So last night my friend and I attended Brian Wilson's concert at Chastain Park here in Atlanta....This was the third time I'd seen Brian perform live; the previous times was for the Pet Sounds and SMiLE tours.
I haven't been on SS.net much since February, but I had to mention that I was at this same show in Atlanta. And like Awesomeman, this is my third time seeing Brian, counting the Pet Sounds and SMiLE tours.
I can verify the heat and humidity were ridiculous and the crowd turnout was low.
I was very, very close to the stage, in the first row of folding chairs to house left. We were probably just 40 feet from Darian and Scott. We were so close and at such an angle that we had trouble seeing Brett and Nicky because Brian and Paul were blocking our view.
The band was awesome and I loved the show. I was glad we only got a portion of the Gershwin stuff, but I wanted more from 1966 and later. The setlist occasionally got a little too close to a Mike and Bruce show for me.
Nonetheless, I was thrilled to hear "Please Let Me Wonder" and "You're So Good to Me". Also, "In My Room" and "Don't Worry Baby" didn't disappoint.
I thought Brian and the band really knocked it out of the park with "The Little Girl I Once Knew", "Add Some Music" and "Sail On, Sailor". Also, the instrumental "Pet Sounds" was a treat, especially since they turned it into a band showcase. Nelson fired the crowd up with an impressive percussion solo on it.
For me the show's highlight was "Heroes and Villains".
Some tidbits: when Brian turned his back to the crowd for "Pet Sounds" and "Rhapsody In Blue", we could tell from our vantage point that he had his eyes closed and seemed to really drift off for a few moments. I was afraid Jeff was going to have to shake him awake.
I also liked how he introduced "God Only Knows". Something along the lines of: "I wrote this next song and Paul McCartney has called it his favorite. I think it's really good. But you might not like it. Let's find out."
IMO, we could have done without "Salt Lake City" or "At The Drive-In". That's time that could have been spent on "Kiss Me, Baby", "Let Him Run Wild", "I Just Wasn't Made For These Times", "Warmth of the Sun" or any other dozen songs that we'd never from Mike and Bruce.
All in all, we had a blast. But it wasn't nearly as awesome as the 2004 SMiLE show I saw at the same venue.
The setlist for this show can be found at brianwilson.com, but here's my breakdown:
Only one song from the first two albums (Surfin USA)
4 from Surfer Girl (you can probably guess: Surfer Girl, LDC, In My Room, Catch A Wave)
4 from ASL (I Get Around, Wendy, Drive In, ASL)
4 from Today (PLMW, Dance Dance Dance, Do You Wanna Dance, When I Grow Up)
A surprising FIVE from Summer Days (Cali Girls, Rhonda, Salt Lake City, Then I Kissed Her, You're So Good To Me)
Plus "Little Girl" which was from the same time period but didn't appear on an album.
4 from Pet Sounds (WITBN, GOK, John B, Pet Sounds)
SMILE was only represented by the 2004 version of H&V, unless you count GV, but I wouldn't because it was the 1966 lyrics
I kept telling my friends all week that the show wasn't over until he sang Love and Mercy. And, of course, he makes a liar out of me by ending with All Summer Long. But I preferred that anyway.
We had a great time and I'm so glad I went. But I gotta be honest: I had a real good look at Brian and he looked rough. He has visibly declined since 2004. It was a thrill to see him again. MAN, I love his music.