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Author Topic: Beach Boys 2021 Feel Flows World Tour Thread  (Read 342304 times)
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« Reply #600 on: August 05, 2019, 02:43:32 PM »

Here's Mike, Bruce, and Scott Totten with Ringo & the all starrs on "with a little help..."


Mike appears to not really know the words and relies on doing his usually thumbs ups and crowd points, Bruce sings some really nice harmonies that stick out in a good way, but then freezes when they go into "Give Peace a Chance" and never does the peace fingers...Scott looks like he's having a ball, and rightfully so!
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« Reply #601 on: August 05, 2019, 04:12:47 PM »

Your link to the video is missing, but I did see it earlier. Bruce walks out for a handshake and is left hanging....Ringo doesn’t shake hands as he is a germaphobe.  LOL
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« Reply #602 on: August 05, 2019, 06:20:54 PM »

That's weird...let's try again.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LgPpR8wTS6Q
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« Reply #603 on: August 06, 2019, 06:48:29 AM »

Christ... my ears!

Looks like Steve Lukather from Toto on the left guitar (next to Mike) also

Interesting thing about Ringo - he never, ever drums live without another drummer doubling. All those guest appearances etc, you never get to hear the classic Ringo "dustbin lid" sound because there's always someone doubling up. Backing musicians covering up the sound - sounds familiar eh! Wink
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« Reply #604 on: August 06, 2019, 07:02:58 AM »

Christ... my ears!

Looks like Steve Lukather from Toto on the left guitar (next to Mike) also

Interesting thing about Ringo - he never, ever drums live without another drummer doubling. All those guest appearances etc, you never get to hear the classic Ringo "dustbin lid" sound because there's always someone doubling up. Backing musicians covering up the sound - sounds familiar eh! Wink

Lukather has been in Ringo's band for years now; it's unfortunate Ringo hasn't stuck to the original ethos of the All-Starr band by rotating more members each time.

Ringo has on occasion drummed solo, even on his All-Starr tours. There was a track on one of the tours, leading into or out of the solo spots/intermission, where finally he went solo and the other drummer took a break. I'm trying to remember. Maybe "Irene Wilde" by Ian Hunter back in 2001?

But yes, Ringo clearly likes having a second drummer. I mean, I can't fault Ringo. He's *very close* to 80 years old and still drumming for full shows and doing jumping jacks up front while he sings, etc.
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« Reply #605 on: August 07, 2019, 10:45:58 AM »

I saw Mike & Bruce's Beach Boys and Ringo at Ravinia on Sunday night. Here are my thoughts...

The Beach Boys band was on fire. Mike's lead vocals on the hits were very strong, and he was moving around the stage more than we've seen the last couple years. That was very cool. Ike sounded absolutely fantastic on the falsetto parts, specifically Don't Worry Baby. His voice is so strong and cuts through the mix perfectly, in a way similar to BW's. He can sing in that very high register without sounding "wimpy".

Bruce's only lead vocal during the entire night was the bridge of Surfer Girl. My Dad (who is a casual BBs fan, not an expert) said that it seemed like Bruce's role in the touring group had been diminished, with his lack of leads and audible keyboard playing. However, as I explained to him, even if Bruce's ONLY contribution was singing BBs backing harmonies, that'd be a significant contribution. Singing BBs harmony is very hard, and to be able to do it perfectly every night, makes you an incredible musician in my eyes.

Stamos was there. For the beginning of the show, I felt like he was hogging the spotlight. He was kinda upstaging Mike and Bruce, which felt a little weird at a Beach Boys concert. A couple songs in, however, something changed, and he let Mike do his frontman thing. Stamos' lead vocal on Forever was great though, and I'll never complain about having a Dennis song in the setlist.

Despite California Sun, Rockaway Beach, Summertime Blues, and Here Comes The Sun all being covers, they didn't harm the pace of the show. The audience was really into California Sun when it kicked off. I think most people thought Summertime Blues was a BBs song. And Rockaway Beach, with Cowsill's perfect fast tempo, had amazing energy. The only point of the show where I felt the energy dip was Pisces Brothers, as I've felt since 2014, however maybe a dozen people actually gave the song a standing ovation (maybe lots of George Harrison fans in the audience)

Many of the songs we've come to expect in a M&B show were cut from the setlist, since they were playing the show w Ringo. No Darlin, Why Do Fools Fall In Love, Little Honda, Disney Girls, SIP, Then I Kissed Her, Rock And Roll Music, etc... But that didn't really harm anyone's enjoyment of the show. It was still a great overview of The BBs catalog, with fan favorites like It's OK and The Warmth Of The Sun (with a terrific lead by Ambha Love)

Sometimes it can feel like the hits are played on autopilot, but songs like 409, Rhonda, and Surfin USA (which the group has played millions of times) had an incredible punch.

One complaint I have with the show, is Stamos completely took over the drums for the second half of the first set, including the car set and DWB. He's a fine drummer, but when compared to Cowsill, his tempo and energy sounded really amateur. The tempo on Surfer Girl, with Stamos on drums, was kinda all over the place. But the harmonies were so exquisite, I couldn't mind. Maybe it's just because I'm a musician, that I noticed the tempo fluctuations when Stamos took over. It wasn't the end of the world, even Dennis' tempo could shift during the song. Cowsill is really good at staying in the pocket, and he shines whenever he picks up the sticks.

Having Scott, Christian, Jeff, and Ike all play guitar gave the band a great rock sound. All of the guitarists complemented each other's playing, and didn't step on each other's toes. My ideal situation would be for Ike to continue to sing the falsettos, and when Jeff's voice is healed, have him sing his more mid-register leads like Darlin. This was truly a great lineup of musicians, who have all earned their stripes to be on stage with The Beach Boys band.

Overall, it was one of my favorite BBs shows I have been to. Everyone had a moment to shine. Tim's keyboard playing was astonishing as usual, I can't believe he can cover so many parts. Mike and Bruce had great energy as the resident official BBs members. If anyone is feeling hesitant to see Mike's Beach Boys, I really recommend seeing them. They have totally stepped up their game since Totten took over as musical director, and if you go to their shows you'll be treated with great harmonies, an interesting setlist, and wonderful musicians who seem to love what they do. You can't go wrong. It's funny, I'll sometimes skip a song like Little Deuce Coupe if it comes on shuffle, but when I hear it in person, with the pounding drums, chugging guitars, and soaring harmonies, I remember how genius early hits like that were. This band pays great respect to the original arrangements and intentions of the songs. It seems like Mike takes a lot of care in creating the setlists, and putting songs together in a way that works and keeps the energy up.

Despite my minor frustration with things like Stamos' drumming, or a relatively short setlist, I'd still give this show a 10/10 for being a great BBs experience. I look forward to seeing Mike's band again, as well as Brian's. They totally compliment each other in my opinion, even though I'd obviously prefer to see them together.
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« Reply #606 on: August 07, 2019, 11:09:37 AM »

Well said, Nate. It's a great band to watch (if a little personnel-heavy at times). Same for Brian's.

I wonder if we'll ever see them doing a basic lineup - Brian, Al, Mike, Bruce (complete with cheap/old sounding keyboard) plus maybe a drummer and bass. Or would the two main guys need 35 people each behind them to get on stage?
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« Reply #607 on: August 07, 2019, 11:09:45 AM »

Additional note:

Mike, Bruce, and Scott joined Ringo onstage for With A Little Help From My Friends, which was awesome. Indeed, a historical site to see. Last time The BBs and Ringo played together must have been Fourth Of July in the 80's I think...

Anyway, I was really hoping Bruce would take a verse of the song, since I love The BBs version with his lead, but no such luck... (I wonder if singing the song onstage brought Bruce back to those '67 sessions...)
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« Reply #608 on: August 08, 2019, 06:51:58 AM »

Funny thing about Ringo's 1984 appearances with the Beach Boys is that, according to Ringo's "Postcards from the Boys" book, he has *zero* recollection of doing those gigs. As in, the only reason he even believes he was there is that there are photos and video footage of it. He was so wasted back in the early-mid 80s that he has no recollection of getting on stage in front of a half million people at *two different gigs* on the same day in 1984.

No surprise Bruce didn't sing with Ringo the other night. Bruce barely sings any leads in his own band, and Ringo's pattern on "With A Little Help..." at gigs is that he often invites other musical friends in attendance (or on the bill) to do the singalong.

Here's a potentially better look (more shots of the big video screen) of Mike and company singing with Ringo:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tERC07le9JU

Mike has appeared publicly with Ringo in more recent years. He appeared at that David Lynch thing with a bunch of people including Paul and Ringo back in 2009:



One of my favorite Mike pics is this one from the that Lynch press conference where, with one simple photo, you can totally tell that Mike, *in front of Paul McCartney* is *once again* telling his "Back in the USSR" story:



Also, at some point Ringo did appear on stage somewhere with Brian; there's a pic of some random appearance (a club or a karaoke bar for all I know) of the two singing together on stage in Brian's 1999 tour program. This is the best pic I could find:

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« Reply #609 on: August 08, 2019, 08:05:22 AM »

Mike has appeared publicly with Ringo in more recent years. He appeared at that David Lynch thing with a bunch of people including Paul and Ringo back in 2009:




"Me and George were Pisces brothers..."
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« Reply #610 on: August 08, 2019, 08:51:16 AM »

Funny thing about Ringo's 1984 appearances with the Beach Boys is that, according to Ringo's "Postcards from the Boys" book, he has *zero* recollection of doing those gigs. As in, the only reason he even believes he was there is that there are photos and video footage of it. He was so wasted back in the early-mid 80s that he has no recollection of getting on stage in front of a half million people at *two different gigs* on the same day in 1984.

No surprise Bruce didn't sing with Ringo the other night. Bruce barely sings any leads in his own band, and Ringo's pattern on "With A Little Help..." at gigs is that he often invites other musical friends in attendance (or on the bill) to do the singalong.

Here's a potentially better look (more shots of the big video screen) of Mike and company singing with Ringo:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tERC07le9JU

Mike has appeared publicly with Ringo in more recent years. He appeared at that David Lynch thing with a bunch of people including Paul and Ringo back in 2009:



One of my favorite Mike pics is this one from the that Lynch press conference where, with one simple photo, you can totally tell that Mike, *in front of Paul McCartney* is *once again* telling his "Back in the USSR" story:



Also, at some point Ringo did appear on stage somewhere with Brian; there's a pic of some random appearance (a club or a karaoke bar for all I know) of the two singing together on stage in Brian's 1999 tour program. This is the best pic I could find:



I wonder if the picture of Brian and Ringo is from the infamous Van Dkye Parks birthday party?
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Lonely Summer
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« Reply #611 on: August 08, 2019, 10:18:32 PM »

I saw Mike & Bruce's Beach Boys and Ringo at Ravinia on Sunday night. Here are my thoughts...

The Beach Boys band was on fire. Mike's lead vocals on the hits were very strong, and he was moving around the stage more than we've seen the last couple years. That was very cool. Ike sounded absolutely fantastic on the falsetto parts, specifically Don't Worry Baby. His voice is so strong and cuts through the mix perfectly, in a way similar to BW's. He can sing in that very high register without sounding "wimpy".

Bruce's only lead vocal during the entire night was the bridge of Surfer Girl. My Dad (who is a casual BBs fan, not an expert) said that it seemed like Bruce's role in the touring group had been diminished, with his lack of leads and audible keyboard playing. However, as I explained to him, even if Bruce's ONLY contribution was singing BBs backing harmonies, that'd be a significant contribution. Singing BBs harmony is very hard, and to be able to do it perfectly every night, makes you an incredible musician in my eyes.

Stamos was there. For the beginning of the show, I felt like he was hogging the spotlight. He was kinda upstaging Mike and Bruce, which felt a little weird at a Beach Boys concert. A couple songs in, however, something changed, and he let Mike do his frontman thing. Stamos' lead vocal on Forever was great though, and I'll never complain about having a Dennis song in the setlist.

Despite California Sun, Rockaway Beach, Summertime Blues, and Here Comes The Sun all being covers, they didn't harm the pace of the show. The audience was really into California Sun when it kicked off. I think most people thought Summertime Blues was a BBs song. And Rockaway Beach, with Cowsill's perfect fast tempo, had amazing energy. The only point of the show where I felt the energy dip was Pisces Brothers, as I've felt since 2014, however maybe a dozen people actually gave the song a standing ovation (maybe lots of George Harrison fans in the audience)

Many of the songs we've come to expect in a M&B show were cut from the setlist, since they were playing the show w Ringo. No Darlin, Why Do Fools Fall In Love, Little Honda, Disney Girls, SIP, Then I Kissed Her, Rock And Roll Music, etc... But that didn't really harm anyone's enjoyment of the show. It was still a great overview of The BBs catalog, with fan favorites like It's OK and The Warmth Of The Sun (with a terrific lead by Ambha Love)

Sometimes it can feel like the hits are played on autopilot, but songs like 409, Rhonda, and Surfin USA (which the group has played millions of times) had an incredible punch.

One complaint I have with the show, is Stamos completely took over the drums for the second half of the first set, including the car set and DWB. He's a fine drummer, but when compared to Cowsill, his tempo and energy sounded really amateur. The tempo on Surfer Girl, with Stamos on drums, was kinda all over the place. But the harmonies were so exquisite, I couldn't mind. Maybe it's just because I'm a musician, that I noticed the tempo fluctuations when Stamos took over. It wasn't the end of the world, even Dennis' tempo could shift during the song. Cowsill is really good at staying in the pocket, and he shines whenever he picks up the sticks.

Having Scott, Christian, Jeff, and Ike all play guitar gave the band a great rock sound. All of the guitarists complemented each other's playing, and didn't step on each other's toes. My ideal situation would be for Ike to continue to sing the falsettos, and when Jeff's voice is healed, have him sing his more mid-register leads like Darlin. This was truly a great lineup of musicians, who have all earned their stripes to be on stage with The Beach Boys band.

Overall, it was one of my favorite BBs shows I have been to. Everyone had a moment to shine. Tim's keyboard playing was astonishing as usual, I can't believe he can cover so many parts. Mike and Bruce had great energy as the resident official BBs members. If anyone is feeling hesitant to see Mike's Beach Boys, I really recommend seeing them. They have totally stepped up their game since Totten took over as musical director, and if you go to their shows you'll be treated with great harmonies, an interesting setlist, and wonderful musicians who seem to love what they do. You can't go wrong. It's funny, I'll sometimes skip a song like Little Deuce Coupe if it comes on shuffle, but when I hear it in person, with the pounding drums, chugging guitars, and soaring harmonies, I remember how genius early hits like that were. This band pays great respect to the original arrangements and intentions of the songs. It seems like Mike takes a lot of care in creating the setlists, and putting songs together in a way that works and keeps the energy up.

Despite my minor frustration with things like Stamos' drumming, or a relatively short setlist, I'd still give this show a 10/10 for being a great BBs experience. I look forward to seeing Mike's band again, as well as Brian's. They totally compliment each other in my opinion, even though I'd obviously prefer to see them together.
Nothing to say about Ringo's part of the show? My 2 cents: I thought the All-Starr band was a nice idea when his bandmates were people like Levon Helm, Rick Danko, Felix Cavaliere, Billy Preston, Randy Bachman, Dave Edmunds, Timothy B. Schmit, Burton Cummings, John Entwhistle. Since then, though, I have just wished he would do a show of all Ringo songs. To my knowledge, he only did this a couple times, during the Mark Hudson years. One of those shows was on VH1 Storytellers. Killer set list, and "the Roundheads" rocked much better than any of the All-Starrs.
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« Reply #612 on: August 12, 2019, 09:56:30 AM »

Someone uploaded what appears to be the whole show from Munich earlier this year:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZRsg3dxUuI
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« Reply #613 on: August 16, 2019, 11:36:50 AM »

Looks like Rob Bonfiglio is filling in for Ike... who's filling in for Jeff...

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

Can't complain though, he sounds pretty great, although I think Ike's falsetto is one of the best additions to Mike's band recently.
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« Reply #614 on: August 16, 2019, 06:15:13 PM »

Looks like Rob Bonfiglio is filling in for Ike...

That’s cool, wouldn’t have expected Rob to be fluid between the different camps.
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« Reply #615 on: August 16, 2019, 10:14:08 PM »

Looks like Rob Bonfiglio is filling in for Ike... who's filling in for Jeff...

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

Can't complain though, he sounds pretty great, although I think Ike's falsetto is one of the best additions to Mike's band recently.
Honestly, I have no idea who Rob and Ike are. Haven't seen the band since Carl died. Will be seeing them Labor Day weekend at the Puyallup Fair, so I guess I will find out!
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« Reply #616 on: August 16, 2019, 10:38:36 PM »

Lonely Summer,

I think you will enjoy the show if you go with an open mind! It obviously won't be the same as seeing the group with Carl, but Mike has an excellent lineup of musicians that pay attention to every detail.
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« Reply #617 on: August 17, 2019, 02:23:56 AM »

I saw Mike & Bruce's Beach Boys and Ringo at Ravinia on Sunday night. Here are my thoughts...

The Beach Boys band was on fire. Mike's lead vocals on the hits were very strong, and he was moving around the stage more than we've seen the last couple years. That was very cool. Ike sounded absolutely fantastic on the falsetto parts, specifically Don't Worry Baby. His voice is so strong and cuts through the mix perfectly, in a way similar to BW's. He can sing in that very high register without sounding "wimpy".

Bruce's only lead vocal during the entire night was the bridge of Surfer Girl. My Dad (who is a casual BBs fan, not an expert) said that it seemed like Bruce's role in the touring group had been diminished, with his lack of leads and audible keyboard playing. However, as I explained to him, even if Bruce's ONLY contribution was singing BBs backing harmonies, that'd be a significant contribution. Singing BBs harmony is very hard, and to be able to do it perfectly every night, makes you an incredible musician in my eyes.

Stamos was there. For the beginning of the show, I felt like he was hogging the spotlight. He was kinda upstaging Mike and Bruce, which felt a little weird at a Beach Boys concert. A couple songs in, however, something changed, and he let Mike do his frontman thing. Stamos' lead vocal on Forever was great though, and I'll never complain about having a Dennis song in the setlist.

Despite California Sun, Rockaway Beach, Summertime Blues, and Here Comes The Sun all being covers, they didn't harm the pace of the show. The audience was really into California Sun when it kicked off. I think most people thought Summertime Blues was a BBs song. And Rockaway Beach, with Cowsill's perfect fast tempo, had amazing energy. The only point of the show where I felt the energy dip was Pisces Brothers, as I've felt since 2014, however maybe a dozen people actually gave the song a standing ovation (maybe lots of George Harrison fans in the audience)

Many of the songs we've come to expect in a M&B show were cut from the setlist, since they were playing the show w Ringo. No Darlin, Why Do Fools Fall In Love, Little Honda, Disney Girls, SIP, Then I Kissed Her, Rock And Roll Music, etc... But that didn't really harm anyone's enjoyment of the show. It was still a great overview of The BBs catalog, with fan favorites like It's OK and The Warmth Of The Sun (with a terrific lead by Ambha Love)

Sometimes it can feel like the hits are played on autopilot, but songs like 409, Rhonda, and Surfin USA (which the group has played millions of times) had an incredible punch.

One complaint I have with the show, is Stamos completely took over the drums for the second half of the first set, including the car set and DWB. He's a fine drummer, but when compared to Cowsill, his tempo and energy sounded really amateur. The tempo on Surfer Girl, with Stamos on drums, was kinda all over the place. But the harmonies were so exquisite, I couldn't mind. Maybe it's just because I'm a musician, that I noticed the tempo fluctuations when Stamos took over. It wasn't the end of the world, even Dennis' tempo could shift during the song. Cowsill is really good at staying in the pocket, and he shines whenever he picks up the sticks.

Having Scott, Christian, Jeff, and Ike all play guitar gave the band a great rock sound. All of the guitarists complemented each other's playing, and didn't step on each other's toes. My ideal situation would be for Ike to continue to sing the falsettos, and when Jeff's voice is healed, have him sing his more mid-register leads like Darlin. This was truly a great lineup of musicians, who have all earned their stripes to be on stage with The Beach Boys band.

Overall, it was one of my favorite BBs shows I have been to. Everyone had a moment to shine. Tim's keyboard playing was astonishing as usual, I can't believe he can cover so many parts. Mike and Bruce had great energy as the resident official BBs members. If anyone is feeling hesitant to see Mike's Beach Boys, I really recommend seeing them. They have totally stepped up their game since Totten took over as musical director, and if you go to their shows you'll be treated with great harmonies, an interesting setlist, and wonderful musicians who seem to love what they do. You can't go wrong. It's funny, I'll sometimes skip a song like Little Deuce Coupe if it comes on shuffle, but when I hear it in person, with the pounding drums, chugging guitars, and soaring harmonies, I remember how genius early hits like that were. This band pays great respect to the original arrangements and intentions of the songs. It seems like Mike takes a lot of care in creating the setlists, and putting songs together in a way that works and keeps the energy up.

Despite my minor frustration with things like Stamos' drumming, or a relatively short setlist, I'd still give this show a 10/10 for being a great BBs experience. I look forward to seeing Mike's band again, as well as Brian's. They totally compliment each other in my opinion, even though I'd obviously prefer to see them together.
Nothing to say about Ringo's part of the show? My 2 cents: I thought the All-Starr band was a nice idea when his bandmates were people like Levon Helm, Rick Danko, Felix Cavaliere, Billy Preston, Randy Bachman, Dave Edmunds, Timothy B. Schmit, Burton Cummings, John Entwhistle. Since then, though, I have just wished he would do a show of all Ringo songs. To my knowledge, he only did this a couple times, during the Mark Hudson years. One of those shows was on VH1 Storytellers. Killer set list, and "the Roundheads" rocked much better than any of the All-Starrs.
I totally agree. I wish he  would reunite with Mark Hudson. In my opinion he brought out the best of Ringo since his early collaborations with his ex Beatles bandmates. Ringo kind of "lost his way" in the late 70's and most of the 80's, but he did some great stuff with Mark and the Roundheads.

Autocorrect keeps wanting me to change Ringo to Dingo. That has nothing to do with what we're talking about, I just thought it was funny as hell.  LOL
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« Reply #618 on: August 17, 2019, 04:19:54 AM »

Lonely Summer,

I think you will enjoy the show if you go with an open mind! It obviously won't be the same as seeing the group with Carl, but Mike has an excellent lineup of musicians that pay attention to every detail.

That’s one of the peculiarities of the old band that’s been lost- the shaky, ‘garage’ feel to the live performance where they had limited instruments, Dennis drumming 1.5x speed, etc.

The new band plays the songs very ‘straight’ (in the same way the Brian band does) because both are full of session guys
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« Reply #619 on: August 17, 2019, 06:26:30 AM »

Hmm.  Grin
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« Reply #620 on: August 17, 2019, 02:42:41 PM »

Saw M+B last night. I was a little distracted because I brought my daughter to her first concert, but I thought they sounded great. Rob was a nice fill-in for Jeff/Ike. As usual, I could have done without Pisces Brother, but I didn't mind the inclusions of Rockaway Beach, California Sun and Summertime Blues.

I think bringing in a sax player has really filled in the sound over the last few years.
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« Reply #621 on: August 17, 2019, 08:39:23 PM »

I saw Mike & Bruce's Beach Boys and Ringo at Ravinia on Sunday night. Here are my thoughts...

The Beach Boys band was on fire. Mike's lead vocals on the hits were very strong, and he was moving around the stage more than we've seen the last couple years. That was very cool. Ike sounded absolutely fantastic on the falsetto parts, specifically Don't Worry Baby. His voice is so strong and cuts through the mix perfectly, in a way similar to BW's. He can sing in that very high register without sounding "wimpy".

Bruce's only lead vocal during the entire night was the bridge of Surfer Girl. My Dad (who is a casual BBs fan, not an expert) said that it seemed like Bruce's role in the touring group had been diminished, with his lack of leads and audible keyboard playing. However, as I explained to him, even if Bruce's ONLY contribution was singing BBs backing harmonies, that'd be a significant contribution. Singing BBs harmony is very hard, and to be able to do it perfectly every night, makes you an incredible musician in my eyes.

Stamos was there. For the beginning of the show, I felt like he was hogging the spotlight. He was kinda upstaging Mike and Bruce, which felt a little weird at a Beach Boys concert. A couple songs in, however, something changed, and he let Mike do his frontman thing. Stamos' lead vocal on Forever was great though, and I'll never complain about having a Dennis song in the setlist.

Despite California Sun, Rockaway Beach, Summertime Blues, and Here Comes The Sun all being covers, they didn't harm the pace of the show. The audience was really into California Sun when it kicked off. I think most people thought Summertime Blues was a BBs song. And Rockaway Beach, with Cowsill's perfect fast tempo, had amazing energy. The only point of the show where I felt the energy dip was Pisces Brothers, as I've felt since 2014, however maybe a dozen people actually gave the song a standing ovation (maybe lots of George Harrison fans in the audience)

Many of the songs we've come to expect in a M&B show were cut from the setlist, since they were playing the show w Ringo. No Darlin, Why Do Fools Fall In Love, Little Honda, Disney Girls, SIP, Then I Kissed Her, Rock And Roll Music, etc... But that didn't really harm anyone's enjoyment of the show. It was still a great overview of The BBs catalog, with fan favorites like It's OK and The Warmth Of The Sun (with a terrific lead by Ambha Love)

Sometimes it can feel like the hits are played on autopilot, but songs like 409, Rhonda, and Surfin USA (which the group has played millions of times) had an incredible punch.

One complaint I have with the show, is Stamos completely took over the drums for the second half of the first set, including the car set and DWB. He's a fine drummer, but when compared to Cowsill, his tempo and energy sounded really amateur. The tempo on Surfer Girl, with Stamos on drums, was kinda all over the place. But the harmonies were so exquisite, I couldn't mind. Maybe it's just because I'm a musician, that I noticed the tempo fluctuations when Stamos took over. It wasn't the end of the world, even Dennis' tempo could shift during the song. Cowsill is really good at staying in the pocket, and he shines whenever he picks up the sticks.

Having Scott, Christian, Jeff, and Ike all play guitar gave the band a great rock sound. All of the guitarists complemented each other's playing, and didn't step on each other's toes. My ideal situation would be for Ike to continue to sing the falsettos, and when Jeff's voice is healed, have him sing his more mid-register leads like Darlin. This was truly a great lineup of musicians, who have all earned their stripes to be on stage with The Beach Boys band.

Overall, it was one of my favorite BBs shows I have been to. Everyone had a moment to shine. Tim's keyboard playing was astonishing as usual, I can't believe he can cover so many parts. Mike and Bruce had great energy as the resident official BBs members. If anyone is feeling hesitant to see Mike's Beach Boys, I really recommend seeing them. They have totally stepped up their game since Totten took over as musical director, and if you go to their shows you'll be treated with great harmonies, an interesting setlist, and wonderful musicians who seem to love what they do. You can't go wrong. It's funny, I'll sometimes skip a song like Little Deuce Coupe if it comes on shuffle, but when I hear it in person, with the pounding drums, chugging guitars, and soaring harmonies, I remember how genius early hits like that were. This band pays great respect to the original arrangements and intentions of the songs. It seems like Mike takes a lot of care in creating the setlists, and putting songs together in a way that works and keeps the energy up.

Despite my minor frustration with things like Stamos' drumming, or a relatively short setlist, I'd still give this show a 10/10 for being a great BBs experience. I look forward to seeing Mike's band again, as well as Brian's. They totally compliment each other in my opinion, even though I'd obviously prefer to see them together.
Nothing to say about Ringo's part of the show? My 2 cents: I thought the All-Starr band was a nice idea when his bandmates were people like Levon Helm, Rick Danko, Felix Cavaliere, Billy Preston, Randy Bachman, Dave Edmunds, Timothy B. Schmit, Burton Cummings, John Entwhistle. Since then, though, I have just wished he would do a show of all Ringo songs. To my knowledge, he only did this a couple times, during the Mark Hudson years. One of those shows was on VH1 Storytellers. Killer set list, and "the Roundheads" rocked much better than any of the All-Starrs.
I totally agree. I wish he  would reunite with Mark Hudson. In my opinion he brought out the best of Ringo since his early collaborations with his ex Beatles bandmates. Ringo kind of "lost his way" in the late 70's and most of the 80's, but he did some great stuff with Mark and the Roundheads.

Autocorrect keeps wanting me to change Ringo to Dingo. That has nothing to do with what we're talking about, I just thought it was funny as hell.  LOL
I guess the problem with doing a solo show for Ringo is, do people want to see him down front, as lead singer on every song, or do they want him to be the drummer? I think a compromise could be reached: for example, I remember when he did the Storytellers show, he went back to the drums for the last part of Back Off Boogaloo. And he used to sing at least a couple of songs during the All Starr shows from behind the drums - stuff like Boys or Act Naturally.
Ringo and Mark made a good team, but I guess they had a falling out. Now Mark is working with Joey Molland. We'll see if anything comes of that.
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« Reply #622 on: August 17, 2019, 09:02:37 PM »

Saw them tonight in Simsbury CT. Mike sounded really great . It was a very short show because if fireworks and then shortened even more due to storms . Only annoying thing is in a shortened show anyway where even a song like Darlin and When I Grow Up doesn’t make the cut they still played Pisces Brothers and Here Comes The Sun which brought everything to a screeching halt .
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myonlysunshine
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« Reply #623 on: August 19, 2019, 06:31:17 PM »

I saw the Mike and Bruce Beach Boys last night at the Ridgefield Playhouse Theater. This was the first time I've seen them since 2010, not counting the two C50 Mohegan Sun shows where I saw them with the reunited band. Growing up in the late 90s and early 2000s my parents took me to go see the Mike and Bruce Beach Boys a ton, but as I got older I gravitated more towards seeing Brian’s band and have pretty much stayed that way into adulthood. In a personal first for any concert experience, I decided to sign up for the VIP experience/package via Mike’s website. My main goal for the VIP experience was to have Mike and Bruce sign my Light-Up SMiLE Sessions box set since their autographs were the only ones I needed to complete it.

The VIP experience was good, but kind of odd due to the fact that the Ridgefield Playhouse Theater is a non-profit venue that mainly operates off of corporate sponsorships. I knew going in that the sponsors might alter the experience in some way. What I didn’t know was that the sponsors would be given their own private VIP experience during the ‘normal’/‘usual’ VIP time. The VIP experience was and is advertised on Mike’s website as lasting roughly an hour. Realistically this should actually manifest into something closer to a half hour of VIP time due to needing to receive VIP passes at the box office counter, Mike and Bruce needing to leave a little early in order to get ready for the show, etc. But last night the entire experience basically lasted about 10 minutes in total – the sponsors were let in to the VIP area separately from the ‘regular’ VIP group, and were then given a photo op with Mike and Bruce. For some reason, this photo op lasted about 25 minutes. I have no idea if each of the sponsors were given the chance to take separate/individual photos with Mike and Bruce, or if there was some other reason it took so long, but during that 25 minutes I and the four other people who had VIP passes had to wait outside in the concert hall until it was over.

I am not complaining – like I said, I knew going in that the sponsors would likely alter the experience in some way, shape, or form. And in some ways having a shorter meet and greet session is advantageous – it takes some of the social pressure away from the experience, which is nice. I am just pointing this out in case anyone is thinking about buying a VIP package for a venue like this, and who may be primarily interested in it for the social experience.

But the actual experience of meeting Mike and Bruce was great. Bruce signed the box set first. He asked me where I wanted him to sign it, and when I told him to sign underneath Brian’s signature, he called Brian his idol, to which I replied “mine too”. He then asked me if I own the Good Vibrations box set, and when I told him I did, he said to listen to disc 2 of that box set to hear where Brian was aiming to go with the SMiLE music. Mike then came over and added his autograph to it. He didn’t say much to me directly, but he was kind enough to also autograph my VIP Laminate, which was a nice gesture since the staff there were very explicit that Mike and Bruce would only sign one item as part of the VIP meet and greet session. So he didn’t have to do that, but he did so anyway. I really appreciated that.

After they finished autographing everyone’s items, Mike and Bruce then took photos with the VIPers. There was a young couple who got their photograph first, and then when my turn came Bruce noticed my sweatshirt and complimented me on it. He said “Where on earth did you get that? That’s fantastic!” Mike took notice of it and seemed to like it too. On the way out of the VIP meet and greet area as I was walking back to the theater, I ran into Scott Totten who also noticed the hoodie and complimented me on it, saying “now that’s dedication!”.

The show itself was great. Based this on some recent things I’ve read and on some of my previous experiences seeing Mike and Bruce back in the day, I was kind of skeptical that the show would be great, but I came away extremely impressed, so much so that I wouldn’t hesitate to see them again the next time they’re playing close by. Everyone was in good voice, but the person who impressed me the most was Bruce. His vocals were pretty weak when I last heard him sing live in 2012 and 2010, but last night his vocals were actually a highlight, maybe even the highlight of the night.

Rob was still filling in for Brian Eichenberger (who Mike mentioned is currently on paternity leave) and his vocals were much stronger this time around than when I saw him on Brian’s Christmas tour. In one of my posts in Brian’s 2018 tour thread, I complimented the sound of Rob’s voice, which to me sounds more like a young Brian Wilson than Matt Jardine’s voice does, but I criticized Rob’s falsetto for lacking power. Last night there was a lot more power behind his voice, and I thought he was fantastic. The setlist was good; they performed California Dreamin’, Good to My Baby, and You’re So Good To Me, which are three songs I wasn’t expecting them to do. On the other hand, they didn’t perform Darlin’ or Heroes and Villains. I know they don’t consistently perform Heroes and Villains in concert, but the lack of Darlin’ in the setlist was surprising. And they did perform some songs off of 12 Sides of Summer of course. The only song I thought sounded very out of place was Pisces Brothers – I know this has been discussed here before, but it really halted the momentum of the concert when it was performed. I can tell it is a very personal song for Mike, but that is the only song performed last night that I would argue should be left out of the setlist moving forward.

Here are some pictures from the concert, the VIP meet and greet, and my now fully completed/autographed Light-Up SMiLE Sessions box set:









« Last Edit: August 19, 2019, 06:39:29 PM by myonlysunshine » Logged
Emdeeh
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« Reply #624 on: August 19, 2019, 08:54:18 PM »

Myonlysunshine -- where DID you get that awesome Wild Honey hoodie?
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