Official thread for Brian & Al's Official Response to Mike/Bruce Band Tour in the LA Times

[Doo Dah]

The thing is, if you had a fuller band -- but operating at half the intensity of this summer's shows -- it would (to me) be twice as preferable as going back to the status quo.

You know, this will be quickly ridiculed in some quarters I know, but should M&B visit the Pacific NW I'm really considering picketing the show. I picketed a Browns game during the '87 NFL strike (in support of the striking players) and while I got lots of abuse from arriving fans I also received a lot of support from the NBC network union members.

A simple sign - "Tonight's show is bullsh*t. This is not the Beach Boys"

It appeals to my inner martyr. Might just do it.

I was wondering who would be the first to suggest that. If you could get sizable groups doing the picketing, think of the news stories!

And it was a dark, lonely era in '87. Quite difficult to organize people to storm the Bastille. Nowadays with social media, it would almost be toooo easy! 

[Mikie]

You know, this will be quickly ridiculed in some quarters I know, but should M&B visit the Pacific NW I'm really considering picketing the show. I picketed a Browns game during the '87 NFL strike (in support of the striking players) and while I got lots of abuse from arriving fans I also received a lot of support from the NBC network union members.

A simple sign - "Tonight's show is bullsh*t. This is not the Beach Boys"

It appeals to my inner martyr. Might just do it.

Right arm, Doo Dah.

I saw a guy on a street corner with a big 'ol picket sign yesterday that read, "Obama kills babys". I felt like pulling over and kicking his ass! I really did.

So that gives me an idea. Next time the Mike and Bruce show comes to the Bay Area, I'm gonna stand outside the venue with a sign that reads, "Mike Love Kills Beach Boys".

Libtard Mike (and effing proud of it!)

[AndrewHickey]

Many of you think the M & B band are good (they are) but pass off the fact that the Mike & Bruce band consists of Mike's kid and ex Papa-Do Run Run members (and other Beach Boys knock-off bands) and have finally concluded the facts after seeing the originals perform live and are giving preferential treatment where it's due.

Mike's band has one ex-Papa Doo Run Run member -- Randell. Brian's has one *current* Papa Doo member -- Jeff. None of the other band members are from Beach Boys knock-off bands.

[SurfRiderHawaii]

I think the tour and the album was a classic case of lightening caught in a bottle: to try and repeat it again next year without the impetus of the 50th anniversary could very well be a huge mistake. I never expected the shows to be this good or the album to be anything like as great as it is. Go out on a high. Leave them wanting more. Preserve the legend.

However, this being The Beach Boys, the likelihood of them trying to repeat an unrepeatable triumph is pretty high.

By that rationale, Mike and Bruce should do the same, hang it up..  Continuing to tour as the Beach Boys, with Stamos, tarnishes the legacy and stains the carpet! Now, it is not going out on a high.
That said, yeah, they all agreed ahead of time to do xy&z, knowing Mike and Bruce were going to carry on.

[guitarfool2002]

The thing is, if you had a fuller band -- but operating at half the intensity of this summer's shows -- it would (to me) be twice as preferable as going back to the status quo.

You know, this will be quickly ridiculed in some quarters I know, but should M&B visit the Pacific NW I'm really considering picketing the show. I picketed a Browns game during the '87 NFL strike (in support of the striking players) and while I got lots of abuse from arriving fans I also received a lot of support from the NBC network union members.

A simple sign - "Tonight's show is bullsh*t. This is not the Beach Boys"

It appeals to my inner martyr. Might just do it.

I was wondering who would be the first to suggest that. If you could get sizable groups doing the picketing, think of the news stories!

If all of the picketers were to show up wearing gold turbans, flowing white robes, and put on fake long beards circa 1969, there might be some media interest.

[SMiLE Brian]

You know, this will be quickly ridiculed in some quarters I know, but should M&B visit the Pacific NW I'm really considering picketing the show. I picketed a Browns game during the '87 NFL strike (in support of the striking players) and while I got lots of abuse from arriving fans I also received a lot of support from the NBC network union members.

A simple sign - "Tonight's show is bullsh*t. This is not the Beach Boys"

It appeals to my inner martyr. Might just do it.

If you do so, PLEASE swing by and pick up OSD on your way and hand him a megaphone!!!!

I would join that picket line. Need to take part in a protest sometime.

[Pinder's Gone To Kokomo And Back Again]

Isn't there footage of Al in one of the Do It Again little vids saying "We've reunited for this one last time"?

Damn these guys are confusing.

[Doo Dah]

As word of the protest reaches the M&B trailer, Bruce angrily slams down his third Pacifico and rises to his feet.

"We've got to do something Mike - we can't let these Libtard Brianistas f*** with the formula!"

To which Mike remains silent, deep in the throes of a TM mantra...'serenity now...serenity now...serenity now...'

[filledeplage]

I don't think most unrepentant Mike supporters WANT the Mike/Bruce show to come to their town! You don't have to hate Mike with a passion in order to scratch your head at his seeming determination to keep the economy class "Beach Boys" rolling......

In fact no one HAS to hate Mike with a passion either..... It's so easy to just love the Beach Boys warts n all.

Erik - "unrepentant" would be me in the late 60's and 70's when they fell out of popular favor. A Beach Boys fan.  

And, I'm greedy; I'll go see them all.  It is not economy class.  Bigger is not necessarily better.  They need to find their formula tha works.  Pun intended.  

[hypehat]

As word of the protest reaches the M&B trailer, Bruce angrily slams down his third Pacifico and rises to his feet.

"We've got to do something Mike - we can't let these Libtard Brianistas f*** with the formula!"

To which Mike remains silent, deep in the throes of a TM mantra...'serenity now...serenity now...serenity now...'

....then loads his shotgun.

[Pinder's Gone To Kokomo And Back Again]

As word of the protest reaches the M&B trailer, Bruce angrily slams down his third Pacifico and rises to his feet.

"We've got to do something Mike - we can't let these Libtard Brianistas f*** with the formula!"

To which Mike remains silent, deep in the throes of a TM mantra...'serenity now...serenity now...serenity now...'

How about a "Bruce Kills Socialists" sign!!!!!?

[SMiLE Brian]

As word of the protest reaches the M&B trailer, Bruce angrily slams down his third Pacifico and rises to his feet.

"We've got to do something Mike - we can't let these Libtard Brianistas f*** with the formula!"

To which Mike remains silent, deep in the throes of a TM mantra...'serenity now...serenity now...serenity now...'

Then Mike finds the answer, Singing Student Demonstration Time with new lyrics!

[ontor pertawst]

I'd prefer Bruce having "This machine kills socialists" scrawled on his synth.

[Mikie]

Are you the Andy that Doo Dah is talking about?  I know Zirelli from Papa Doo Run Run and know where the members have gone. I'm from their neck of the woods. I think a couple of other members are Bruce & Mike alumnus. The members of the Mike & Bruce band are hacks!

*Cringes and hides behind the Hammond B3*

[hypehat]

I'd prefer Bruce having "This machine kills socialists" scrawled on his synth.

Yes! 

[SMiLE Brian]

I'd prefer Bruce having "This machine kills socialists" scrawled on his synth.

Yes! 

, Can we also have Al Jardine, Bob Dylan, and David Crosby  there singing "Blowin in the wind"?

[Doo Dah]

I don't know about Bob and David, but Al isn't doing anything. Com'on down Al. We'll sing some Weavers
tunes. It'll be outtasight.

[AndrewHickey]

Are you the Andy that Doo Dah is talking about?  I know Zirelli from Papa Doo Run Run and know where the members have gone. I'm from their neck of the woods. I think a couple of other members are Bruce & Mike alumnus. The members of the Mike & Bruce band are hacks!

*Cringes and hides behind the Hammond B3*

No, Doo Dah was talking to Andrew Doe.

There's also a difference between "Papa Doo Run Run contains ex-members of Mike & Bruce's band" and "Mike & Bruce's band is made up of ex-members of Papa Doo Run Run".

As for Mike & Bruce's band being hacks, pretty much everyone who saw the reunion tour was amazed at how good Scott Totten and John Cowsill were. Randell Kirsch is about as talented as Jeff Foskett, and while Tim Bonhomme never gets a chance to shine (his parts are mostly simple and he has no lead vocals) he plays the parts perfectly competently. Whether you like Mike & Bruce touring as the Beach Boys or not, there's no reason to disparage the abilities of the people in their band.

[Sheriff John Stone]

As for if the situation was reversed, I can't speak to anybody else's opinion (or the weird "blue board" straw man that keeps getting brought up), but I would be JUST as bummed if Brian was saying no to more reunion shows in the face of everybody else wanting to do it.

To quote Mr. Zimmerman, "I don't believe you."

Brian's been preventing Beach Boys' reunions for several years now, and all I've ever read was, "You go, guy...." There have been pages and pages and pages of threads explaining why Brian SHOULDN'T get back together with The Beach Boys or any band that includes Mike Love.

But, now people are saying that things have changed, that things are different now. Really? Things are different now? I have read a lot of posts lately that are saying differently, that things in The Beach Boys are still the SAME, same as always, that things WILL NEVER CHANGE. So, what is it? A diiferent Beach Boys or the same old Beach Boys?

Maybe somebody knows more about the real Brian Wilson than we do, but doesn't want to come out and say it. Might be construed as cruel. However, I do think things are different for Melinda now. She's always looking for ways to sustain Brian's "career"; she came out and said as much when she married him. Andy Paley, The Wondermints, Joe Thomas, Pet Sounds, SMiLE, Christmas music, Sweet Insanity, George Gershwin, Walt Disney, and Joe Thomas again. But, now, guess who came along? Who'd of thunk it? Boy, did that get Melinda's attention. And the light bulb goes on again!

[SMiLE Brian]

I'd prefer Bruce having "This machine kills socialists" scrawled on his synth.

Could somebody photoshop this?

[Mikie]

Are you the Andy that Doo Dah is talking about?  I know Zirelli from Papa Doo Run Run and know where the members have gone. I'm from their neck of the woods. I think a couple of other members are Bruce & Mike alumnus. The members of the Mike & Bruce band are hacks!

*Cringes and hides behind the Hammond B3*

No, Doo Dah was talking to Andrew Doe.

There's also a difference between "Papa Doo Run Run contains ex-members of Mike & Bruce's band" and "Mike & Bruce's band is made up of ex-members of Papa Doo Run Run".

As for Mike & Bruce's band being hacks, pretty much everyone who saw the reunion tour was amazed at how good Scott Totten and John Cowsill were. Randell Kirsch is about as talented as Jeff Foskett, and while Tim Bonhomme never gets a chance to shine (his parts are mostly simple and he has no lead vocals) he plays the parts perfectly competently. Whether you like Mike & Bruce touring as the Beach Boys or not, there's no reason to disparage the abilities of the people in their band.

I know. And I'm not disparaging their abilities at all.  I guess I was borrowing the term "hack" from a post I read on this board previously. It's like calling someone that isn't Union a "Scab".  These guys are very competent; all of them. Or they wouldn't be in a high profile band. Totten's been fantastic on and off the road directing and it's tough to beat Cowsill - he's been great! Comparing Foskett to Kirsch - they both sing mean falsettos (or high parts) and I've only seen Randell on bass, so I can't compare their guitar playing abilities.  I remember both of them playing with Papa, even Foskett before he joined The Beach Boys.

And then there are the guys in Brian's band.....

[adloc]

I don't think most unrepentant Mike supporters WANT the Mike/Bruce show to come to their town! You don't have to hate Mike with a passion in order to scratch your head at his seeming determination to keep the economy class "Beach Boys" rolling......

In fact no one HAS to hate Mike with a passion either..... It's so easy to just love the Beach Boys warts n all.

Erik - "unrepentant" would be me in the late 60's and 70's when they fell out of popular favor. A Beach Boys fan.  

And, I'm greedy; I'll go see them all.  It is not economy class.  Bigger is not necessarily better.  They need to find their formula tha works.  Pun intended.  

Keep finding myself agreeing with your posts - a little cool-headed appreciation of the music in a morass of mud-slinging!

[KittyKat]

I don't understand why people keep overlooking the fact that Brian voted for Mike to get the naming rights in the first place.  He also gave public statements in support of Mike against Al when the lawsuits were going.  If Brian hadn't have done that, none of this would be happening now.  I don't blame Mike for wanting to keep touring with his own outfit, since Brian gave him permission to years ago.  If Brian had any thought of wanting to reunite, he either shouldn't have voted for Mike or at least he should have put an expiration date on that license so they could revisit the issue every few years.

I get tired of the attacks on Mike not because I particularly like Mike all that much.  I've never even seen his band.  But I do get tired of the ugliness of a small segment of the fan base that results in things like his youngest daughter requiring a security detail at one point due to her getting death threats.  When someone posted her formspring account, I couldn't get the link to work on my computer, so I Googled her name and came across an interview she gave when she was a freshman in high school, to her high school newspaper, talking about the threats made against her life.  There is a small sub-segment of fandom that borders on a Mark David Chapman element. 

[ontor pertawst]

That's creepy and all but, um, aren't you the one searching out High school kid interviews in High School newspapers?

I kid. Bit of a straw man to conflate that with the mostly fairly well reasoned and not stalkery arguments here. Ok, except for maybe that one guy.

I don't blame any celebrity for being scared sh*tless of their fans. We're weird people.

[KittyKat]

Yeah, but aren't you the one searching out High school kid interviews in High School newspapers?

I'm not even going to go there, even though you did.  It was near the top of the search results, it had her name on it, and I didn't know until I read it that it was a high school interview.  Someone here posted a link first.

BTW, why did you move all the way across country to be closer to the Beach Boys?  I never moved anywhere to be near them.