Show 50: Cuthbert Amphitheatre - Eugene, OR 7/14/12

[Rob Dean]

In this pic Mike looks younger than he did 30 years ago

[Justin]

I was thinking the same thing, Rob.  I was struck when I saw that pic.

[RBennett123]

My first time seeing The Beach Boys. I was on the upper lawn section with my gf (tall blonde wearing a white sailors cap and Hawaiian shirt. I was very disappointed in the sound last night. VERY thin, almost no bass, and the vocals were barely audible for most of the 2nd set (couldn't hear Brian at all on Do You Wanna Dance). Super bummed there were no Carl/Dennis tributes. This was something I was looking forward to the most. Brian sounded really great and was moving around just fine. The audience was a bit unresponsive until the middle of the 2nd set when about 85% of the crowd stood up for the rest of the show. Too many people yelling out for Kokomo.

Darlin' sounded amazing. Was hoping to hear Our Prayer and This Whole World, but I'm not going to dwell on it. All in all, I couldn't stop smiling throughout the entire show. If they tour again with Brian though, I will travel wherever to see them at a better venue than this one.
<img src="http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=723509744087&set=a.570269374017.2082194.57600205&type=1&theater"

Have to agree on the sound!  David played all the leads and sometimes it was mixed too low.  Which he mentioned to me backstage, "Could you even hear me?".

Yeah, Mike did one of his crazy "Rock and roll Hall of Fame style rants" against the Oregon Ducks for 5 minutes that did not go down well with the crowd and stopped the momentum of the show.  The band seemed befuddled. Started an anti-Mike chant of "Go Ducks".  Not his best intro of "Be True to Your School".

Yeah!! Also, Dave started playing the guitar intro for Fun Fun Fun, but the band actually started playing Do You Wanna Dance. Seemed like the set list got mixed up a bit. The band definitely seemed awkward as Mike was ranting on and on.

[AlFall]

I don't know if this has been happening for a while, but Foskett, and maybe Mike, sing the missing couple of words at the end of the 2nd verse in GV..."we find" I think it is.

Yes, somebody sang "we find" at the end of the 2nd verse of GV at Red Rocks too.  It sounded like one person, more like Jeff than Mike.

[Justin]

I noticed it the first time at Bonnaroo.  Jeff did it and Mike was pleasantly surprised with the addition:

http://youtu.be/eXVNsTr9QPY?t=1m15s

Not sure if they both do it now.

[JanBerryFarm]

I Get Around: http://youtu.be/extocXkmOqA

Foskett sings FLAT FLAT FLAT all the way through.
(oh, no, Mr. Farm, it's just the video that makes it seem that way. Jeff has perfect pitch!)  

I very rarely agree with your posts, but I agree here. Seems like Jeff was having a hard time hitting that next register in his falsetto in that video. I'm usually a big Jeff-backer, but the shows are taking a toll on his voice, might be wise to give the falsetto duties to Scott, Bruce or someone else for a couple shows.
Cool seeing the Kevin Love tee on Mike. Also good to know that Mike and Stan still get along since apparently Mike and Steve don't.

  I don't recall you disagreeing with my posts - but that's ok, I like good debate. I am glad that we do agree on something like this, however.
I've stated in other threads that Jeff  doesn't sound much like Brian or Carl and doesn't sing very well very often. So it's nice to get some confirmation. Most people here assume that I dislike him just because I'm critical of his performances. I'm certain he's a very nice person. He behaves well on stage and seems to understand Beach Boy music in a respectable fashion.

My bottom line has always been - The Beach Boys are a top dollar, top draw, entertainment machine, and as such, deserve to have top quality employees.
The rest of the band is tops, so why not the 'falsetto' position that Foskett currectly fills?

He has some really nice guitars and obviously knows how to play, but I don't really know why they need another guitar strummer. With all the other guitars ...there's Dave, Al, Scott and the guy who stands behind them near the bass player...that's FIVE guitars without Jeff.

To me, their stage sound is overloaded. Drums are over-mic'ed, too many guitars. If they'd cut back some and get some competent sound guys, they'd have the most incredible stage sound in history.

OK... that's all for now.

[sockittome]

To me, their stage sound is overloaded. Drums are over-mic'ed, too many guitars. If they'd cut back some and get some competent sound guys, they'd have the most incredible stage sound in history.

I thought maybe they were going for the 'Wall of Sound'!

[Wirestone]

I Get Around: http://youtu.be/extocXkmOqA

Foskett sings FLAT FLAT FLAT all the way through.
(oh, no, Mr. Farm, it's just the video that makes it seem that way. Jeff has perfect pitch!)  

I very rarely agree with your posts, but I agree here. Seems like Jeff was having a hard time hitting that next register in his falsetto in that video. I'm usually a big Jeff-backer, but the shows are taking a toll on his voice, might be wise to give the falsetto duties to Scott, Bruce or someone else for a couple shows.
Cool seeing the Kevin Love tee on Mike. Also good to know that Mike and Stan still get along since apparently Mike and Steve don't.

  I don't recall you disagreeing with my posts - but that's ok, I like good debate. I am glad that we do agree on something like this, however.
I've stated in other threads that Jeff  doesn't sound much like Brian or Carl and doesn't sing very well very often.

That's the very definition of a subjective opinion. Jeff sounds perfectly fine 99 percent of the time. Very much like Brian and Carl. Sadly no one sounds precisely like a 20-year old Brian, because no one is a 20-year-old Brian.

So it's nice to get some confirmation.

It's not confirmation. Just someone saying something that vaguely lines up with what you do.

My bottom line has always been - The Beach Boys are a top dollar, top draw, entertainment machine, and as such, deserve to have top quality employees.
The rest of the band is tops, so why not the 'falsetto' position that Foskett currectly fills?

Jeff is the very definition of top quality. No one else does what he does, as well as he does, for as long as he has. And you are aware that if Jeff isn't onstage, Brian isn't onstage? That if Jeff wasn't around, the CD wouldn't have been done?

He has some really nice guitars and obviously knows how to play, but I don't really know why they need another guitar strummer. With all the other guitars ...there's Dave, Al, Scott and the guy who stands behind them near the bass player...that's FIVE guitars without Jeff.

No, that's four guitars without Jeff.

The "guy" is named Probyn Gregory. And he also plays trumpet and bass and theremin. And the fact you don't know his name suggests very strongly that you have much less knowledge of this group than you assume.
 

To me, their stage sound is overloaded. Drums are over-mic'ed, too many guitars.

Have you actually been to any shows?

[Aegir]

It would be too annoying to quote every quote response  Wirestone just did, so I'll just summarize.

First off, "no, that's a subjective opinion. subjective opinion = wrong." then Wirestone proceeds to give his own subjective opinion that Jeff does sound like Brian and Carl. but then he says that no one can sound like Brian.

then "Jeff has been doing this for awhile which must mean he's good." and then "also, Jeff needs to be there for political reasons", which has nothing to do with whether or not he's talented.

I think I dislike people jumping through hoops to defend Jeff far more than I actually dislike Jeff.

[JanBerryFarm]

That's OK, I forgive Wirestone (whoever HE is)   He says those things because he loves the Beach Boys so much that he hates anyone who doesn't love them as much as he does. Twisted, but forgivable.



SPECIAL NOTE FOR Mr. Wirestone.... I love your one-upsmanship effort, accusing me of "much less knowlege about this group than you assume" ...that's forgivable too...cause it doesn't matter at all to me.

I'm aware of Mr. Gregory, and his history with Brian and the Wundermynts, a band I've seen many times.

If I learn their names, that's fine. If not, you can't make me feel guilty, like some pathetic groupie who has to make a lifes work out of Beach Boy trivia.   How many Beach Boy 'sidemen' have there been? *yawn* They're sidemen.

You seem overly concerned with details. Ok, here's a detail for you, Gregory doesn't really play a Theremin. It's a modern instrument that is completely different from a theremin, but sounds similar. It doesn't matter to me, really, but I thought you'd like to know. Trust me, I know. I've played the original Theremin, believe it or not.

[Pretty Funky]

ehhh....That band you have seen many times?

They were called The Wondermints.

[Jon Stebbins]

...like some pathetic groupie who has to make a lifes work out of Beach Boy trivia.  

Its not as glamorous as it sounds.

[Doo Dah]

Couple daytime shots from the show, courtesy of a friend of mine who drove down from Seattle. He's a confirmed Eagles fan (pretty serious, in fact) and now considers last night's show superior to his last Eagles show (which had previously held the title of 'the greatest show he's ever seen).

We win 'em over - one fan at a time...

[JanBerryFarm]

...like some pathetic groupie who has to make a lifes work out of Beach Boy trivia.  

Its not as glamorous as it sounds.

Well, if a guy's being scholarly and productive with it, that's all well and good. 

Maybe I should have phrased it like this:
"...like some pathetic groupie who uses facts and minutia to lord it over others, in an effort to make himself look better."

[JanBerryFarm]

ehhh....That band you have seen many times?

They were called The Wondermints.

That's what I said, mr. undesirABLE.

THE WUNDERMYNTS.

Gawd you Beach Boy people are a fussy uptight bunch of old men.

[Aegir]

Actually, they're called the Brian Wilson band, which includes members of the Wondermints and also OTHER PEOPLE. If we're talking about details here.

[JanBerryFarm]

Actually, they're called the Brian Wilson band, which includes members of the Wondermints and also OTHER PEOPLE. If we're talking about details here.

There ya go. 

btw, I make a habit of mis-spelling things on purpose on the internet. It amuses me and helps me flush out all the people with their nose in the air and their undies in a bunch. 

So don't be offended. 

Not to press the point, but I have seen 'The Wondermints' as 'The Wondermints' as well as the Brian Wilson Band.
My feeling is that they sound best indoors. Now, let's see who takes offense at that.   

[Bud Shaver]

If I get inspired I will try to write a long-winded review.

[Autotune]

I Get Around: http://youtu.be/extocXkmOqA

Foskett sings FLAT FLAT FLAT all the way through.
(oh, no, Mr. Farm, it's just the video that makes it seem that way. Jeff has perfect pitch!)  

I very rarely agree with your posts, but I agree here. Seems like Jeff was having a hard time hitting that next register in his falsetto in that video. I'm usually a big Jeff-backer, but the shows are taking a toll on his voice, might be wise to give the falsetto duties to Scott, Bruce or someone else for a couple shows.
Cool seeing the Kevin Love tee on Mike. Also good to know that Mike and Stan still get along since apparently Mike and Steve don't.

My bottom line has always been - The Beach Boys are a top dollar, top draw, entertainment machine, and as such, deserve to have top quality employees.
The rest of the band is tops, so why not the 'falsetto' position that Foskett currectly fills?

Jeff is extremely consistent and competent. He probably had an off night, which can be understandable considering he sings all the time during the tour. Not to mention watching over Brian and keeping it cool. He has a difficult job and does it well. Falsettist for the BBs will always take a lot of heat, they'll be hated anyway because they're not Brian and certain fans think they could do it better.

It's nice to give suggestions to the EXTREMELY PROFESSIONAL sound crew, who've done a great job in the most assorted venues. But it'd be cool if you heard them live before jumping all over them.

[Rocker]

Source: http://www2.registerguard.com/mm/index.php/chris-pietsch/comments/picture-of-the-day-july-14-2012/

[JanBerryFarm]

I Get Around: http://youtu.be/extocXkmOqA

Foskett sings FLAT FLAT FLAT all the way through.
(oh, no, Mr. Farm, it's just the video that makes it seem that way. Jeff has perfect pitch!)  

I very rarely agree with your posts, but I agree here. Seems like Jeff was having a hard time hitting that next register in his falsetto in that video. I'm usually a big Jeff-backer, but the shows are taking a toll on his voice, might be wise to give the falsetto duties to Scott, Bruce or someone else for a couple shows.
Cool seeing the Kevin Love tee on Mike. Also good to know that Mike and Stan still get along since apparently Mike and Steve don't.

My bottom line has always been - The Beach Boys are a top dollar, top draw, entertainment machine, and as such, deserve to have top quality employees.
The rest of the band is tops, so why not the 'falsetto' position that Foskett currectly fills?

Jeff is extremely consistent and competent. He probably had an off night, which can be understandable considering he sings all the time during the tour. Not to mention watching over Brian and keeping it cool. He has a difficult job and does it well. Falsettist for the BBs will always take a lot of heat, they'll be hated anyway because they're not Brian and certain fans think they could do it better.
It's nice to give suggestions to the EXTREMELY PROFESSIONAL sound crew, who've done a great job in the most assorted venues. But it'd be cool if you heard them live before jumping all over them.

Well stated. But I don't see how you can say  because he sings all the time during the tour explains why he goes flat. If anything, the more he sings the better shape he should be in. And it's not just one night. It's a lot of nights (and days).

As far as that last comment...who are you to say I haven't seen them live?

And I'm not jumping all over them. They are great. I'm just reporting what I hear. Jeff needs some voice training, and the sound engineers are blowing it. Obviously you are satisfied with it the way it is. I'm not.  I want them to sound fabulous.

[Grateful Cacher]

Saw Jeff before the show, when he came out to get his daughter and son-in-law VIP area (they had brought some VooDoo doughnuts) and he looked very tired. According to our hostess, they had bussed down from Seatlle and there were some traffic problems and they were running late. And he does do a good job of keeping Brian on track - he had to remind him to dedicate "Darling" to Bob Hanes. Also the sun was brutal for the opening of the show, it was near 90 and they were looking directly into it. If they'd had the big screen it wouldn't have been seen. But having the trees as a back drop was a plus, and by the end of the evening a nice cool breeze was blowing in. As an added bonus, Al gave me his pick at the end of the show.  All in all, a good show.

I Get Around: http://youtu.be/extocXkmOqA

Foskett sings FLAT FLAT FLAT all the way through.
(oh, no, Mr. Farm, it's just the video that makes it seem that way. Jeff has perfect pitch!)  

I very rarely agree with your posts, but I agree here. Seems like Jeff was having a hard time hitting that next register in his falsetto in that video. I'm usually a big Jeff-backer, but the shows are taking a toll on his voice, might be wise to give the falsetto duties to Scott, Bruce or someone else for a couple shows.
Cool seeing the Kevin Love tee on Mike. Also good to know that Mike and Stan still get along since apparently Mike and Steve don't.

My bottom line has always been - The Beach Boys are a top dollar, top draw, entertainment machine, and as such, deserve to have top quality employees.
The rest of the band is tops, so why not the 'falsetto' position that Foskett currectly fills?

Jeff is extremely consistent and competent. He probably had an off night, which can be understandable considering he sings all the time during the tour. Not to mention watching over Brian and keeping it cool. He has a difficult job and does it well. Falsettist for the BBs will always take a lot of heat, they'll be hated anyway because they're not Brian and certain fans think they could do it better.

It's nice to give suggestions to the EXTREMELY PROFESSIONAL sound crew, who've done a great job in the most assorted venues. But it'd be cool if you heard them live before jumping all over them.

[AlFall]

I am not sure where to start with the comments on this thread. 

I saw both the soundcheck and the show in Dallas (beginning of tour) and Red Rocks (end of tour).  Jeff was fantastic at both shows.  His plays an extremely important role vocally, as the falsetto parts on the early Beach Boys are difficult and vital to the song, and the principals can't do them anymore.  His pitch was perfect at both shows.  I was really amazed that he could sing such difficult parts so well for so long. (51-song sets in a 51-show tour) I agree that he's flat at times in the video of I Get Around from the Cuthbert.  After seeing photos from this show, I believe that he had difficulty hearing the band.  Mike, Bruce, and Dave use in-ear monitors (they look like hearing aids). Al uses a foldback speaker directly in front of him.

Brian can't use an in-ear monitor as he's deaf in one year, so he has some sort of speaker contraption under the piano.   His vocals have actually improved as the tour has gone on.  He sang out of tune at the soundcheck in Dallas, probably because his speaker wasn't working.  At this show, he was fine.

I'm not sure what Jeff uses - he has a wire loop in the back of his left ear, so I assume he has some sort of listening device. My guess is that it wasn't working. The foldback speakers at the front of the stage were much closer to the band at this show than they were at other shows due to the small stage, so it's possible that it was at a bad angle for Jeff to hear it.  At this venue, there would be little or no echo off the back of the building (as there is no building or ampitheatre wall), so you would hear nothing but noise if you're on stage.

There is no way the current make-up of the band would work without Jeff. His relationship with Brian is the glue that holds this together. Without somebody that was as good with falsetto vocals, the Beach Boys could not perform their early hits.

The Beach Boys are extremely challenging for the sound engineers.  There are 14 musicians, all of whom need to be miked for both their instrument and their vocal (except Mike).  Balancing the vocal harmonies of so many people is nearly impossible, yet I think they've done a terrific job most of the time.  Couple that with the crappy sound systems at most venues, which are designed to boom out the bass on rap songs  As I've done some sound work in the past, I came away really amazed that the sound was as good as it was, given the circumstances.

Although they intentionally keep the natural beauty of the trees at this venue, it must really suck acoustically. The pictures look like the band is performing at some outdoor birthday party in somebody's back yard.  As it sounds like everybody was late due to traffic from Seattle, the sound crew probably didn't have sufficient time to set things up.  Despite the problems, everybody said it was a great show, which means the Beach Boys at their worst are still great.

[JT PDX]

My first time seeing The Beach Boys. I was on the upper lawn section with my gf (tall blonde wearing a white sailors cap and Hawaiian shirt. I was very disappointed in the sound last night. VERY thin, almost no bass, and the vocals were barely audible for most of the 2nd set (couldn't hear Brian at all on Do You Wanna Dance). Super bummed there were no Carl/Dennis tributes. This was something I was looking forward to the most. Brian sounded really great and was moving around just fine. The audience was a bit unresponsive until the middle of the 2nd set when about 85% of the crowd stood up for the rest of the show. Too many people yelling out for Kokomo.

Darlin' sounded amazing. Was hoping to hear Our Prayer and This Whole World, but I'm not going to dwell on it. All in all, I couldn't stop smiling throughout the entire show. If they tour again with Brian though, I will travel wherever to see them at a better venue than this one.
<img src="http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=723509744087&set=a.570269374017.2082194.57600205&type=1&theater"

Have to agree on the sound!  David played all the leads and sometimes it was mixed too low.  Which he mentioned to me backstage, "Could you even hear me?".

Yeah, Mike did one of his crazy "Rock and roll Hall of Fame style rants" against the Oregon Ducks for 5 minutes that did not go down well with the crowd and stopped the momentum of the show.  The band seemed befuddled. Started an anti-Mike chant of "Go Ducks".  Not his best intro of "Be True to Your School".

Yeah!! Also, Dave started playing the guitar intro for Fun Fun Fun, but the band actually started playing Do You Wanna Dance. Seemed like the set list got mixed up a bit. The band definitely seemed awkward as Mike was ranting on and on.

I actually really liked Mike's rant. Unlike the RnR Hall of Fame speech this one wasn't arrogant or clueless. I was actually complaining about the Kevin Love controversy (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kevin_Love) before the show. Fans were angry he didn't go to the same college as his dad and left obscene messages on his phone, made fun of his family (including Mike), and threw garbage at Kevin during the dame. As a quasi Eugenian (lived there five years, now I just visit family) I think it's embarrassing that one of Mike's big Eugene memories is of this game. He said it was the "worst sportsmanship" that he'd ever seen and apologized for venting.

Don't get me wrong, it definitely slowed down the momentum of the show, but I thought it was pretty cool that he risked provoking the audience like that. He also seemed genuinely proud of his nephew, bringing him up a few times. He mentioned that Kevin was paid 62 million to move to Minnesota and play with the Timberwolves. Mike said he "would live in an igloo at the North Pole for that kind of money." He also mentioned that Kevin is on the Olympics team.

There was also a pro-Duck moment when Mike proudly introduced brother Stan to the audience and bragged about Stan's super successful Ducks career. Stan stood up and flashed the Ducks/vagina sign (http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/18/sports/ncaafootball/american-sign-language-program-attracts-oregon-football-players.html?_r=1) at the audience and everyone gave him a big cheer/flashed it back.

Mike was way less smarmy than I thought he would be – I've never seen him, only BW, live.

I really thought David Marks was amazing during the show. Loved his guitar, especially during Sail on Sailor and Pet Sounds. Also enjoyed his vocals on "Getcha Back." It really made me hope he'll be more present when/if they do a new album. DM was blazing away during Surfin' Safari and Mike called him the King of the Surf Guitar, and described one lead as the "original sh!t."

[KittyKat]

I think people are entitled to their opinion that they just plain don't like Jeff's voice.  Put me in that category.  But it is what it is and for a number of reasons people have cited Jeff will be there.  There aren't many men who sing a good falsetto and while I don't like his tone, I've heard way worse than Jeff.  The non-falsetto singers have off nights, too, including the lead vocalists. It just happens sometimes.