Brian / Al / Blondie Summer 2015 Tour Thread

[keysarsoze001]

In reference to Darian only singing part of "This Whole World", from what I could tell at the Boston show, they had rehearsed it with Brian alternating certain lines with Darian, and then Brian was missing cues as he tends to do when he's focused on the piano. For instance, I seem to remember no one sang "when girls get mad at boys" because Darian expected Brian to do it and Brian missed it, so Darian did "many times they're just putting on" at which point Brian decided he was going to take that section after all. Because Darian is positioned on the stage in front of Brian, he kept sort of looking over his shoulder to try and tell if Brian was going to take the line or not. In the Foskett days, Jeff was usually positioned in such a way that he could see Brian's face most of the time, and could therefore pick up Brian's missed cues more easily without anyone noticing it wasn't planned. I noticed that Matt kept his eyes on Al most of the night and Al would sort of keep an eye on Brian and would then make eye contact with Matt to fill in as needed if Brian decided not to take a higher-range bit. Regarding pitchiness and other bobbled cues, most likely that was a monitor problem and none of them could properly hear each other. But that's speculation on my part.

[coco1997]

"Wild Honey" drags on way too long, I will say that.

[RONDEMON]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLYiTRVEIuY

Here's video from last week of the band doing "This Whole World"
Sounds great! Those xylophone parts are complicated!

[Jim McShane]

(hand to God, if I'm lying, then my handle is not 37!ws...I actually sat there last night wondering if Jim McShane was there and was going to be complaining about it.)

I only complain when there is something to complain about. I was there at Ravinia 2 years ago and it was terrific. I was at the House of Blues, it was staggeringly good. I was at the Smile and TLOS shows, they were superb. I saw Pet Sounds - amazing!  This time, not so much.

It's humbling to know how much influence I have on your thinking! 

[Jim McShane]

In reference to Darian only singing part of "This Whole World", from what I could tell at the Boston show, they had rehearsed it with Brian alternating certain lines with Darian, and then Brian was missing cues as he tends to do when he's focused on the piano. For instance, I seem to remember no one sang "when girls get mad at boys" because Darian expected Brian to do it and Brian missed it, so Darian did "many times they're just putting on" at which point Brian decided he was going to take that section after all. Because Darian is positioned on the stage in front of Brian, he kept sort of looking over his shoulder to try and tell if Brian was going to take the line or not.

That could well be - Darian is such a perfectionist and so careful to do the songs justice.

[drbeachboy]

"Wild Honey" drags on way too long, I will say that.

It is a jam, like it was performed in the early to mid 1970's. Man, I must be getting old. I thought it was one of the best performances of the night at the Philly show. Just so full of energy and fun.

[John Malone]

I found the Ravinia Show to be just plain fun. I enjoyed the loose atmosphere, and I thought the Honeycomb attempt was a refreshing live moment where we saw behind the curtain, of you will. I am going to refrain from responding to some of the comments that came from the same person, if I remember, that was mad about getting a greatest hits show instead of a Gershwin show a few years ago. Everybody's a critic, albeit some more demanding and difficult to please than others.

[Marty Castillo]

"Wild Honey" drags on way too long, I will say that.

It is a jam, like it was performed in the early to mid 1970's. Man, I must be getting old. I thought it was one of the best performances of the night at the Philly show. Just so full of energy and fun.

Agree. Felt the same way in Detroit. Brian seems to really enjoy it, even if his intro to it seems somewhat canned at this point. Just one of many things that makes this tour feel special.

[MyDrKnowsItKeepsMeCalm]

"Wild Honey" drags on way too long, I will say that.

It is a jam, like it was performed in the early to mid 1970's. Man, I must be getting old. I thought it was one of the best performances of the night at the Philly show. Just so full of energy and fun.

Listening to a recent Wild Honey on Youtube, it sounds fantastic to my ears. When I heard it on the Brian/Beck tour 2 years ago, my take was 'nice to hear, but not quite there yet' but it obviously got there. Great energy in these recent performances. 

[filledeplage]

"Wild Honey" drags on way too long, I will say that.

It is a jam, like it was performed in the early to mid 1970's. Man, I must be getting old. I thought it was one of the best performances of the night at the Philly show. Just so full of energy and fun.

Agree! 1000% - pretty funky linked the jam version on a previous page; belated thank you...

Leaving This Town on Concert 73 is one of the best tracks...another Blondie gem! 

[HeyJude]

I found the Ravinia Show to be just plain fun. I enjoyed the loose atmosphere, and I thought the Honeycomb attempt was a refreshing live moment where we saw behind the curtain, of you will. I am going to refrain from responding to some of the comments that came from the same person, if I remember, that was mad about getting a greatest hits show instead of a Gershwin show a few years ago. Everybody's a critic, albeit some more demanding and difficult to please than others.

I wouldn’t mind seeing Brian just whip out some random half-rehearsed song spontaneously. Obviously, an entire show of under-rehearsed, aborted songs wouldn’t be advisable. But an occasional spontaneous moment is welcomed.

In terms of setlist, I think even just among hardcore fans, there isn’t a consensus on what’s the best type of setlist. I’m not super-duper into the Gershwin album, so I’d probably rather hear more “hits.” We can’t even decide anymore whether “Surf’s Up” should still be considered a “rare” cut for Brian to perform anymore.

For instance, I tend to advocate for something different and new, to a certain degree even to the detriment of what I personally like. For instance, “Busy Doin’ Nothin’” is not on my A-list of material I personally like the most. I probably enjoy, say, “Please Let Me Wonder” or “Marcella” more. But I don’t think Brian has done “Busy Doin’ Nothin’” as often, so I’d probably prefer to see that one added. Same thing with even “Funky Pretty.” Everybody including myself has been screaming for that one on this tour. But, unlike some other folks, that’s another one that, while I certainly *like*, isn’t among my all-time favorites either. I’d probably rather hear “Goin’ On” or “Santa Ana Winds” or even “Lookin’ at Tomorrow.” But “Funky Pretty” would be a great rare pick, not to mention a chance to work Blondie in more (obviously, any KTSA tracks would be pretty rare as well). So I take that sort of measured approach.

[RubberSoul13]

I find it interesting that many fans here expect so many of those songs from Brian. I've only seen him once outside of C50, on the Jeff Beck tour and I was shocked to hear all the car songs. It was also very weird hearing Brian singing "Surfin' USA" and "Fun, Fun, Fun" and having essentially no emotion whatsoever.

If I were going to see Brian Wilson, I would expect songs like Heroes and Villains, Good Vibrations, Surfer Girl, God Only Knows to be the staples. And if Al is in the band, California Saga, Help Me Rhonda, Then I kissed her...

Brian is singing songs he wrote or co-wrote. He has never rejected the early stuff he wrote or co-wrote. I don’t doubt that concert promoters want some recognizable songs in the setlist. But it’s worth thinking about the fact that, prior to 1999, fans had probably heard more live renditions of those “meat and potatoes” songs than the number of times Brian had sung them himself.

Perhaps he feels, and rightly so, that “Shut Down” or “Fun Fun Fun”, etc. are as much *his* songs as Mike’s or the Beach Boys’. How many songs has Brian performed in concert that were recorded by the Beach Boys *and* were non-covers written by another member of the band without Brian? He doesn’t do “Kokomo” or “Getcha Back” or “Still Cruisin’.” He was doing “Forever” for a short while; they had Dave sing “Little Bird.” Even when Al and Blondie are in the band, they rarely even have those guys sing songs not co-written by Brian. (Other than covers or “California Saga”, it’s usually all Brian-penned material).

I think some fans, especially perhaps some newer fans, are not understanding the gravity of Brian doing post-Pet Sounds material, especially late 60’s material, even post-Smile stuff. There are some interviews with one or two of Brian’s band where they describe just how touchy that topic was even in 2000 or 2001. One of the guys (Darian?) described someone asking Brian to play “Heroes and Villains” at a party, and he said (vaguely paraphrasing) that he expected Brian to freak out. I’m sure the stuff from PS and prior is easier for Brian to enjoy singing in some cases.

HeyJude- I do agree, that Brian has every right in the world to be performing them. I just don't expect that of him on a live stage. As a fan that has enjoyed seeing Mike's show and then Brian's show, I went in expecting more music that I hadn't heard with M&B. I also don't find Brian's voice suitable at this stage for the songs that Mike sang in the early 60's. I think Al's voice works on them in most cases...maybe instead give Al those leads? Doubling Brian Wilson gets tricky from what I've seen. When they did "Isn't it Time" on C50 Brian totally missed the intro cue and came in late. Jeff was doubling and it took a bit of time for the two of them to sync back up.

[Ang Jones]

I wasn't there but I've just seen the California Girls video and that sounded fine.to me. The set list looks good and most of the reviewers seem happy.

Obviously, there are sometimes problems with live shows but there is usually more concerted opinion when a show has serious faults.  Brian seems relaxed and happy and that is usually a very good sign.

[guitarfool2002]

I thought the jam during Wild Honey was terrific, as I mentioned in the Philly review when Blondie takes the stage the whole band seems to play harder and rock out more than I've seen them do, especially this tour, and now they have a perfect vehicle and opportunity to stretch out on some songs. All musicians love to jam. It's one of the "let's have some fun" elements that has been setting these shows apart, and Blondie has been a big part of it. He brings the rock and roll to the stage. And I could have heard more of the jamming, to be honest, as the band was in high gear for the show and the soundcheck as Blondie was up there rocking out. One more reason I wanted them to play all night.

[guitarfool2002]

Not being there in person, I also watched a handful of songs from Ravinia today and they sounded great. Matt was nailing the falsetto parts as he's been doing at every show and the band was as tight as they've been.

[lee]

Having seen two C50 shows and one during the Jeff Beck tour, the recent show in Atlanta was my favorite. The music (and sound in the venue) was fantastic and Brian seemed 10 times happier than the previous three times I saw him. The entire band seemed to be having a ball and it made for a wonderful night.

[Terry]

The sound was fine last night from where I was sitting. It definitely had a looser more relaxed vibe and Brian seemed to enjoy himself.  I did think his voice had a little bit more of the bark back in it last night than what I've seen from him the past few years..maybe it's because he feels more relaxed. As far the setlist goes...of course I would rather see more deep cuts, but judging by the crowd there and the conversations I was overhearing, their seemed to be a fair amount of first timers there due to the movie and I'm not sure how that would have gone over. Like someone else mentioned earlier, the House Of Blues show in Chicago in 2002(?) had a great setlist, but I remember Brian looking pretty out of it and not seeming to want to be there. I think the days of him doing 40 plus song sets are probably over as well.

[filledeplage]

I thought the jam during Wild Honey was terrific, as I mentioned in the Philly review when Blondie takes the stage the whole band seems to play harder and rock out more than I've seen them do, especially this tour, and now they have a perfect vehicle and opportunity to stretch out on some songs. All musicians love to jam. It's one of the "let's have some fun" elements that has been setting these shows apart, and Blondie has been a big part of it. He brings the rock and roll to the stage. And I could have heard more of the jamming, to be honest, as the band was in high gear for the show and the soundcheck as Blondie was up there rocking out. One more reason I wanted them to play all night.

The jam was outstanding.  Recalled the "long" jam versions of classics such as Light My Fire...and the great "Leaving This Town," from In Concert.

Yes, they had fun on that stage!   

[37!ws]

Like someone else mentioned earlier, the House Of Blues show in Chicago in 2002(?) had a great setlist, but I remember Brian looking pretty out of it and not seeming to want to be there. I think the days of him doing 40 plus song sets are probably over as well.

Yeah...I was talking to a couple of the guys in the band after that HoB show. They said one big factor was that it was an unusually late show, and Brian wasn't used to performing so late. We saw Jeff outside when we left, on his way to the hotel across the parking lot...HE was clearly exhausted, too, and said that Brian basically left the stage and went straight to bed, and I'm sure he added, "...which is where I'm going right now!" He was kind enough to pose for a picture with the Mrs. and me, though...

[coco1997]

"Wild Honey" drags on way too long, I will say that.

It is a jam, like it was performed in the early to mid 1970's. Man, I must be getting old. I thought it was one of the best performances of the night at the Philly show. Just so full of energy and fun.

I like the jam element, I just thought it brought the pace of the show to a screeching halt. I noticed this from some of the people around me who looked visibly bored about halfway through the song.

[37!ws]

Ooh, one thing I forgot to mention....Al wasn't wearing his white suit at Ravinia...he actually looked really cool! I was glad he wasn't wearing that suit because 1) it's not 1968 any more, and 2) it makes him look like a damn fool.

[CenturyDeprived]

I would say, as it pertains to “Love and Mercy”, other than the unique TNT tribute show performance, Brian is currently performing the song exactly the same way he has since he started touring in 1999. Not sure why anyone would expect anything different on that one.

It was done with the break on the original recording, on the TNT show, and on the benefit performance for the Tsunami victims that included Markus form the Stockholm Strings. And I can't recall for sure, but it might have been done with the break at the House of Blues show. Why not play it complete now - in fact I kind of thought that's what they'd play after seeing all the posts raving about it.

According to setlists.fm, Brian has performed “Love and Mercy” 308 times in concert, only 7 of which came prior to his 1999 touring. I would assume other than those two one-off TV show appearances (don’t know about that House of Blues show), pretty much every other performance of the song has been the usual arrangement. I’d love to hear the full arrangement, don’t get me wrong. But there’s no reason going into a 2015 show that one could expect it, or even be anything other than slightly hopeful. I’m just talking about expectations. If one wants to criticize Brian for truncating the arrangement, that’s a separate issue. While I like the full song, I also defer to Brian doing it the way he wants, especially since it seems to be one of his more personal latter-era compositions. He clearly has an ideal behind performing it, as evidenced by doing a simple piano arrangement instead of the blast of 80’s synths and echoey drums heard on the original recording.

Speaking of, on any of his solo tours, has Brian ever performed L&M with the aforementioned blast of 80’s synths and echoey drums heard on the original recording? I think the song was performed like that on a TV show from 1988 when he sang the missing 3rd verse, but since then?

[drbeachboy]

Ooh, one thing I forgot to mention....Al wasn't wearing his white suit at Ravinia...he actually looked really cool! I was glad he wasn't wearing that suit because 1) it's not 1968 any more, and 2) it makes him look like a damn fool.

Must just be you. While many may not like the style, you're the first to use the "damn fool" moniker. He had the suit on in Philly and I cannot for the life me remember anyone bringing that up. I don't recall anyone laughing at him as he stood out there on stage. Good thing he sings real goodlike.

[37!ws]

FWIW, "Love and Mercy" had a different arrangement during the Smile tours. The Swedes played along with it too. It started in the key of G, and modulated to G# for the final chorus.

[rab2591]

Rodriguez was, as most mentioned, a great opener. I didn't really expect much from him, but he was engaging and funny. Very loose, with a fun vibe from the crowd.

Meant to talk about this in my original review of the Philly show. I know he was just the opener, but I was bummed that so much of the crowd was talking during his set. I would actually love to see him again in a smaller setting where he is the main focus, and not Brian. That being said, the parts I could hear were really good, and I'll be looking into his music in the future. Glad I got to see him!