they call them?  A...rooster."

Is this the compound where Mike was slathering himself with hot oil on Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous?
That video has sadly (?) been taken down from Youtube, so no way to reference it.

Naaa. That was Hawaii.

https://youtu.be/rlJaGMLZjrg

Thumbs up to the poster. Great edit!

 

OH MY GOD.  Why did anyone ever think that there was even one person in the world that wanted to watch Mike Love spread grease all over himself? 

Well, you can't fault the guy for his taste in real estate.  That place is unreal.  The setting is spectacular and all of the "cottages" are gorgeous and actually tasteful.