Brian in Portland OR, 9/7/08

[grillo]

Definitely my favorite BW concert so far. I loved it in '98 or '99 when he did more obscure stuff, snd of course SMiLE was amazing, but this show was way more exciting, and Brian was really into it. Brian was in great voice for this show. Didn't write the whole set down but I'm sure it was the same as the other shows so far. He sang GOK better than I've ever heard him, really soft, like he was trying to be gentle with it instead of yelling it. He seemed very relaxed and only occasionally did he seem to drift off. Not a very big turnout, but everyone there was dancing by the end. The Lucky Old Sun portion was done very very well. When Denny and Carl's pictures appeared during BTL many people clapped and yelled. It was my girlfriend's first BW show and she really loved it, (She also said she just wanted to hug him!) if that's any kind of help. See this tour if you can. Honestly, he seems to enjoy being there this time!

[Peter Ames Carlin]

Grillo's right, BW did a top-drawer job on "God Only Knows." Screwed up his cue for "Midnight's Another Day," though, and there was this awkward low voice thing he's doing onstage (or did last night) on the "Lost in the dark/no shades of gray" line that he sings higher on the album (now Foskett sings the high line).

I was pleasantly surprised by changes in the setlist, compared to what I'd seen on setlists previously on the tour. THey opened with "LIttle Girl I Once Knew," and worked in "Add Some Music" in there, too. I still wish he veered away a bit from the usual Beach Boy hit machine ("Barbara Ann", for the love of god). And it'd be nice to hear a small scattering of newer good stuff. "Lay Down Burden," say, or "Soul Searchin" or so many more.

That said, it's hard to diss a guy for not playing new stuff when he plays every song on his new album.