The Beach Boys Band in Omaha

[c-man]

The Beach Boys (or The Beach Boys Band, according to the local paper) played three shows here with the Omaha symphony orchestra over the weekend.  I had the good fortune to not only attend all three concerts, but to also hang with most of the guys in the band & crew, including Bruce Johnston in the hotel lounge the first night, and Mike Love the next two days (at lunch Saturday afternoon and briefly backstage prior to Sunday's matinee show). 

Let there be no mistake in anyone's mind:  this current incarnation of the band is every bit as devoted to delivering an authentic representation of the music that is true to Brian's original arrangements & productions, as is Brian's band.   Scott Totten, who in addition to being the lead guitarist has also taken on the role of musical director, and John Cowsill, in particular, are passionately committed to getting things RIGHT in the live presentation of the BBs' music.  To that end, John sits in a drummer's booth surrounded not only by the standard drum kit, but also tympani, tambourines, and temple blocks, all of which he plays with skill & ease while also singing in a strong, passionate voice.  Scott plays the intro to "Wouldn't It Be Nice" and the little hooks on "You Still Believe In Me" way up on the 17th-19th frets of his Epiphone and Fender guitars, just like the records, and did a terrific lead vocal on "Ballad Of Ole Betsy".  Randall Kirsch (a gentle, spiritual soul who, in that regard, reminds me of Carl, and who sings in what I consider to be the best falsetto voice of any of their many sidemen over the decades) plays a shiny black Danelectro bass, which, he says, was chosen out of several Danelectros that were auditioned...it being the one that passed the rigid scrutiny of their FOH soundman, Mark.  Tim Bonhomme plays three tiers of digital keyboards which have been reprogrammed from scratch to emulate the original piano, Hammond organ, and harpsichord sounds of the records, rather than the dated "hockey rink organ" & DX-7 synth sounds of the '80s.  Christian Love (Mike's son) sings in a voice so reminiscent of Carl's that it evokes goosebumps.  During the transition to the bridge of "Good Vibrations" (the part that goes "I don't know where but she sends me there"), Scott shakes sleighbells while John does the tambourine rattles at the end of each bar...until the organ bridge, when John picks up the shaker tube and shakes it back and forth...just like the record.  Best of all, "California Girls" has been slowed down from the rushed, "cheerleader" fanfare of the recent past, back to the original, reverent tempo of the record. 

With these guys in the band, the focus has become a determination to musically deliver a live presentation that the listener can compare positively to the original recordings, instead of continuing down the previous path of doing someone's interpretation of Carl's live arrangements from the '70s...which, don't get me wrong, were cool in their own way.  But with the absence of several of the original key voices, the emphasis has shifted to perpetuating, in the public consciousness, the original recorded sound as accurately as possible, the thought being that someone new to the band's music, who recently bought "Sounds Of Summer", "Warmth Of The Sun", or the "Pet Sounds Sessions", will come with an expectation of what the music should sound like...a tall order to fill.  But these guys do it damn well.

Of course, playing with a symphony orchestra the calibre of Omaha's only added to the musically sophisticated and incredibly spiritual vibe that resonated through songs like "Kiss Me Baby", "Here Today", "You Still Believe In Me", "God Only Knows", "Disney Girls", and, for the first time in years, "Heroes And Villains".  And the a capella "Their Hearts Were Full Of Spring", resonating in a hall actually built for music, was transcendent.  THIS is the way this music deserves to be heard...but, reality being what it is, most folks only get to hear it at a casino or county fair, and then they hear only the hits, not the rich current of deep cuts lying under the surface...and that's because of the reality of time constraints (when the promoter tells you he wants an 80-minute show, you can pretty much only play the hits). 

Anyway, I applaud Scott, John, and the others for striving to maintain such a high degree of integrity in this band, and Mike and Bruce for the commitment they displayed in delivering a show such as this one for the "hard core" fans who have hung in there all these years.  I just wish they could do something of this scale more often...the music, and the legacy, deserve it.

[Chris Brown]

That really sounds fantastic, wish I could have been there. 

My one experience with the Mike and Bruce band was more of a "country fair" atmosphere, but I agree that shows like the ones you describe should be the rule and not the exception.

[jeremylr]

cman,

After reading your excellent post, it makes me want to see the boys.  Truth be told, I haven't seen any of the Beach Boys in concert.  Like you said, a theater is the place to see them.  You didn't happen to compile a complete setlist, did you?  Also, how would you rate the overall show?  Was it 2 hours?  Was the crowd appreciative, did Mike & Bruce seem to have a good time, do their voices still hold up, etc?  Keep up the good work.

[Sheriff John Stone]

Great review c-man! It's nice to know that the guys are still giving the fans their money's worth. Like jeremylr said, it makes you wanna go out and see the show!

[c-man]

Jeremylr, here's the answers to your questions:

You didn't happen to compile a complete setlist, did you?  YES - I'll post it soon.


Also, how would you rate the overall show?  EXCELLENT.

Was it 2 hours?  YES.  The orchestra played an overture, or preamble, for about 5 minutes, then the band came out and played for an hour with the symphony on every song (except "Hearts", of course), then there was a 20-minute intermission, then they played for the better part of another hour, with a two-song encore.

Was the crowd appreciative, YES.  Nobody got up to go to the bathroon during "You Still Believe In Me", at least that I could see.

did Mike & Bruce seem to have a good time, YES.  The first night they were a little beat, having flown in from Tulsa, just dodging a blizzard there, and having rehearsed with the symphony that afternoon.  But it was still very good.   The next night they were livelier, and the next afternoon just as so.  Mike and Bruce were both in good moods when I talked to them. 

do their voices still hold up, etc?  SOMETIMES.  There were a few strained moments the first night especially.  It was hard to hear Mike sometimes that night, and Bruce and Christian both faded a bit.  The other guys were phenomenal.  Bruce sounded really good to me Sunday afternoon (better, I think, than he has in a long time), and I could hear Mike a lot stronger then too.  I think they really dug playing with the symphony, and they made a point of saying they were the best symphony they had played with.

[GLarson432]

Great post, Craig.

I did see the show the night before Omaha...in Tulsa.  It doesn't compare because it was a casino show and the only extra we got was a tune up of "Disney Girls".  Bruce said they were doing it as a final rehearsal before the three nights with the orchestra in Omaha.  I would have much preferred "Heroes" but you take what you can get.

The band sounded great.  I can't possibly make a statement such as "way up on the 17th-19th frets of his Epiphone and Fender guitars because that's another language to me.  But they were solid, very solid.  I've seen 50 or so BB/Mike & Bruce shows since 1964 and for a Carl, Dennis and Al-less band they sound very good.  The show was 34 songs and 1:42 long.

The highlight of the night for me, by far, was "Ballad of Ole Betsy".  Also, Tim Bonhomme celebrated the beginning of his 14th year with the band this past Sunday.  His first gig was 3/29/96 at the Riviera in Vegas.

[c-man]

I need to make a slight correction:  "Hearts" was in the second set, which began with the orchestra playing a symphonic arrangement of "In My Room", then the Boys came out and opened their second half with "Heroes And Villains". 

[CeylonSailor]

I was at the Sunday show.  Actually  my first Beach Boys concert in any incarnation (I'm only 24, so there haven't been a great deal of chances here in Nebraska)

But I thought a few things stood out, and I'll mostly agree with c-man:

1.  I brought down the median age to about.......70.  I think there were many of the older set there simply because it was on the symphony season ticket list.  They really dug the first set full of car songs, but got amazingly quiet during the second set full of "deeper cuts."  Of course, just when I was getting excited to hear "Here Today" with a symphony.

2.  AMAZING to hear Bruce sing Disney Girls live.  I did not expect that at all. He sounded great.   And real props to Bruce for being so seemingly happy to be there.  He honored Carl after he sang GOK.  It took Mike at least 6 songs to smile and talk to the audience.  Once Mike warmed up, he was actually extremely personable to the crowd.  He really knows how to work a room.  He got quiet again during Brian's "ego music" cause he couldn't be front and center dancing and waving at the few women approximately his age.

3.  The program called "Endless Summer" a "Mike Love concept album."  Nice to see Mr. Love writing the band's biography. 

4.  The symphony idea was really cool.  Except for their opening medley, where they butchered the opening of California Girls.  As Murray would have said, they gotta "syncopate it!"  They most certainly did not.

It was a fun experience for such a die-hard Brian fan as myself.  I never thought I'd say it, but I'd probably go see Mike and Bruce if they came near again.

[Rocker]

Cool report, thanks C-Man !
Is there anything interesting you can say from talking to Mike and Bruce. Something about any contact with Al or Brian?

[Outie 315]

Would you happen to have the set list ?

[Smilin Ed H]

"3.  The program called "Endless Summer" a "Mike Love concept album."  Nice to see Mr. Love writing the band's biography"

[Outie 315]

You haven’t  lived until Dr. Love
sends you the stink eye while
perfoming Heroes & Villains...

I hope they bring it to
Boston in July!

God Bless Ya

OUTIE

[Don't Back Down]

Which version of Heroes and Villains did they play? Meaning using the bicycle rider chorus and did mike do his "heroes-heroes-heroes-and-VILLans" bit? or did they just stick with the Smiley version?

this concert sounds amazing though, would have loved to have been there

[c-man]

Which version of Heroes and Villains did they play? Meaning using the bicycle rider chorus and did mike do his "heroes-heroes-heroes-and-VILLans" bit? or did they just stick with the Smiley version?

this concert sounds amazing though, would have loved to have been there

They did the "Beach Boys In Concert" arrangement, complete with "Bicyle Rider/Church of the American Indidan" (that part sung by Christian), Mike's cool bass vocal, etc.

[Don't Back Down]

Wow, why can't they play that whenever I see them? and I've seen them 5 times now! twice in theater setting, oh well

[donald]

Saw this very band last fall at a performing arts center and was absolutely knocked out.  My first BeachBoys concert since the passing of Carl.  I had been stubborn about the Mike/Bruce show.  Refused to go.  But they came to my neighborhood and I went.  Raved about it here for weeks.  As with c-man, John and Scott were very gracious and had coffee with me, board regular Steve Mayo and our wives.   A memorable experience and a night of surprisingly well done music and vocals that would only be topped by one of the original band's better nights.

I'll say it again;  If you have not seen this current incarnation of the road band in a performing arts venue,  do yourself a favor and go....quickly....while there is still time.

[Steve Mayo]

totally agree....hard for me to see them after carl's passing but when they came to hometown ashland, ky last october i decided to go. if you have any doubts about seeing them throw those doubts out the window. they are great and do the music justice. see them..you won't be disappointed.