Mike is kind of playing the inauguration....

[HeyJude]

Awesome glad Mike/The Beach Boys could get associated with the inauguration somehow! Will want to see that for sure!

Geez, at least other troll posts tend to do a better job hiding the trolling. This is literally like "You know that thing most people here are concerned about? I *so* hope that happens!"

You can agree or disagree with fans having concern over the BB brand/image, you can try to misdirect by comically overstating or misstating the level of concern (e.g. the ridiculous "hope people don't commit suicide over this" post), or whatever else, but at least people concerned about the BBs brand being harmed are speaking out of concern for the band, whether you think the concern is misplaced or not.

One-liner posts like the post above are just antagonistic. If you truly think it's a good idea to do these gigs, then perhaps explain why. At least a few others have sort of done that, though I'd say I haven't really seen a convincing reason to actually do the gig so much as attempts to explain why it's kind of a passive "meh, I don't think it'll do much harm" kind of situation. Not compelling, but there are at least one or two people here who genuinely don't mind Mike doing this gig who I feel aren't just literally out to troll.

[guitarfool2002]

When there are attempts to explain away the impact of a decision that border on trying to distance the decision from any sense of reality, you know it's a big issue. Generally I don't care to see filibustering, apologizing, and parsing of words in advance in order to duck the actual decision made - signs of bullshitting and excuse making. Not unexpected in these circles, though.

[HeyJude]

For those genuinely incredulous (or faking incredulity) over the idea that *this* inauguration is different, and it isn't just an "out of respect for the office" sort of situation, here's an interesting article with some input from industry folks:

https://www.yahoo.com/news/inauguration-performance-political-statement-230623551.html

This is particularly germane because my main point has always been that objectively this would *always* be a bad PR decision under this particular set of circumstances. The article correctly points out how ignorant of the realities of the situation you'd have to be to think this inauguration is not a politicized event/situation. And indeed, here's a PR guy saying *exactly* almost to the word what I mentioned in previous posts I would have imagined a PR person saying:


"In the past, one could say: 'He’s the president.' But I'd tell a client who was asked that this one is different," Howard Bragman, chairman of Fifteen Minutes, a Los Angeles public relations firm, told The Guardian. "In our politically charged world, performing for Trump is a political statement, and if one chooses to perform they should go in with their eyes wide open."  

[guitarfool2002]

Isn't it already obvious when the decision to play an inaugural event is being spun and bullshitted into arguing that the event where they're playing isn't an inaugural event, and it isn't political in nature?

Common sense, logic...out the window.

[HeyJude]

The announcement to play a gig can't even be a straightforward one. Everything surrounding this band anymore has to read like a legal document, parsing words, asterisks, "yeah...but" rebuttals. Even this, it's an inaugural celebratory event. It's politically loaded. That's how these things are. Yet the decision to play, now we have "yeah, but it's not this or that, it's independent this or that, it's not the REAL inauguration ball..." Oh, please. Keep it in the conference room, just be straight up about something for once.

Yeah, even the decision to play this week gets run through the usual ringer of parsing words, asterisks, and any attempt to avoid giving a straightforward, honest, basic answer. The band is playing the inauguration. That's it. Now they have to deal with whatever happens.

This is just an extension of the weird semantic pretzel logic used however many months ago when a few tried to assert that there was *zero* political context or implication for Mike posing for a s**t-eating grinning photo with Trump.

After it has been established that they've been buddies for decades, pose for photos, Mike refuses to really condemn anything about him or anything he says, Mike (and Bruce) skew conservative politically, and so on, it's really insulting to everyone's intelligence at this stage to still claim that Mike playing an event tied to Trump's inauguration is *not* political.

While it would be even worse I suppose for PR in the BB world for Mike to strongly come out in support of Trump, I'd probably actually in a weird way respect the guy a little more for sticking to his guns. It's PAINFULLY obvious he's trying to have it both ways here; do the gig in support of his good buddy Trump but not actually have to answer for his clear political positioning.

I guess we'll have to get Bruce drunk in some bar and have TMZ outside at the ready to get the honest truth about what this is all about.....

[HeyJude]

I got accused of being a racist since I'm a BB fan. f*** this sh*t.

  Then that is ignorance on the part of the accuser.  I wouldn't play a Trump event either, but some people are becoming hysterical.

I've been called racist because I don't like rap.  People say dumb things. 

This is good advice when you run home and tell your Mom somebody called you a name.

But this is horrible advice from a PR/image/branding perspective, which is the main concern being expressed in all of this.

[guitarfool2002]

There would not be the attempts to spin anything about playing this gig if it were not a big deal PR-wise, as some are trying to say. And I agree, it feels like trying to have it both ways. They are playing, BUT they're not playing the inauguration because this is a Texas event, etc etc etc...again, oh please. Be straight up about it, leave the legal parsing to the lawsuits and lawyers and don't insult people's intelligence by trying to say you're not really going to the beach if you don't actually swim in the water. You're on the beach, period.

[HeyJude]

I also find it quite telling that Mike on Facebook, where in the past he's been happy to go into *excruciating* braggadocio about his family vacations and writes essays about his own birthday parties ("unfortunately cousin Brian didn't attend") and of course promote shows and merchandise and all of that, has not said one peep about this show.

[guitarfool2002]

Of course he hasn't, yet I guess fans are supposed to not notice the complete lack of an official comment or word about this since one of Mike's PR guys leaked the original "considering" comment?

Pathetic.

[guitarfool2002]

Maybe they're still trying to work up a good spin and line of bullshit to explain how Mike is playing an inauguration event in DC while not playing an inauguration event in DC. I'll have to dust off my Legalese To English translator to decipher the rationale.

[SMiLE Brian]

Does filleplage take credit or debit card online?

[guitarfool2002]

It defies logic. Like arguing you're not really going to the beach if you're on the beach in the sand but you don't swim in the water. Defies logic and insults intelligence. Par for the course with that crowd.

[guitarfool2002]

Then a fluff piece shows up on ABC yesterday about Mike being "open" to working with Brian again. WTF???

Note the timing. Note the lack of any mention of playing this event, I guess some say it isn't REALLY an inaugural event but anyway...note the timing. And the total lack of mentioning Mike would be playing ***two days later*** at a DC inaugural event, but the piece still manages to plug the kick-off show of his tour this weekend in Virginia or something.

Welcome to Bizarro World.

[HeyJude]

Thanks for pointing to the ABC interview piece. I started a separate thread on it, as I find it intriguing even in its brevity.

And yeah, it's obvious Mike doesn't want to publicize these political gigs.

[guitarfool2002]

Thanks for pointing to the ABC interview piece. I started a separate thread on it, as I find it intriguing even in its brevity.

And yeah, it's obvious Mike doesn't want to publicize these political gigs.

It's unreal. Just unreal - Bizarro World is what we're existing in when this stuff comes out on major news networks.

[Lee Marshall]

Every show w/o fail that 'love' guy works for a complete ass.  On the 19th he'll be working for 2 of 'em.

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

Thanks for pointing to the ABC interview piece. I started a separate thread on it, as I find it intriguing even in its brevity.

And yeah, it's obvious Mike doesn't want to publicize these political gigs.

It's unreal. Just unreal - Bizarro World is what we're existing in when this stuff comes out on major news networks.

Love is the mayor of Bizarro World

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

Does filleplage take credit or debit card online?

[SMiLE Brian]

That SS message board show!

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

[mabewa]

And see, by doing it like this, he's supporting Trump but less overtly. Clever.

I think they will actually play the main event too 

Especially since the Bruce Springsteen cover band that was set to perform backed out.

So a Springsteen cover band backs out, and a Beach Boys cover band steps in.....

Post of the year

LMFAO.

[Peadar 'Big Dinner' O'Driscoll]

Maybe mentioned already but they played last night at Florida Sunshine Ball - http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/state--regional-govt--politics/sunshine-ball-look-inside-rick-scott-party-ahead-the-inauguration/WKbeglCi9G3Fgu8PKjdrNM/

Video - https://www.facebook.com/FloridaForDonaldJTrump/videos/1866576780284876/?hc_ref=NEWSFEED#

[Lee Marshall]

Maybe mentioned already but they played last night at Florida Sunshine Ball - http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/state--regional-govt--politics/sunshine-ball-look-inside-rick-scott-party-ahead-the-inauguration/WKbeglCi9G3Fgu8PKjdrNM/

Video - https://www.facebook.com/FloridaForDonaldJTrump/videos/1866576780284876/?hc_ref=NEWSFEED#

True.  Here's the set-list

Money-That's What I Want
Money For Nothing
Money Honey
Easy Money
Take the Money and Run
Your Cash Ain't Nothin' But Trash
Greenback Dollar
Blue Money
Money Talks
It's All About the Benjamins
Money Money Money
Got Money
Money
Money Changes Everything
Gold Digger

-------------------------------------------

p.s. " 'Love'...you're fired. "

[thorgil]

The announcement to play a gig can't even be a straightforward one. Everything surrounding this band anymore has to read like a legal document, parsing words, asterisks, "yeah...but" rebuttals. Even this, it's an inaugural celebratory event. It's politically loaded. That's how these things are. Yet the decision to play, now we have "yeah, but it's not this or that, it's independent this or that, it's not the REAL inauguration ball..." Oh, please. Keep it in the conference room, just be straight up about something for once.

Yeah, even the decision to play this week gets run through the usual ringer of parsing words, asterisks, and any attempt to avoid giving a straightforward, honest, basic answer. The band is playing the inauguration. That's it. Now they have to deal with whatever happens.

I agree 1000%, Craig. In the BB world, "legaltalk" at his worst (i.e., trying to hide the truth, defy common sense and logic, and generally treat people like idiots) has run out of control, thanks to our friend ML and his fans.

[guitarfool2002]

Maybe mentioned already but they played last night at Florida Sunshine Ball - http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/state--regional-govt--politics/sunshine-ball-look-inside-rick-scott-party-ahead-the-inauguration/WKbeglCi9G3Fgu8PKjdrNM/

Video - https://www.facebook.com/FloridaForDonaldJTrump/videos/1866576780284876/?hc_ref=NEWSFEED#

Watch that video. Both of them.

Then tell us Mike isn't playing the inauguration.

Seriously, it's come to this point. It's an outright joke.