Mike and Bruce Tour 2016

[thatjacob]

Yeah, I saw Sufjan Stevens at that venue not too long ago. I was impressed with it. Still, as much as I enjoy seeing Mike and Bruce live, I can't justify paying $10-15 more a ticket to see them than I did for good seats to see Brian at The Fox.

[RubberSoul13]

I was astonished to hear an ad for Mike and Bruce's Atlanta show on the local classic rock station this morning. I think it's the first time I've ever heard any BB music played on that station, besides the background vocals on "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me."

FWIW, the place M&B are playing is a very nice venue, with good sound and sight lines.

Every now and then "Good Vibrations" finds its way onto our local classic rock station, and they advertise both Mike&Bruce and Brian&Al shows.

[JK]

Not 2016 but 2017. Mike, Bruce, Jeff and band are coming to a venue near me!

[barsone]

Hi everyone,

My daughter and I went to Mike's Seattle show on Saturday night.  We got very lucky.  Two weeks ago, Mike had his book signing in Seattle for his book.  We both went to the signing and at the end, Mike's wife Jackie raffled off three pairs of tickets to Saturday's (11/12) show.  Katie, my daughter, got lucky and won a pair of tickets.  We waited two weeks and last Friday night before the show, we finally got the e-mail from Mike's tour manager saying congrats, you have 2 tickets to the meet n greet.  A very nice surprise.

Folks, Brian Eichenberger, the addition to the band from the Four Freshmen, has a SET of pipes.  Obviously the sound guys on the side can do wonderful stuff to enhance the quality of the on stage voice.  No enhancement needed with Brian E. !!!   All we see on these threads are about how the Mike show is bare bones.  I don't get that garbage.  Mike now has 8 people in the group.   Mike/Bruce/Scott/Foskett/Bonhomme/Cowsill/Eichenberger/Leago.

Here is what I noticed from past MB shows.  Adding the newest member, Randy Leago, adds a huge amount of percussion (saxes/flutes/ets) that Mike hasn't had in the group for a long time.  I saw the band last September in Seattle (a casino show)  shortly after both Brian E. and foskett had joined the band.  The venue sucked but I also felt maybe Scott T. hadn't yet been able to "meld" the guys into the group yet.  And yes, I think this stuff takes time.

I saw BW at the same venue here in Seattle 34 days ago with his Pets Sounds tour.  Yes still two different types of bands but I mean this....they are getting closer together on the Pet Sounds stuff.  My opinion is the "healthy" competition is good for the consumer.   Both bands have strengths but their individual weaknesses are narrowing rapidly

I love the Beach Boys...I love Brian Wilson.....get on their tour pages....go see them....especially if its a concert hall.....you won't regret it.....even you OSD

[HeyJude]

A few things concerning Mike's show being "bare bones":

The eighth guy was added this year. I have no idea if he's permanent. Someone suggested he was added to flesh out the songs for the mini-PS set played at some show. But in any event, the band has been a seven-piece for most of the last 15-plus years, with the occasional extra added (Joel Peskin and other woodwind guys have been out there from time to time, and of course Stamos on and off).

More importantly, the person usually highlighting the cost and depth of live touring bands has been Mike Love himself. He several times made varying comments about the C50 band suggesting it was too big (saying there were too many vocalists and musicians "competing" for parts). He referenced the band being too expensive.

I've never begrudged that Mike puts on a pro show, for which he owes his thanks to Scott Totten more than any one else. Totten is probably more key to the live show than anyone since Carl in the 80s and 90s in terms of tightening up the band and making them sound clean and pro.

Most commentary I've seen in recent years concerning Mike's band is not that it's too small to perform a professional, tight show. It has mostly been the (correct in my opinion) observation that Mike runs a cheaper, leaner band both in terms of cost (they rent gear in each town, etc.) and number of band members (fewer than Brian or C50). I've heard Mike's band in many iterations, and Totten's tenure has resulted in the cleanest post-1998 shows, no question.

It has been the case for eons that you'll get a more slick, less bumpy ride on Mike's show compared to Brian's. That's just how Brian rolls. But Brian's band's depth is still the reason they can rattle off the entire PS album on short notice. Matt Jardine's falsetto is a *key* ingredient now in Brian's band. While Brian's in a bit rougher shape than he was like a decade ago, Matt's falsetto has probably single-handedly breathed more life into Brian's band than anything I've heard in ages. And, most importantly, especially with Al in tow, Brian's shows do attain that sort of near-religious, spiritual experience sort of thing that is kind of unquantifiable. I'm probably more analytical and less prone to hyperbole about Brian's shows than many or most Brian/BB fans, but hearing Brian and Al sing "I Know There's An Answer" is something that is never going to be topped by Brian Eichenburger singing deep cuts from "Today" or "Summer Days", or Foskett attempting "Surf's Up" while wearing a Hawaiian shirt and standing next to Mike Love, seemingly ready and drooling over the prospect to take the reigns of Mike's band when Mike finally does retire.

[The LEGENDARY OSD]

HJ's last paragraph says it all, for me at least. Having Brian who wrote, arranged, produced and sang is what propels the experience to a special zone that no other performer could. Al, Matt, Blondie and the band are second to none. Why pour vinegar over a perfect apple pie?

[thorgil]

OSD, I love when you write constructive posts. And agree 100%.

[barsone]

Greats comments guys

HJ, I'd have to go back into Bellagio and see the line-ups of the MB shows I've seen post 98.  I know I've seen just 6 people on stage for a Mike show.  Obviously this could have been a one off situation and in the pre-Totten years after 98.  Your comments about Scott Totten are right on 100% and Mike owes this gent a debt of gratitude when he hangs up his surfboard.  Leago was very prominent during the "Pet Sounds" part of the show.  Interesting comments about why he added which do make a lot of sense.  He came out front 3 or 4 times with his sax a wailing which made me chuckle during the show, thinking back to all the fair shows I saw in the 80's with Mike a wailing. on his sax.

I posted last month after I saw the BW show at the same venue that Matt in my opinion stole the show.   HJ, have you seen a MB show since Brian E has joined the line-up ?  If not, go see them to compare the band versus the last MB/Totten show you've seen. I guess that's the point I'm trying to make.  I was hugely surprised and impressed with the acapella rendition of Hearts Are Full Of Spring.   It was Scott T/Bruce/Brian E/ and Mike.  Beautifully done and the audience responded.  No, not a deep BB or BW song as many want hear on these threads, but a very BW-like sound.

My main sense leaving the show.  I saw this band in a casino last Sept 28 2015.  I get it...crappy acoustics....but from then to now....Scott has, as was mentioned, "tightened up" this band in the another notch in the past year and I feel Scott has tons more flexibility with Brian E in the band.  Four California shows in the next 7 days.  Hopefully these are in great venues.  Go see them if they are in your area and make your own comparisons......if not satisfied, send me your ticket stub and I'll buy your tickey.  I mean it. 

And yes Thorgil, its so nice to read a positive post (even with a little vinegar) from the old grump. 

[HeyJude]

Greats comments guys

HJ, I'd have to go back into Bellagio and see the line-ups of the MB shows I've seen post 98.  I know I've seen just 6 people on stage for a Mike show.  Obviously this could have been a one off situation and in the pre-Totten years after 98.  Your comments about Scott Totten are right on 100% and Mike owes this gent a debt of gratitude when he hangs up his surfboard.  Leago was very prominent during the "Pet Sounds" part of the show.  Interesting comments about why he added which do make a lot of sense.  He came out front 3 or 4 times with his sax a wailing which made me chuckle during the show, thinking back to all the fair shows I saw in the 80's with Mike a wailing. on his sax.

I posted last month after I saw the BW show at the same venue that Matt in my opinion stole the show.   HJ, have you seen a MB show since Brian E has joined the line-up ?  If not, go see them to compare the band versus the last MB/Totten show you've seen. I guess that's the point I'm trying to make.  I was hugely surprised and impressed with the acapella rendition of Hearts Are Full Of Spring.   It was Scott T/Bruce/Brian E/ and Mike.  Beautifully done and the audience responded.  No, not a deep BB or BW song as many want hear on these threads, but a very BW-like sound.

My main sense leaving the show.  I saw this band in a casino last Sept 28 2015.  I get it...crappy acoustics....but from then to now....Scott has, as was mentioned, "tightened up" this band in the another notch in the past year and I feel Scott has tons more flexibility with Brian E in the band.  Four California shows in the next 7 days.  Hopefully these are in great venues.  Go see them if they are in your area and make your own comparisons......if not satisfied, send me your ticket stub and I'll buy your tickey.  I mean it. 

And yes Thorgil, its so nice to read a positive post (even with a little vinegar) from the old grump. 

It's tough when it comes to Mike's band. I've said before that my main hang up at *this* particular point in time for not seeing Mike's show does have mostly to do with Mike's attitude and the aftermath of C50. I totally own my decision (obviously). I've said before that, had C50 ended differently (an organized, temporary pause for instance, with more dates with the band coming back together to follow), I probably would have considered seeing Mike's band after seeing Totten and Cowsill integrate so well with Brian's band.

I think Mike's band was sounding pretty "meh" in the late 90s and early 2000s. It was basically the mid-late 90s band, but without Carl or Al or Matt, and sounding more haggard and sterile. I think there was a legit musical reason to skip his show back then. I think Al's show in 1999 and then Brian's show from 1999 into the 2000s did slowly lead to Mike upping his game both in terms of the composition of the band as well as the setlist.

Any legit musical reason for skipping the show now would not necessarily be invalid, but would have more to do with the extensive amount of non-Beach Boys singing leads, and things like that. There are others; I think Mike shreds his voice too much. His voice is in pretty decent shape overall for being 75 and touring all year, every year. But if he gave his voice a rest, I think it would actually sound better. I actually think his "light" touring year in 2012 actually had him in noticeably better voice. He essentially didn't tour for the first four months of 2012 (and probably not much the last few months of 2011), and sounded quite good on C50.

Back to the current band, I just think Mike's attitude towards Brian and Brian's "camp" is so ugly and divisive that there's something just extra unsettling and sad about seeing Foskett (who I'm increasingly becoming less and less a fan of the more I hear, though it's impossible to really elaborate unfortunately) sing "Surf's Up" or "Ike" (another guy poached in a rather political fashion) sing a Brian track off of "Pet Sounds." It's all musically solid. The worst I can say is that there's one better guy (Matt) doing falsettos in another band. But Mike's band has upped the sound and setlist, no question. But it's fronted buy a guy who gives the appearance of hating at least one key member of Brian's family, reminds people constantly of the mistakes his cousins made 30 to 40 years ago, likens that same one family member to Landy, and who appears (in my opinion) to build his admittedly solid band in part based on political motivations by signing up members from Brian's band.

To be clear, the band has never been free of politics and personnel changes and all of that. Mike just hasn't taken the very simple steps it would take to warm a ton of extra fans to him and his show.

[The LEGENDARY OSD]

Greats comments guys

HJ, I'd have to go back into Bellagio and see the line-ups of the MB shows I've seen post 98.  I know I've seen just 6 people on stage for a Mike show.  Obviously this could have been a one off situation and in the pre-Totten years after 98.  Your comments about Scott Totten are right on 100% and Mike owes this gent a debt of gratitude when he hangs up his surfboard.  Leago was very prominent during the "Pet Sounds" part of the show.  Interesting comments about why he added which do make a lot of sense.  He came out front 3 or 4 times with his sax a wailing which made me chuckle during the show, thinking back to all the fair shows I saw in the 80's with Mike a wailing. on his sax.

I posted last month after I saw the BW show at the same venue that Matt in my opinion stole the show.   HJ, have you seen a MB show since Brian E has joined the line-up ?  If not, go see them to compare the band versus the last MB/Totten show you've seen. I guess that's the point I'm trying to make.  I was hugely surprised and impressed with the acapella rendition of Hearts Are Full Of Spring.   It was Scott T/Bruce/Brian E/ and Mike.  Beautifully done and the audience responded.  No, not a deep BB or BW song as many want hear on these threads, but a very BW-like sound.

My main sense leaving the show.  I saw this band in a casino last Sept 28 2015.  I get it...crappy acoustics....but from then to now....Scott has, as was mentioned, "tightened up" this band in the another notch in the past year and I feel Scott has tons more flexibility with Brian E in the band.  Four California shows in the next 7 days.  Hopefully these are in great venues.  Go see them if they are in your area and make your own comparisons......if not satisfied, send me your ticket stub and I'll buy your tickey.  I mean it. 

And yes Thorgil, its so nice to read a positive post (even with a little vinegar) from the old grump. 

Barsone...don't get too comfy with what you called a "positive" post by me about your buddy myKe luHv. You go and see the myKe and br00th band all you want and I'll see Brian, you know the real deal. And when you start slinging the "old grump" thing around, try to remember that old brown shoe fits the luHvster quite unlike any other. 

[NateRuvin]

I'll get a lot of hate for saying this, but I think MB band sounds better than Brian's. Sure, the Pet Sounds tracks don't have that Wall of Sound, but I'd say overall the vocals are more consistent. Brian has been doing his talky thing lately, which just doesn't do the PS material justice. Scott Totten sounds great on IWFTD. With that being said, seeing Brian play the BBs music is more spiritually rewarding, because it's such a miracle to see him up there on stage.

[HeyJude]

And there's the rub. For EONS, it could be said that there were younger, more consistent singers than at least *some* of the Beach Boys that could have sang this stuff.

They could have just given all of Mike's leads to Matt Jardine back in 1993. They could have had Bobby Figueroa or Billy Hinsche sing Dennis's leads in the late 70s.

What sort of trade off a fan is willing to seek out is of course quite subjective. As I've said, Mike's show has far less bumps and ups and downs, purely in terms of comparing to Brian's leads at shows. The difference is, and I say this very literally and analytically and not emotionally, there are a TON of people who could sing like Scott Totten (no knock on the guy, I agreed sometime back that if anyone was going to poach anyone, *Brian* should have poached Totten and Cowsill) or Eichenburger, etc., but there's only one Brian Wilson or Al Jardine to see and hear.

Also, Brian's show is almost more a showcase largely for Brian's catalog of songs. Brian performs *very few* songs he didn't co-write.

Whereas, Mike's setlist is littered both with typically more covers, and littered with songs Brian wrote *without* Mike.

Totten or Ike can sing a great lead vocal. So can the Fendertones guys. So do those guys from the "Rain" Beatles tribute band. And no, I'm not calling Mike's band a "tribute band." But his band is inevitably going to have that vibe a bit more when so much of the show is handed off to other singers, *and* the band's leader (Mike) is presenting a bunch of songs he didn't write. Brian hands off some leads too, though relatively few outside of Al (and I consider Matt a de facto Beach Boy based on his 90s work with the band), and Brian's show features *very few* non-Brian songs.

[SMiLE Brian]

Exactly Jude, and the non-BBs songs in BW's shows play to his "eccentric" persona!  

[donald]

Won't be long before these high quality shows are no more.   I f you haven' t had your fill of live Beachboys, go see either or when you can.   I've slowed my pace of chasing these guys around the map but glad I've seen both numerous times these past few years, through the personnel changes since C50, and have no regrets, just good memories.   While  I've been taken aback by changes in both bands, the sonic results are nothing but pleasing.  Go see em!

[Pacific Ocean Blue]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-tayside-central-38050391

[JK]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-tayside-central-38050391

I take it you'll be there, POB? It's my turn the following month. I've seen Brian, now it's time to see Mike...   

[HeyJude]

Caught Mike's band last night on a return visit to the Hollywood Christmas Parade. Last year the band mimed Mike's solo XMas song. This time, they mimed "Their Hearts Were Full of Spring." The show was filled with a lot of awkward b-list and c-list appearances. Even in Mike's scaled back state, any version of "The Beach Boys" was sadly one of the more high profile guests.

[Pacific Ocean Blue]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-tayside-central-38050391

I take it you'll be there, POB? It's my turn the following month. I've seen Brian, now it's time to see Mike...   

They have a date in May for Glasgow so I'll go to that one I think