Brian Wilson - 2022 Tour Thread (Plus Archived 2021)

[Robbie Mac]

I saw the show in St. Louis and my impression of Brian was similar to Clay’s.  Brian took the lead on God Only Knows and I think the mind and the heart were willing but the body wasn’t.  But, you know what happened? When the song was over, he got a standing ovation.  After the show, I overheard a couple walking two steps behind talking about the show.

HIM: Brian, man. It wasn’t happening for him tonight.

HER: I know, but I figured this would be my only chance to see him.

HIM: You know what, though? You gotta remember one thing: he wrote ALL of that sh*t!


If I had been walking alongside them instead of ahead of them, I would have responded “you’re Gosh Darn right he did.” Brian’s shows are like church to me.  As long as he continues, I will keep going.

[SMiLE Brian]

L&M Billy.

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

Billy,

I'm truly sorry to hear of your struggles and your health issues.  I'm glad to hear that you have creating music to keep you happy.  But if your comments were directed at me, I hope you can understand that by no means do I have any ill intentions here.  My main point is that I'm concerned that Brian simply doesn't look great out there onstage, his health at this point is a valid concern, and if there is any possibility that he doesn't want to be up there on stage then I hope he gets the opportunity to do what he wants.  That was all I was trying to say.  If he wants to continue to perform until he drops then more power to him.  I do stand by my assessment that I believe his life is at least somewhat directed for better or for worse, but that does not automatically mean I think his team are actively abusing him.  Can two things not be true at the same time?  And as I stated before I also don't have any ill feelings towards Melinda as I am largely indifferent to her; I'm just not oblivious as to why others have taken issue with her in the past.  Doesn't mean I have any "axe to grind" with her at all.  And having these concerns about the situation by no means makes me a "monster"; I care about the guy's well-being just as much as anyone even if we don't see it the same way.  Brian's overall health has been a topic of discussion amongst fans for almost as long as his overall career has lasted and it is inevitable that discussion and debates will arise from it.  We've pretty much exhausted this exchange for today so I don't plan on following up, but I would appreciate keeping the civility here even if some of you don't like or agree with my take.  

Understood, and no not all of it was directed at you…I’m seeing many of the same things elsewhere (not even just talking EH either). Certain words have extremely negative connotations and have been used by those who *do* have an axe to grind . Here’s the thing nobody seems willing to answer… let’s pretend Brian was indeed being forced against his will to do this. The question is…why? Money? He’s already loaded and at this stage of the game these shows aren’t going to be huge cash cows. There are other, easier and faster ways to earn cash. To ensure  recording career can continue? Honestly, I think the soundtrack and the instrumental album are it. Besides the actual shows, touring is a LOT of work, not just for the artist. What would be the point in “forcing” Brian to do something he allegedly didn’t want to?  Can you imagine how it would be for Brian to be told “that’s it, you can’t do this anymore and your own fans don’t want you to continue “?  How is that beneficial?  How would it benefit for him to be sitting in his living room watching tv all day and ruminating on his own mortality? I’m not going to see 80 (some days I doubt I’ll see 50) but I’ve seen enough family members and family members of friends (including a few who were mentally ill) reach old age and eventually what comes next to know that him ceasing activity probably won’t have a great outcome. He’s not on an extremely grueling schedule either. I may regret being this blunt, but f*** it… Brian’s not gonna be doing shows much longer. He’s not going to pull an Elton John and announce a retirement tour. He’ll  just …stop. This is about two things… keeping some semblance of normalcy for him, and letting him soak in the adulation he both deserves and needs for probably the last time (and giving the fans the opportunity to do so as well).

[SMiLE Brian]

Can we have a “SS board is back” celebration?

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

I do hope I didn’t come off too harshly and my reasoning came across fine.

[18thofMay]

People have been commenting on how Brian has looked on stage for over 50 years.

[Join The Human Race]

I think a few things can be true simultaneously. While I understand the worries fans have about Brian being taken advantage of by others, I've not seen anything remotely similar to the type of control Landy that had over Brian. At the same time, I am wondering, why is Brian still touring? I've only seen Brian once, back in 2016, and I am very happy that I got that opportunity, but Brian was declining then. He sang most of the leads for that show, but with each succeeding year, he does less and less lead vocals at concerts. Due to his back problems, he's had to use a wheel chair, and he has to use a walker now to get on stage. He had a mental health issue back in 2019 that caused him to postpone shows. Then, the pandemic. And now, he's 80! I just don't understand why he's still touring. I knew Brian was going to be performing here in KC on his 80th birthday, but I decided to not buy a ticket, mainly for the reasons I mentioned above. A friend of mine saw Brian for the first time at Red Rocks and had a similar review to others I've read on the forums: Brian was weak, Al sounds great, backing band great. It reminds me of the line from the BW 1969-1982 documentary about Brian being onstage in the late 70s, early 80s, being paraded onstage like a circus bear. Carl was doing that at Knebworth. It was loving but Brian doesn't seem to want be there. It's a celebration of his great music yet he's the least involved. I just feel like we're kind of at that point again with Brian. Again, I don't know any of these people or what they think, so I cannot make assumptions. I think fans do have a right to ask themselves this question, while at the same time, keeping grounded enough to not give into the crazy conspiracies that pop up online amongst some fans. If any of you choose to go see Brian live, I hope you have a wonderful time. I am sure you will.

[Robbie Mac]

I’ve been told multiple times by people that I trust that the decision to tour is Brian’s.

[Tony S]

My opinion,  but I do think Brian wants to tour. The last time I saw Brian I think was in 2018 it was the third or fourth time I saw the "final" Pet sounds show. Having seen them all Brian's vocals had gotten particularly weak as he pretty much spoke the words as opposed to singing. That was pretty much it for me in terms of going to see Brian Wilson perform,  love the man loved his music and would support anything that allows him to do what he wants to do. But for me seeing  him perform like that and seeing a great artist decline was something I did not want to see anymore. But that's me others love seeing him the way it is and obviously he has a crackerjack band. Whatever Brian wants to do obviously there are still people who want to see him and a lot of those. God bless you and Brian

[rab2591]

Great posts, Join the Human Race and Tony S.

I saw Brian in 2020 right before the pandemic shut everything down. Brian looks older every time I see him, he doesn’t hit every note perfectly. But I remember him being upbeat, and of course his band was just stellar. The way I see it: I don’t go to see Brian at his peak. I go because:

- Brian still gives us a little magic in his performances - may not be every song, it may be only one song, but it’s worth it.
- because I don’t know if I’ll get another chance to see him. Something I’ve learned in life: it is hard to watch people decline as they get older, but those moments you spend with them in those years are moments you will cherish and are glad you had.
- because I’m in the same room as my musical hero. To me, it’s like being in the same room as Beethoven.
- because it is the most joyous thing to be apart of the standing ovation after GOK ends.
- because I get to see some of the most talented musicians/bands work their magic. I think all of us musicians who ever dreamed of making it big in a band see Darian as an absolute hero, and we’re all jealous of the talent he and his bandmates have.

I totally understand if people think seeing Brian is too depressing. So I’d never try to convince anyone they need to keep going to his shows. But those are just some of the reasons why I continue to go see him.

If I thought for one second that Brian was intentionally or unintentionally being pushed too far by his management/handlers/wife/band/etc I wouldn’t support his touring. But I think Brian is just a complicated guy who seems to like being on the road these days for whatever reason. He may seem sad at times, or detached, but the guy has schizo-affective disorder and a slew of other mental health issues - I can’t imagine what he goes through internally at times. But being surrounded by friends, being surrounded by music is probably better therapy than being parked in front of a TV alone at home. For that reason alone I’ll keep supporting the guy when I can.

[mtaber]

Brian Wilson should do whatever he wants to do at this point in his life.  I don’t actually know what he wants to do.  Neither do any of us.  Heck, don’t each of us have doubts periodically about what we want to do?

[Wirestone]

My latest, from my real job. Please ignore the smattering of Kansas political content if it upsets you.

Brian Wilson’s Kansas City concert sweeps past and present together into a wistful wave of change. https://kansasreflector.com/2022/06/22/brian-wilsons-kansas-city-concert-sweeps-past-and-present-together-into-a-wistful-wave-of-change/

[MyDrKnowsItKeepsMeCalm]

The way I see it: I don’t go to see Brian at his peak. I go because:

- Brian still gives us a little magic in his performances - may not be every song, it may be only one song, but it’s worth it.
- because I don’t know if I’ll get another chance to see him. Something I’ve learned in life: it is hard to watch people decline as they get older, but those moments you spend with them in those years are moments you will cherish and are glad you had.
- because I’m in the same room as my musical hero. To me, it’s like being in the same room as Beethoven.
- because it is the most joyous thing to be apart of the standing ovation after GOK ends.
- because I get to see some of the most talented musicians/bands work their magic. I think all of us musicians who ever dreamed of making it big in a band see Darian as an absolute hero, and we’re all jealous of the talent he and his bandmates have.

Yes to all this! And similar to the GOK ovation you note, the 'Love and Mercy' encore is usually pretty special. The band surrounds Brian and he seems to give that one a bit of extra love.

I think it's an expectations game as well. If I read the mixed reviews of the current tour and keep the above in mind, I can likely go see a current show and enjoy it. But if I go expecting to see a Brian of decades ago... or perhaps even 5 years ago... some disappointment is probably inevitable.

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

My latest, from my real job. Please ignore the smattering of Kansas political content if it upsets you.

Brian Wilson’s Kansas City concert sweeps past and present together into a wistful wave of change. https://kansasreflector.com/2022/06/22/brian-wilsons-kansas-city-concert-sweeps-past-and-present-together-into-a-wistful-wave-of-change/

That was a great read…thank you for posting that!

[Lonely Summer]

Al Jardine shared video his wife took of the band and crowd wishing him a happy birthday and offering him a cake.  Brian looked like he had no clue where he was.  It was hard enough watching him get to his piano using a walker but all reports of the tour I've read so far suggest the man's pretty checked out at this point.  In all honesty if his handlers allowed him to retire I'd rather see him enjoying a nice steak every week while watching a 24-hr "Norbit" channel.  No idea what exactly Brian wants himself but I think the guy has given us enough of his time.

Your observations are spot-on.

[Emdeeh]

Thank you for sharing your article, Wirestone!

[parlay]

Who is lead guitarist on the current Brian Wilson tour ?  Is Rob Bonfiglio on the tour

[Robbie Mac]

Who is lead guitarist on the current Brian Wilson tour ?  Is Rob Bonfiglio on the tour

He was when I saw him last Saturday, although the tour started with Randell Kirsch.

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

I do hope I didn’t come off too harshly and my reasoning came across fine.

And apparently according to the usual suspects I ripped him a new one, even though most of it wasn’t even directed to him (or at EH either, which again I said). But hey since this is being monitored, maybe someone can take the initiative and answer the question….

[rab2591]

I do hope I didn’t come off too harshly and my reasoning came across fine.

And apparently according to the usual suspects I ripped him a new one, even though most of it wasn’t even directed to him (or at EH either, which again I said). But hey since this is being monitored, maybe someone can take the initiative and answer the question….

When one implies or straight up says that Brian is being controlled to the point he is forced to tour at 80 years old, that's gonna piss some people off. And I get that Awesoman explained his comment (even though I still just don't agree with his point of view), but you can't make a blanket statement that implies a lot of awful sh*t about the loving people surrounding Brian and expect a courteous reply. So if it's "rough stuff", perhaps more of that loving attitude they showed Howie Edelson should be shared here.

This forum has dealt with these inane conspiracy theories for a stupid long time, so it gets tiresome when people say things that imply (or straight up align with the idea) that Brian has no free will to retire.

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

It’s worse on Facebook…Awesomeman stated his point, I stated mine, I hope it’s cool. It is on my end for sure. On FB though, these people are saying it directly , no hinting or insinuating or anything. Facebook is a cesspool to begin with but throw in the usual BB related drama and it’s a powder keg of disaster.  That very day I’d read some of the same accusations but those folks unlike Awsomeman didn’t have good intentions.

It’s one thing to have concern; abject cruelty is another

[Don Malcolm]

Not to keep people from reading Wirestone's entire essay, but these closing paragraphs are so particularly moving and well done that IMO they need to be read by anyone/everyone who comes into this thread:

We can’t stay young forever. But we can remember. Brian Wilson and his band told us that Monday night. We can’t go back to the days of Bob Dole and Nancy Kassebaum and Bill Graves, but we can remember the examples they set. I can’t go back to my high school days, when the years ahead stretched mysteriously, but I can remember how they felt.

We can remember, and we can build anew. We can share what we’ve learned to others.

I watched Brian Wilson leave the stage on Monday, a freshly minted 80-year-old man guided by an assistant and holding onto a walker. To some, it might have seemed sad. But not to me. I saw a man of ferocious tenacity, someone who built a sonic edifice that endures and who refuses to let others forget.

I can only hope that when I’m 80, when the span of time has swept me deep into the territory of cranky old men, that I’m here to do my own work, contributing to this majestic state I so love.

This is what every one of us, in our heart of hearts, aspires to if we haven't given up on life, or been ground down by the unavoidable passage of time. We can't go back to the days of Carl and Dennis, either, but we can remember them in all their complexity and pay homage to their contributions to a band (inspired by their love and respect--and often their indulgence--of their big brother) and ensure that their memory is kept alive--one of the very best aspects of the C50 tour, BTW. If the surviving members of the group can arrange for a semblance of a truce in order to focus on their legacy, then all of us should cast aside as much of these innuendos as we can, since they matter not one whit in terms of what the band has achieved during its roller-coaster sixty-year career. Brian has clearly been hurting for some time now, but he has proven to us that he's a survivor; as Billy said so well, if he didn't want to be there, he simply wouldn't be there. He has opted out before. I think he's there--and, increasingly, Mike is as well--because they recognize that America--and the world--needs their music and the message it carries. They--and we--still need "a mess of help."

Wirestone's message, if I may be so presumptuous, is that we should be thankful for that tenacity and dedication, because those who aspire and achieve great things continue to demonstrate it even when one might expect them to rest on their laurels. Thank you for a wonderfully written piece of journalism--and I have no doubt that you'll still be a tenacious and valuable contributor when you "grow up to be an (old) man." 

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

Beautifully stated

[Awesoman]

It’s worse on Facebook…Awesomeman stated his point, I stated mine, I hope it’s cool. It is on my end for sure. On FB though, these people are saying it directly , no hinting or insinuating or anything. Facebook is a cesspool to begin with but throw in the usual BB related drama and it’s a powder keg of disaster.  That very day I’d read some of the same accusations but those folks unlike Awsomeman didn’t have good intentions.

It’s one thing to have concern; abject cruelty is another

Yeah I'm not holding any grudges.  It's okay to disagree.  :-)

Now misspelling my screen name is a whole other story.  🤣

[HeyJude]

I'd also say that asking the sort of vague question to nobody in particular of "Should Brian still be out on tour?" does not imply that one thinks they should actually be able to have a say in such things.

Also, being concerned or off-put by his condition out on tour doesn't then immediately imply there's an accusation of his being taken advantage of, or that there is some evil person behind the scenes.

Brian's performances have become increasingly challenged in the last several years, including everything from the actual quality of his vocal delivery, to his overall demeanor. It *is* more low energy than even in like the 2012-2015 era, and his demeanor on stage when he's not singing is even more still and blank than in the past. I don't think it's out of line for someone to find that off-putting or concerning, even compared to 7 to 10 years ago.

I personally ended up stopping seeing the live show after 2016 after having seem him tons of times since 1999. It wasn't a big dramatic decision; I'm not even saying I'd never go again. But the performance of PS in 2016 wasn't great enough to justify keeping doing it for me, and while they do delegate leads to others, I've had a continual slight confusion/frustration with not giving Al more leads when his voice is so strong. So *that* level of Brian performance, coupled with having Al standing there the whole time but not singing a ton of leads, left me feeling I didn't need to go out of my way to see the next several tours.

I'm not ready to call for him to quit. And I think there absolutely could be something to the idea that staying active in that way is helping Brian. But I'd be very okay if he retired from touring, and I'm content with not seeing the live show now, or at least feeling I don't *need* to see the current live show.